CIA Part 1 — Foundations, Ethics and Governance flashcards
10 of 76 cards free to study here · 3 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys
Purpose and mandate of internal auditing, the 2024 Standards framework, assurance vs advisory work, the charter, independence and objectivity, the five ethics Principles, the board's role and the Three Lines Model.
Learn deck · part of IIA Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Parts 1–3 · written against: IIA CIA exam syllabus effective 2025, aligned with the Global Internal Audit Standards (2024). Updated 2026-10-10.
Study the free sample
10 cards from the deck as they are. Flip, rate yourself, filter by topic; your progress stays in this browser.
Tap the card or press Space to flip
The 10 sample cards as a list
-
Under the 2024 Global Internal Audit Standards, what is internal auditing ultimately meant to strengthen?The organization's ability to create, protect and sustain value. It does this by giving the board and management assurance and advice that is independent, objective and risk-based, together with insight and foresight.Foundations of Internal Auditing › Purpose and Mandate
-
According to the purpose of internal auditing, which party does internal audit serve directly besides management?The board. Internal audit is accountable to the board, which oversees it, while management uses its assurance and advice to run the organization.Foundations of Internal Auditing › Purpose and Mandate
Watch out: serving management does not mean reporting to management for independence purposes. -
Under what conditions do the 2024 Standards say internal auditing is most effective?When it is done by competent professionals who conform with the Standards, the function is independently positioned with direct accountability to the board, and auditors are free from undue influence and committed to objective assessments.Foundations of Internal Auditing › Purpose and Mandate
-
What is the internal audit mandate?The authority, role and responsibilities of the internal audit function. The board grants it, laws or regulations may also set it (common in the public sector), and the charter documents it.Foundations of Internal Auditing › Purpose and Mandate
-
Which three Standards support the Principle Demonstrate Integrity in the 2024 Standards?Honesty and professional courage, the organization's ethical expectations, and legal and ethical behavior.Ethics and Professionalism › Integrity
-
An auditor finds a serious control failure in a division run by a powerful executive and is pressured to soften the finding. Which part of integrity applies most directly?Professional courage: telling the truth and taking a difficult position when the facts call for it. The auditor reports the finding accurately and tells the CAE about the pressure.Ethics and Professionalism › Integrity
-
What does the integrity Principle expect auditors to do about the organization's own code of conduct and values?Understand, respect, meet and contribute to the organization's legitimate and ethical expectations, and recognize conduct that goes against them.Ethics and Professionalism › Integrity
-
What does "board" mean in the 2024 Standards when an organization has an audit committee?The highest-level body charged with governance, or a committee such as the audit committee to which it has delegated oversight of internal audit. Where there is no formal board, it means whoever performs that oversight role.Governance Risk Management and Control › Governance and the Board
-
How does the board's governance role differ from senior management's role?The board oversees: it sets direction, holds management accountable and answers to stakeholders. Senior management executes: it runs operations and owns day-to-day risk management and control.Governance Risk Management and Control › Governance and the Board
-
Which aspects of governance does internal audit typically evaluate?How strategic and operational decisions are made and overseen, how ethics and values are promoted, how accountability is enforced, and how risk and control information reaches the board, management and auditors.Governance Risk Management and Control › Governance and the Board
Unlock the whole deck
You are studying a free 10-card sample. All 76 cards of CIA Part 1 — Foundations, Ethics and Governance, the other 8 IIA Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Parts 1–3 decks, and spaced-repetition scheduling are built into Willys. 14-day free trial, then $14.99 a year.
In Willys, tap Exam Library at the top of your Decks (or Browse Exam Library… under the + button), find the exam on its shelf or by search, tick it and tap Add.
More IIA Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Parts 1–3 decks
← All IIA Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Parts 1–3 decks, with the study guide and topic outline.
About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- IIA CIA exam syllabus (2025) and Global Internal Audit Standards (2024) — topic outline only; no text copied
- IIA Topical Requirements overview and FAQs (theiia.org, checked 2026-10-13)
These are independent study notes written for Willys. They are not official exam material, may contain mistakes, and are no substitute for your course, your teacher or the exam owner's own publications. Found an error? Tell us — corrections ship as a new version of the deck.
Not financial, tax or legal advice. These cards prepare you for an exam; rules and figures change, so check current standards before relying on any of it.
CIA® and Certified Internal Auditor® are registered trademarks of The Institute of Internal Auditors, Inc. (The IIA), which is not affiliated with and does not endorse this product.
Use of these pages is covered by our Terms of Use.