ISACA

CISA training in Dakar

This page is for Dakar residents preparing for CISA, ISACA's information systems audit certification. It shows where the credential is used in Dakar's job market, what ISACA requires before you sit the exam and before you are certified, and how to take the exam from Senegal, since it is not delivered through Pearson VUE. It also covers having your employer or the 3FPT fund the course, and what keeping the credential costs each year. The course runs at the Atypix agency in Dakar, on Dakar time. The CFA franc price and upcoming sessions are shown on this page.

F CFA 1,758,200

Ask for a date or a quote

Where CISA is used in Dakar

Dakar is home to the headquarters of the BCEAO, the central bank of the WAMU member states. The Union's Banking Commission supervises credit institutions and decentralized financial systems (microfinance) across the zone. A bank or microfinance institution in Dakar therefore has to account for its controls, including over IT. The same need exists at insurers, telecom and mobile payment operators, audit and advisory firms, and government bodies that are moving services online. In these organizations, information systems auditors work in internal audit, ongoing control, IT risk management or external engagements.

In Senegal, personal data processing falls under Law No. 2008-12 of 25 January 2008. The Personal Data Protection Commission (CDP) oversees how it is applied. An auditor reviewing how a Senegalese company protects its information assets works within this national framework as well.

What the exam covers

According to ISACA's exam content outline, the exam has 150 questions across five domains:

Domain	Weight
Information Systems Auditing Process	18%
Governance and Management of IT	18%
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation	12%
Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience	26%
Protection of Information Assets	26%

The last two domains make up more than half of the exam. If you work in French day to day, ISACA also publishes a French translation of its CISA terminology list. It helps you match the exam's English vocabulary to the terms used at your workplace.

ISACA's requirements

You can sit the exam before you have all the required experience. Certification comes afterwards, through an application. ISACA's Get CISA Certified page lists these steps:

pass the exam;
show at least five years of professional experience in information systems auditing, control or security, gained within the ten years before you apply;
pay a one-time US$50 application processing fee;
apply within five years of passing the exam;
agree to ISACA's Code of Professional Ethics and its continuing education policy, and comply with ISACA's Information Systems Auditing Standards.

For candidates in Dakar, the hard part is often documenting their experience. Internal audit work at a bank, access control reviews at a telecom operator or compliance engagements at a firm all count if they fall within the CISA job practice. Start collecting employer letters now.

Taking the exam from Dakar

CISA is not delivered through Pearson VUE, so the Atypix Pearson VUE center in Dakar does not offer this exam. According to ISACA's exam page, the exam is computer-based. You take it at an authorized PSI test center or online with a remote proctor. After you register, you have six months to sit it. ISACA lists the exam fee as US$575 for members and US$760 for non-members. You pay it to ISACA in dollars, so you will need a card that works internationally. Before you choose, check PSI's test center locator for a center within reach. For the online option, you need a quiet room and a stable connection for the whole exam.

Format and time zone

The course is taught in person at the Atypix agency in Dakar, on the dates shown on this page. Dakar is on UTC all year round, with no daylight saving time. Class hours therefore stay the same through the year. If you book the online exam, check that the time slot you pick matches local time.

Funding the course

Most working candidates go through their employer, usually the training budget of the audit, risk or IT department. Senegal's 3FPT (the national fund for vocational and technical training) has a funding window for company staff and members of professional organizations. Applications go through its online funding portal. Check eligibility rules and required documents with the fund before you commit to the cost.

Keeping the credential

The credential is maintained through continuing education. ISACA's How do I maintain my CISA? page requires at least 20 CPE hours a year and 120 over three years. It also sets an annual fee of US$45 for members and US$85 for non-members, due by 1 January.

Auditors often add a framework they meet on engagements: COBIT 2019 for IT governance, ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management systems, or CISSP for a security focus. The CISA course page details the syllabus, and the agencies page introduces the Dakar team.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need five years of experience before sitting the CISA exam?

No. According to ISACA, you pass the exam first and then have five years to apply for certification. At that point you must show five years of information systems audit, control or security experience, gained within the ten years before you apply.

Can I take CISA at the Atypix Pearson VUE center in Dakar?

No. ISACA delivers CISA at authorized PSI test centers or online with a remote proctor. The Pearson VUE center in Dakar is used for other bodies' exams, such as PMI's.

How much is the CISA exam and how do I pay from Senegal?

ISACA lists US$575 for members and US$760 for non-members, plus a US$50 processing fee when you apply for certification. You pay ISACA in dollars with a card that works internationally. Ask the agency whether the course price shown here includes exam registration.

How long do I have to sit the exam after registering?

Six months from registration, according to ISACA's exam page. Register close to the end of your course so you can use that window for revision.

Can my employer have the course funded by the 3FPT?

The 3FPT has a funding window for company staff and members of professional organizations, with applications through its online portal. The fund sets the eligibility rules and required documents, so confirm them with it before you enroll.

Full CISA course outline