ISACA

CISA training in Paris

This page covers what CISA preparation looks like for a professional based in Paris: the sectors in the Paris region where the ISACA credential matters, how training is funded under French rules, how to follow the virtual class on Paris time, and how the exam works, either at a PSI test centre or remotely proctored. Atypix has no office in France, so the course runs entirely online. Experience requirements, exam format and exam fees come from ISACA's official pages, since ISACA alone awards the certification. Price, sessions and logistics are shown above on this page.

€1,910

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Where CISA fits in the Paris audit and compliance market

CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor), awarded by ISACA, recognises experience in auditing, controlling and assuring information systems. In Paris, it is most relevant to roles that report on IT risk: internal audit and permanent control teams at banks and insurers, audit and consulting firms, risk and security functions at large groups, and public bodies running critical systems. Many of these teams in Paris work in English as well as French.

For financial services, the rules have changed. The EU Digital Operational Resilience Act, DORA (Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 on digital operational resilience for the financial sector), has applied since 17 January 2025. It covers around twenty types of financial entities, including banks and insurance companies, as well as ICT third-party service providers. For the Paris firms in scope, the resilience of information systems is now a compliance matter that has to be audited, which is the work the CISA body of knowledge describes.

What the exam covers

ISACA publishes the official exam content outline: 150 questions across five domains. Information System Auditing Process (18%), Governance and Management of IT (18%), Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation (12%), Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience (26%), and Protection of Information Assets (26%). The last two domains together make up more than half the exam.

The same page offers the CISA terminology list in several languages, including French, which helps if your team works in French while the framework is written in English. For the governance domain, COBIT, the IT governance framework published by ISACA, has its own page: COBIT 2019. Auditors who review information security management systems may also look at ISO/IEC 27001.

ISACA's certification requirements

According to ISACA's certification page, you need at least five years of professional experience in information systems auditing, control or security, gained within the ten years before you apply for certification. You can sit the exam before you have that experience; it is only required when you apply.

The official CISA page lists the other steps: pass the exam, apply within five years of passing, pay a US$50 application processing fee, and agree to follow ISACA's Code of Professional Ethics, Continuing Professional Education Policy and Information Systems Auditing Standards. If you are moving into IT audit from financial audit or internal control in Paris, the practical question is which of your past assignments count as information systems audit, control or security work. ISACA reviews the experience you declare in your application.

Taking the exam from Paris

Per the official CISA page, the exam is computer-based and taken either at an authorised PSI test centre or as a remotely proctored exam. Pearson VUE is not involved. Registration is open year-round; you pay in full before scheduling, can book as early as 48 hours after payment and up to 90 days ahead. Your eligibility period lasts six months from registration, and rescheduling is free if done at least 48 hours before your appointment.

ISACA lists the exam fee at US$575 for members and US$760 for non-members. Because the fee is set in US dollars, the amount charged in euros depends on the exchange rate when you pay.

Virtual class and time zone

Atypix has no office in France, so the course runs as a virtual class; Atypix offices are in Montreal, Dakar and Cotonou. Paris is on UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer. Montreal is usually six hours behind Paris; Dakar is one hour behind in winter and two in summer. Convert the times of each session listed above to Paris time before you block your calendar or ask your employer to sign off.

Funding the course in France

Employees can ask their employer to fund the course through the company's skills development plan (plan de développement des compétences), sometimes with support from the skills operator (OPCO) for their industry, under that industry's own criteria.

The personal training account (CPF) has a strict rule: according to Centre Inffo, only courses leading to a certification registered in the RNCP or the Répertoire spécifique, or to a skills block, qualify, and only if they are listed on the Mon Compte Formation platform. Before relying on CPF, check on moncompteformation.gouv.fr that the course you want is listed.

Keeping the certification

CISA is maintained through continuing education: ISACA requires at least 20 CPE hours a year and 120 hours over a three-year cycle. The CPE policy taking effect on 1 January 2027 keeps the 120-hour total but requires at least 90 hours aligned with the certification content, with no more than 30 hours on broader professional skills. In Paris, ISACA's French chapter, ISACA-AFAI (3 rue du Colonel Moll, 75017), runs events such as the Jeudis de l'ISACA France.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take the CISA exam before I have five years of experience?

Yes. ISACA allows you to sit the exam before meeting the experience requirement. To be certified, you then need five years of information systems audit, control or security experience within the ten years before your application, and you must apply within five years of passing.

Where can I take the CISA exam if I live in Paris?

ISACA offers the exam at authorised PSI test centres or as a remotely proctored exam. Pearson VUE does not deliver CISA. You choose a centre or the remote option when you schedule, after paying the exam fee in full.

How much does the CISA exam cost?

ISACA lists US$575 for members and US$760 for non-members, plus a US$50 application processing fee once you pass and apply for certification. Fees are in US dollars, so the euro amount depends on the exchange rate when you pay.

Can CPF pay for a CISA course?

Only if the course leads to a certification registered in the RNCP or the Répertoire spécifique and is listed on Mon Compte Formation, so check moncompteformation.gouv.fr first. The other route is employer funding through the company's skills development plan, possibly with support from the industry's OPCO.

What time does the virtual class run from Paris?

Session times are listed above on this page. Paris is on UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer; Montreal is usually six hours behind Paris, Dakar one hour behind in winter and two in summer. Convert each time to Paris time before you book.

Full CISA course outline