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CIA exam languages

CIA exam opens in Vietnamese, and Arabic and Simplified Chinese move to the 2025 syllabus in December

Exam Espresso · 28 August 2026 · 1 min read

Since August 28, 2026, candidates can register for the CIA exam in Vietnamese. The two languages still tied to the 2019 syllabus switch to the 2025 syllabus in December 2026.

What changes

The IIA has added Vietnamese to the languages for the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) exam. Effective August 28, 2026, candidates may register to take the CIA exam in Vietnamese.

The other languages listed are Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Turkish.

When it applies

Registration in Vietnamese has been open since August 28, 2026.

Arabic is available for the 2019 syllabus through December 27, 2026. The Arabic exam moves to the 2025 syllabus on December 28, 2026.

Simplified Chinese is available only in mainland China and still uses the 2019 syllabus. It moves to the 2025 syllabus during the December test window.

Who is affected

The IIA's language list flags only Arabic and Simplified Chinese as still on the 2019 syllabus.

If you test in a language without that note, such as English, this cutover does not affect you.

What it means for your study

If you plan to test in Arabic or Simplified Chinese, check your appointment date against the cutover. An Arabic exam on or before December 27, 2026 follows the 2019 syllabus. From December 28, 2026, it follows the 2025 syllabus.

If your exam falls after the cutover, use The IIA's 2025 CIA exam syllabus as your checklist, not material built on the 2019 syllabus. If you cannot finish before the cutover, plan your study on the 2025 syllabus from the start.

If you prefer to test in Vietnamese, you can now choose that language when you register.

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