Studying for the CIPA program
In order to become a CIPA fellow, the CIPA candidate must successfully fulfill the following two requirements:
- Pass all the four CIPA modules exams; and
- Complete the Practical Experience Requirement (PER).
In order for the CIPA fellow to remain an active fellow, the following requirement must be met:
- annual payment of fellowship fee starting from the second year of fellowship.
The CIPA Curriculum
CIPA candidates are required to study for and pass the following four modules:
| Syllabus | Syllabus | Syllabus | Syllabus |
 |  |  |  |
| Financial accounting and reporting (FAR) | Audit, assurance, and ethics (AAE) | Business and regulatory environement (BRE) | Shari’ah standards and Shari’ah governance (SSSG) |
The CIPA Exams
| Total no. of module exams | 4 |
| Passing percentage | Between 60% and 70% for each module |
| Exam composition | MCQs covering theoretical and scenario-based questions |
| Exam mode | Computer-based examination (CBE). All exams will take place at an AAOIFI approved exam centre |
| Exam duration | FAR | AAE | BRE | SS&SG |
| 3 hours | 1.5 hours | 1.5 hours | 2 hours | |
| No. of exam questions | ~100 | ~65 | ~65 | ~85 |
For exemption(s) from module(s) exam(s), please refer to exemptions page
Syllabus update for Dec 2023 CIPA examinations
Candidates registering for the CIPA exams are required to take note of the following syllabus updates:
- FAR module: Following chapters have either been replaced or supplemented with newly issued standards. Candidates are expected to study directly from the standards.
- Chapters A01/02: relevant parts of the chapter replaced with revised Conceptual Framework + FAS 01
- Chapter B-01: replaced with FAS 28
- Chapter C-03: chapter is supplemented with FAS 34
- Chapter D-01: FAS 06 removed from syllabus.
- Chapter F-01: replaced with FAS 39
- Chapter F-02: FAS 22 removed from syllabus + chapter is supplemented with FAS 40
- AAE, BRE, and SSSG modules: no changes