AAIA renewal, CPE and retake rules
AAIA has no expiry date and no renewal exam. ISACA keeps the credential alive through annual CPE reporting and an annual fee: at least 10 CPE hours a year, at least 30 over a three-year reporting period, and US$20 for members or US$35 for non-members, due by 1 January. The CPE hours must be in the AI specialised domain. If you fail the exam rather than lapse after it, the limit is four attempts in a rolling twelve months. Figures come from ISACA’s AAIA maintenance page and the AAIA exam candidate guide, a 2025 edition.
Reading the AAIA maintenance page without guessing
The page is short and contains several loose ends worth knowing about.
| Question | What ISACA states |
|---|---|
| Annual CPE | A minimum of 10, attained and reported annually, in the AI specialised domain |
| Three-year CPE | A minimum of 30 for the three-year period |
| Does the 30 include the annual 10s? | Not clarified on the page |
| Annual fee | US$20 member, US$35 non-member |
| Several Advanced certifications | The page says the total stays at the same figure however many you hold |
| Due date | By 1 January annually |
| Audit | Randomly selected holders supply written evidence of reported activities |
| Record keeping | Three years, per this page |
| Reinstatement fee | Not stated on the AAIA page |
| Non-practicing or retired status | Not addressed on the AAIA page |
Two wording inconsistencies appear. One passage says payment covers the upcoming calendar year; a later example says the current year’s fee is due by 1 January of the current year to renew through that year. If you pay close to the deadline or after a gap, ask ISACA which reading applies. Planning to the stricter reading, a payment before 1 January, costs nothing.
The second credential underneath
ISACA requires holders to maintain active status on the prerequisite designation used to apply. For most readers that is CISA, whose maintenance page asks for 20 CPE hours a year and 120 over three years, with fees of US$45 for members and US$85 for non-members. A CISA holder therefore keeps a heavy reporting load and a light one side by side. CISA hours relate to CISA, AAIA hours to AI, and whether one activity can count for both depends on whether it fits each knowledge area. If your base is CIA, a CPA or ACCA, those bodies set their own continuing-education rules, which ISACA’s pages do not describe.
AAISM uses the same 10 and 30 numbers on its renewal page, but with a different prerequisite. The wording on records differs between the pages, so use each credential’s own page.
Revocation, in ISACA’s words
Not meeting the requirements results in revocation of the AAIA designation, and the certificate must be destroyed immediately if revoked. The AAIA page gives no appeal route or reinstatement price. The AAISM page describes a written appeal to a working group plus a US$50 reinstatement fee; ISACA does not say that process applies to AAIA, so confirm with ISACA before relying on it. The safe plan is to report CPE as you go, not in a rush in the last quarter of the cycle.
Before you pass: three clocks
The candidate guide sets three timers that are easy to confuse.
- Eligibility period. Registering gives six months to sit the exam. A six-month extension costs US$75, can be bought from 90 days before eligibility ends, and is limited to two extensions. The appointment must be cancelled at least 48 hours before the exam date to extend.
- Forfeiture. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, and are lost if you miss the appointment or arrive more than 15 minutes late.
- Application period. After passing you have five years to apply, with the US$50 fee. A passer cannot sit the same exam inside that five-year period, and certified holders cannot sit it either.
If you fail: the four-attempt rule
| Attempt | Waiting rule |
|---|---|
| 1 | None |
| 2 | 30 days from the first attempt |
| 3 | 90 days after the second |
| 4 | 90 days after the third |
All attempts must fall within twelve months of the first, and the full registration fee, US$459 member or US$599 non-member, is due each time. Someone who fails the first two attempts and waits the full intervals will be near the end of the window by the fourth, so the plan should be to prepare enough for the second, not to treat the first as a trial run.
Scores, rescoring and special arrangements
Scores are scaled from 200 to 800, and 450 is the pass mark. The exam is 90 questions in 150 minutes, and the guide lists English, Simplified Chinese and Spanish. Official results arrive within 10 working days. A rescore may be requested in writing within 30 days of results for US$75, carried out by the test provider, and question-level results are not provided. Special accommodations must be requested during registration and approved by ISACA before scheduling, after the fee is paid in full. See exam format for the rest of the fee table, what AAIA leads to for the career view, and exam day for the test-centre rules.