How IT Expert Anne Goulart Earned Her ISACA CISA Certification On the First Try

“Crawling around on the floor was getting old. So I decided to become an auditor,” Anne Goulart says. 

It wasn’t her first career change. Anne knew that to transition successfully, she would need to uplevel her skills. That meant earning her ISACA CISA certification.  

For auditors, it’s highly recommended to have the ISACA CISA certification. Some companies even require it. Whether you’re working at a federal agency, an IT consulting firm, or any other company, the ISACA CISA certification will give you the tools you need to confidently perform audits and offer superior recommendations to improve cybersecurity. 

Anne’s Journey to CISA Certified 

After retiring from service in the Navy’s cryptology sector, Anne transitioned into a diverse career in IT. From the help desk to system administration and also as a manager for multiple companies, she used her extensive knowledge to implement best security practices and keep data safe.   

But she knew it was time for a change. “Having been a manager before, I had been through all the heartache and the nervous breakdowns that come with it,” Anne says. 

Signing up for a ISACA CISA bootcamp was essential for Anne to take her next step. She continues: “If I wanted to advance in any way or move to another company, I needed to have the CISA certification.”

A natural learner, this new challenge excited Anne. But it’s not that way for everyone. For many professionals, the idea of a four-hour, 150-question test gives them the jitters. But with the right preparation, you too can confidently ace the CISA exam—on your first try!

Can you train for the ISACA CISA certification on your own? 

Like many IT experts, Anne tried training for the CISA exam on her own. 

“I tried online self-learning courses that were totally self-paced. I also tried one where I had classroom time with an instructor, but they crammed all the information in and didn’t cover enough. So I decided it was time to just take the full-fledged plunge,” Anne says. 

After finding Cyberkraft online, Anne got a call from one of Cyberkraft’s education counselors. “What got me to Cyberkraft was the fact that I actually physically spoke to a human being,” Anne says. “We talked about what I had already learned, what I still needed to learn, and the approach to the exam.” 

Cyberkraft’s education counselors help students find the right training program—the one that will best help them achieve their goals. Once enrolled, students learn from experienced instructors who guide them through the materials, answer questions, and provide individualized support. It was during this call when Anne learned that Cyberkraft is one of a few ISACA Premium Training Partners in the world.

A Training Team Dedicated to Your Success 

After she hung up the phone, Anne immediately signed up for the ISACA CISA Training Bootcamp: a one-week online program with 40 hours of live instruction. 

During the live sessions, she dove into each of the five CISA domains outlined by ISACA—answering practice questions, analyzing real-world examples, and absorbing insight from a certified instructor. 

Throughout the course, her instructor guided her through the domains and made sure she was prepared for the final exam. Anne says: “My instructor was phenomenal; his broad range of experience lined up with mine.” 

“It was the greatest experience I’ve been through from a training standpoint,” Anne says. “Getting access to all the materials was easy. The directions I got were perfect.”

“The most intense training I’ve ever been through.” 

As Anne progressed through the training, she had an eye-opening realization. She wasn’t just learning the information systems auditing process, but rather, adjusting her language and her entire approach to auditing itself. 

It wasn’t easy, but Anne felt supported and encouraged as she advanced through the ISACA CISA certification bootcamp. “You have to be dedicated to what you’re doing because it’s not a quick learn. It’s not an easy test, and you don’t want to take it more than once if you can avoid it,” she says. 

Earning your ISACA CISA certification requires patience and dedication. Anne put in the work, the study time, and the preparation necessary to go into the exam confidently. 

She says: “It was 45 hours of the most intense training I’ve ever been through. I don’t regret a minute of it, or a dime I spent on it.”

The Big Day: Taking the ISACA CISA Certification Exam

When Anne took her CISA certification exam at the end of December 2024, she walked into the exam room with confidence. She had studied, prepared, and practiced—she was ready to ace it. 

And she did. 

“It was the biggest moment of my life to be able to send a screenshot to Dennis saying, ‘I passed!’” Anne says. 

She continues: “From a financial standpoint, this was the best course for me to take. I got the personal interaction, I had time to study, and I had somebody who stood behind me saying, ‘you’ve got this’ the whole way through.”

A New, More Confident Approach to Auditing 

Preparing for and passing the CISA exam didn’t just give Anne the knowledge she needed; it completely transformed her approach to her work. Yes, she earned her CISA certification, but she also gained a newfound confidence that she brings to her current projects. 

“Since I’ve finished the course, my language skills with my stakeholders, my peer group, and my managers have vastly improved. I’ve reset my mindset, and I’m more comfortable approaching an audit than I was before,” Anne says. 

Instead of feeling nervous about stepping into a new area of IT, today Anne feels excitement, opportunity, and tremendous clarity. 

She says: “My willingness to pursue certain areas of an audit—and my bravery in pursuing those areas— has increased significantly, because I’m not afraid I’m going down the wrong path.”

Whatever the opportunities that arise in the future, Anne is ready. Armed with her CISA certification, Anne can confidently lead audit engagements and effectively communicate her findings with stakeholders across industries. 

Earn Your ISACA CISA Certification with Cyberkraft’s CISA Bootcamp  

“I would recommend Cyberkraft because they are, and they were dedicated to me and my success,” Anne says. 

At Cyberkraft, Anne enjoyed a premium training experience with top-level instructors who cared about her success. She says: “They kept in touch with me after the course to see how I was doing. They offered extra study time for me as I was in the last phases of prep. They were dedicated to me. They kept me on track all the way through the exam.”

Cyberkrafts ISACA-accredited instructors are highly-capable trainers who know how to prepare students like Anne for the CISA certification exam. They will guide you through the process and help you prepare to ace the test and advance in your IT career. 

Today, more than ever, companies need skilled information security auditors who can confidently assess IT challenges and respond with confidence. If you want to get started on your own journey towards a CISA certification, sign up for Cyberkraft’s ISACA CISA bootcamp here and pass the exam on your first try—guaranteed.