How to Prepare for the ICAI DISA Assessment Test
Training makes you eligible. It doesn't get you to 120. Here's a plan that does.
By the time you can apply for the Assessment Test you have already done the e-learning, 72 hours of training, three module tests, a project and the Eligibility Test. That is a lot of exposure, but the AT is a separate 200-mark, 4-hour paper with its own 60% bar, and it tests all six modules at once.
The plan below assumes you are a working CA with evenings and weekends, and that the AT is six to eight weeks away once your application is in.
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A Six-Week Plan
1
Focus
Baseline: one timed practice paper, then Module 1 (audit process)
Output
Score by module; Module 1 chapter questions done
2
Focus
Module 2 (governance, risk, compliance, BCM) and Module 3 (SDLC, application controls)
Output
Chapter questions done; error log started
3
Focus
Module 4 (IS operations) and Module 5 (protection of information assets)
Output
Chapter questions done; weakest module identified
4
Focus
Module 6 (emerging technologies) and the lab manual / case studies
Output
Notes on each technology's risks and audit approach
5
Focus
Two full timed papers; revise from the error log
Output
Scores trending well above 120
6
Focus
One or two more full papers, light revision, rest before test day
Output
Confidence on timing and stamina
| Week | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline: one timed practice paper, then Module 1 (audit process) | Score by module; Module 1 chapter questions done |
| 2 | Module 2 (governance, risk, compliance, BCM) and Module 3 (SDLC, application controls) | Chapter questions done; error log started |
| 3 | Module 4 (IS operations) and Module 5 (protection of information assets) | Chapter questions done; weakest module identified |
| 4 | Module 6 (emerging technologies) and the lab manual / case studies | Notes on each technology's risks and audit approach |
| 5 | Two full timed papers; revise from the error log | Scores trending well above 120 |
| 6 | One or two more full papers, light revision, rest before test day | Confidence on timing and stamina |
Where CAs Usually Need the Most Time
Our advice, based on what each module asks of someone trained in financial audit:
- check_circleModule 1 feels familiar but is long: the background material's biggest file, with CAATs and application-controls review on top of the audit cycle
- check_circleModule 3's SDLC models, testing levels and project-management vocabulary are new to most auditors
- check_circleModule 4's operations topics (change, configuration, patch and backup management, SIEM) reward knowing what each control actually does
- check_circleModule 5's logical-access and network-security controls are dense with terms that look alike
- check_circleModule 6 is short, but has no chapter-end questions in the material, so it gets the least practice unless you plan for it
A plan built on a guess about your weak module is a guess.
Rules That Make the Plan Work
- 1
Test before you read
A baseline paper tells you which module to start with. Reading in book order spends time where you are already strong.
- 2
Keep an error log
For every miss, note the module, the concept and why you chose wrong. Revise from the log, not from the whole book.
- 3
Practise the full four hours
The AT runs 9 am to 1 pm IST. At least two full-length timed papers before the test tell you how your attention holds in the last hour.
- 4
Aim above the line
120 of 200 is the minimum. Target a comfortable margin in practice so a hard paper on the day doesn't push you under.
- 5
Read the instructions early
Check the candidate instructions on isaat.icai.org well before the test, so the format holds no surprises.
A Miss Costs Months
ICAI held three Assessment Tests between November 2025 and July 2026 and has announced the next for 28 November 2026, so sittings come three to six months apart. Failing means a fresh ₹2,000 application and a long wait, so it is worth over-preparing for one sitting.
FAQs
How long should I prepare for the DISA Assessment Test?expand_more
ICAI publishes no guidance. Six to eight weeks of evening and weekend study after the Eligibility Test is a realistic target for most working CAs.
Which DISA module is the hardest?expand_more
It depends on your background. For most CAs from financial audit, the technical modules (systems development, IS operations, protection of information assets) need the most new learning.
Is the background material enough?expand_more
It covers the whole syllabus. What it can't give you is practice across all six modules under a four-hour limit, which is what full practice papers are for.
Should I study DISA 2.0 notes?expand_more
No. The 2026 Assessment Tests are on the 3.0 syllabus; 2.0 notes follow a different module structure.
Next steps
- Syllabusarrow_forward
- Study Materialarrow_forward
- Exam Patternarrow_forward
- ICAI DISA Mock Testarrow_forward
Check the plan is working with a timed paper.