The AAIR Review Manual is intended to assist candidates with preparing for the ISACA Advanced in AI Risk (AAIR) certification exam. This manual is just one source of preparation for the exam. It is not a comprehensive collection of all the information and experience that is required to pass the exam. No single publication offers such coverage and detail. If candidates read through the manual and encounter a topic that is new to them or one in which they feel their knowledge and experience are limited, they should seek additional references to help bolster that understanding. The AAIR exam is a combination of questions that test candidates’ technical and practical knowledge and their ability to apply their experience-based knowledge in given situations.
The AAIR Review Manual provides the knowledge and activities for the functions in the AAIR job practice content areas as described in the ISACA Exam Candidate Information Guide (https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/exam-candidate-guides). The exam is organized according to the domain percentages specified in the AAIR job practice:
| Domain 1 | AI Risk Governance and Framework Integration | 37% |
| Domain 2 | AI Life Cycle Risk Management | 21% |
| Domain 3 | AI Risk Program Management | 42% |
Note
Each chapter covers the knowledge AAIR candidates are expected to have to support and accomplish the tasks that they should be able to accomplish for a given job practice domain. These tasks constitute the current practices for the AI risk professional. The detailed AAIR job practice can be viewed at www.isaca.org/aair. The AAIR exam is based on this job practice.
The manual has been developed and organized to assist candidates in their study. AAIR candidates should evaluate their strengths, based on knowledge and experience, in each of these areas.
Each AAIR Review Manual chapter follows the same format:
Please note that the manual has been written using standard American English, except where material has been imported from publications written in International English.
Submit suggestions to enhance the review manual or suggested reference materials to studymaterials@isaca.org.
The AAIR exam evaluates a candidate’s practical knowledge and experiences and application of the job practice domains as described in this review manual. It is recommended that the exam candidate look to multiple resources to prepare for the exam, including this review manual, online review courses relevant to the subject, and any external publications. Candidates should review the content in the manual to identify any areas of weakness and then refer to the referenced sources to expand their knowledge and gain experience in those areas.
This section covers some tips for studying for the exam.
Having adequate time to prepare for the AAIR exam is critical. Most candidates spend between three and six months studying prior to taking the exam. Set aside a designated time each week to study and perhaps increase the study time as the exam date approaches. It also helps to develop a study plan to prepare for the exam.
The AAIR Review Manual is divided into three chapters, each corresponding to a domain in the AAIR job practice. While the manual does not include every concept that could be tested on the AAIR exam, it does cover a breadth of knowledge that provides a solid base for the exam candidate. The manual is one source of preparation for the exam and should not be thought of as the only source, nor viewed as a comprehensive collection of all the information and experience required to pass the exam.
The AAIR Review Manual includes several features to help candidates navigate the job practice and enhance their learning and retention of the material.
| Review Manual Features | Description |
|---|---|
| Overview | The overview provides the context of the domain, including the job practice areas and applicable learning objectives and task statements. |
| Suggested Resources for Further Study | This section includes external sources to supplement the candidate’s understanding of the concepts. The suggested resources can be used to enhance study efforts as they relate to each chapter. |
| Self-assessment Questions and Answers | The self-assessment questions and answers in each chapter are not intended to measure the candidate’s ability to answer questions correctly on the AAIR exam for that area. They are intended to help candidates become familiar with the question structure and may or may not be similar to questions that appear on the actual examination. |
| Case Study | The case study section provides an additional opportunity for candidates to check their understanding of domain content by providing a fictional, but realistic, application of knowledge areas presented in the chapter. |
| Glossary | A glossary is included at the end of the manual that contains terms that apply to:
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The AAIR exam questions were developed with the intent of measuring and testing practical knowledge and the application of AI risk management principles. All questions are presented in a multiple-choice format and are designed for one best answer.
The candidate is cautioned to read each question carefully. Knowing that these types of questions are asked—and how to study for them—will go a long way toward answering them correctly. There can be many potential solutions to the scenarios posed in the questions, depending on the industry, geographical location, etc. It is advisable to consider the information in the question and determine the best answer among the options provided.
Each AAIR question has a stem (question) and four options (answer choices). The candidate is asked to choose the correct answer from the options. The stem may be in the form of a question or an incomplete statement.
A helpful approach to these questions includes the following:
When preparing for the exam, the candidate should recognize that AI risk management is a global profession, and their perceptions and experiences may not reflect the more global position. Because the AAIR exam and manual are written for the international risk management community, the candidate must be flexible when reading a condition that may be contrary to their experience.
Note that the AAIR exam questions are written by experienced risk professionals from around the world. Each question on the exam is reviewed by ISACA’s AAIR Exam Item Development Working Group, which consists of international members. This geographic representation ensures that all exam questions are understood equally in every country and language.
The AAIR Review Manual can be used in conjunction with other AAIR exam preparation resources. The following products are based on the AAIR job practice, and referenced job practice areas can be used to find related content within the AAIR Review Manual. These resources include:
The official ISACA AAIR Questions, Answers & Explanations consists of 200 questions, answers, and explanations, organized by knowledge area, in the AAIR job practice. With this product, AAIR candidates can quickly identify their strengths and weaknesses by taking random sample exams of varying lengths and breaking the results down by domain. Sample exams can also be chosen by domain, allowing for concentrated study on one domain at a time. Other sorting features, such as the omission of previous correctly answered questions, are available.
The AAIR Questions, Answers & Explanations can be used in conjunction with the AAIR Review Manual to help candidates prepare for the exam and review topics and areas where they need additional knowledge.
ISACA’s AI Knowledge Center contains a multitude of resources that can provide AAIR candidates with opportunities to take a deeper dive into many of the technical and operational concepts introduced in this manual. These products include publications and short self-paced courses that cover foundational and advanced AI topics.
AI publications include:
AI self-paced short courses include:
When using the AAIR review materials to prepare for the exam, it should be noted that they cover a broad spectrum of AI topics. Candidates should not assume that reading these manuals and answering review questions will fully prepare them for the examination. Because actual exam questions often relate to practical experiences, candidates should refer to their own experiences and other reference sources and draw on the experiences of colleagues and others who have earned the AAIR designation.