Albert Ateng

Full Name: Albert Ateng Occupation: Financial Controls Lead  Organisation: Shell Indonesia  CIMA Entry Route:   CIMA Level/Award achieved so far:

As Financial Controls Lead at Shell in Indonesia, Albert's role involves collaborating with different business areas to ensure that efficient processes and effective controls are in place. His role also exposes him to regional projects, allowing him to interact with various stakeholders and counterparts based in other countries.

How did you prepare for the exam?

I read through the course notes and viewed lecture videos, spread over a two month period, after work and/or during weekends to get a general grasp of the syllabus. Practicing and reviewing past exam papers near the exam date were particularly useful to establish a reasonable expectation of the variety and depth of the questions.

What is the secret in achieving such good results in the exam?

Being a full time worker, I had to be strategic with my time management. Having a well-planned schedule would not have been effective without the discipline to follow through with it. I particularly find writing notes along the way allows me to retain knowledge better. The more I am able to incorporate the learning materials into my daily work and see from various angles how they apply, the easier it becomes to remember and retain the knowledge.

What is your advice for other CIMA students?

Practice, practice, practice. The CIMA exam puts as much emphasis, if not more, on understanding and implementation as it does on knowledge retention.  Learning the materials will be much more interesting if you are able to relate them to your real-life situations.

Any other tip for success?

If you want to finish strong, you have to start strong. Invest in preparing well and early for your exams.

Why did you choose to study CIMA?

I was first interested to study CIMA when my line manager, an FCMA, shared with me one of his CIMA study books on risk management that he thought would support me in my current role. I found the materials highly applicable to the work environment and business-focused. CIMA allows me to pursue my aspiration to become a rounded finance professional within the industry.