Studying

You can attend a course with one of the many global course providers that teach CIMA. This is a good option if you enjoy or prefer to study with others and have the benefits of a tutor on hand to ask any questions. Lessons will be planned to cover the full course and offer revision prior to sitting your exam.

Find a CIMA Registered Tuition provider near you.

If you want to choose when and where you study, but would also benefit from some tutor support, then distance learning may be the right choice for you.

The official CIMA online resource is CIMAstudy.com. It’s ideal if you live in an area where there is little or no tuition provision, or just if you prefer to self-study at your own pace. Courses are now available for Certificate, Operational, Management and Strategic level subjects. For more information, visit https://www.cimastudy.com.

Looking for a cost-effective method to study the CIMA qualification? Study with the only CIMA faculty reviewed and endorsed Study Texts and materials – your only costs will be the texts, materials and exam fee. Home study does require high levels of discipline and self-motivation. The official CIMA textbooks can be purchased at www.cimapublishing.com.

You can combine your study methods and get the effectiveness of face-to-face tuition together with the flexibility of distance learning. An example of this would be a distance learning course, followed by a taught revision course. To find tuition providers that offer distance learning courses, use the CIMA Registered Tuition Provider Database

There are two types of exams you will want to practise for: the Objective Tests for each subject (Cert BA and Professional Qualification), and the Case Study exams for each level of the professional qualification.

To help you become familiar with the format and functionality, we have three sets of resources available.

• Free exam tutorial
  Allows you to gain familiarity with the technology used to deliver the exam.
• Free question tutorial
  Allows you to gain familiarity with the types of questions encountered in the exam.
• Exam practice through CIMA Aptitude
  Affordable practice questions available through CIMAstudy.com. Practice at your own pace or test out your knowledge in timed-assessment mode!

Achieve your study goals with the free Study Planner - use it on desktop, tablet or mobile and create a personalised study plan which fits into your busy schedule. Tick off your progress as you go and keep your studies on track!

Why do you need to read this article?

The question practice guidance section consists of an ‘exam readiness checklist’ for the CIMA objective test examinations and also ‘examiner hints and tips’ to help overcome common mistakes in CIMA case study examinations.

The resit guidance section provides essential steps for revision, which will be particularly helpful to kick start effective preparation for the resit examinations. The comparison of ‘pass’ and ‘fail’ answers, taken from real students’ examinations from the August 2020 Operational Level case study exam will be helpful in producing answers examiners love to see.

Why do you need to watch this video?

Watch this video to learn the right time to start practicing questions, best approaches to handle different question types and develop essential examination skills using the right tools and techniques.

Why do you need to watch this video?

CIMA Objective Test Examinations are time pressured and contain questions of different styles and levels of difficulty. Watch this video to learn how to develop an exam day game plan – using your time effectively and allocating more time for the more challenging questions.

Objective Test

Do you like to assess your readiness for your next CIMA Objective Test Examination? Incorporate these 10 checks into your Revision Timetable so that you may maximise your learning and enhance the chance of exam success, first time.

Case Study

Why do you need to read this article?

Do you know what you need to do in order to be fully prepared for your CIMA Case Study Examination? First, work through this 10-point checklist before reading the pre-seen materials applicable to the Case Study Examination you plan to take. Then, analyse the pre-seen and practice mock exams meaningfully.

Why do you need to watch this video?

Watch this video to understand what examiners look for in CIMA Case Study Examination answers. Also, you will learn what you need to know and what steps to follow to produce a Case Study Examination answer with a higher passing score.

Why do you need to read this article?

CIMA uses a levels-based marking scheme; to understand the steps markers follow in marking your answer, read this article.

Why do you need to read this article?

Examiners highlight four common mistakes they see in Case Study Examinations across all three levels. Read this article to know the top 5 expectations of the Case Study Examination examiners and their top 10 recommendations.

Why do you need to read this article?

The single most common complaint from examiners, across all three levels, is that students have ‘’failed to answer the question that was asked”! Read this article to learn about different approaches when answering exam tasks (questions) which are implied by the verbs in the question requirement.

Why do you need to read this article?

View actual student exam answers from the August 2020 Case Study Exam. Compare a low scoring script with a high scoring script. Read these walkthrough answers with annotated practical hints and tips.

Why do you need to read this article?

It is important to take time to plan your answer so that you are able to apply your knowledge to the specifics of the case. This article offers a 5 step approach to answer planning in CIMA Case Study Examinations, together with the 10 benefits of answer planning.

Are you looking for tailored guidance to help you prepare for your first CIMA exam or perhaps you would like some advice as to how to pass that stubborn resit?

Our dedicated Student Study Support team are here to help!

Just give us a call on 0044 208 396 6885 or send over an email to: learntosucceed@aicpa-cima.com

An exam progression coach will then be able to provide personalised advice based on your individual needs.

FM Magazine

CIMA's official magazine keeps students and members up to date with the latest in the world of business and finance. It covers industry news, analysis, and technical updates, as well as study notes specifically for CIMA students.