Key exam updates

Your result will be available in the usual way. You will receive a provisional result (pass/fail) at the test centre immediately after you have finished your exam. Within 48hrs, your confirmed pass/marginal fail/fail result with sectional feedback will be available via your MYCIMA account.

With the introduction of the new syllabus, we now need to gather sufficient results from the new exams to be able to produce scaled scores and accurately report on the outcomes of the exams. Until then we will provide confirmation of your performance as pass/marginal fail/fail result and you will not receive a scaled score. This will still enable you to make decision on next steps and move forward with your studies

No. The information we provide (pass/marginal fail/fail result) is sufficient for you to make a decision on next steps and move swiftly towards completing your CIMA Professional Qualification. We feel it is more important that you receive your result in a timely manner than having to wait for a sufficient cohort of students to sit the exam before being able to receive a scaled score result.

After your exam we will provide a pass, a marginal fail or fail result. A marginal fail identifies candidates who failed their exam by 5% margin of the passing standard. Our research shows that students who put effort into their preparation and marginally failed an exam have a high chance of passing if they re-sit the exam within 3-4 weeks.

No. The passing standard is based on the level of skill required for a role within an organisation as set out in the blueprints. This has not changed with the introduction of the 2019 syllabus, although some of the syllabus content examined has changed. The passing standard is determined using an assessment industry accepted method and we will continue to publish the overall annual pass rates for objective test exams on our website every quarter.

The format and length of case study exam remains the same but there are some practical changes you should be aware of:

• The first 2019 CIMA Professional Qualification case study exams will take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays only from February 2020 onwards.
• We have introduced exam blueprints to help you know what is examinable in the case study exams.
• We will share pre-seen material over two exam sessions (May and August, November and February).
• Your results will provide improved sectional feedback via MYCIMA account.
• Post exam support material will be withdrawn as we will be sharing pre-seen materials over two exam sittings. They will be available after the 2^nd exam sitting of each pre-seen.

Not really. There is new content in the 2019 syllabus and blueprint, which you should be fully up-to-date with, but other than that the case study exam is still the same length, format and has pre-seen material. We will continue to issue your results six weeks after the exam, this includes a pass/fail grade with a scaled score and sectional feedback.

The first 2019 CIMA Professional Qualification case study exams will be in February 2020. Exams can be booked on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday as follows:

• Operation level exams: 2^nd full week of the month
• Management level exams: 3^rd full week of the month
• Strategic level exams: 4^th full week of the month

For more detail please see the exam timetable

We want to give students who failed the November 2019 case study exam one more chance to pass their exam under the 2015 syllabus. By using the same pre-seen material students can continue to develop their skills and competencies without the added distraction of learning about another simulated organisation.

No, the pre-seen materials are used for specific exams only. One pre-seen will be used for the May and August exams, and another for the November and February exams.

No, we develop several exams based on the same pre-seen material and each exam is different. You can expect each exam to cover the core activities as set out in the blueprint. While it is possible that core activities examined in the first session could be examined again in a different scenario, it will not put students resitting their exam at an advantage.

You have told us that the current sectional feedback is hard to interpret and act on, so we have changed the way we deliver this to you. We have updated the result format so you can easily identify the areas in the exam where you performed well and critically, should you have failed, where you underperformed – these insights will assist in preparation for your next exam or resit. The overall pass/fail grade and the passing score of 80 (or above) will remain the same.

For exemptions applications submitted on any date before 31 July 2019, there will be no refunds and the fee will remain payable if not already paid. This is because the exemptions have already been awarded to your account before the change in policy, therefore are still payable if not already paid. If you would like more information please see our exemptions policy.

It’s not possible for us to refund exemption fees already paid. However, if you schedule and sit an exam between 1 August –31 December 2019, we will credit your account with the difference between the old exam price and new exam price in place from 1 August 2019. This credit can be used towards your 2020 subscription payment.

For example, under tier 1 the old price for an Objective Test was £95. From 1 August 2019 under tier 1 an Objective Test costs £110. Therefore, if you schedule and sit your Objective Test between 1 August and 31 December 2019, you will receive £15 credit on your CIMA account.

Gateway and experiential programmes are standalone products with separate value propositions and are therefore priced differently to the standard CIMA Professional Qualification entry route.