GUIDE TO CIMA

STUDENT REGISTRATION

It is important that you register as a student with CIMA. Full information is available on the CIMA website www.cimaglobal.com where you can also register online. Complete the online form and send a print out of the registration confirmation sheet along with certified copies of your highest educational certificates to CIMA. CIMA will send you a formal acknowledgement of any exemption(s). You can expect to receive exemptions if you have a relevant degree or hold a relevant qualification such as AAT or CAT.

KEY DATES

CIMA paper based exams are held in May and November. You must register with CIMA as a student and complete an exam entry form before you can attempt the exams.

Computer based assessments for Certificate level papers can be taken at any time of the year.

THE CIMA SYLLABUS
CIMA has total business focus. The syllabus concentrates on management, financial and management accounting, project management and strategy and is divided into three pillars:

• Management Accounting Pillar
• Business Management Pillar  
• Financial Management Pillar

THE CIMA QUALIFICATION

Certificate in Business Accounting

The CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting is separated from, and is the entry requirement to, the CIMA Professional Qualification. All five papers are tested entirely by computer based assessment (CBA) which are available throughout the year and can be taken at your local Kaplan Financial centre or any other CIMA approved CBA centre. There are no restrictions on the order in which papers are attempted, but we recommend that you study the Financial Accounting paper before the Management Accounting paper.

Managerial Level

You must pass all five Certificate papers or have exemptions before attempting the Managerial papers. The number sequence and grouping of papers studied at Managerial level is completely flexible. You may choose any combination of papers to suit your own study requirements, but we recommend that you study the lower paper in a pillar first or together with the higher paper. For more individual advice on the order in which to attempt the Managerial papers, please contact us.

It is possible to sit all six Managerial papers at a single exam sitting. However, CIMA recommend that students should sit between two and four papers at any single sitting.

Strategic Level

You must pass all Managerial papers before attempting the Strategic papers. When attempting the Strategic papers for the first time, you must take all three papers together. Any re-sits may be attempted in any order.

TOPCIMA

All three Strategic papers must be passed before you can attempt the Test of Professional Competence (TOPCIMA), a case study which is set within a simulated business context. There is no specific syllabus content. Material from any of the Managerial and Strategic papers could be relevant. Our TOPCIMA materials - Study Text and ‘The Knowledge’ - provide a debrief of the case with guidance on how to plan and present your exam answers to achieve maximum marks.

The pass mark for all exams is 50% and a permanent credit is awarded for all papers passed. There is no limit on how long you can take to complete the CIMA qualification.

Click on the level required below for individual units and full details