Universities, business schools and accounting training institutes associating with us can leverage best the growing field of investment & management accounting.
CIMA® is the most distinctive validation of advanced knowledge in the super-specialized areas of investment and management accounting. A truly gilt-edged global qualification, the CIMA® charter equips professionals with a proven readiness for generating critical financial intelligence that organizations require to monitor, manage and grow their businesses, investment assets and portfolios.
Super-Specialize & Stand Out
You're a professional and not a commodity. Start standing out. Earn CIMA®. It is your most rock solid proof, you are a super-specialist accounting professional with a demonstrated potential to directly impact the value, competitiveness and growth of global corporations. CIMA® is the most respected validation of your capabilities to generate financial intelligence and insights that fuel growth of organizations and enhance value for stakeholders across the board. With their expertise and knowledge in the complex multi-disciplines of investment & management accounting, CIMA® charter-holders assure employer organizations and clients of their versatility and readiness for improving operational and strategic performance and outcomes.
Earn CIMA® Faster
You can earn your CIMA® charter within six to nine months, if you are already oriented to accounting, finance and business via other qualifications. You get to register along the Professional Pathway if you hold a specialist, globally recognized certification or a professional charter in finance, accountancy, management accountancy, cost accounting, public accounting or company secretaryship. The Pathway requires taking only one, unified exam, instead of two in the Standard route, accelerating your CIMA® program journey.
Apply Now
Arrive & Impact
The CIMA® program journey shapes you for strategic roles that directly help top managements and CXOs of organizations take decisions impacting growth, revenues, competitiveness and firm value. Designed for professionals having diverse financial and accounting experiences and industry backgrounds, the CIMA® charter is valid for life, is easy to maintain, and leads to the elite professional membership of the CIMA Institute. CIMA® is a must-have qualification for you, if you hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance or any of the related areas.
Bachelor's preferably in accounting/ finance or related areas
Professional qualification/ certification in accounting/ finance or related areas
Validity of Qualification
Life-time; with membership revision through a refresher program once every 5 years to keep the qualification in good standing
Life-time; with membership revision through a refresher program once every 5 years to keep the qualification in good standing
CIMA® Exams
2 Exams: Level 1 Exam: 4 hours and 150 MCQ questions. Level 2 Exam*: 4 hours and 150 MCQ questions
*Candidates have to pass the Level 1 exams before they can register for the Level 2
For applicants completing their registration after August 20, 2021, candidate services like exam scheduling and mock exams will commence from December 15, 2021, once the upgraded myCIMA dashboard is commissioned. However, the latest copies of essential resources like candidate and study guides will be duly available. Candidates registered before August 20, 2021 will continue receiving their services and support as they have been.
Candidate Services List +
Exam Scheduling: Includes services and support related to CIMA® exams scheduling/ cancelation/ re-scheduling exam
Mock Exams: Includes providing access to mock exams to candidates on their myCIMA dashboard
myCIMA Technical support: Includes activation, access and troubleshooting connected to the operation and use of the myCIMA dashboard
CIMA® Designation Maintenance & Webinars: Includes services and support related to registering for and attending CIMA® Review Webinars and getting the CIMA® designation refreshed
CIMA® Credential & Digital Badge: Includes services and support related to issue of CIMA® credential, digital badge, pins etc.
CIMA® Membership: Includes services and support related to issue or renewal of membership certificates and card; getting changes done in member records etc., and access to members-only resources, facilities and benefits
Publications access: Includes services and support related to activation, access and subscription renewal of publications of the CIMA Institute
The CIMA® Package
The CIMA® fee* includes the charges for all the services and facilities.
Quick Facts
Standard Route
Professional Pathway
Re-exams/ Re-sits for Each Exam
No re-exam fee for up to 2 attempts
No re-exam fee for up to 2 attempts
Mock Exams
4
2
CIMA® Study Guide
Yes
Yes
CIMA® Maintenance & Membership Fee
Covered for 5 years
Covered for 5 years
CIMA® Membership Card
Yes
Yes
Digital Designation Badge
Yes
Yes
Printed Credential-Certificate
Yes
Yes
Designation Pin
Yes
Yes
*Please Note: The fee invoice may include taxes extra as applicable in the country of the applicant. The CIMA® fee does not include the cost of US$ 380.00 toward shipping of certificate package. Since, the CIMA Institute does not provide any study material, its cost is not covered in the CIMA® fee. Independent publishers, training companies and content providers may contact CIMA® candidates separately for study material and exam-prep training and the CIMA Institute neither regulates them, nor controls their fee, quality or business or educational practices. In some countries, authorized CIMA® educators offer study material and/ or exam-prep training on promotional terms.
Pathway Check
Check your eligibility for the CIMA® Master’s or Professional Pathway Now!
The CIMA® Master’s Pathway is available for applicants holding/ pursuing an MBA or a Master’s qualification from any of the CIMA® Ace institutions. CIMA® Professional Pathway is available for applicants holding a specialist or chartered national/ regional or global qualification or certification in management accounting, finance, company secretaryship or similar/ related disciplines.
Master’s Pathway applicants get a 25% discount on CIMA® standard fee, while Professional Pathwayapplicants get a 35% discount on the standard CIMA® fee.
If you qualify for both, the Master’s and Professional Pathways, the system will automatically accept you for the more comprehensive Professional Pathway by default.
Pathway candidates obtain exemptions from standard exams, and have to qualify a single, special Pathway exam.
Start
TIP: if you hold both, a Master’s and a Professional/ Chartered Qualification in Accounting, please first check for Professional Pathway eligibility by filling the information about your professional certification/ qualification in accounting. If you qualify for Professional Pathway, the fee discount is higher.
Pathway Check
Fill out information about your Professional/ Master’s qualification and click “Go” to check if a CIMA® Pathway is available for you!
Your Pathway Check Report!
Your Qualification-granting Institution:
Indian Institute of Management,
Ahembdabad, India
Your Graduation Year:
2012
Your Program Name & Major:
Master Degree Accounting Major
REPORT
Negative Report:
We regret to inform you that at this time, your last qualification and/ or your qualification-granting institution does/ do not qualify you for any CIMA® Pathway. Please note that to qualify for a CIMA® Pathway, applicants must either have or pursuing an MBA/ MS from a nationally/ internationally accredited institution (for Master’s Pathway), OR a professional certification/ qualification in management accounting/ accounting/ finance/ international accounting/ public accounting/ company affairs etc., from a national/ regional/ international qualification body (for Professional Pathway).
Positive Report:
Congratulations! You are eligible for applying under the CIMA® Master’s Pathway/ Professional Pathway. The Pathway mode will be automatically applied to your application, once you submit it.
Start your CIMA® Pathway Application now here.
Terms and Conditions
I understand that my eligibility/ candidacy for the CIMA® Pathway determined here is based on the information I submitted. I agree to furnish documentary evidence of my qualification as and when requested by the CIMA® Pathway committee. I understand that in the event of the information submitted here by me, or the evidences submitted by me later do not conform to the stated Pathway policy, my Pathway candidacy can be summarily cancelled, and that the CIMA® Pathway committee reserves exclusive rights to reject submitted application in case of any misrepresentation or information or facts.
By checking the above box, you have agreed to our terms and conditions. Please do read our terms and conditions before submitting your application.
I hit upon the idea of doing a management accounting certification while I was in the final semester of my MBA program, as I wanted to sharpen my fitness for finance roles that lead up to the CFO position. I chose CIMA® as it looked a qualification that would help me break into global companies. I was lucky that I could register under the Master’s Pathway. CIMA® is a program that completes fastest and offers perhaps the highest RoI, I must say!
Hannah Foster
CIMA®,
Financial Accountant, The Adecco group
The prerequisite for the CIMA® program registration is at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university preferably in accounting, finance or any related discipline. Higher specialist qualifications like chartered certifications in finance, accounting and related areas can accelerate the CIMA® program journey through registration under the CIMA® Professional pathway that requires taking a single, unified exam.
Standard Route
Choose this track if your most recent/ last qualification is a Bachelor’s degree from a nationally or internationally recognized/ accredited institution in accounting, finance or business.
Choose this swifter CIMA® program track if you hold a professional qualification or certification in finance, accountancy, management accountancy; company secretaryship, cost accountancy, public accountancy or similar or related areas from a professional association or a certification body.
In addition: Universities, business schools and specialist finance and accounting schools can write to us at [email protected] to explore possibilities of offering uniquely designed CIMA® pathway programs for students pursuing their undergrad and Master’s degrees in business, finance, accounting or related areas.
For Students of CIMA® Educators & Academic Affiliates
As an accounting or finance student, you must not miss the opportunity of starting your career right and sharp. If you are a student or an alumnus of a CIMA affiliated university or business schools, or you are registered with an official CIMA® Professional Educator for an accounting training or exam-preparation program, you can pursue the CIMA® program with well-guided exam-preparation and study material support, besides enjoying special fee discounts.
For Students of Institutions on the CIMA® Ace List
If you are a student or alumnus of an institution included in the CIMA® list of Ace institutions, you get to register for the CIMA® charter at a special fee under uniquely faster CIMA® academic tracks. Premier, nationally and internationally renowned universities and business schools are recognized as CIMA® Ace institutions under the CIMA® investment & management accounting advocacy program.
Write to us at [email protected] to know more.
For Members of Institutions on the CIMA® Accord List
If you are a member of an institution included in the CIMA® list of Accord institutions (including national and international accounting associations and professional bodies), do not forget to check the Professional Pathway facility that we have. Your CIMA® program journey can be accelerated as you take a single, unified exam instead of two, requiring you to study only 13 of the 20 standard CIMA® modules for exams. Write to us at [email protected] to know more.
CIMA® Membership
Membership of the CIMA Institute is immediately granted to candidates once they qualify for the award of the CIMA® charter. The membership, covered in the CIMA® program fee for 5 years includes a number of benefits including a life-long myCIMA dashboard carrying career and self-development resources. The membership card and certificate is included in the CIMA® credential pack sent to candidates after they have qualified all prescribed conditions for award of the CIMA® qualification and designation.
I completed CIMA® program within almost six months of graduating with a major in Economics. That became possible because the CIMA® program coverage is very compact and finely sculpted around the needs of CFOs working in multinational companies, and it has served me very well as the Head of Finance in an apparel export company.
Mark Francis, CIMA®, ACCA Chief Financial Officer, Trafigura Group
CIMA® Structure & Exams
The standard CIMA® program is composed of two levels. Level 1 is dedicated to foundational aspects of Investment & Management Accounting. Level 2 is focused on application, practical and decision-making aspects of investment & management accounting. Candidates first register for CIMA® Level 1 and after passing the Level 1 exam, they register for and pay fee for CIMA® Level 2 exam.
The Level 1 covers 10 knowledge areas essentially dealing with basics of business, strategy and economics as well as covering building blocks of investment & management accounting across themes like risks, costs, financial markets, financial asset pricing, capital budgeting and performance analysis. Level 2 covers 10 areas cutting across advanced aspects of investment accounting, financial reporting, currency exposure management; transfer pricing; global taxation and technology applications in investment & management accounting.
The CIMA® Professional Pathway program requires candidates to study only 13 of the 20 standard modules and qualify only one, unified Pathway exam. The Professional Pathway program is designed to carefully exclude the 7 areas that certified accounting professionals have knowledge in already, and at the same time have enough exposure to be able to prepare for the other 13 areas more conveniently.
CIMA® exams are online and on-demand and can be taken anywhere. They can be scheduled right from the myCIMA candidate dashboard anytime 90 days after the confirmation of registration in the CIMA® program. In some locations, offline center-based pen & paper exams are also conducted twice a year. Candidates from such locations will get detailed information on their myCIMA dashboards.
Candidates must qualify the Standard CIMA Level 1 and Standard CIMA® Level 2 exams. Level 1 exam is of 4 hours, carries 150 multiple choice questions covering the 10 modules in CIMA® Level 1. The Level 2 exam is of also of 4 hours, carries 150 multiple choice questions and covers the 10 modules in CIMA® Level 2. Please expand the boxes below to read the Standard route exam coverage.
Investment & Management Accounting - Application Principles & Practice FrameworksWeight
CS-21
Techniques of Pricing Financial Assets
10%
CS-22
Techniques & Practices of Valuing Businesses
12%
CS-23
Practices in International Financial Reporting
10%
CS-24
Techniques of Currency Risk Management
10%
CS-25
Accounting Tax In Global Investments and Business
7%
CS-26
Accounting Transfer Pricing In Global Business
10%
CS-27
Investment Accounting Techniques & Practices
15%
CS-28
Investment Audit Techniques & Practices
10%
CS-29
Corporate Governance & Ethics in Global Organizations
8%
CS-30
Technology & Analytics in Accounting
8%
Professional Pathway Exam
Candidates are required to qualify only one, unified Professional Pathway Exam of 4 hours carrying 150 multiple choice questions. This exam covers 13 knowledge areas – 6 from Level 1, and 7 from Level 2. Please click the boxes below to read the Professional Pathway exam coverage.
The CIMA Institute provides a detailed and exhaustive CIMA® exam preparation guide, that explains the right approach for faster assimilation and lists out standard books for each knowledge area. CIMA® program candidates also get mock exam facility on their myCIMA dashboards, providing them a good preview and feel of the real CIMA® exam. The CIMA® program structure lends itself to a very conveniently progressive learning, helping candidates start with refreshing their knowledge on the building blocks of managerial accounting, and then moving them gradually into more advanced and practical aspects of investment & management accounting.
The program applicants require to be thorough in foundational aspects of accounting, business, strategy, valuation, international business and core principles of managerial accounting, as well as in investment accounting, forex management, international financial reporting, taxation, transfer pricing and corporate governance. read more
Though study effort required varies across individuals and whether they study on their own or take external assistance, typically, each module requires around 15-30 hours of study time. Experience demonstrates that CIMA® Pathway candidates with prior exposure to accounting and finance manage to complete their exam studies in as few as 125-175 hours of good, distraction-free study on their own. Standard CIMA® registrants, on the other hand, may take around 250-300 hours to complete 20 modules. All candidates can choose the self-study option to prepare for their CIMA® exam(s).
Once your registration is complete, an authorized CIMA® partner may connect with you directly to share self-study content, cutting down your struggle for and spends on additional books or course material for any CIMA® level. It is interesting to note that almost 91% of CIMA® candidates prepare through self-study clocking a pass rate exceeding 65%. Read the section Exam Passing Trends to know more. For more guidance and assistance, registered CIMA® program candidates can write to [email protected].
CIMA® is valid for life and the qualification never expires. Qualification holders simply require to maintain it well by attending the CIMA® Review Webinar once every 5 years. Attending the Review Webinar helps CIMA® qualification holders catch up with the latest buzz on regulations, trends, best-practices and emerging techniques critical for investment & management accountants to know to stay ahead of the curve in their profession. For the first 5 years after the date of award of CIMA® qualification, the holders need to take no action, and the charges are covered in the fee paid at the time of registration. Maintenance fee sixth year onward is covered in the annual membership fee of US$ 150 every year (or a one-time US$ 650 for life)
The roadmap to earn the CIMA® qualification covers five simple steps. Covering these milestones in sequence will ensure that your entire qualification process is smooth. Feel free to Contact Us for any further information you may need at any time.
Step 1: Create Account+
Start the application process by creating your myCIMA account. Complete the CIMA® online application form and make the payment.
Step 2: Validation and Registration Confirmation+
An internal check is conducted to validate your credentials against the prescribed candidacy prerequisites for earning the registration approval decision within 72 hours on your myCIMA dashboard.
Once your CIMA® program application is approved and you complete your fee payment, you will be ready to schedule exam(s). Click here for more details.
Step 3: Study Plan Resources +
You are provided a detailed CIMA® Study guide to help you plan your preparation of exams. Though, the CIMA Institute does not provide study material, all registered candidates receive attractive offers from independent content providers on their registered email ids.
Step 4: Schedule Your Exam+
Once you have successfully registered for CIMA® program and paid your fee, you can schedule your online/ offline exam(s) on your myCIMA dashboard. Find exam dates suiting your convenience if you have registered before August 20, 2021. Click here for more details.
Step 5: Award+
All candidates qualifying the prescribed CIMA® exam(s), are recommended for the award of the CIMA® designation, qualification, credential and CIMA® membership certificate. The CIMA® Digital Badge is immediately issued to them, and they can expect the shipment of the physical credential pack including the CIMA® credential-certificate, designation pin and CIMA® membership certificate and card to reach them within 4 – 6 weeks from the date of the credential-award. The CIMA® designation, qualification, digital badge, credential-certificate and CIMA® membership certificate and card are issued to student-candidates after they have submitted a proof of qualifying/ passing their Master’s program that allowed them to register under the Master’s Pathway (student).
Schedule Your Exam
Ready to schedule your exam? Find exam dates suiting your convenience if you have registered before August 20, 2021.
An account on myCIMA provides you a dashboard to manage your CIMA® program activities conveniently
Check policies and guidelines; access assisting resources; register for your exams ; renew your membership; request support; showcase your qualification on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
If you are new to the CIMA Institute, please register first to apply for CIMA® program.
