CIMA® exam is online, remote-proctored, for both Standard and Professional Pathway tracks are delivered individually to candidates in any location around the world. CIMA® aspirants can take the exam in any of the exam windows that are open four times in a year, generally for 15-16 days every quarter. CIMA® Standard Track exam is divided into 2 Levels for Professional Pathway it is unified single exam. Standard Track candidate is allowed to take the Level 2 exam only after passing the Level 1 exam.
Note: In some countries, CIMA Institute also conducts pen and paper-based exams. You can contact us for applicability in your country.
The CIMA® Online Exam testing windows:
Each exam is four hours long with 150 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) . The complete CIMA® program tracks and the Knowledge Areas of the CIMA® Exam are:
Standard CIMA® program covers the following 20 knowledge areas – 10 in each level.
Accounting for Investment & Managerial Decision-Making
8%Business, Strategy & International Competitiveness
8%Analyzing Financial Statements for Business Decisions
12%Managing & Accounting Risks in Business
12%Cost Structuring, Product Costing & Activity Based Costing
10%Investment Accounting Framework & Concepts
10%Financial Markets, Instruments & Derivatives
10%Techniques of Managing Investment Portfolios
10%Capital Investments and Capital Budgeting
10%Management Accounting & Enterprise Performance Analysis
10%Techniques of Pricing Financial Assets
10%Techniques & Practices of Valuing Businesses
12%Practices in International Financial Reporting
10%Techniques of Currency Risk Management
10%Accounting Tax In Global Investments and Business
7%Accounting Transfer Pricing In Global Business
10%Investment Accounting Techniques & Practices
15%Investment Audit Techniques & Practices
10%Corporate Governance & Ethics in Global Organizations
8%Technology & Analytics in Accounting
8%Candidates are required to qualify only one, unified CIMA® Professional Pathway Exam covering 6 knowledge areas from CIMA®Level 1 and 7 from CIMA®Level 2:
Accounting for Investment & Managerial Decision-Making
6%Business, Strategy & International Competitiveness
7%Managing & Accounting Risks in Business
9%Investment Accounting Framework & Concepts
8%Techniques of Managing Investment Portfolios
8%Management Accounting & Enterprise Performance Analysis
8%Techniques of Pricing Financial Assets
8%Techniques & Practices of Valuing Businesses
9%Techniques of Currency Risk Management
9%Accounting Transfer Pricing In Global Business
7%Investment Accounting Techniques & Practices
9%Corporate Governance & Ethics in Global Organizations
7%Technology & Analytics in Accounting
7%CIMA® defines knowledge areas critical for success in the complex and multidisciplinary investment & management accounting profession. CIMA® exams have been designed keeping in view specific needs for candidates to excel in the investment & management accounting profession. These requirements are knowledge; comprehension; application; analysis; synthesis and evaluation.
The CIMA® program, hence functions as a robust platform to ensure consistency of coverage of CIMA® exams across time and space, and also assists CIMA® Professional Educators in designing training and exam-preparatory courses around CIMA®. The specifications are dynamic, linked to the common body of knowledge, and hence may change in tandem with changes in the body of knowledge. Besides establishing the foundation on which CIMA® exams are developed, the knowledge specifications are a good way for candidates to understand the knowledge expectations from them when they are being scored in their CIMA® exams.