Introduction
CImA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants is an internationally recognized professional body that supports over 218,000 students and members in 177 countries. CImA is responsible for the education and qualification of Chartered Management Accountants who work in all business sectors, in roles both within and outside finance.
CImA has been named a 2009 Business Super brand by the UK Super brand organization, an independent authority on branding.
Chartered Management Accountants look forward to being at the heart of business, evaluating and interpreting financial information and making strategic decisions about the future direction of organizations. If you are starting to think about your future and aiming to develop a truly successful and diverse career in business, CImA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, can accelerate you towards achieving your career goals.
CImA is the only professional body that qualifies accountants solely for business. CImA Chartered Management Accountants work in industry, commerce, the public sector and not-for–profit organizations.
Eligibility
- Graduates with Degrees accredited by CIMA
- Graduates with Degrees related to Accounting, Business, Finance, Law and Other Relevant Areas
- MBA Holders
- Member of Another Professional Body
- Matric
- Intermediate
Exemptions Offered
Exemptions in CIMA
You may be exempt from certain exams in the Certificate in Business Accounting and CIMA Professional Qualification if you hold a relevant degree or qualification.
The exams you are exempt from will vary depending on the degree or qualification you hold.
Exemptions are awarded at CIMA’s discretion.
Who is eligible for exam exemptions?
You may qualify for exemptions if you:
• Are a graduate with a qualification listed in our database of CIMA accredited programmes.
• Are a graduate of a degree programme that is related to the CIMA syllabus.
• Are an Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) student or member.
• Have an MBA or a Master’s in Accounting.
• Are a member or passed finalist of ICWAI or CIMAB, or a member of CIMAP.
• Are studying or have completed a relevant qualification with another professional body.
Professional Recognition/Exemptions
CIMA (UK) enjoys the following exemptions from other professional bodies:
Exemptions to CIMA Qualified or Part Qualified Students and Members
CA (ICAP)
Candidates who have successfully completed all exams of CImA (UK) will be exempted Foundation and Intermediate examinations (Modules A to D) of ICAP. Such candidates shall apply for exemption from Foundation and Intermediate exams of ICAP and join CA Firm / Training Organization for a training period of three years.
Moreover, these candidates shall be eligible to appear for Module E exams eighteen months after entering the training period and shall be eligible for Module F exams during the last year of training.
CIMAP
Candidates who have successfully completed all exams of CImA (UK) will be exempted from 18 papers out of 21 of CIMAP.
ACCA
Candidates who have successfully completed all exams of CImA (UK) will be exempted from Knowledge & Skill module (Papers F1 to F-9) of ACCA (UK).
ICAEW (UK)
Candidates who have successfully completed all exams of CImA (UK) will be exempted from 8 papers of ICAEW (UK) out of 15.
CAT
Candidates who have successfully completed all exams of Certificate Level of CImA (UK) will be exempted from 4 papers of CAT.
BBA / MBA
Candidates who had successfully completed Managerial level will be awarded BBA honors degree from UCP and MBA degree after qualifying all exams of CImA. Candidates have to submit a thesis (research paper) for BBA degree and for MBA they have to pass one semester and have to submit a thesis (research paper).
Syllabus Details
The CImA professional qualification is regarded highly by employers around the world because of its relevance to business. CImA updates the syllabus every four years, based on the key skills that employers and the market demand. The last update was in 2015.
The CImA qualification consists of seventeen exams including three case studies at each level. You also need to gain three years of practical work experience.
You will gain expertise in three main areas:
- Management Accounting
- Business Management
- Financial Management
Certificate Level
The CImA Certificate in Business Accounting is ideal for people who are new to the world of business qualification because it offers a solid grounding in the basics of management accounting, financial accounting and business and consists of 5 papers. It is also a stepping stone towards the CImA Professional Qualification.
Operational Level
The three exams at this level introduce students to contemporary business subjects like ethics, forecasting, reporting and marketing, from an operations view. Students who pass all three operational level papers and a case study exam will be awarded the CImA diploma in management accounting.
Management Level
The three exams at this level focus on subjects like project management, relationship management, analysis of financial accounts and budgeting. Students who pass all three management level subjects and a case study exam will be awarded the CImA advanced diploma in management accounting.
Strategic Level
The three exams at this level build on previous knowledge and cover change management, performance evaluation and strategy implementation and managing financial risk. Students who pass all three strategic level subjects and a case study exam will be awarded the CImA membership after fulfilling the professional experience requirement.
CImA for MBAs, ACCAs & ACMAs
The CGA is drawn from the management level papers of the CImA syllabus. On successful completion of three hour CGA exam, you will be granted 11 exemptions* out of 15 from the CImA professional qualification and will be awarded the CImA advanced diploma in management accounting. You will be eligible to study for CImA’s strategic level exams. The CGA route is an accelerated route into CImA, a globally recognized professional accounting qualification, at the strategic level.
*All exemptions are free
Entry Requirements
As an ACCA affiliate or member, you are eligible for advanced entry to CImA through the CImA Gateway Assessment (CGA).
Assessment
The Gateway Assessment Exam is divided into two sections:
- Section A – three compulsory questions each worth 25 marks
- Section B – objective test questions totaling 25 marks, from all other areas of CIMA syllabus not covered in Section A.
Our Tuition Fee covers the following:
- Specialist IT Support: Available for practice questions for each syllabus topic; Multimedia enabled classrooms.
- Academic Environment: Students gain interactive enrichment in the library & Co-curricular activities like debates, sporting events etc.
- Best Faculty: Highly-Qualified and Experienced Faculty of the industry comprising of Chartered Accountants, Chartered Management Accountants, Chartered Certified Accountants and Masters.
- Study Support System: Mid-session Revision Classes, Course Plans and Exam Aid Material to help you in clearing the exams in first attempt.
- Monitoring Tests: Regular In-Class assessments to assess students’ progress to date.
- Mock Exams: Exam-Standard Questions with discussion at the end of each session.
- Teacher Assistants: Available for individuals’ after class counseling
Admissions Information
Enrollment in respective batches will be done on FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS. Sufficient merit and need-based scholarships.
Progression Rules
Certificate Level
Once a student completes the Certificate in Business Accounting, he will be able to progress to the Managerial level. A permanent credit is awarded for any paper in which the candidate scores 50% or more.
Students wishing to appear in May manual exam of Managerial Level must have passed all papers of Certificate level by 28th February. For appearing in November exam Certificate Level must be passed by 31st August.
Please note: you will not be awarded the CImA Certificate in Business Accounting if you have accepted exemptions from all five assessments.
Operational Level
Lenient progression rules and you can study as many papers as you wish in any order. A permanent credit is awarded for any paper in which the candidate scores 50% or more.
Students can study the subjects in each pillar separately or can study a selection of subjects across pillars Operational and Managerial Level. This level consists of 3 hour papers.
Please note: you will not be awarded the Diploma in Management Accounting if you qualify for, and have accepted exemptions from all six papers at Managerial Level.
Managerial Level
Lenient progression rules and you can study as many papers as you wish in any order. A permanent credit is awarded for any paper in which the candidate scores 50% or more.
Students can study the subjects in each pillar separately or can study a selection of subjects across pillars in Operational and Managerial Level. This level consists of 3 hour papers.
Please note: you will not be awarded the Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting if you qualify for, and have accepted exemptions from all six papers at Managerial Level.
Strategic Level
You must complete all Managerial Level & Operational level papers before attempting the Strategic Level Papers (E-3, P-6 and F-3). This level consists of 3 hour papers with each building on the content within the pillars at the Managerial Level. A permanent credit is awarded for each paper in which the candidate scores 50% or more.
All three Strategic Level papers must be taken together at your first attempt at this level. Any necessary re-sits can be taken in any combination and in any order.
Computer Based Assessment
CBAs are available for all the papers of the Certificate Level and can be taken at any time of the year, allowing students to progress through to the Intermediate level computer based exams at their own pace.
CBA uses computers to deliver questions and receive answers. Objective test questions are used in the assessment (the most common type is multiple choice but there are other formats).
- The CBA system has many benefits:
- You will receive your results immediately after you finish the assessment, because the computer can mark it instantly.
- You will receive individual performance feedback after the assessment; if you are unsuccessful this will help you to identify the areas of the syllabus where you require a better understanding of the topics.
- You can sit computer based assessment whenever you wish – you aren’t restricted to the two paper based exam sittings per year.
- You can also re-sit assessments as and when you are ready.
- You can use CBA to progress quickly through to the Intermediate level paper based exams.
- CBA allows for a wide range of the syllabus to be covered so you can be confident that you have a sound grounding in business and accounting in preparation for the Intermediate level exams.
- Upon successfully completing an exam by computer based assessment you will receive a ‘Certificate of Achievement’ from the centre. Your student record will automatically be updated by CIMA and an exemption will be awarded for the appropriate paper based subject.
CBA can be taken at any time of the year, provided that you are a registered CIMA student. However, if you are using CBA to fast track through to the Intermediate level papers you need to be aware of CIMA’s registration, exam entry and exemption deadlines.
This is particularly important if you want to sit Financial Accounting and/or Management Accounting Performance Evaluation from the Intermediate level, as we must have notification that you have completed the Foundation subjects Financial Accounting Fundamentals and/or Management Accounting Fundamentals before you can be entered for these papers (this is due to the progressive nature of these subjects).
