CIMA

Overview

CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, runs the CGMA Professional Qualification for management accountants, together with the AICPA under the AICPA & CIMA banner. It is taken worldwide, with exams at Pearson VUE test centres in many countries and, in many places, online from home or the office.

There are two stages:

• Certificate in Business Accounting (Cert BA): four entry-level subjects. It is a qualification in its own right and a route into the Professional Qualification.

• CGMA Professional Qualification: three levels (Operational, Management, Strategic), each with three Objective Tests and one Case Study exam, so 12 exams in all.

After the Strategic level and the practical experience requirements, candidates are admitted to associate membership with the ACMA and CGMA designations.

Who can apply

You register with AICPA & CIMA to become a CGMA candidate. When you register, you enter your existing qualifications and years of work experience, and CIMA tells you the level at which you can start. Holders of a degree or other relevant qualification may get exemptions from one or more subjects; CIMA advises applying for and confirming exemptions before you start studying.

Cert BA subjects can be taken in any order. Once all four are passed (or exempted), you can progress to the Professional Qualification.

Exam pattern

Objective Tests cover all the learning outcomes of the subject. The Case Study exam at each level draws on all three subjects of that level in one synoptic exam and puts you in a simulated finance role.

Levels or stages

Certificate in Business Accounting

• BA1 Fundamentals of business economics

• BA2 Fundamentals of management accounting

• BA3 Fundamentals of financial accounting

• BA4 Fundamentals of ethics, corporate governance and business law

Operational level

• E1 Managing Finance in a Digital World

• P1 Management Accounting

• F1 Financial Reporting

• Operational Case Study, which simulates the role of an entry-level finance professional

Passing the level gives the part-qualified designation CIMA Dip MA (Diploma in Management Accounting).

Management level

• E2 Managing Performance

• P2 Advanced Management Accounting

• F2 Advanced Financial Reporting

• Management Case Study

Passing all four exams gives the designation CIMA Adv Dip MA (Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting).

Strategic level

• E3 Strategic Management

• P3 Risk Management

• F3 Financial Strategy

• Strategic Case Study

Syllabus

The Professional Qualification is built on three pillars that run through all three levels:

• Enterprise (E): the role of the finance function, data and technology, business models, managing people and projects, and forming and carrying out strategy.

• Performance (P): costing, budgeting, pricing and capital expenditure decisions, performance management, and identifying and managing risk.

• Financial (F): the regulatory framework, external reporting and financial statements, business tax, and financial strategy.

The Operational level looks at short-term decisions, the Management level at turning long-term decisions into medium-term plans, and the Strategic level at long-term strategy, risk, valuation and financing.

CIMA upgraded the syllabus for 2026. The upgrade adds emphasis on finance business partnering, critical thinking, sustainability (including environmental costing and sustainability reporting) and technology, including generative AI at the Operational and Strategic levels; CIMA says there is no generative AI upgrade at the Management level for now. Generative AI questions began appearing in Objective Tests in January 2026, and the upgraded case study content is examined from the May 2026 window onwards.

Important dates

Objective Tests and Cert BA exams can be booked at any time. Case Study dates for the rest of 2026 and early 2027, from the CIMA timetable:

Results for the November 2026 window are published on 7 January 2027 (Operational) and 14 January 2027 (Management and Strategic). Each window has its own booking period and pre-seen release date, listed on the timetable.

How to apply

1. Register with AICPA & CIMA and confirm any exemptions.

2. Sign in to your account and choose the exam from your exams dashboard.

3. You are passed to Pearson VUE to pick a test centre or online exam, date and time, and to pay.

4. For a Case Study, download the pre-seen material from the CGMA Study Hub when it is released.

You can reschedule up to 48 hours before your appointment through the exam dashboard.

After the exam

The Cert BA certificate is sent 8 weeks after you pass your final Cert BA exam. Case Study results appear in your My Profile account on the published results date. To become a member with the ACMA and CGMA designations, you must also complete CIMA's practical experience requirements.

Preparation tips

• Use the official exam blueprints for each Objective Test and Case Study, which set out what can be examined.

• Use the free resources on the CGMA Study Hub, including exam tutorials.

• For each Case Study, study the pre-seen material closely, since every question is set in that scenario.

FAQs