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MJ THE TUTOR

Cima exam support and preparation, 10 burning questions (that students ask) about the cima case study exams.

This is from the “Accounting Makes Cents” podcast episode #9 released on Monday, 21 March 2022.

In today’s episode, I thought we’d do something slightly different and address a list of frequently asked questions about the CIMA case study exams. Most if not all of this  information is available on the CIMA website. But I suppose if you’re a first-time case study exam taker, it’s difficult to separate that concern or anxiety over what you’ll be facing on exam day. Sometimes you may just need that reassuring and supporting voice to help you with your burning questions.

Jump to show notes .

So here goes. Let’s do our FAQs about the CIMA case study exams:

Question 1: In a case study exam, a student faces off with 3 or 4 questions. Each question is between 30 to 60 minutes long. What happens when the student finishes answering a question but still has a few minutes left before the 60 minutes is up, can the student save these minutes and add them onto the next question?

A: No. Each question is exactly the length that it is stated. As you enter the exam platform, there will be a list in the front of the number of questions you’ll be facing, be it 3 or 4, and the time associated with each one. If a question states that it is 45 minutes long, then that question is 45 minutes long. Let’s say we have question 1 and question 2, both at 45 minutes. If you saved a few minutes because you’ve addressed the requirements faster, maybe you finished question one with 10 minutes to go, this 10 minutes does not get added up to question 2. Question 2 will still be 45 minutes.

Question 2: So a follow up on the time per question, how strictly should a student be following the time limit given by CIMA per question?

A: Very strictly. If the question is worth 45 minutes, the platform is actually set up so that it will close you off from the current question, if you do not finish by the allotted time. There is a timer at the exams, and that timer does alert the student if you only have 5 minutes and 2 minutes to go before the time is up. Once time is up, you are closed off from the current question and transferred to the next question, in which case, the timer resets and starts counting down again.

Question 3: There are sometimes multiple requirements to be addressed. So let’s say we have 2 requirements per question. Should a student be doing well on all the requirements? Meaning, is it still possible to pass if a student encounters one bad requirement?

A: For the first question, with regards to doing well on all requirements, that is the simplest rule to follow. A student should strive to answer all the questions in order to gain the best possible mark for the exams. Having said that, to address the second question, which is for any reason, you encounter one bad section or requirement, where you are unfamiliar with the topic and that kind of thing, do not panic. One bad section will not fail you the whole exam. It is still possible to recover as long as you address the bad section as best you can.

Question 4: What is the pass mark?

A: So the pass mark for a CIMA case study exam is 80/150. There is a bit more involvement in the way that the 80/150 is calculated. You see, this is a scaled mark. So the exam itself is out of 100 points. So if you are thinking of it in normal terms, think of it as 100%. There is no exact point as to a pass mark with the 100%. So that doesn’t mean that if you score 50% it’s a pass, or if you score 53% (which is what 80/150 is), that it’s a pass. The scaling happens because of the different difficulty levels of the exam variants. There are various discussions on this on the CIMA website, in my other podcasts and blog posts. So I’ll direct you to those entries and encourage you to visit those websites if you wish to understand the scaling better. But the pass mark is 80/150. And your results will be presented in that way. If you get 90, that means it is 90/150, and so on.

Question 5: Would it be okay for the student to address the second requirement first before the first requirement in a question?

A: Yes. Sometimes, it does happen that a student is more familiar with the second requirement than the first one. So the advice is for the student to address the topic area that you are most confident in. This will help with coming up with answers, paragraphs, and ideas, they’re gonna be faster because you’re familiar with it. This doesn’t mean that you should abandon the other requirement just because you’ve answered one of them. The strategy is still to address all requirements as best you can.

Question 6: Since it’s a typing kind of exam, how fast of a typist should I be?

A: CIMA suggests that a student should at least be able to type 20 words per minute. I do have a blog post about being Speedy Gonzales, I’ll link it up on the show notes . But the general rule is that if you can type 20 words per minute, then you can take the exams. Of course, it goes without saying, if you can be faster then it is probably better.

Question 7: How big of an issue is it to use the right spelling and grammar for the exams?

A: I always say that the CIMA case study exam is not an English test. It is written in English but a lot of the exam takers are bilingual and speak multiple languages. Present company included. Some students don’t even have English as their first language. So this is really not a big problem. If it occurs at the exams, so be it. You don’t have to correct every single spelling mistakes you make. However, this does not mean that you can get away with typing gibberish. The only rule I’d probably point out with regards to spelling is that while it occurs and it’s normal, your sentence or message still needs to make sense, even if you’ve misspelt a word here and there.

Question 8: Can we bring a calculator at the exams?

A: Yes. CIMA has published a list of calculators that you are able to bring with you at the exams. Just to point out as well, that the case study exam is not a mathematical exam. You may have to do some simple calculations but nothing overly complicated. The case study is first and foremost a report-writing exam highlighting skills in strategy and logical thinking.

Question 9: Should I bring the pre-seen material to the exams? If not, is there a way to access the material on the day?

A: No. The pre-seen material will be available on the platform. It’s gonna be a button which opens up a separate window on your screen. The button is available once you’ve entered the exams online. So if you need to refer back to an information on the pre-seen, the material is available. Having said this, I usually advise students that the pre-seen should be read prior to getting to the exams. If you’ve been doing practice questions and all that, you should be familiar with the pre-seen by the time you hit the day of the exams. The only time you should be referring to the pre-seen during the exams is when you want to include a very particular information on your answer, something like a specific name or terminology. But generally, this is very rare.

Question 10: How do I book for the exams?

A: This can be done online, using your MyCIMA account. There is more information about this on the CIMA website. So I’ll just link it up on the show notes . If you are planning on booking an exam, please do remember the important dates. There are exam windows of when you can start booking for the session and when those windows close for exam booking. Just be sure to remember so that you don’t get closed out if you are planning to do it.

Show notes simplified

In this episode, MJ the tutor tackles frequently asked questions about the CIMA case study exam. While all information is available on the CIMA website, students facing a CIMA case study exam for the first time normally agonises over what they’d be facing up on exam day. MJ the tutor recognises the angst and sets out to alleviate some of the common ones here.

Resources and links from this episode: MJ the tutor on A Brief Look at How the Case Study Scaling Mark Works MJ the tutor on To Be or Not to Be a Fast Typist? CIMA website: Scheduling Your Exams CIMA website: Exam Timetable CIMA website: A Guide to Your Examination Results CIMA website: Calculator Guidance

Credits: “Ding Ding Small Bell” ( https://freesound.org/s/173932/ ) by JohnsonBrandEditing ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1RImxnsbfngagfXd_GWCDQ ) licensed under CC0 Licence. “Counting numbers” ( https://freesound.org/people/MrSeriousss/sounds/587504/ ) by MrSeriouss ( https://freesound.org/people/MrSeriousss/ ) licensed under CC3 Licence.

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CIMA Student Series: Management Case Study (MCS)

Here Louise McAndrew discusses the challenges she faced in passing her CIMA MCS exam, as well as offering some great advice to students yet to take the exam.

Louise McAndrew is a Strategic level CIMA student with just P3, F3 and the SCS left to study before becoming fully-qualified. Louise has mainly worked in not for profit organisations and is currently a Finance Officer for a charity in the social care sector (see her Linkedin profile here ). She is AAT-qualified but took a break from studying to have a family. Louise has two children, one of secondary school age and one of primary school age.

The Management Case Study had higher pass rates than the OCS and SCS in 2018. That doesn't mean it's an easy exam though. Here Louise McAndrew discusses the challenges she faced in passing her MCS exam, as well as offering some great advice to students yet to take the exam.

When did you take the MCS exam and how did you get on? Was it your first attempt?

I took the MCS in August 2018 and passed with a pass mark of 95. It was a huge relief as it was my third attempt having failed the first two times by just a couple of marks. The results came out on my birthday too so it was a great way to start the day!

I made my first attempt at the exam in November 2017 but due to a heavy workload in my office (new financial year budgeting), I couldn’t resit until May 2018 and then I passed the August 2018 case study.

How long did you spend preparing for the MCS paper (how many weeks/months and how many hours on average per week)?

As soon as the pre-seen material came out I started working through it. Prior to that I had started looking through past papers to get an idea of the kind of answers CIMA were looking for in the MCS. I hadn’t done this before for the previous two attempts and can honestly say that was probably what contributed to me failing.

I work full-time and have a family so I was squeezing revision in wherever possible. I was probably fitting in around 10-12 hours per week. I was actually on a family holiday the week before the exam so I brought my books with me to study on the beach!

Did you take a course or did you opt for self-study?

I self-studied as I find it difficult to commit to a course with work and family commitments. But I did purchase case study materials from Astranti and VIVA to help me with the revision.

Is it your intention to continue with self-study for the remainder of your studies? Would you recommend this approach to others?

I only have 3 exams left so I’ll carry on with self-study. I don’t really have an opinion in terms of recommending self-study. For me it’s the only viable option but for others they may prefer a classroom environment. I’m on a Facebook group called the CIMA UK Student Group which has a whole CIMA community in there so I’d recommend anyone studying to join as there’s lots of help and encouragement on there.

What (if anything), did you find especially difficult with the MCS in relation to your preparation? e.g. balancing personal life with study, balancing work with study, the material was dull etc?

This particular case study was pretty dull. It was about a camera company and there was quite a lot of unnecessary information about camera components. I needed to decipher what information was actually relevant to what might be asked.

What (if anything), did you find especially difficult with the MCS in relation to the exam day? e.g. time management, nerves etc?

I was incredibly nervous on the day as I didn’t want to fail again. Once the exam got going though, my nerves calmed and I was able to focus on answering the questions. I didn’t run out of time on any of the questions as I felt more prepared this time.

Was there an area of the Management syllabus that you liked more than others?

I preferred the E2 unit and found it was my strongest area. At operational level I preferred F1 but I studied operational level on the old written syllabus. Since it’s moved to computer based assessments I have preferred the Enterprise subjects as they’ve been easier to grasp.

Was there an area of the Management syllabus that you liked less than others?

I found the F2 and P2 units quite tough and when studying for the MCS those were the units I particularly needed to concentrate on. Whilst I was able to confidently calculate ratios, I needed to be able to explain how the ratios would be affected by changes in equity and debt etc.

Was there a particular area of either P2 or F2 you found tougher?

I couldn’t get my head around WACC calculations so it was my weakest area. Even when studying the case study I really needed to revise its meaning as I knew it was likely to be tested. It was a question on one of the case studies I failed and I don’t think I answered it very well.

Do you have any tips for other students about to sit the MCS?

I would definitely say look back on past papers. It gives you a really good idea of what CIMA are looking for in their answers. Also, if you’re not able to commit to a course then it’s definitely worth buying case study materials such as pre-seen analysis, strategic analysis, Key Issues and case study mock exams as they are always catered specifically for the case study being tested.

Have you used VIVA’s case study materials? If so, how did you find the materials?

I had been using Astranti but I found their mock exams to be too long-winded to follow. Other people recommended VIVA so I bought their Case Study materials and found them really helpful.

Do you have any final comments/recommendations/feelings/thoughts about your MCS experience?

The case studies are just as tough as the objective tests so I would say if you don’t pass first time then keep going. It will be worth it when you pass.

‍ You might want to explore and learn more about our CIMA MCS Course . You can also check out our free webinars for the MCS.

Like to explore how VIVA can help you with your CIMA studies?

Be the first to find out when we release new CIMA resources.

Related resources

Other resources that may be of interest to you.

Management Case Study

Exam windows, exam resources.

Resources to help you prepare for your case study exam.

Exam Resource

A Walkthrough of Real Exam Answers

Tables and formulae provided in exam, free exam and question tutorial management case study, case study performance descriptors, calculator guidance, resitters guide - ot and cs exams, learning resources catalogue, what do my exam results mean, further reading.

Exam Technique

Case Study support 1 – preparing for the Case Study exam

Case study support 2 – planning a good answer, case study support 3 – developing a fuller answer.

Study Support

How to use the CGMA Blueprints

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CIMA Strategic Case Study

Theory revision series

In our post-exam surveys after almost every strategic case study exam, students tell us they wish they’d spent MORE time revising the theory from their E3, F3 and P3 exams.

For many students, it’s been months (if not years) between them passing their objective test exams and attempting the case study – a lot of time for their knowledge to slip!

And yet, to revise all three subjects in full is nigh on impossible when you also have to understand the pre-seen and master your case study technique too.

Our aim is to save you time and make your life easier!  We have examined the last 8 years of case studies to work out what theory tends to come up regularly and what rarely comes up at all, and summarised all the key examinable topics in a clear and simple way in our revision texts and videos.

Our SCS theory revision series: + Covers all the most important theory that you need to know for the case study exams + Converts the key content from over 1,100 pages of syllabus study texts into just 552 pages + Condenses the theory into manageable chunks, with around 33 hours of video to watch + Gives you the platform to successfully apply the syllabus theory to the pre-seen company and the un-seen exam scenarios

Find out exactly what’s covered and take a look at our samples from the theory revision series below.

“I couldn’t recommend Astranti enough. I used them throughout my case study preparations and found their materials prepared me so well for the exams, meaning I was confident in all aspects from exam technique to theory to case study analysis.”

CIMA Case Study Student , January 2024

“I have completed CIMA’s MCS and SCS with Astranti and have passed them both at first attempt. Great Customer Service, Course Structure is Excellent. Mocks and Theory Revision Kits are the best feature of the course.”

CIMA Qualified , April 2022

Learn what it takes to pass

Focus on the key topics you’re most likely to be tested on

Refresh your syllabus knowledge with help from our tutors

Clear and simple examples bring each topic to life

Reduce revision time

Avoid rereading the full E3, F3 and P3 study texts

Save yourself time and focus on the most important topics

Revise from one place, using our study texts or videos

Switch up your learning

Watch the videos, download the audio or print the study texts

Cement your knowledge in the way that suits you

Content is split into manageable chunks to make things easier

Take a look for yourself…

Part 1 – Key theory from CIMA E3

Part 1 - What's covered?

• Chapter 1: Mission and Objectives
• Chapter 2: External Analysis
• Chapter 3: Scenario Analysis
• Chapter 4: Internal Analysis
• Chapter 5: Product and Corporate Appraisal
• Chapter 6: Developing Strategic Options
• Chapter 7: Strategy Evaluation
• Chapter 8: Supply Chain Management
• Chapter 9: Digital Technologies

Total video running time: 10 hours

Part 2 – Key theory from CIMA F3

Part 2 - What's covered?

• Chapter 1: Finance Strategy
• Chapter 2 : Dividend Policy
• Chapter 3: Equity Finance
• Chapter 4 : Debt Finance
• Chapter 5: Financial Risk
• Chapter 6: Currency Risk
• Chapter 7: Mergers and Acquisitions
• Chapter 8: Business Valuation I
• Chapter 9: Business Valuation II

Total video running time: 13 hours

Part 3 – Key theory from CIMA P3

Part 3 - What's covered?

• Chapter 1: Risk
• Chapter 2: Further Risk Management
• Chapter 3: Governance and Reporting
• Chapter 4: Internal Controls
• Chapter 5: Management Control Systems
• Chapter 6: The Role of Internal Audit
• Chapter 7: Cyber Threats
• Chapter 8: Cybersecurity Objectives
• Chapter 9: Cybersecurity Processes

What our students have to say…

Please see our  testimonials page  for our latest student reviews. Here are a couple of examples:

“I passed my SCS exam in November 2023. As I came through the CFO pathway, I knew I needed to fill knowledge gaps before tackling the CIMA Strategic Case Study.

Astranti’s Strategic level theory summaries proved invaluable for this. This streamlined approach saved me precious time and helped me confidently navigate the pre-seen material.”

CIMA Qualified , November 2023

“I have purchased the theory revision series for Management Case Study and now Strategic. Very informative and provides useful scenarios you can expect to see in the exams as well as gaining an understanding of how to build application marks in case studies.

I passed MCS first time with the help of this, so I’ve purchased in again for SCS. Fingers crossed! Would highly recommend this revision series. Thank you!”

Passed CIMA MCS , October 2021

Purchase the theory revision series

The Theory Revision Series is also part of our SCS Premium Course. Head to the course page to find out more.

SCS Theory Revision Series £165

To qualify for the pass guarantee you need to ensure you complete ALL of the following steps. Failure to complete all of these steps will mean you will not qualify.

View & Print:

1. Click the “View + Print” link to view the study text.

2.  Wait  for all of the pages to load , this can sometimes take a couple of minutes depending on the size of the document (scroll to the last page to ensure that every page loads).

3.  Click  on the print icon within the document viewer (NOT the print icon in the browser menu).

4.  Follow  the steps to print.

Other things to try:

Please try an alternative browser.   Google Chrome and Firefox are recommended, but other  browsers may also work.  Updating your browser to the latest version can help your document load more quickly.

If you are using Windows XP and a version of Internet Explorer older than 9, we cannot guarantee  that printing will be possible. We recommend obtaining access to a computer with at least Windows 7.

Updating to the latest  version of flash can help to resolve some people’s printing issues ( download the latest version of flash .)

If your document fails to load, try clearing your cache and browser history. If your documents still do not load it may be due to the network you are on. We suggest trying to print on a different network.

If you still cannot print your document we suggest using a different computer and/or printer in case you are experiencing a hardware issue.

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