cima operational case study pass

OCS: How I passed

Results email nice and early from @CIMA_News and it’s a pass! Phew. On to the next level, hurrah! #CIMA #cimaresults pic.twitter.com/wMSCnvVyQp — The CIMA Student (@theCIMAstudent) December 17, 2015

The operational case study is a relatively new exam – so I was delighted to pass it first time!

The OCS seemed a bit of a grey area to me when working out how to study for it. Trying to catch up on the all of the P1 theory I missed (I was exempt due to 2015 transition) as well as hearing that only 34% of the students passed the OCS in the previous sitting (May 2015) set a few alarm bells ringing.

I was comfortable enough studying for the P1 and F1 papers using study texts and practice exam kits but, in my opinion, you really need some additional support when tackling the case study.

I purchased the OCS study text from Kaplan earlier in the year but thought it was too generic for me. I needed to put some more meat on the bones.

OCS: First Steps

It’s important to make a note of when the pre-seen material for the case study is released, as soon as that’s out you will need to focus 100% on that.

So the 3-4 weeks before it was released I spent my time going through all three papers E1, F1 and P1 (mainly) and revising the key models, theories and how to apply them.

Don’t get bogged down in working out costing models and drafting financial statements etc in your preparation for case study. YOU WON’T BE ASKED TO CARRY OUT ANY CALCULATIONS – you will need to know the theory behind and how to apply it to the scenario.

I found the OCS study text from Astranti was a brilliant starting point.

The first part focuses on how to plan your answers and what expect in the exam. While the second part is split into three parts (E1, F1, P1) and covers all of the key theory and models in a short, condensed, manageable format.

Make this study text your bible for the weeks leading up to when the pre-seen material is released.

Pre-Seen Materials

As soon as it’s released you should read the whole document without making any notes. Just a get a feel for it. Then I would suggest reading it again and highlight strengths and weaknesses of the company as they could well be tested.

Pay attention to EVERYTHING! 

Personally, I used the Astranti pre-seen video analysis package that provided a tutors insight into all of the pre-seen material as well as pin-pointing the top 10 issues that could come up in the exam.

I found it invaluable and it gave me a real focus for revision and exam preparation.

Try and link the key models in P1 and E1 to the pre-seen material. Then brush up on any accounting standards that you feel could be examined.

Mock Exam Practice

After I spent two weeks watching the pre-seen videos, relating it to the pre-seen material and refreshing my syllabus knowledge I moved onto the mock exam practice.

You can find exam practice questions on the official CIMA connect website and Astranti offer a free mini-mock as well. So you have all of this resources available for free and they should be made the most of.

So, for next three weeks I took the Astranti mock exams (one each weekend) and spent the time in between revising the areas I scored low marks on.

If your budget allows, I would thoroughly recommend to get your mock exams marked. You will get detailed feedback on your strengths and weaknesses and an honest appraisal (something I probably wouldn’t have given myself!)

I spent the final week in the run up to the exam going over my notes and making sure I understood how to relate ETHICS to the case study.

Try and squeeze it in where ever you can! ETHICS, ETHICS, ETHICS.

I also used this time to do some real industry research into the floriculture industry so I could link to my answers on exam day.

Good Luck for those sitting the OCS in February 2016. Here are some useful links below that will help you get a head start.

Useful Links and Resources

OCS Course Preseen Videos OCS Mock exams OCS study text OCS masterclasses

CIMA Connect: OCS Pre-Seen Material

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16 responses to “OCS: How I passed”

CIMA Feb 16 OCS: First Class Bakery | the cima student Avatar

[…] Read how I passed the November 2015 OCS first time with a score of 102 here. […]

shivanipatel19 Avatar

Thank you this really helped 🙂

The Week Ahead – 14th March 2015 | the cima student Avatar

[…] If you’re planning to take the May sitting of the OCS then read how I passed the exam last year here. […]

CIMA Case Studies: Pass Guarantee | the cima student Avatar

[…] used Astranti myself to pass CIMA case studies and feedback from other students on this site have also used the above resources to pass first […]

The Week Ahead – 12th September 2016 | the cima student Avatar

[…] I passed the OCS exam this time last year using Astranti materials and I’d thoroughly recommend them to other students in the same boat. You can read more about how I passed the OCS exam here. […]

CIMA Objective Test Courses | the cima student Avatar

[…] I’m a keen user of the Astranti materials as they helped me pass the CIMA operational case study at the first time of asking last year – you can read about that here. […]

CIMA Case Study Advice: February 2017 | the cima student Avatar

[…] I used their pre-seen analysis videos and mock exams to pass my OCS exam last year. […]

CIMA Case Study Advice: May 2017 | the cima student Avatar

[…] passed the OCS exam myself last year – you can read more on that here – I hope I can offer students who are facing the same problems and questions I had, guidance […]

CIMA OCS May 2017: Exam Results | the cima student Avatar

[…] you are struggling for motivation, you can read how I passed the OCS exam in 2015 here. Meanwhile, below are a series of links that will help kick start your preparation for your […]

CIMA Case Study Tips: November 2017 | the cima student Avatar

[…] In my opinion, the Astranti case study courses are unrivalled when it comes to the CIMA case studies as my first hand experience with the OCS exam a couple of years ago. […]

CIMA Case Study Tips: February 2018 | the cima student Avatar

[…] used these materials when I passed the OCS a couple of years ago (and currently using them for the MCS exam next month) – I’ve have found that the […]

CIMA OCS Aug 2018: Thomas Fine Teas | the cima student Avatar

[…] I passed the OCS exam myself a few years ago now, but you can read my thoughts on how I passed the Flores Rosa OCS exam here. […]

CIMA Nov 18 Case Studies: Top 10 Issues | the cima student Avatar

[…] passing my OCS and MCS exams first time – I used to spend 8-10 minutes reading the question and planning my […]

CIMA Feb 2019: OCS Exam Tips | the cima student Avatar

[…] I used the Astranti OCS materials when passing the OCS exam in 2015, you can read that in more detail here. […]

My CIMA Journey | the cima student Avatar

[…] OCS: How I passed […]

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Exam Resource

Free exam and question tutorial operational case study.

To help you become familiar with the exams, we have free exam and question tutorials. All tutorials are: • Hosted by Pearson VUE • Accessible over the internet

The exam tutorial allows you to gain familiarity with the technology used to deliver the exam. It is also available 15 minutes prior to starting your test - access it at https://home.pearsonvue.com/cima/questiontutorials

The operational question tutorial allows you to gain familiarity with the types of questions encountered in the exam. It can be used to experience the test driver and how items are presented. We have prepared two sample case study exams based on CIMA's 2019 CGMA Professional Qualification. Open the PDF to access all the supporting material you will need before and after you have completed the tutorial case study.

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Top tips for operational case study examination.

VIVA Financial

  • Application is so important. Generic textbook answers do not score well. The secret here is assimilation of the technical knowledge with the context and details of the pre-seen scenario.
  • Use the company name/ staff members/ key themes of the pre-seen -eg environmental or innovative plans to underpin your suggestions & make them relevant & applied.
  • Make sure you know your pre-seen inside out… eg if the company does not offer credit sales at the moment, be careful not to suggest debt factoring as a way to ease cashflow!!
  • CIMA examiner has asked that students assume life as normal for their case-study answers (Eg a life before COVID pandemic began)… Although, all relevant comments will be awarded if correct and in context, but you should avoid excessive references to COVID/ lockdown/ impact of health social distancing etc on the company.
  • Students should be familiar with the CIMA Blueprint… particularly the I – CAN statements. 

https://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/Future%20of%20Finance/1901-9263%20Operational%20Exam%20Blueprints%20FINAL%20ONLINE%20v4.pdf

The ‘I CAN pages from this link are pasted below..

These tell student the weightings and mix of the topics they can expect in EVERY OCS exam…

For example -from the ICAN table..– Section F ( working capital) will be between 7 and 13% of every op case study exam paper – so this table shows the importance of those topic areas – eg we know from this that working capital will be examined in EVERY OCS exam paper going forward (at least 7% of the marks) – so this topic is guaranteed…

Use your objective test knowledge ( 2019 syllabus) notes & Open Tuition lectures to revise – bearing in mind P1 is the LEAD paper for OCS, but F1 and E1 both important too,

When working through your P1/ F1/ E1 notes –try to keep a high level overview – rather than drilling down to the detailed calculations – instead be able to explain/ define/ know the pros and cons of techniques and whether they would be ‘useful’ for the pre-seen company in your scenario.

Graphs are common in the OCS – so be sure you can explain and interpret graphs ( linear programming for example).

Always write enough – ensure you expand/ explain & apply. Leave lots of white space – use subheadings to present your answers & help markers award marks that you deserve.

Avoid bullet points – unless you are out of time

Use the percentage weightings of each exam SUBTASK to guide how much time to spend on each part of your answer

Visit CIMA website & find detailed examiner reports & past exam questions to see errors and weaknesses made by students in recent sittings. Also a good way to see the types of questions to expect and level of detail CIMA are requiring in their answers.

Management Accounting Mastery

Master the skills needed to pass the cima exams and become a chartered global management accountant, 10 “must-do’s” to pass your cima case study exam.

I ’m not going to beat around the bush.  Your CIMA case study exam is going to be tough to navigate through.

I speak from experience as someone who failed the final CIMA case study exam (under the old syllabus) a number of times before I finally qualified.

And you only have to look at CIMA’s pass rate figures to see that certain papers and certain sittings are harder to pass than others.

But why are they so tough?

Well mainly it’s because they are nothing like the OT exams you are familiar with.  The exam format is so different…the marking approach is so unique…the learning difficulty is higher…and you have to complete each section if you want a hope of passing.

And so the way you prepare for such an exam needs a totally different approach.

It’s this knowledge gap, of what exactly needs to be done in preparation, which causes fear and anxiety amongst students.

To help you overcome this fear, my aim in this post is to fill in those knowledge gaps.   That way you’ll know exactly what you need to do before your exam date.

As you read on you’ll find a list of 10 things you must do if you want to pass.   If you achieve each one of the items on the list, you will produce a strong script that clearly passes.  And be well on your way to CIMA qualification.

#1 Understand Your “Role” in the CIMA Case Study Exam

In each CIMA case study exam you will be acting out a role as an employee of the organisation in the case.  Essentially it will be as if you were working at your own workplace where your boss (or other senior management) has asked you to provide them with information to help solve an issue they have brought to your attention.

Depending on which level of the qualification you are sitting your case study, your exact role will differ according to the advice provided by CIMA.  You can take a look at the ‘role guidance’ for you exam by clicking on the relevant link below:

So you need to be aware of what is expected of you in your role and demonstrate that with confidence in your exam.

This is crucial, as although ultimately you must answer the specifics that are in the requirement on the day of the exam, it’s this ‘role guidance’ that tells you the approach you should take.

Following this guidance is what helps you generate the marks across the full range of the marking scheme. And it sets the tone and approach for the reports you must write on exam day.

In a future article I will go into greater detail about each element of the role you have to play and break down what it means when it comes to the answer you provide.

#2 Know Your Theory and When (and How) to Use it

Unfortunately you can’t just forget the technical material you learned in the three OT papers on your level. As this is considered assumed knowledge by your examiner.

There are significant marks available for your ability to demonstrate your technical skills in your CIMA case study exam and so you’ve still got know your theory well.

In fact, in the Operational and Management level case studies the majority of marks are given for RELEVANT use of technical knowledge.  I emphasise the word ‘relevant’ here because you can’t just try and impress your examiner by writing about a particular theory you know a lot about it.

Instead, you will need to use your theoretical knowledge in the context of the case study company and more importantly the specifics of the information provided in the scenario for each section of your exam.

Application is often the key here then as you need to judge which theory (or theories) is most appropriate to be used in helping to address the specific requirements in each section of your exam.

I will go into greater detail about how to apply relevant theory to score highly at a later date. But what is worth bearing in mind right now is that of all the topics throughout your P, E and F papers, some are far more likely to be tested in your CIMA case study exam than others.  Ethics in particular comes up a lot and is often dealt with badly according to the examiners.

So if you want to get a comprehensive revision of the key theoretical models and ethical issues likely to come up in your exam, I highly recommend the condensed case study theory text books and Ethics packs from Astranti.

#3 Have Excellent Pre seen and Industry Knowledge

As you will have seen from the above, you are playing a ‘role’ within a business, so you are expected to know a significant amount about that company and, indeed, the wider industry that it is operating within.

With this in mind, being very familiar with the pre seen and analysing it carefully will help you determine such things as where the company stands right now financially, the potential risks it faces and what the current trends are in the sector.

For instance, your analysis of the pre seen might suggest that a certain product line is in decline and becoming unprofitable.  You could then use this knowledge in your exam to discuss divestment as a possible option when required to advise on sources of funding for a new investment opportunity in a growing area of the business

You can learn more about how to analyse your pre seen quickly and effectively here

#4 Be Able to Identify ALL the Requirements for Each Section of Your Exam

In the objective tests you are given a very clear question and a very specific answer needs to be given.  This is not so in the case study papers.

Within each section of your CIMA case study exam there will be two or three requirements buried away in the information you are given.  It is your job to find them and then write your answer to address each one sufficiently.

In fact, being able to identify what the requirements are from all the information you are given in each section of your exam is a key skill being tested.  This is especially true in the SCS exam.

This replicates real life situations where often your boss will give you a general outline of what they are after and you have to decide what information needs to be provided in order to help them resolve the issue they are facing.

But you can’t afford to miss any of the requirements, especially not two out of the three (if there are that many).  Because generally speaking, each requirement will carry the same amount of marks within a section.

Let’s say there are 30 marks available for section 1 of your case study exam, 10 marks for each requirement.   If you answer two of the requirements really well – scoring 8 out of 10 for both – but you miss the third requirement completely, you will fail that section because you only scored 16 out of 30.  (53%)

On the other hand you can’t just make up your own requirements and write an answer to a question that you wish had been asked.  This will waste your time and score you no marks.

#5 Be an Effective Planner

Once you’ve identified the requirements in the section of the exam you are attempting, you need to make sure your answer does the following:

  • deals with each requirement directly
  • applies knowledge from the pre seen and the new information
  • uses relevant theory appropriately
  • covers all main elements in the marking criteria – technical, business, people and leadership skills
  • where possible identifies the links between different theories you are discussing (for integration marks)

To make sure you address all this in your answer, and score well, you need to spend some time putting a plan together of the key points you want to make.  And organise them so that your typed out answer is logical and easy to follow.

And having a well prepared technique for answer planning is a skill in itself.  Especially given the time constraints in the exam

I therefore recommend you use a specific step by step approach to answer planning which I will walk you through in the coming weeks.

#6 Perfect Your Writing Style

Needless to say, as a written (well, typed) exam you need to be able to write well, in a style that ensures you fully explain your points in a clear and concise way.  You want to make life easy for your marker to follow your arguments and give you as many marks as possible.

You’ll be required to write reports, emails, memos, or produce other ‘real life’ documents that read professionally and are focused on the needs of the business in their current situation.   You can see examples of what a good report or email format looks like by clicking on the relevant links below from, CIMA connect:

  • Business Report Format
  • Business Email Format

In fact, you can have really strong technical knowledge of the syllabus content across the three objective test papers but if you can’t explain and apply that knowledge sufficiently in your answer you will not score well.

So writing style really does make a difference to the number of marks you achieve.  And this requires practice to master the skill.

Luckily there are a set of writing style rules that you can follow to ensure you score lots of marks in your exam.  You can read my article on them here

#7 Produce a Script that Covers the Whole Marking Criteria

To pass your CIMA case study exam your answer in each section needs to pick up marks in ALL of the four main marking criteria

Technical skills

Your ability to use theoretical techniques to analyse the situation, explain the benefits of applying certain techniques to the scenario, or to interpret the findings of a previously prepared analysis or report.

Business skills

Showing good business awareness of the company and the industry it operates within.  Ultimately, your report, memo or email needs to make good practical business sense where your boss would actually take on board your advice and act on it.

People skills

This is where you need to demonstrate good communication, persuasion skills and an understanding of the needs of others.

Leadership skills

These marks are awarded for solid, logical business advice which can drive the performance of the company forward or manage change within the organisation.

There are also a few extra marks available (usually 6-8 in total across the exam) for a fifth criteria called “integration.”   Marks are given here for your ability to write a report that ‘flows’ well and reaches well-justified recommendations, where relevant, for each of the key issues.

Each section needs to be read like a professionally prepared business report/memo/email that shows understanding all of the key issues affecting the business and their context in the industry in which the company is operating.

You need to make sure your answer covers all bases because even if your script scored highly for technical skills, but did not demonstrate any sound business awareness or people skills, then you are likely to fail overall.

In fact, the way the scripts are marked means that it’s actually very hard to get high marks in every section. It’s much easier to pass by getting 15 marks for every section than 25 on two and just 5 from the other two.  So a well balanced answer is key here.

As you can see from the marking guidance from a recent case study exam, it’s very difficult to try and predict the split of marks between different sections.  So it is not something you should spend time trying to do in the exam

But if you follow the steps below you’ll be able to maximise marks across the board:

  • Answer the specific requirement as precisely as possible
  • Aim to use technical knowledge and theory as often as you can
  • Relate to the pre seen and strategic analysis where possible
  • Make recommendations where possible
  • Apply to the scenario
  • Consider ethics as a key topic throughout

#8 Complete Your Answer in Full

It goes without saying that you don’t want to leave marks in the exam room by not completing your script in the allocated time.

Not only that, but there is a high chance of you failing if you leave your answer incomplete.   Because as I said earlier, the way your CIMA case study exam is marked, it’s very hard to score highly on any one section, so you want to achieve a pass mark across all sections.

And the format of your CIMA case study exam means that once your time for a particular section is over – that’s it. You’ve simply got to move on and the computer system won’t even let you go back and finish off a previous section if you find yourself with some spare time towards the end of the exam.

So make sure you complete every part of every section rather than going for perfection on one section over another.

#9 Work Quickly and be on Top of Your Time Management

Running out of time in the exam is the biggest frustration to most students who take a CIMA case study exam.

They are highly time-pressured. You will typically have 3 or 4 different sections to complete, each with their own allocated time slot.   And for each section you have to:

  •  Read the new information
  • Identify the requirements
  • Do your plan
  • Write a high quality answer
  • Complete all sub-sections in full.

This is obviously easier said than done.

There will be a range of new information coming up in each section such as ‘news reports’ and ‘financial analysis’ that you have to read through carefully and analyse.

Then it’s a case of organising your thoughts and strategically coming up with a number of points that will each hit an element of the marking criteria.

And then of course there is the issue of typing up your answer and covering all the points in enough detail (with reference to the scenario) to score well.

It’s vital then that you go into your exam having practiced typing up an answer that has both the quality and quantity needed to pass.

But before that, you need to have come up with a time plan that you can quickly put into action in your exam at the start of every section.   One that you can monitor as you go along so that you don’t overrun and fail to complete your answer.

We will look more in depth at exam time management in a future article.  It definitely requires a lot of attention!

#10 Be Prepared to Practise Lots and Implement Feedback

As you’ve already seen there are a number of elements for you to work on so that you can then reproduce them in your exam.  All this under the time pressure and usual nerves you will have.  This requires practice.  Lots of it.

So my advice is that you sit a range of mock exams based on your pre seen material prior to taking the real exam.   And you must do so under timed exam conditions with no distractions or notes to hand.

As a minimum, I would suggest you attempt five full mock exams – at least a few days apart if possible.

This will get you used to dealing with the likely issues that will come up in your real exam and allow you to improve your exam technique as you go along.  Especially your time management and writing style.

Ideally you will also get your mocks marked by a tutor who can give you detailed feedback on how well you are applying the key techniques required to pass.   And what areas in particular you need to work on and improve.

You can then use that feedback to your advantage in each of your next mock exams where you can keep doing what is working well, and implement any recommended changes to your approach.

This feedback will also allow you to practice certain elements of exam technique that need improving in isolation.

For instance, you could spend a study session or two just working on your answer planning.  Making sure you know how you will quickly brainstorm your points and give them some structure so that they address all the requirements and hit all parts of the marking criteria.

By achieving all ten of these must-do items you can be rest assured that you are doing everything you need to clearly pass your CIMA case study exam.

Don’t worry if you feel overwhelmed right now about the scale of what you have to do.  You can take each one in turn and gradually tick them off as you go along.  What’s more, in the coming weeks I’ll be posting articles on each item so that you know exactly what is involved to achieve success.

So, what else do you want to know about your CIMA case study exam?

P.S. If you are wondering how you can achieve all ten quickly go here .

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CIMA Operational Case Study

Theory revision series

In our post-exam surveys after almost every operational case study exam, students tell us they wish they’d spent MORE time revising the theory from their E1, F1 and P1 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 OCS 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 422 pages + Condenses the theory into manageable chunks, with around 22 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.

CIMA Case study theory revision

Part 1 - What's covered?

  • Chapter 1: Key performance indicators
  • Chapter 2: The finance function and IT
  • Chapter 3: Data and the finance function

Total video running time: 3 hours

Part 2 – Key theory from CIMA F1

Part 2 - What's covered?

  • Chapter 1: IAS2 inventories
  • Chapter 2: Non-current assets
  • Chapter 3 : Other accounting standards
  • Chapter 4 : IFRS 16 leases
  • Chapter 5 : Corporate taxation
  • Chapter 6: Working capital management
  • Chapter 7: Managing receivables and payables
  • Chapter 8: Managing inventories and cash

Total video running time: 9 hours

Part 3 – Key theory from CIMA P1

Part 3 - What's covered?

  • Chapter 1: Activity based costing
  • Chapter 2: Costs and decisions
  • Chapter 3 : Break even analysis
  • Chapter 4 :  Linear programming
  • Chapter 5 : Budgeting
  • Chapter 6: Budgetary control
  • Chapter 7: Variance analysis
  • Chapter 8: Forecasting
  • Chapter 9: Uncertainty analysis

Total video running time: 10 hours

What our students have to say…

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

“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

“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 OCS Premium Course. Head to the course page to find out more.

OCS 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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Operational level

By passing the level, you will gain CIMA's Diploma in Management Accounting

Operational level is the first level of CIMA's CGMA Professional Qualification and consists of three subject areas.

Exam pass rates

We publish up-to-date pass rates for the CGMA Professional Qualification exams every three months.

cima operational case study pass

For the CGMA Professional Qualification, CIMA has published CGMA Examination Blueprints, based on the syllabus, that set out what is examinable in each of the nine Objective Tests and three Case Study Exams. The blueprints are published annually and provide information about the format, structure and weightings of the assessments.

cima operational case study pass

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  1. How To Pass The CIMA Operational Case Study Exam: An Introduction

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  2. CIMA Operational Case Study Exam: Best Approach For a Guaranteed Pass

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  3. How To Approach and Pass Your CIMA Operational Case Study exam!

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    cima operational case study pass

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    cima operational case study pass

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    cima operational case study pass

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  1. CIMA OCS February 2023 Full Pre-seen Analysis

  2. CIMA OCS Aug23 Full Pre-seen Analysis

  3. CIMA SCS

  4. FREE CIMA Operational Case Study (OCS) Webinars & Workshops May ‘24 #CIMA #CIMAFLP #CIMAcasestudy

  5. How to Pass Your CIMA Case Study Exams

  6. CIMA OCS Aug23 Pre-seen Analysis Part 1

COMMENTS

  1. How to pass the Operational Case Study

    How to pass the Operational Case Study. As you may already know, Operational Case Study (OCS) is the first case study under CIMA's CGMA professional qualification and is designed to test your ability to apply the technical knowledge you've learnt from E1, P1 and F1. The CGMA Study Hub keeps you on track to achieve your personal study goals.

  2. Exam pass rates

    Pass rates Certificate in Business Accounting and CIMA's CGMA® Professional Qualification Objective Test and Case Study Exam pass rates

  3. How to Pass CIMA Operational Case Study Exam

    February 2020 Operational Case Study Exam. The Feb 2020 case study was Lottie Graphite, a manufacturer of graphite and coloured pencils based in Gawland, a country in Western Europe. As a recap: Manufactured just under 300m pencils a year from one site; Sells them through their own distribution network; Well recognised brand associated with ...

  4. How to Pass the CIMA Operational Case Study Exam

    VIVA founder and case study expert Thomas Newman clues you in on the fundamentals of the CIMA OCS exam. You can explore our full OCS online courses here: htt...

  5. CIMA Operational Case Study Exam Technique: How to pass

    Produce answers that meet the examiner's needs. Play the role assigned in the exam. Plan effectively. Manage their time to create balanced answers. Write answers that score high marks. Having helped thousands of students pass the case study, Peter Stiff, Astranti's case study expert, has pooled his years of experience teaching CIMA case ...

  6. Astranti: CIMA Operational Case Study Exam Resources

    Our CIMA operational case study course is designed to give you the highest quality teaching, course materials and support to do just that! Our courses will help you pass with: + Expert insights into the pre-seen, key theory revision and detailed guides on how you need to approach the exam to gain extra marks.

  7. CIMA Operational Case Study Courses: Find your perfect course

    2. Pass guarantee (premium course only) We believe that our premium CIMA operational case study course contains everything you need to pass your exam. However, if you don't pass the exam first time and you've completed the premium course in full, we will give you access to all of the content for the next exam absolutely free of charge.

  8. A Breakdown of the CIMA Operational Case Study Exam (OCS)

    The technical skills required in the case study will be drawn from across the CIMA E1, P1 and F1 papers. The OCS will examine you more on higher level skills such as analysis, synthesis, interpretation and justification of recommendation. 2. Business skills - 16% of your score. What the OCS is really testing here, is whether you can ...

  9. CIMA Operational Case Study: A Winning Study Schedule

    This is your CIMA Operational case study exam week!!! Exams are held between Tuesday and Saturday. Activities to perform on pre exam days: Re read the pre seen & the one page summary of your analysis. Create a list of key points you want to use in your exam. Review all the key lessons from your mocks.

  10. Operational Case Study (OCS)

    The case study section of the Operational level is designed to test the knowledge you have learned in the three objective tests (E1, P1 and F1), and apply it to a real world situation. This will get you ready for what you could expect to experience as a management account. With Learnsignal's support, you can learn how to: The Learnsignal ...

  11. How to Prepare for CIMA Case Study Exams (and Pass First Time)

    Sleep well and relax the night before the exam. Practice thinking positively ahead of your exam - visualise success. Step 5: During Your Exam. Go into exam with confidence - even if you don't feel like it, try and act like it (trust me this works) Work quickly through your exam and aim to make lots of points.

  12. OCS: How I passed

    The operational case study is a relatively new exam - so I was delighted to pass it first time! The OCS seemed a bit of a grey area to me when working out how to study for it. Trying to catch up on the all of the P1 theory I missed (I was exempt due to 2015 transition) as well as hearing that only 34% of the students passed the OCS in the ...

  13. Free exam and question tutorial operational case study

    The operational question tutorial allows you to gain familiarity with the types of questions encountered in the exam. It can be used to experience the test driver and how items are presented. We have prepared two sample case study exams based on CIMA's 2019 CGMA Professional Qualification. Open the PDF to access all the supporting material you ...

  14. CIMAStudy Operational Level

    CIMA Operational online courses, with expert tutor support and online resources to make sure you pass your exams. ... You must pass (or be exempt from) all three Operational Level objective tests before you can move onto the case study exam. If you have sat exams that you feel may give you exemptions from the case study please check with CIMA.

  15. Study CIMA Professional Operational online

    CIMA's Operational level is made up of three Objective Test subjects and one Case Study. You must pass all three Objective Tests before moving onto the Case Study, which tests what you've learned overall in the level. You need to pass all exams to be able to progress to the Management level.

  16. How are CIMA Case Study Exams Marked?

    CIMA case study exams marking. The marking of case study exams is done manually. The results are then released 5 weeks after sitting the exam. You get a mark out of 150, where a score of 80 and above is a pass (53.333%). You also need to attain a minimum threshold score across all competencies.

  17. Top tips for Operational Case Study examination AICPA

    CIMA examiner has asked that students assume life as normal for their case-study answers (Eg a life before COVID pandemic began)… Although, all relevant comments will be awarded if correct and in context, but you should avoid excessive references to COVID/ lockdown/ impact of health social distancing etc on the company.

  18. 10 "Must-Do's" To Pass Your CIMA Case Study Exam

    Let's say there are 30 marks available for section 1 of your case study exam, 10 marks for each requirement. If you answer two of the requirements really well - scoring 8 out of 10 for both - but you miss the third requirement completely, you will fail that section because you only scored 16 out of 30. (53%)

  19. CIMA Operational Case Study

    The Case Study Examination tests the knowledge, skills and techniques from the three pillars within one simulated scenario and is taken at the end of each level of the CIMA Professional Qualification. The Operational level Case Study Examination simulates the role of a finance officer. This exam assesses the learner on six core activities that ...

  20. Astranti: CIMA Operational Case Study Theory Revision Series

    Our OCS 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 422 pages. + Condenses the theory into manageable chunks, with around 22 hours of video to watch. + Gives you the platform to successfully apply ...

  21. Operational level

    Operational level is the first level of CIMA's CGMA Professional Qualification and consists of three subject areas. ... We publish up-to-date pass rates for the CGMA Professional Qualification exams every three months. ... Blueprints, based on the syllabus, that set out what is examinable in each of the nine Objective Tests and three Case Study ...

  22. Order of exams- relevance for operational case study? : r/CIMA

    The subreddit for qualified/part-qualified/aspiring CIMA members. ... an official capacity.) Members Online • International_Web297. ADMIN MOD Order of exams- relevance for operational case study? Exams Hi! I need some help deciding the order for the operational level! I know P is the most relevant for the case study, but between E and F ...