the cima student

Passing the CIMA case studies are the toughest milestones in the CIMA qualification as it combines all of the theory you have learnt in the previous three papers into one BIG exam.

They can be especially tough if you have spread your studies out over a longer period of time! Nevertheless, there are countless amounts of resources, information and help out there for all students get a pass mark at the first attempt.

Astranti Case Study Courses

Astranti, in my opinion, are head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to CIMA case study materials.

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

But to take full advantage and guarantee yourself a pass mark (see the Astranti Pass Guarantee), their full OCS, MCS and SCS courses cover everything you need to pass the CIMA case study.

 

• Study Text 1: gives you the vital information on how to approach the case study.
• Study Text 2: summarises the syllabus content from previous papers.
• Pre-Seen Analysis: CIMA qualified tutor video analysis of pre-seen material.
• Strategic Analysis: more video analysis on the case study scenario you will be facing.
• Top 10 Issues: perfect for giving your case study preparation a clear focus.
• Industry Analysis: a look into the industry surrounding the case study.
• Masterclass 1: live session with CIMA tutor on how to pass the case study.
• Masterclass 2: another live session focusing on CIMA syllabus revision.
• 3 Mock Exams: based on the actual case study (with marking and feedback).
• Personal Advice and Guidance – via private forums and progress reviews.
• Ethics Pack – a favourite CIMA topic that should never be under estimated!!

You can find full details of their courses for all levels below and dates when the pre-seen material is released for the November 2016 exams:

OCS Course – February 2017 – the pre-seen material is released from 9th December 2016

MCS Course – February 2017 – the pre-seen material is released from 16th December 2016

SCS Course – February 2017 – the pre-seen material is released from 16th December 2016

The pre-seen materials will be released any day now so preparing yourself and enrolling on a complete course will stand in your stead for passing the CIMA case studies.

CIMA Case Study Post-Exam Kits

Learning from other students mistakes is a great to boost your own chances of exam success when taking the case study exam. And CIMA offer you the perfect tools to do this with the post-exam kits for the previous case study sittings.

The Examiners Report

The best way to work the post-exam kits is to start by looking at the examiners report. Here you will find a summary of how most students fared in the exam, what they did well and what they didn’t do so well.

Below is an extract from the August 2016 OCS CIMA examiners report and it starts with the general comments that students struggled to refer to the F1 syllabus and technical aspects of P1 – so straight away, you should take that fact on board and make sure you do not make the same mistakes!

After the reading through the examiners report I would recommend looking at the exam questions and suggested answers to get a feel on how to approach the exam in terms of structuring your answers and what level of detail to go into.

However, I also believe it’s important to understand that the suggested answers will be more comprehensive than what’s expected from students on exam day. So don’t be too worried when the suggested answers are almost perfect and very detailed!

You can see the links below for the August 2016 case study post-exam kits and they include all of the documents, whereas the more recent exam kits for November 2016 do not yet have the examiners report ready.

OCS: August 2016 post-exam kit

MCS: August 2016 post-exam kit

SCS: August 2016 post-exam kit

Keys to Passing the CIMA Case Studies

Here is a preview video from Astranti on the keys of passing the case study exams from CIMA – a good insight on what the examiners are looking for and what to expect.

Students who enrol on the full Astranti case study courses will get a more complete version plus the chance to ask the tutor direct questions.

 

Study Support: Whats-app Groups

I joined a Whatsspp group for the November 2016 OCS exam I passed and it was great to hear other students questions, answers and thoughts on the Flores Rosa case study.

Usually, students (or sometimes CIMA tutors) will organise a Whatsapp group for those students who are interested. As you can see from the image above, there is already a group started for the February OCS exam.

To find out more information, you can visit the links below that will take you directly to the discussion on the CIMA connect site.

OCS Whatsapp group – February 2017 exam.

MCS Whatsapp group – February 2017 exam (no link yet).

SCS Whatsapp group – February 2017 exam (no link yet).

Ask a CIMA Expert Session

Another important date for your diary should be the “Ask an expert” sessions that are held by CIMA – it’s a two hour sessions where you can ask a CIMA qualified tutor specific questions via the CIMA connect website about the case study exam you’re facing.

OCS “Ask an expert” is held on 20 January 2017

MCS “Ask an expert” is held on 26 January 2017

SCS “Ask an expert” is held on 2 February 2017