May 2024 Case Study Review

The May 2024 case study exams are now over.

If you took the exam this sitting – good luck. It’s a big moment, and I hope it’s good news for you on results day.

In the meantime, it can be interesting to see how others found the exam. So in this post, I’m going to analyse the results of a recent survey by Astranti, as published on their Facebook study groups:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/cimaoperationalstudygroup/posts/1662512457821064/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/cimamanagementstudygroup/posts/2394713367393177/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/cimastrategicstudygroup/posts/7451042674949973/

Difficulty

Over half of OCS candidates reported that their exam was more difficult (or much more difficult) than expected.

This is fairly typical. The essay-style format can be a shock to candidates who aren’t used to it, especially for working professionals who finished school or university years previously and haven’t had to write in this style since then. So don’t worry too much if you’re in this group as you’re not alone.

The results from the MCS and SCS are more positive.

MCS RESULTS:

SCS RESULTS:

Most MCS and SCS takers have already completed at least one case study and have a better idea of what it takes to pass. Just a third of candidates found these exams more challenging than they expected, though there’s no detail about whether this includes the Gateway or CFO route.

Technical Knowledge

This is where things get interesting.

At the OCS there’s a strong correlation between how difficult candidates found the exam and whether they’d have spent more time on theory.

Those who struggled with the exam are almost twice as likely to wish they’d spent more time revising technical knowledge as those who found the exam as expected.

The OCS is by far the most technically-oriented case study. Revisiting your knowledge from E1, P1 and F1 (or their FLP equivalents) is time well spent and means you’re much less likely to struggle in the exam.

Now let’s look at the MCS.

As you can see, the trend here is almost exactly reversed. Those who struggled with the exam were over twice as likely to wish they’d spent LESS time revising theory.

What’s going on here? Why is something that’s an advantage in the first exam suddenly a drawback in the next?

Making the Leap

When moving from the OCS to the MCS, the biggest difference is going beyond just knowing the theory.

Be prepared to make the leap from just understanding how a model fits a scenario, to analysing its impact. Think about how you’d apply it logically in the real-world, and what the consequences of your recommendations will be.

It’s still important to have a good technical understanding. Make sure you know your models and how they’re applied. But spend more time engaging with the pre-seen and understanding the business and its strategic goals and direction, and keep that context in mind as you write.

What Next?

Now that the exam is over, there’s not much to do but wait for results day.

The next few weeks can be nerve-wracking and everyone has their own way of coping with the stress of waiting. That might mean making a start on your studies for your next objective test, going through your notes just in case you need to resit, or even taking a break altogether.

There’s no right or wrong answer. Find what works for you, and try not to worry too much.

As a reminder, CIMA don’t permit students to discuss any details about the exam. If you’re not sure whether you can share something – play it safe, and don’t share it. This includes things like specific bits of theory.

However, it’s okay to share your general feelings on the exam. So – how did you find the difficulty overall? Did you over- or under-revise the theory? Did you manage your time? Let me know in the comments.