When you’re revising for a CIMA case study exam, having good study materials is half the battle. The other half is using them effectively. The best study materials in the world won’t help you, if you use them incorrectly.
Case study mocks aren’t just about getting the right answer. They’re also about building essential exam skills, identifying weaknesses, and understanding how to score marks. Using them incorrectly can diminish their effectiveness.
So – here are 3 easy ways you can start using your case study mocks more effectively.
#1 – Sit under exam conditions
Mocks are about practising for the exam. That means getting used to exam conditions.
It can be tempting not to take mocks under exam conditions. To give yourself a break after a question; pause to answer your phone; even ignore the time limit entirely to focus on writing the best answer you can.
Doing this will damage the effectiveness of your mocks. Yes, your script might be better – but you aren’t building resilience and getting used to the pressures you’ll face in the real exam, and that can cost you.
Before you start; read your notes, turn your phone off, clear your desk of distractions, and set a timer. By the time you sit the exam you’ll be glad you were strict with yourself.
#2 – Make sure you use a mock with solutions
A mock exam is useless if you have no way of judging your script.
When purchasing a mock, make sure it comes with a full written solution that you can use to check your own script. Not all mocks come with these as part of the purchase price, and your mock is much less useful without it.
After writing your script, read through the solution. Use this to check if your answer was on the right path, any areas where you could have written more, and any areas where you missed points entirely.
Don’t panic if your script doesn’t have everything in the written solution. These are designed to show every aspect of the answer, and purposefully have more than you can realistically write in the exam.
#3 – Practise all your exam skills
There is more to the exam than just writing everything you know.
Playing your role effectively, managing time, and planning your answers are all essential skills. Like all other skills, these are things you need to practise, and you should be practising them under exam conditions.
A well-written plan and good time management can be the difference between a pass and fail for most students. You won’t be able to do these under pressure without practise – so focus on them, not just the question, during your mocks.
Bad time management is the most common reason why students fail. Mocks are the ONLY way to improve this!
Have you already taken mock exams for the case study? Is there anything you’re struggling with? Let me know in the comments below.
The CIMA Student 
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