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CIMA SCS November 2017: Steelcast

Posted on October 13, 2017 by cimastudent Leave a comment

CIMA Nov 2017 SCS

The final set of pre seen materials for the November 2017 case studies were released last week – it’s the final step for some students – and the case study is based on a company called Steelcast.

You can find the official pre-seen materials from CIMA here.

Here are facts about Steelcast and further down you can find some preview videos on the pre-seen analysis by Astranti.

Steelcast: Who are they?

The company was founded in 1896 and was incorporated as Steelcast 1910.
They produce luxury watches and are regarded as one of the worlds leading luxury brands.
Steelcast was listed on the Hiland stock exchange in 1982.
They do not sell direct to the customer but through retailers.
Their mission statement was created in 1930 and reads;

“We make watches for leaders, who wear them with pride.”

Steelcast: Pre-Seen Analysis

Analysing the pre-seen materials should be your first port of call when starting your SCS exam preparation. The below video should get you started on thinking in detail about how to interpret the pre-seen.

You can find the full set of videos on the November 2017 SCS here.

Steelcast: Top 10 Issues

Once you’ve gone through the pre-seen in detail you should have a rough idea of what topics you could face on exam day, if not the below video is recommended viewing! The tutor goes through, based on the pre-seen, what could come up on exam day.

You can find the full set of videos on the November 2017 SCS here.

Astranti SCS Course with Pass Guarantee

Finally, the full SCS course for the Steelcase case study contains all of the mentioned videos alongside masterclasses, mock exams, ethics pack, advice and guidance from the tutor – what’s more it comes with a pass guarantee.

You can find full details on the SCS course with pass guarantee here.

SCS Course Contents:

SCS study text (part 1 and 2)
Pre-seen analysis (video and text)
Strategic analysis (video and text)
Top 10 issues (video and text)
Industry analysis (video and text)
2 x online master classes – each class is a full day revision (recorded and live)
3 x online mock exams – answered with detailed tutor feedback
Ethics pack
Personal advice and guidance

*you will require login to CIMA connect to access pre-seen materials and the image above is a screenshot taken from the CIMA pre-seen materials.

CIMA Case Study Tips: November 2017

Posted on September 9, 2017 by cimastudent Leave a comment

The final case study session of 2017 is almost here, in fact it’s only a couple of weeks until the OCS Pre-Seen materials are released.

So, with this in mind, getting organised and prepared for the November case study NOW will only help your chances of passing first time.

In these articles I try to vary the content and focus and for this session of the exams I want to take a look back at the May MCS exam and the examiners report from CIMA

These resources are available from the CIMA connect site and can be a vital source of information in understanding what the examiner is looking for and how to approach the November exams.

May 2017 MCS – Examiners Report

I’ve highlighted two key points taken from the May MCS examiners report below.

CIMA MCS

Pre-Seen Materials

There are still a couple of weeks (as the time of publishing this article) until the pre-seen materials are released, so NOW is the time to get prepared and the first comment here about how to tackle the pre-seen materials is a great piece of advice in my opinion.

Don’t get caught up trying to memorise the pre-seen material word by word – you should be thinking about the wider picture and imagine how the business would operate and what the strengths and weaknesses.

Anyway, you get the pre-seen materials again on exam day to check through so memorising it is pointless!

Answer the Requirements Appropriately

The second point I’ve highlighted is the fact students tend to miss out on easy marks by mis-reading of the requirements of a question.

It’s a common pitfall we can be guilty of is answering what we want to answer rather than what the question is asking us.

My suggestion to avoid this is to carefully plan your answer with simple headings before diving into writing your answer. You will find it keeps your answers relevant and to the point, furthermore you should manage to answer all of the requirements in the correct time rather than spending 80% of your time answering in great detail on a question that only makes up 20% of the marks.

CIMA connect

You can find the examiners report for all past case study exams on the CIMA connect site here. By searching for the subject in question and look under “Study Resources.”

I’d also recommend you look at the OCS, MCS and SCS Post-Exam kits that are available on the CIMA connect site. You can find all kinds of resources ranging from past papers to suggested answers and marking guidance.

Astranti Case Study Course

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.

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 November 2017 CIMA case study.

CIMA SCS Course

Study Text 1: how to approach the case study
Study Text 2: syllabus content from the previous objective tests
Pre-Seen Analysis: video analysis of the pre-seen from astranti tutor
Strategic Analysis: strategy based on the case study scenario
Top 10 Issues: the most likely issues to be tested on exam day
Industry Analysis: the case
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 overlooked.

OCS Course – November 2017

MCS Course – November 2017

SCS Course – November 2017

Important Dates – November Case Studies

Below is the schedule of important dates to remember – don’t forget you still have plenty of time to get prepared before the pre-seen materials are released!

2017-09-08 16_12_39-CIMA - Exam timetable.png

CIMA Case Study

CIMA Case Studies: Pass Guarantee

Posted on June 10, 2016 by cimastudent 2 comments

The pre-seen materials for the November 2017 CIMA case studies will start being released from the 22nd September so it’s the ideal opportunity to get prepared and have a plan of action ready to ensure you pass your CIMA case study first time.

I would thoroughly recommended using Astranti for their full case study packages and here is what you can expect (applies to all levels OCS, MCS and SCS).

Case Study: Full Course Contents

Study Text 1 – focuses on what you need to pass the case study.
Study Text 2 – summaries the key areas from the whole syllabus.
Pre-Seen Analysis – tutors detailed analysis of the pre-seen material.
Strategic Analysis – uses models & key theories and how to apply them in the exam.
Top 10 Issues – identifies the top 10 issues that could come up on exam day.
Industry Analysis – gives you the current industry trends for your case study.
Masterclass 1 – live session with tutor on keys to pass the case study exam.
Masterclass 2 – live session with tutor on revision of case study scenario.
3 Mock Exams – with detailed feedback based on the actual case study scenario.
Personal Advice and Guidance – via private forums and progress reviews.
Ethics Pack – often overlooked but this comprehensive guide covers Ethics and how to apply it to the CIMA case studies.

Moreover, and perhaps the biggest confidence booster in the materials, is the Pass Guarantee that comes with the course.

Astranti believe the above materials and resources will guarantee a pass when sitting the case study exam, if it doesn’t then you can sit the course for the next sitting of the case study FREE OF CHARGE!

You can find full details of their courses for all levels below and dates when the pre-seen material is released for the November 2017 exams:

OCS Course – November 2017 – the pre-seen material for the OCS exam is released on 22nd September 2017.

MCS Course – November 2017 – the pre-seen material for the MCS exam is released on 29th September 2017

SCS Course – November 2017 – the pre-seen material for the SCS exam is released on 6th October 2017.

CIMA Case Study Exam Tips

I would recommend preparing for the case study early and using the Study Text 1 and 2 before the pre-seen material is released.

Laying the foundations is key to passing the CIMA case study exams.

This way you will already have a head start and extra time to focus your attention completely on the pre-seen material when it’s released by CIMA.

Watch the video’s again and again and make notes linking all aspects together – so think of the industry and strategic analysis when looking at the top 10 issues for example. The more rounded and connected your answers are on exam day, the more chance you will achieve a pass.

Don’t neglect ETHICS!!! Apply it where possible in the case study exam – think about any ethical dilemmas when digesting the pre-seen material too.

Astranti Video Previews

For those not familiar with the Astranti learning videos here is a sample from one of their How to Pass CIMA Case Study videos.

I’ve 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 time. And don’t forget the full case study course comes with the pass guarantee!

So whether your tackling the OCS, MCS or SCS in November 2017 you will find that the materials mentioned above will set you on the way to achieving the pass mark you need!

Good Luck and Happy Studying!

[this blog post was updated on 24th September to reflect the current November 2017 exam sittings]