Tag Archives: Exam Tips

CIMA Study.com – new and improved!

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The $64 million question for CIMA students who are self studying revolves around which learning provider you will choose for your CIMA studies.

As I use Astranti materials for the bulk of my studies I feature them quite alot on here, but I saw an interesting email pop up in my inbox about CIMAStudy.com – they have improved their online learning courses and how it can be viewed on mobile devices and tablets.

Who are CIMA Study.com?

CIMA Study.com is the ONLY online resource that is designed by CIMA, which will reassure students they will be on the right path to pass.

CIMA and Kaplan have worked in conjunction to bring you CIMAStudy.com and there are various different packages you can choose, whether it’s a CIMA Study Prime Package (includes 120 hours of content, revision kit, tutor support etc) or just the online question and answer bank that comes part of “CIMA apptitude” packages.

Personally, I haven’t purchased any materials from CIMAStudy.com yet but I am tempted as the CIMA exam practice kits from Kaplan have been a great resource for me – so I’d hope the quality would be on par with Kaplan materials, if not higher!

CIMA Study Improvements

– Tablet Friendly layout and improved mobile experience
– Easier navigation around the site
– Improved functionality including faster load times

You can try out a free demo of the new and improved site here.

Why Students use CIMAStudy.com

Here are a couple of testimonials from students who used cimastudy.com to pass their CIMA exams – this was taken from their website.

 I first heard about CIMAstudy.com from an advert on CIMAglobal.com. I prefer to structure my own learning – so I really didn’t want to go and sit in a lecture hall in my time off! CIMAstudy is great as you can carry an entire syllabus with you wherever you are. I found the audio and video clips throughout the course to be invaluable for my understanding of some of the more complex subjects – and the integrated assessments really pushed home the message. CIMAstudy helped me achieve 83% in P1 and 83% in P7!

Oliver Gearing – Financial Analyst

Working full-time and studying for the CIMA qualification means that effective time management is vital. I first purchased CIMA.com last October when I started revising for my Managerial level exams. I particularly like the direct links to further reading material which is absolutely key to getting a good pass. There are plenty of practise questions and direct links to past exam questions and answers. Having direct links like these saves a lot of time when you are under pressure, and it means I can be flexible and access study materials wherever I am and at any time. For example I will often do some reading during my lunch break at work. I purchased CIMA.com for my current level of studies as soon as it was available as I have no doubt it will be of benefit.

Angela Thomas – Cost Accountant

If you have any experience with CIMAstudy.com please feel free to leave your comments and feedback below. It will be helpful for me and other students as I may look towards purchasing some of their materials in the coming months.

Good Luck and happy studying!

CIMA P1 Exam and Study Tips

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CIMA P1 Exam Tips

CIMA P1 Exam Tips

CIMA P1 Study Text

The foundation of your CIMA P1 studies will be from the study text you choose, whether it’s BPP, Kaplan or other learning providers like Astranti or Acorn. The study text you choose should be suitable for your learning.

I like to use a mixture of the Kaplan and Astranti study texts. I find Kaplan is clear and easy to digest with their pragmatic approach to explaining the key theories. However, I also like to use the free study texts from Astranti.

  1. Because they are free!
  2. I can access them online
  3. The writing style is a bit more personal then Kaplan or BPP.

FREE Astranti CIMA P1 study text

Kaplan CIMA P1 study text

Study Planner

Planning your studies is crucial to passing the CIMA P1 exam. It gives you a timeline of what to cover, when to cover and how long it should take you.

Without sufficient planning you might find yourself studying P1 for months on end without feeling any closer to being ready for the exam!

CIMA’s new and improved study planner is interactive and allows to create your own day by day planner to help keep you on track for exam success.

Another top benefit is the links to the CIMA articles and past exam questions of each learning component in the P1 syllabus.

How to pass CIMA P1 exam

You can find the official CIMA P1 study planner here.

CIMA P1 Revision Classes

Students who self study and just use the study texts to pass their CIMA exams will be missing out on class room tuition and tutor advice. But I find using the Astanti revision master classes a great to cover the whole syllabus and pick information I may have missed when studying the materials myself.

Watching the full revision master class about 2-3 weeks before you sit the P1 exam will give you a better chance of achieving the pass mark!

You can find the CIMA P1 revision classes here.

CIMA P1 Mock Exams

Once you’ve covered the P1 Management Accounting syllabus it’s time to think about taking some mock exams. Again, finding a mixture of different resources in regards to mock exam practice is the best.

You can find past exam questions (in 2010 format) from the CIMA connect site here.

But I would also recommend using the Kaplan exam kit – contains over 200 questions in the style of the new CIMA objective tests – while using the Astranti mock exams which replicate the full 90 minute scenario you will face on exam day.

Kaplan P1 Management Accounting exam kit.

Astranti P1 mock exams.

CIMA P1 Industry Articles

Relating the P1 syllabus to real life scenarios is a great way to really get to grips with the subject you’re studying. And to do that, I would suggest locating as many industry examples or CIMA documents from the CIMA connect site to help you in your learning process.

If you’re struggling to find examples then remember to check the P1 study planner provided by the CIMA connect site – as they have links direct to the articles – under the resources column (see below).

CIMA P1 Industry Articles

The operational level of the CIMA qualification covers the implementation of strategy as well as reporting on the implementation of the strategy. It’s focus is purely on the short term.

The P1 paper focuses on management accounting through four main streams; Cost accounting systems, Budgeting, Short-Term decisions making and dealing with risk.

CIMA P1 Connect Group

Finally, I have already mentioned the CIMA connect group several times already but it’s a great source of information for students looking to pass the CIMA P1 exam.

Not only will you find the study planners and industry articles, you can also interact with others students who taking the same exam as you and boucne some ideas and share study tips.

You can find the CIMA P1 connect group here – it’s worth checking the student discussion here every week or so to see what’s happening and pick up some useful exam tips.

CIMA Exams – one at a time?

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The new CIMA 2015 syllabus, in my eyes, has changed dramatically when you consider the examination structure. The objective tests can be scheduled at any time and have been reduced to 90 minutes with several smaller questions covering the whole syllabus.

It’s a welcome relief not to have face the 180 minutes hand written exams for each subject area, however, the new case study exams at the end of each level are as broad as they are challenging. Trying to revise for all three subjects and apply it to the pre-seen material is definitely a big, big challenge.

Personally, I have yet to sit one of the new operational exams in the 2015 syllabus and I am thinking about the path I will take next.

The exams for the 2010 syllabus were scheduled at certain times during the year, which usually meant students (myself included) would study for two papers at a time.

  1. To add variety to your studies
  2. To make the most of the exam timetable

However, the new syllabus means you can sit the exams any time you want. Well, the case study exams have set times but you can sit the objective tests whenever and, what’s even better, is the fact you get the results there and then!

Meaning, if you  fail an objective test you can re-take it the following week or month, ensuring you don’t lose too much ground when waiting for your next exam.

Nevertheless, it’s given me a bit of a problem when considering the approach to study for the CIMA objective tests. Do I just focus on one exam at a time, or do I attempt to sit two or three at a time?

There is an interesting article on the CIMA website that highlights the pros and cons of either approach. You can find the document here and it’s well worth a read.

The main points worth considering are the impact on the case study when deciding what path to take on the objective tests. If you take just one exam at a time “You may need to refresh your knowledge before taking the case study“.

Alternatively, by taking three subjects together (or two) “You will see clear links between each subject to prepare for the upcoming case study”

Currently, I am swaying towards studying for one objective test at a time so I can focus my attentions on the one subject and ensure I pass first time. Also, by focusing on one subject at a time I should be in a position to take the exam quicker – perhaps in a two month period? Meaning I won’t have such a long gap between papers and ultimately the case study.

I guess it’s all down to personal preference but the 2015 CIMA syllabus is certainly much more flexible than ever before.