The final set of pre-seen materials for the February 2017 sitting were released by CIMA this week as the SCS students get their hands on the Evestar case study scenario.
It perhaps the closet thing to a Christmas present you will receive from CIMA! But nevertheless, those students who sitting case studies in February should start work on the pre-seen materials straight away to make the most of the time available.
Earlier this month I posted some advice for students who are taking case studies in February and you can find that here.
As always, the CIMA connect website is packed full of resources and student discussion on the upcoming SCS exam.
Evestar Reality: Who are they?
Here is a quick overview and few highlights taken from the pre-seen materials for the Evestar case study.
Evestar are the largest producer of reality television in Teeland.
Revenue is measured with programme sales
Evestar does not produce low cost TV but focuses on prime time slots.
The introduction of digital TV has seen a host of new channels change the industry since the lat 1990’s.
Evestar was founded in 2006 by a major figure in the music industry.
Evestar develops and produces programmes and sells them to broadcasters.
Evestar Reality: Pre-seen video analysis
The tutors at Astranti have put together their pre-seen analysis of the SCS exam and you can watch a preview of the video below. It highlights all of the key information and how to approach your initial analysis of the pre-seen materials.
Once you’ve analysed the full package of pre-seen materials we now need to be more focused with our approach – starting with a strategic analysis of xxx. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses will help you with next stage of the pre-seen analysis – understanding what the key issues are with the company.
Now you have a fuller picture of xxx case study you should have an idea of the likely issues and questions that could come up on exam day. If not, the top 10 issues video gives you some expert on advice on what to expect on exam day, why and how to approach the likely questions you will face.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
the cima student 