The ultimate guide to mastering your CMA exam

After enrolling on a CMA course, you’ll spend a lot of time  studying and getting yourself prepared for the CMA exam then it’s showtime. 

From the minute you apply on the exam till the moment before taking it, you will always wonder about the exam format.

CMA exam is a monitor-based exam that consists of 2 parts. Each part of the CMA exam is 4 hours. The first 3 hours are dedicated to a multiple-choice section, while the final hour consists of an essay section with 2 essay questions.

Here is an in-depth breakdown of each part of the exam:

Part 1 – Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics

Duration: 4 hours

Format: 100 multiple-choice questions and two 30-minute essay scenarios

How is the CMA exam scored?

Key topics are marked differently depending on their category. Here is their breakdown:

• Cost Management – 15%
• Internal Controls – 15%
• Technology and Analytics – 15%
• External Financial Reporting Decisions – 15%
• Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting – 20%
• Performance Management – 20%

Part 2 – Strategic Financial Management

Duration: 4 hours

Format: 100 multiple-choice questions and two 30-minute essay scenarios

Breakdown of scoring:

• Risk Management – 10%
• Investment Decisions – 10%
• Professional Ethics – 15%
• Financial Statement Analysis – 20%
• Corporate Finance – 20%
• Decision Analysis – 25%

To proceed to the essay section of the exam, you must properly answer at least 50% of the multiple-choice questions.

But take into consideration that you’ll need a minimum of 65% on the multiple-choice questions and a flawless score on the es犀利士
say portion to pass the test, so always keep your goal higher than that !

And be careful that once you submit your answers in the multiple choice section, you cannot go back.

If you do not answer 50% of the questions correctly, you will automatically fail the exam section and will have to repeat it. Test re-writes do not qualify for a discount, therefore you will have to pay the full cost of the CMA exam to repeat that section.

Don’t freak out yet, you still got it and remember all the time management skills   and certified management skills you have gained through the course. If you finish and pass the multiple-choice section before the 3-hour time restriction, you can finish the essay portion in the remaining time. This implies that if you finish the multiple-choice part in two hours, you’ll have two hours instead of one to complete the essay component.

Don’t rush through your answers especially in the multiple questions, and keep in mind that all the remaining time you can invest it in the essay department. Just to reach the highest score among other applicants.