Management level examination blueprint - 2023-2024

This is the examination blueprint for the Management level of the CIMA Professional Qualification. It will set out in detail what is examinable in the Case Study Examination and the Objective Tests for the period stated on the cover of this document. It also provides information about the format, structure and weightings of the assessments. It complements the syllabus document and provides details specifically related to the different type of assessments and is our most comprehensive statement to date on CIMA’s examinations.

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How to use the CGMA Blueprints

What are the blueprints.

The blueprints set out in detail what is examinable in the Case Study Examination and the Objective Tests. They also provide information about the format, structure and weightings of the assessments. They complement the syllabus document and provide details specifically related to the different types of assessment and are our most comprehensive statement to date on CIMA’s examinations.

  • They detail what is expected of you in CIMA's CGMA Professional Qualification.
  • They clearly explain the work-based tasks that you need to be able to perform in the Objective Tests and Case Study Examination.
  • They will tell you what to prepare for and how to prepare for the Objective Tests and Case Study Examination.
  • They give greater clarity on examinable topics, assessment approach, design and weightings.
  • They document the competencies, skills and knowledge you need to pass the examinations.

What are the main features and purpose?

There is a blueprint for each level of the 2019 Professional Qualification which can be found here . Each blueprint:

  • lists competencies, skills and knowledge required to pass the examination
  • explains the examination key features
  • gives an overview of each level of the examinations
  • provides case study role simulation information and assessment outcomes
  • shows the objective tests representative task statements.

How do I use it?

The blueprint provides a link between the syllabus and the examination, so it helps to interpret the types of functions and activities you might be expected to know or do, in order to pass each examination.

Objective Tests

  • Use the blueprint to help you understand the types of questions you might be asked.
  • Practise using the representative task statements.
  • Use it as a checklist to ensure you are confident.

Remember the representative task statements are not an all-inclusive list.

Case Study Examination

  • Review the roles for the case study which will help you to get into the right mindset for the examination.
  • Use the core activities and ‘I Can’ task statements and make sure you are confident with the assessment outcomes.

Remember, this is your link between the syllabus and the examination questions.

Useful links:

  • Exam blueprints
  • 2019 Professional Qualification Syllabus

cima strategic case study blueprint

Tips for mastering the CIMA Case Study Exams

cima strategic case study blueprint

The CIMA® Case Study exams are the final capstone exams of each level of the CIMA Professional Qualification, which students must pass to gain the CGMA® designation. We explore four tips to help you prepare for the exams.

1)     Understand the three Case Study levels.

Each Case Study exam lasts three hours, with multiple tasks of equal lengths. There is a natural progression to the levels — Operational, Management and Strategic — that simulate how work as a management accountant progresses. To reach the Case Study level, you will have already passed the Objective Tests, which focus on ensuring that you have acquired the knowledge and skills for each pillar.  Case Study exams are more about interpreting data and require practical answers to practical questions and simulate real-life business scenarios.

Operational Case Study (OCS)

  • Focus — The short-term role of the finance officer and the implementation of decisions
  • Skills you need to convey — How to work with others in the organisation and use appropriate data and technology to translate medium-term decisions into short-term actionable plans
  • Stats — Three-hour exam containing four tasks related to the enterprise, performance, and financial pillars; allotted 45 minutes per task, each task has two to three sub-tasks

Management Case Study (MCS)

  • Focus — The role of the finance manager involves translating long-term decisions into medium-term plans
  • Skills you need to convey — How to use data and relevant technology to manage organisational and individual performance; allocate resources to implement decisions; monitor and report the implementation of decisions; prepare and interpret financial statements to show performance

Strategic Case Study (SCS)

  • Focus — The role of the senior finance manager entails long-term strategic decision-making
  • Skills you need to convey — How to support organisational leaders to craft strategy and evaluate and manage risks that might prevent the successful implementation of strategy, including sourcing financial resources; value the organisations
  • Stats — Three-hour exam containing three tasks related to the enterprise, performance, and financial pillars; allotted 1-hour per task, each task has two to three sub-tasks

2)     Understand the Case Study exam cycle.

  • Preseen — Released seven weeks before Exam 1
  • Exam 1 — Exam cycle is May and August . The same three to four exam variants are offered both months.
  • Results — Released seven weeks after the exam
  • Preseen — Released seven weeks before Exam 2
  • Exam 2 — Exam cycle is November and February . The same three to four exam variants are offered both months.

C opyright: BPP

3)     Understand the pre-seen materials.

Pre-seen materials — known as ‘preseens’ — are background information about the fictitious organisation featured in the Case Study exam. This information forms the basis of the tasks you can expect to see in the exam. The preseen tells the story of the company, including the industry and context in which it operates, its financial statements, management accounts, markets and competitors. Preseens are usually 26 – 30 pages long. Key tips include:

  • Be ready — Familiarise yourself with the company, industry and current events.
  • Analyse — Perform an analysis such as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) or political, economic, social and technological (PEST); review financial statements and reporting issues. The end of the preseen will contain live issues regarding what is happening in the industry. For instance, a new standard may have come out that will change reporting standards from the current year to the next and that the Case Study exam must address.
  • Cross-reference with the blueprint — Being able to know what you can do is critical. Can you discuss finance options, dividend policy or evaluate digital strategies?

Tackling “I can” from each of the core activities in each of the sections is necessary for success. For instance:

  • I can identify relevant costs and benefits.
  • I can advise on the communication process.
  • I can recommend a dividend policy.
  • I can use appropriate technologies to gather data for costing purposes, from digital and other sources.

Have a broad syllabus knowledge and know your company intrinsically. You become the person when you role-play the exam. Avoid prefabricated answers, as the exam will have details not included in the preseens. Your answers have to be relevant to the question. 

4)     Plan your exam approach.

  • Manage your time — If you can complete a section early, that time does not get applied to the next section. We suggest spending all of your allotted time within the section.
  • Keep your answers real and relevant — Remember this is a role-based exam; identify one or more factors that might be relevant, then explain why that approach would be relevant. The more tangible details you provide, the higher you are likely to score. Do not offer irrelevant arguments for the sake of padding your answers. Aim for neat, discreet paragraphs.
  • Understand the scoring — People mark the exams, and the pass rate is 60%. Even though a scale is scored 80 out of 150, 60% is the pass rate. The sub-tasks will be weighted differently. Each case will contain tasks from all five of the core activities:

Evaluate opportunities to add value.

-  Implement senior management decisions.

-  Manage performance and costs to aid value creation.

-  Measure performance.

-  Manage internal and external stakeholder.

  • Scoring example

 “For a 12-mark answer, it might be possible to identify, say, four issues. A candidate who aims to write about four topics only has to score three marks for each to obtain full marks.” – MCS Examiner

You have all the tools you need to do well on the CIMA Case Study exams. From all of us at the Association, we wish you the very best for your next Case Study exam.

The content of this article is based on a Case Study Masterclass webinar delivered by CIMA and BPP in November 2020.

IMAGES

  1. CIMA Strategic Level Integrated Case Study (SCS) Study text

    cima strategic case study blueprint

  2. Kaplan CIMA Strategic Case Study (SCS)

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  3. CIMA Case Study

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  4. Strategic Case Study

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  5. CIMA Strategic Case Study May August 2020 Runnabout

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  6. CIMA

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VIDEO

  1. Listen to our CIMA case study expert, Kenny giving some tips about the Strategic Pre-seen. 🚛 #CIMA

  2. CIMA SCS August 2023

  3. CIMA Strategic Case Study Feb 2023 SCS Preseen analysis part 5

  4. CIMA SCS Pre-seen AnalysisMay

  5. CIMA Strategic Case Study November 2017

  6. CIMA Strategic Case Study August 2017

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  2. Strategic level examination blueprint

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