Tips on preparing for CIMA Objective Tests

Taking CIMA qualifications can be stressful and expensive.  Starting out on the Operational level modules is like a step into the unknown, you are not quite sure what each module and each exam will be like.  It turns out that each module has a very distinct character and set of demands it places on you, the student.  Booking CIMA objective tests or case studies can be a frustrating process for the unprepared and a glance at the pass rates for each module would make most people nervous.

There is good news, however – the system is not out to get you, people actually want you to succeed!

Why CIMA wants you to succeed

Management accounting needs new members from all backgrounds that are competent to practice and a credit to their profession.  Did you know that CIMA gives awards and prizes to the students performing the best in exams?  CIMA wants to reward your hard work and skill in studying, but the trick is knowing how best to convert your hard work into exam scores. 

In this post, we will look at ways to help set yourself up for success in CIMA exams

Read all of your course textbook.

There are a number of very good tuition providers who provide, classroom teaching, online tutoring and textbooks for each CIMA module.  When you know you have to take a multiple choice test at the end of each module, the temptation is to skim through the banks of text and concentrate on the worked examples and the short form questions at the end of each chapter.   Large inset boxes giving a real-life application of a concept (e.g. implementation of Kaizen principles in a UK industry) are particularly tempting to skip when there is the prospect of finishing a chapter early!

Please don’t make this mistake!  It is important to be able to do the type of questions the objective test will contain, but you need to have a firm understanding of the underlying theory.  Examiners like to confuse students by asking standard questions in unusual ways.  If you are comfortable with the theory around a subject and how it is applied in real life, you are more likely to be able to spot what the examiner is looking for.

More ominously for new CIMA students, there is the looming shadow of the Operational Case Study in your future.  Preparing for a Case Study exam is like the photographic negative of preparing for the F1 Objective Test.  Rather than simply having to remember the elements of a diagram, you will be required to explain what it means and how it applies to the scenario in the Pre-Seen materials.  You will be glad you took your time reading the sections that were unlikely to be examined in the Objective Test!

Read more than one textbook

Go through your textbook, make notes on it and highlight sections that you don’t understand straight away.  Don’t feel tied to your primary tuition provider – If there are particular topics that you keep getting stuck on, try looking at how a different tuition provider explains the topic.  There is a significant difference in the styles of each of the main tuition providers, some are quite concise and others are more wordy and devote more space to worked examples.  A different way of explaining things will often help things ‘click’ with you.

Groupthink (CIMA student forums)

In CIMA E2 (Managing Performance) you will learn that Groupthink is a phenomenon encountered in teams that leads to irrational decision making.  However, for the purposes of studying CIMA, I encourage you to make full use of your group of fellow students.  Look out for the student forums on the CIMA and tuition provider sites, if you have difficulty grasping an area area of the syllabus, say Activity Based Costing questions, chances are someone else has had the same difficulty and got help on the forum. Also, try dipping into the CIMA group in Reddit, you may discover some new resources that could help you.

Practice the CIMA exam format

There is no substitute for thoroughly reading and learning all of the course syllabus. Sadly it is quite possible to have a good knowledge of all of the subjects in a module and still not pass the CIMA Objective Test. Learning exam technique, pacing and time management for CIMA tests is a skill in and of itself. In fact each separate CIMA module has a different feel to it and requires a different set of skills to succeed. Often, you will know the theory behind a question, but the examiner will find different ways to ask about it, which can throw your confidence.

Once you are mostly comfortable with the course material, the best way to prepare for CIMA Objective Tests is to do plenty of practice tests. Get used to doing multiple choice questions on an electronic advice in order to gain an idea of what the test will look and feel like on the day. Practice tests help simulate that feeling of not knowing what will be asked next and sharpen your mental reflexes to change topics rapidly. Practice exams can also help highlight those areas of your knowledge that need reinforcing.

How we can help

At AccountExamPrep.com, we want each student to go into their CIMA exam with confidence. You have done the hard work to learn the course material, we want to help you master the rules of the ‘game’ of the Objective Test. You can purchase full length CIMA practice tests here, (60 questions in 90 minutes, same as the actual exam). We have multiple practice tests available for each of the following modules: E1, F1, P1, E2, F2 & P2. You won’t need to download any software to run these tests, they should be able to run on any device with an up to date web browser, including mobile phones!

You are also welcome to try out some of our questions for free! Here are some mini-tests to get you started.