Text and syllabus

Although some of the topics contained on the old textbooks are still applicable, some topics have moved up/down a level.

Ultimately, it will be your decision to buy new or stick with old. You risk not being able to study new topics that were never covered in the old books.

Personally, I'd suggest buying new as 3 years is a long time and in between that the syllabus changed in a major way. I feel that you should take as much uncertainties and worries out of the equation (spoken like a true accountant ). Ensuring your materials are up to date and relevant should not be a worry you undertake when your main focus should be to pass. The exams are done a little differently so it will add more stress.

Astranti offers free study texts and some resources for each of the level, you could perhaps sign up and see how they are and take it from there?

There are 2 types of exams - the OT (objective test) and the case study exams.

The OT exams are for the individual course/subject (F1, P1, E1, F2, P2, E2, F3, P3, E3). All exams are now computer based. The OT exams can be booked and taken anytime. The OT questions consist of mostly multiple choice, number entry, drag and drop format, etc. Pass mark is 100/150.

The case study exams can be booked and taken 4 times a year - in Feb, May, Aug, Nov.

The structure is that you have to pass all courses on a level to be able to take the case study exam for that level. So let's say you are on the management level, you'll need to pass F2, P2 and E2 OT exams before you can book to take the Management case study (MCS) exam. Once you pass the MCS, then you do the same thing on the strategic level.

I'm assuming you have already passed some courses before and are in the middle of things. Do you know where you are in terms of what you need to take next?

As for hard or soft copy, how well do you study with a soft copy? Some students work better with something physical, so hard copy. Some work best with digital, so soft copy. Most are definitely available as soft copies. Aside from the technical knowledge, you'll need to get familiar with how to work the computer based exams.

Pearson VUE is the one that conducts these CIMA tests. You can have a look at their site, they have free practice exams available but they'll need you to sign up as well to get access to the practice exams.

Hope this helps.

Okay, so if you've completed E1 and E2. I believe you'll need to pass P1 and F1 objective tests next, before taking the Operational Case Study Exam (OCS). The quicker you get through P1 and F1, the quicker you'll be able to book for the OCS. The 100/150 is only for objective test. I forgot to mention that for the case studies, the pass mark is 80/150.

I'll agree that 100/150 is tough. Most students cite time management as a main issue with the exams. For the objective test, you have 90 minutes to answer 60 questions. That's an average of 90 seconds per question. You'll need to know your technical knowledge and theories well to answer these questions well. There will be no time to second-guess yourself.

To prepare, aside from covering the study materials, you'll also want to do practice tests so that you get familiar with the environment. You'll also get a feel of the kind of questions that get asked. A lot of students do a lot of practice questions. There are a variety of practice questions available on the net, but most you'll need to buy. You'll want to do the free ones from Pearson Vue. Astranti also has some free sample revision questions. For the full version, you'll need to make a purchase.

Preparing for case studies are a little different from objective tests. I wrote a post about it here (The 5W + H of Case Study Preparation), if you want to check it out. These are more essay-type questions where you write reports, emails or notes and you cover a mixture of topics from E, P and F pillar. But I think we will cross that bridge when we get there. I think for now, you should focus on getting your objective tests for P1 and F1 done and then we can touch on case study preparation.

Astranti has its own free CIMA Operational Study Texts for the OT Exams. If you aren't going to print this out, it remains free. You'll just need to sign up to gain access.

Good luck with the preparation!

Yes, the study texts should be up to date.

You would need to pass P1 and F1 before you can take the case study exam in May. If you do pass both these courses, I'd say 4-6 weeks before the exam week is doable to study for the case study exam. I wrote a post about it a few weeks ago - "4 Weeks...Will I Make It?". It all depends on how much hours you put in for studying. CIMA suggests at least 10 hours per week. More hours would be ideal. The more you practise, the better you get at it.

Having said that, if you put a job search in the mix, how much time and effort do you need to put in for that?

It's very difficult to tell at my end. Only you would know your situation. How quickly will you grasp understanding of the case study? If you don't grasp it quickly, you need to spend more time with your studies. This will affect the time you have available for your job search. What is the job market like where you are? How difficult is it to get a job as an analyst? What qualifications and experience do you have to get a job quickly or not? How steep will your learning curve be when you start a new job? All those things need to factor in your decision.

Personally I would not try and do everything at once. As much as I'd like all changes to happen immediately, I have less chance of success in any path if my focus is all over the place. But that's just me. I'd take it one course at a time. Do the P1, then F1, or the other way around. When those are done, then assess the situation again. By then, the circumstances might be different.

All the best with your studies and job search.

I only found out yesterday that the exams are on demand. Does it mean I can book exams on Saturdays or even Sundays?
Also, would someone have to sit all 3 strategic exams at once or can you take them one or two at a time?

Is it possible to take Exams on Saturdays or Sundays?