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How to Become a CMA: The CMA Certification Process

how to become a cma

Earning the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification is attractive to lots of accounting professionals due to the many benefits of the CMA. If you’re interested in the CMA for all the ways it can enhance your career, you need to learn exactly how to become a CMA so you can start the process. So, use this 13-step guide to learn about CMA eligibility and begin your CMA journey.

Table of Contents

How to Become a CMA

If you want to earn the CMA, you can’t skip any of these steps. Instead, you must fully commit to each of them and give them your all in order to reach CMA success as soon as possible.

The first 5 steps involve important decisions you must make before beginning the CMA application process. Then, steps 6-13 reveal exactly what you must do to meet all of the CMA certification requirements and prove your CMA qualification.

1. Identify the Benefits of the CMA Certification

The first few steps in the CMA journey are the ones you must take to confirm that you’re ready to go down this road. Securing the CMA certification is not impossible, but it is a bit demanding, so you must know what you’re getting into and why before you proceed.

Start with a basic introduction to the CMA. The Certified Management Accountant certification designates management accounting professionals who have met a series of requirements. As the organization that awards the certification, the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) establishes these requirements in order to objectively measure an accountant’s knowledge and competence in management accounting.

Other than the CMA title, what advantages can you enjoy for satisfying the IMA’s CMA requirements and receiving the certification?

The benefits of the CMA certification include:

  1. Higher income
  2. More job opportunities
  3. Greater job security
  4. Increased skills and abilities
  5. Heightened respect and admiration

Furthermore, the CMA certification is the gold standard in management accounting and probably the most global management accounting certification in the world. What’s more, the skills you gain from earning the CMA are super practical, and the IMA has not made securing the certification an insurmountable challenge. So, if a higher income, better job, greater respect, and more all sound good to you, then you should move on to the next step in the CMA process.

2. Compare the CMA to Other Accounting Certifications

Now, I know you just learned that the CMA is a very rewarding certification, but it is actually not the only worthy accounting certification available. In fact, you have a lot of options as to which accounting certification you can pursue. These options include the:

  1. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license
  2. Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation
  3. Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification
  4. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter

You also have a few other management accounting certifications to choose from depending on the country you live in.

You should know which accounting certifications you can earn so that you are absolutely certain the CMA is the one you want to go for at this time. Depending on your career goals, you may want to get the CMA certification and nothing else, or you may decide to combine a few different accounting certifications over time so that you can specialize in a particular field. Knowing your CMA career possibilities and CMA salary potential should help you conclude if this certification is the best choice for you given your background and aspirations.

3. Analyze Your CMA Accounting Ability

The CMA certification is absolutely worth it, but getting this certification does require a substantial investment of time and effort.

As you recall, you have to meet the CMA requirements in order to come away with the certification. The most imposing of these requirements are the exam, education, and experience requirements.

The basics of these requirements include:

  • Exam: pass both parts of the CMA exam within 3 years of entering the CMA program.
  • Education: earn a bachelor’s degree or a professional certification within 7 years of finishing the CMA exam.
  • Experience: acquire 2 continuous years of professional experience in management accounting and/or financial management within 7 years of passing the CMA exam.

Assuming you already planned to earn or did earn a bachelor’s degree of some sort, then meeting the CMA education requirement shouldn’t be an issue. So, the real challenges of the CMA certification will be passing the exam and getting the experience. But honestly, the IMA makes meeting the CMA experience requirement fairly easy, so many candidates believing that passing the CMA exam is the main obstacle.

How hard is the CMA exam? The CMA exam consists of 2 parts. CMA exam Part 1 and Part 2 both present 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 essay questions for you to answer in 4 hours. To get a good indication of CMA exam difficulty, we just need to look at the CMA exam pass rates. Though the pass rates have risen recently, the average CMA pass rate is still just 45%. Therefore, the CMA exam isn’t something you can take lightly. But at the same time, if you’re willing to invest in a CMA review course and study consistently, the CMA exam is something you can pass.

4. Perform Your CMA Certification Cost-Benefit Analysis

If you’re interested in earning the CMA to make more money, then the amount of money you spend on the CMA matters.

When you add up all the CMA fees, you can see that securing the certification will cost you around $2,000.

So, the simple question is: Can you afford the CMA?

Well, when you consider once again that the CMA helps you increase your income by as much as 47%, then you can see that the certification pays for itself and then pays dividends on top of that.

Also, when you check out all the CMA review discounts you can use to save on your CMA exam prep, then you can see just how affordable the CMA certification can be.

5. Fulfill the CMA Education Requirements

So, if you’re officially ready to begin the CMA process, then you must address the CMA requirements in the best order, starting with the education requirement.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, then you’re most likely all set. You just need to verify that you got your degree from an accredited college or university, request that your institution send an official transcript to the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA), and check to make sure your transcript is on file in your IMA online account a week or so after you make the request.

What if your school isn’t on the accredited list? This situation isn’t usually a big deal. You just need to have a foreign credential evaluation agency assess your transcript and send their report to the ICMA.

Still in school? Don’t worry: if you’re currently enrolled in such an institution and have not yet graduated, you can still qualify to take the CMA exam and make that your first step toward the CMA. To prove to the IMA that you’re a student, you just need to be registered for at least 6 credits per semester during the academic year. Then, you need to send confirmation of your degree to the ICMA within 7 years of passing the CMA exam.

Your other option for fulfilling the education requirement is to already hold a professional certification. The IMA reveals which certifications fulfill the CMA education requirement, so just check the list and have your organization send a letter confirming your status to the ICMA.

6. Pay the IMA Membership Fee

Once you confirm your interest and eligibility for the exam, you can join the IMA. Your options for IMA membership and the costs of these membership types include:

  • Professional: $245
  • Academic: $135
  • Student: $39
  • Two-Year Student: $78

You must take the following steps to become an IMA member:

  1. Visit the IMA membership page.
  2. Select the appropriate membership category and click “Join”.
  3. Fill out the online application.
  4. Look for an e-mail confirming your successful enrollment as an IMA member.

In the online application form, you will be asked to fill out your personal and professional information, such as other professional credentials, education, job title, and responsibilities, and pay the annual fee by credit card. The whole process shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.

7. Join the CMA Certificate Program

You need to enter the CMA program in order to take the CMA exam, and becoming a member of the IMA does NOT automatically put you in the CMA program. You can become a member of the IMA and join the CMA program at the same time if you want, but this step is not mandatory.

Therefore, you should join the CMA program only when you are ready to take the exam. You should wait until this point because once you enroll in the program and pay the CMA entrance fee, you must:

  • Start taking the CMA exam within 12 months, and
  • Complete the CMA program within 3 years.

To join the CMA program, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your IMA account.
  2. Select the CMA candidate package you want by clicking “Join”.
  3. Find a professional chapter by selecting a country and chapter.
  4. If you would like to do so, you can also register for CMA exam Part 1 and Part 2 at this time. If you’re not ready to schedule your exam appointment yet, you can just skip these steps by clicking “Skip” on the left side of the page.
  5. Pay the CMA entrance fee ($250 for professional members).
  6. Look out for an e-mail confirming your successful enrollment in the CMA program.
  7. Read the instructions in the email on how to access the CMA Exam Support Package.

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8. Register for the CMA Exam Parts

After enrolling in the CMA program, you may register for the exam. The CMA exam consists of 2 parts:

  • Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance and Analytics
  • Part 2: Strategic Financial Management

You can take the exam parts in any order, though I suggest you start with the part you feel most comfortable with. You can also take the exam parts on the same day or at different times, depending on how much time you have to study.

The CMA exam parts are available to take during the following annual testing windows:

  • January/February
  • May/June
  • September/October

You may choose to register online, by phone with credit card information, or by mailing/faxing the registration form.

To register for the CMA exam, you must follow these steps:

  1. Determine which exam part(s) to take and in which testing window.
  2. Pay for the exam registration fees ($415 per part for professional membership).
  3. Look out for an e-mail confirming your successful registration for the exam part(s).

9. Schedule Your CMA Exam Appointment

Upon successful registration, you can schedule the date and time of the exam part(s) you want to take at Prometric centers in the U.S. and around the world. The centers are open every weekday during the testing windows.

To make a testing appointment, you must visit the Prometric website and click the “Schedule My Test” button. Then, you must select your country and state if applicable. You must consent to the privacy policy and then provide your authorization number from the IMA. After that, you will select the exam part you want to sit for, your preferred testing center location, and your preferred date and time. You’ll then verify your appointment and be all set!

You can typically cancel an appointment within 72 hours, and your refund (minus a $25 administrative fee) will be available within 30 days of registration. However, Prometric charges a $50 fee to candidates who reschedule/cancel appointments within 3 to 30 days of the original test date.

10. Prepare for and Pass the CMA Exam

The CMA exam parts test candidates on their knowledge of the following areas of management accounting and financial management:

Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics

  1. External Financial Reporting and Decisions
  2. Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting
  3. Performance Management
  4. Cost Management
  5. Internal Controls
  6. Technology and Analytics

Part 2: Strategic Financial Management

  1. Financial Statement Analysis
  2. Corporate Finance
  3. Decision Analysis
  4. Risk Management
  5. Investment Decisions
  6. Professional Ethics

Furthermore, each CMA exam part contains 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 essay scenarios for you to answer. So, the CMA exam is definitely an exam you’ll want to study for.

Thankfully, as soon as you enter the CMA program, you’ll receive 6 months of free access to the IMA’s Exam Support Package. You’ll find the package at the IMA Learning Center website as soon as you pay the entrance fee. This package includes a glossary of terms and downloadable and printable multiple-choice and essay practice questions.

But, while the Exam Support Package is helpful, it isn’t sufficient to prepare you for the CMA exam on its own. Instead, to give yourself the best chance of exam success, you need the additional learning tools you’ll find in a CMA review course.

How to Pass the CMA Exam

A CMA review course contains self-study resources that prepare you for the CMA exam by focusing on the exam content. Usually, you can access all the resources in your course online. These resources can include:

  • Digital or physical books
  • A test bank of practice questions
  • A study planner
  • Performance tracking software
  • Video lectures
  • Audio lectures
  • Limited time access
  • Customer service access

You can purchase a complete CMA review course that covers the content of both exam parts, or you can purchase just a CMA review course for just one exam part.

A CMA review course is beneficial because it covers and presents the exam content in a convenient and efficient way, ensures you reach the levels of knowledge and skill that you need in order to pass, and supplies a support system for additional information, advice, and encouragement. To find the best CMA exam prep for you, check out my comparison of the pros and cons of the most popular CMA review course options available. Then, use my CMA review discounts to save big on your preferred course.

11. Meet the Annual CPE CMA Course Requirements

The IMA doesn’t want you to forget what you just learned to pass the CMA exam. Therefore, they start imposing their continuing professional education (CPE) requirement on CMA candidates as soon as candidates finish the CMA exam. So, once you’ve completed the additional requirements and applied for the CMA certificate, your CPE and IMA membership must be current at the time. Otherwise, the IMA won’t award you CMA status.

If you complete the CMA exam in the middle of the year, then you don’t need to meet the CPE requirement until the following year. But you may carry up to 10 CPE hours over to the next reporting year, so you can start working on next year’s CPE as soon as you want.

The IMA’s CPE requirement holds CMAs to taking 30 hours of CPE every year. And, 2 of these 30 hours must cover the area of ethics. Moreover, the subjects of your CPE must be relevant to a management accountant’s or financial manager’s career development and related to employer needs.

You can earn your CPE from the following sources:

  • programs sponsored by employers
  • business organizations
  • educational institutions
  • professional and trade associations.

You’ll also find that qualifying CPE programs come in the following forms:

  • seminars
  • workshops
  • technical meetings
  • self-study packages
  • college courses
  • online courses

12. Complete the CMA Working Experience Requirements

As a CMA candidate, you must have 2 continuous years of professional experience in management accounting or financial management.

As with the education requirement, you have the option of completing the experience requirement before or within 7 years of passing the CMA exam.

Furthermore, you can use your full-time teaching experience to fulfill the experience requirement as long as at least 60% of your course load involves teaching accounting or finance above the principles level for a minimum of 2 years.

What’s more, while the IMA does expect full-time employment, they accept continuous part-time positions of 20 hours per week that satisfy their standards for qualified experience. The IMA awards 1 year of experience for every 2 years of part-time employment. Therefore, you’d need to work part-time for 4 years to meet the 2-year experience requirement.

But, whether full-time or part-time, your experience must involve regularly using the principles of management accounting and financial management to make judgments. The IMA believes accountants employ these principles most often in tasks such as:

  • Auditing (external or internal)
  • Budget preparation and reporting
  • Company investment decision making
  • Completing monthly, quarterly, and year end close
  • Costing analysis
  • Financial planning and analysis
  • Forecasting
  • Managing general ledger and balance sheets
  • Preparation of financial statements
  • Risk evaluation

So long as your experience meets these specifications, you can expect the IMA to give you credit for this requirement.

13. Comply with the Ethical Statement

You can officially apply for the CMA certificate once you’ve passed both parts of the CMA exam and fulfilled the experience requirement.

Once you’ve received the certification, you must continuously comply with the IMA’s Statement of Ethical Professional Practice. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action. Furthermore, you must also pay the annual IMA membership fee in order to maintain your certification.

Video Summary of How to Become a CMA

This video summarizes how to become a CMA.

More Help for the CMA Exam

I know the CMA process sounds a bit complicated. But, once you take the first step toward becoming a CMA, it’s completely doable. And I am more than happy to help you along the way!

In fact, you can learn even more about the CMA process and discover how to pass the CMA exam on your first attempt in my free CMA e-course. Learn more now or sign up below!

​Get Free CMA Information!

About the Author Stephanie Ng

I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley) and the publisher of this and several accounting professional exam prep sites.

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Leave a Comment:

512 comments
Kaushik says November 9, 2019

Hi Stephanie,

Please advice:

1. I am referring to Gleim’s review, is it sufficient enough to clear the exams?

2. I am from accounting background and which part exams should I appear first?

3. Answer to Q.2 means I will appear for that part exams in upcoming window that’s Jan/Feb 2020. When should I register for CMA and when should I schedule my exam?

4. How many candidates appear for the exam in one testing window ?

Thanks,
Kaushik

Reply
Tinku says October 22, 2019

I have completed Bachelor degree B.com and cleared with IPCC as well. Looking to MSC in accounts and financing outside India. What is the best approach should i go for CMA or anyother course. Am i eligible for any?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says October 23, 2019

    Hello! You’re definitely eligible for CMA, and that is also the certification that would best align with your career goals. Therefore, I’d recommend that you pursue the CMA!

    Reply
sudheer badarudeen says April 27, 2019

hi is it compulsory to attend any type of classes for passing cma

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 8, 2019

    Hello,

    You’ll need to complete a CMA review course in order to pass the CMA exam.

    Kind regards,
    Stephanie

    Reply
Lorli says October 27, 2018

Hi,

What if my school is not on the list of recognized universities? I am CPA from Philippines.
Thank you.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 3, 2018

    That’s not a problem. In the event that your school is not listed, you can still get your transcript evaluated by one of the credential evaluation agencies and send an official transcript to the IMA for reference.

    Kind regards

    Reply
Charlie says August 30, 2018

Hi Stephanie,

Do you know about how long the registration process takes? If i were to register now would that give me enough time to sit for the exams in the upcoming Sept/Oct testing windows?

Reply
    Meghan D says September 3, 2018

    Hello! It varies, but I would say you might be cutting it close given that the window has already started. To get a more definite answer, you can reach out to the IMA directly at ima{at}imanet.org.

    Reply
Michael T says August 29, 2018

Hi, I’m a CPA/MBA and would like to add CMA as an additional credential. (1) Would like to take a review course before the exam. Which course is recommended? (2) Is there a waiting period/work in mfg period before getting the CMA?

Reply
    Meghan D says August 29, 2018

    Hello!

    Here are the available CMA review courses and our recommendations.

    Yes, there are experience requirements, and you can find those here.

    Please let us know if you have any other questions.

    Regards,
    Meghan

    Reply
Mart OMalley says August 8, 2018

Is there a CMA graduation after passing Exam part 1and 2? Could not find any info on graduation ceremony, etc. Thanks.

Reply
    Meghan D says August 11, 2018

    No, but they do issue awards for the top scorers.

    Reply
Ashish says June 7, 2018

Hi, I am a b.com greduate from India and i want to know that what is the duration of CMA US Course and fees structure from US

Reply
Roji M Tony says May 26, 2018

Hi madam,
I passed B. Com from a university in India I would like to do CMA(US). Can I study it from India itself? I heard that if I write the exam outside India I will get the same value of CMA India(ICAI). Is that true.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 27, 2018

    Hi Roji,
    Yes you can study and take the exam in India. There are online and offline courses. There is a mutual agreement between CMA India and CMA US. Please find the details here: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-in-india/

    Reply
Fahad Mahmood Bukhari says April 9, 2018

Hello,

I had done intermediate in commerce and then I did BA (bachelors of arts). I know it would be difficult but that’s not a problem for me. Can I opt this course at all?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 7, 2018

    Hi Fahad, you certainly don’t need to take any course and can go straight for the exam. In extreme case, you can register today for an exam next, and if you pass both parts, you are done.

    But you will not be exempted from taking the exams itself. I have to say BA (bachelor degree) is the minimum requirement and not something special among the candidates. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
blessen says February 24, 2018

hi,

I am using Gleim CMA review textbook.
My friends are using the Gleim textbook and question bank in order to prepare.

I am thinking on depending on textbook since all those tools are costly to me. Do you
think it is possible to pass by depending on the textbook alone?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 3, 2018

    Possibly if you’re incredibly good at taking standardized tests and have a strong foundation for the material. But for most people, no, I don’t think books alone are enough.

    You can email me at stephanie[at]ipassthecmaexam.com for discount codes should you not be able to afford a test bank.

    Reply
Joe says January 30, 2018

Hi Stephanie,

Do you know if corporate credit analysis (fixed income analysis) would count towards the work experience requirement? This heavily requires forecasting other companies’ financial and performing financial analysis on said forecasts. It seems that this would fit the requirement, but I am not entirely sure as the analysis/forecasting is not in an internal treasury function for a company that leads to planning/decision making.

Thanks in advance.

Reply
sneha says October 6, 2017

pls suggest me what to do.. i completed my b.com in 2011 can i direct do cma intermidiate course

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says October 14, 2017

    Hi Sneha, our site covers the US CMA exam. Best of luck to completing your CMA in India! Stephanie

    Reply
ashok bhatt says September 23, 2017

dear sir,
i am holding masters degree in commerce and am a registered student of institutes of chartered accountants of India with a practical and certified training of bank audit, tax audit, and book writing plus finalization of accounts.
right now i am in the us on a tourist visa. my queiry is that can i seek admission in the cma us while i am on my tourist visa.
shall be looking forward to your reply.
thanks
ashok

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says October 14, 2017

    Hi Ashok, you don’t need to do that because you can study and take the exam in India (or where you live currently). Although IMA (the administrator) is headquartered in the US, the CMA certification brands itself as an international certification and they have hundreds of exam sites around the world. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
samer jaloudi says September 7, 2017

hi my name is Samer
i’m from Jordan
i want to join for CMA program at USA
can u help which university can i go ??

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 8, 2017

    Hi Samer,
    You don’t need to attend any particular university for the CMA exam. It is basically a qualifying exam — as long as you are qualified, you can take it anywhere, even in Jordan, and the exam and certification is the same around the world.

    Please let me know if you have any questions. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Harshad says September 1, 2017

hi,
i will complete my B.com degree from Gujarat in the end of DEC 2017, can i apply after completing B.com. or need any account related experience.

Kindly share information. and where is center of CMA in whole Gujarat for get in touch with the same directly please share. Thanks.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 8, 2017

    Hi Harshad,
    May I ask you are referring to the US or Indian CMA exam? Because they are quite different, just want to make sure I provide the correct info. This site covers the US CMA Exam. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
shailesh says August 1, 2017

what is ima cma starting salray in india
where we get the job

Reply
mini zack says July 16, 2017

i have done 12th in private and I am also doing bba in distant now. so am i eligible for CMA?Please reply

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 18, 2017

    Hi Mini,
    If you have a bachelor degree, it should be fine. Please check whether your school is on the list as mentioned above. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t but you’ll need an extra step to get your transcript evaluated. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Ghadah says July 11, 2017

Hello
I need to ask is their Cours that the ima give or only self learning ? and if there is will i pay for them or its part of being a member of ima .

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 18, 2017

    Hi Ghadah,
    Unlike certifications such as ACCA, IMA offers a qualifying exam only, but they officially endorse and have strategic partnership with two providers (Wiley and Gleim respectively). Both have online courses for self-learning. There are also coaching classes around the world with instructors teaching classes using their materials. Given the exam is 100% computerized, I believe the online course is sufficient (or even better) for most candidates.

    You can read about the pros and cons of these providers here: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-review-course/

    Yes you will have to pay for them. This is not included in the CMA exam fee. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
abdalla says July 5, 2017

hi
May you help me Please ,Unfortunately i took CMA part 1 two times , first one in June 2016 my mark was 330 /500 and the second one in January 2017 my mark was 340/500.
i still have intention to take the certificate , but i am afraid from fall in the third time .

I studied hard and i am looking for person to guide me to proper way in the studying because i have asked many people whats and where the wrong in my performance scour they told me you have a problem in the way in the study

please give me advice .

Reply
Azhar says April 3, 2017

In CMA Part 1, these topics has been eliminated from syllabus in 2017?? Could u plz tell me about this?

3.6 Accounting for Pension
3.7 Accounting for Bonds
8.3 Time series analysis
8.5 Sensitivity analysis

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says April 4, 2017

    Really? I thought the change was minimal this year, at least that’s what the CMA review course providers told me. Maybe you can check with your own provider and confirm. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
      Azhar says April 5, 2017

      In latest Wiley book, these topics has been removed but Gleim keep these except bonds.

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says April 9, 2017

        I see. Hmm… I will find a time to ask them 🙂 Stephanie
        They shouldn’t be important topics anyway.

        Reply
mohit khandelwal says March 14, 2017

hello, i am b.com student from rajasthan university at jaipur and my english is average
. i am interested to join CMA course, i want know more about CMA and how to give enternce exam of CMA
so please tell me this is right course for me or not

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 14, 2017

    Hi Mohit, whether it’s the right path or not depends on your career aspiration. I encourage that you identify the reasons why you want to get the CMA certification. This article should be able to guide you: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/why-become-a-cma/

    Reply
Jin says February 18, 2017

Hi Stephanie, I’m planning to obtain CMA certificate, just wondering if I should finished studay first then enroll in program and pay entrance fee or the other way around? Thanks!

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 18, 2017

    Hi Jin, if you are quite sure you can get qualified for the exam, you can start studying until you are almost done with all materials, and need 1 month or so for final review, mock exam etc. This way, you don’t need to get too stressed out of running out of time.

    Generally, it is safer to register for the CMA exam at least 1 month in advance. Having said that, if you absolutely have to take the exam on Friday or Saturdays, then you should register two months prior to the exam. So it depends on your flexibility.

    Reply
Dana Baumgardner says February 13, 2017

Hey there, I obtained my bachelors degree from Everest University online and I want to move forward with obtaining my CMA certification. But I am not seeing Everest or its parent company Zenith education group on the schools listed. Am I missing it or is it not on the list? Is there any way I can move forward in taking the CMA exam with my degree from Everest? Thank you!!

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 13, 2017

    Hi Dana, don’t worry you can still get qualified by getting a credential evaluation from a third-party service provider. I would however double check with IMA first (email is best — they respond very quickly). If they recognize your school, then no need for this extra step. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
      Dana Baumgardner says February 14, 2017

      Ok thank you so much for the information and for all the information available here. Its been a big help in looking into this.

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says February 15, 2017

        🙂 Glad to know Dana!

        Reply
Abhishek says January 22, 2017

Greetings of the day,

I am keen on taking up the CMA exams and be a member of esteemed IMA.

I have done my Bachelors’ in Electronics engineering and then Masters’ in Business Administration (Finance major).

I have over 10 years of experience in various Finance functions such as Financial Planning & Analysis, Budgeting and cost control.

I am writing to you to inquire if I am eligible to get the CMA membership post clearing Part 1 and 2 exams.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says January 22, 2017

    Hi Abhishek,
    I am only a blogger but looks to me your experience is relevant. As long as you can find a supervisor signing the verification form, you should be fine. You can also confirm this with IMA (email ima@imanet.org) before application.

    Reply
      Abhishek says January 23, 2017

      Thanks Stephanie for the clarification.
      You are just not a blogger, you are the guiding star to many CMA aspirants…..

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says January 23, 2017

        That’s a lovely compliment Abhishek. It makes my day!

        Reply
James says December 21, 2016

Hi!

Is the IMA membershjp annual fee for a natural year or a complete year? In other words, if I apply now in Dec, do I have to pay again in Jan? or I will have to pay in one years time （Dec 2017)?

Thanks

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 25, 2016

    Hi James, I am not too sure what you mean, but in your example you pay in one year’s time (Dec 2017). Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
ROHIM says November 6, 2016

I am rohim.I weak english,but i intarested read to Cost and Management Accountants(CMA).plz you tell me do i can CMA?

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    ROHIM says November 6, 2016

    recently i complete BBA

    Reply
    Stephanie Ng says November 6, 2016

    Hi Rohim, you can follow the steps as indicated above. If you have specific questions in any of these steps, please let me know. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Najmeldin O. Yousif says October 25, 2016

I’m suffering time management, working as accounting Manager.
I always busy with my Job and Family and parent commitment
I would like to pass CMA Exam.
my working day start day 4:00 am until 9:00 pm come back to home
would you please help me
I see CMA preparation difficult and Exam too

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says October 29, 2016

    Hi Najmeldin, wow, that’s a pretty long working hours, you are talking about 17 hours here… I suppose this includes the time for your family? I suggest that you outsource some of your work to family members or outside help (nannies, domestic helpers, etc) because otherwise you don’t even have enough sleep.

    After that, you can mark off which hours you are available for studying in our study planner (downloadable and free here) and start planning from there: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-study-planner/

    Reply
      Najmeldin O. Yousif says November 8, 2016

      Hi,
      Thank you very much for helping and suggestion, I appreciate your effort and the time you have spent to support me, I repeat my thanks for “https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-study-planner” and sure I try my best for a solution,

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says November 8, 2016

        Most welcome!

        Reply
tania says August 25, 2016

hey
my university is not in the list
Can i do CMA

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 27, 2016

    Hi Tania, you can still apply but with an extra step — you’ll need to have your transcript evaluated by one of the credential evaluation agencies. Please contact IMA for details. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
abhinav gokllani says August 19, 2016

hi i have the 2016 material is it valid for 2017 exam ?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 19, 2016

    hi Abhinav, there shouldn’t be significant changes in 2017, but it gives you the peace of mind to have the latest review materials. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Shah Muhammad Arif says August 19, 2016

Dear Stephanie

i had read all your points , it is very knowledgeable and informative, after few days, i am going to take admission in Pakistan and starting my education once again since after 24 years, what your opinion can i do that certification along continue my job, my current field entire change, i belong to aviation industry

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 19, 2016

    Hi Shah, you can certainly study with a full-time job, but just make sure you’ll be able to get relevant experience afterwards, because that is part of the requirement to get the certification. Good luck!

    Reply
Murtaza says July 29, 2016

Hi Stephanie

I am planning on doing CMA and passed my b.com exams just last month. So can i choose students membership or not?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 29, 2016

    Hi Murtaza, the student membership requirement is that you need to take at least 6 credit hours per semester. If you’ve got that, it’s good. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Sree Lakshmy says July 21, 2016

HI Stephanie,
I’m a CA student from India and would like to work abroad, so which CMA should I be taking?
And if it is US CMA, should I take the exam outside India to get the international qualification?

Secondly, the CA articleship is a full time 3 year internship in Auditing in a BIG4. So will that qualify as the professional experience?

Thank you

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 21, 2016

    Hi Sree,
    The CMA certification is recognized the same regardless of where you take the exam. So you can take it in India. The only consideration is whether you would like to take advantage of the MRA between IMA and ICWAI — if you obtain the CMA outside of India, you can get a ICWAI membership without any exam.

    On the articleship, technically internships are not allowed, but I undertand the case is different in India. You may want to check with IMA directly (at ima@imanet.org) and see if they recognize articleship as full time professional experience. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Divya says July 18, 2016

Hello..i am from INDIA… I m thinking to do.CMA US

I m a CA final student. I need to know which plan to choose professional, student , academic….

HOW I will get study material?

If I clear CA , in short if I become a CA do I still have to give cma exam or I can claim membership directly?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 18, 2016

    Hi Divya,
    There is no mutual agreement between Indian CA and US CMA for exemptions. This is a personal decision as to which path you’d like to take, but these FAQ on CMA exam may be helpful for your research and decision making: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-faq/

    Reply
Muhammed Shanood says July 10, 2016

Is there any negative marks in both CMA Exams ??

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    Stephanie Ng says July 10, 2016

    Hi Muhammed, no negative marks. All questions are positively graded and there is no penalty for wrong answers. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Visruth says June 21, 2016

I have just started my graduation and along with my college, I would like to appear CMA exams and clear. Is it possible?

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    Stephanie Ng says June 21, 2016

    Sure. Some candidates start taking the exam during college (I assume your college means university — this is the US definition). Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Astha says June 14, 2016

Hi,
I m pursuing MCom external from Gujarat university. Can I be considered as student for membership for CMA and would I be eligible for student discount?

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    Stephanie Ng says June 15, 2016

    Hi Astha, should be ok, but you may want to email IMA to confirm. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Clement Vivian Selwin says June 11, 2016

Hi Stephenie,
I work in Investment banking operations under nostro reconciliations, will this work experience of mine count to the work experience for CMA?

Thanks
Cleme

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 12, 2016

    Hi Cleme, I am not too sure, it isn’t the “standard” management accounting experience, but you can double check with IMA before proceeding. You can email them at ima@imanet.org. Good luck!

    Reply
Akash Das says May 6, 2016

Hi. This is Akash Das this side. I am doing ACCA from India and i just checked that there is an exemption for the ACCA candidates, but the link given is of not much help. Please let me know about any exemptions for ACCA members (if any)

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    Stephanie Ng says May 6, 2016

    Hi Akash, there is indeed an exemption for ACCAs who are not bachelor degree holders to get wavier for the degree requirement and take the exam. But that’s pretty much it. you can check out my page here: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/acca-exemptions-from-cma/

    Reply
benedicta bazuaye says April 26, 2016

Hello,
Is there any Exam centre in West Africa.

Reply
muhammed rayees says April 13, 2016

sir iam passed plus two (12) .can i attempt cma exam and clearing

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says April 14, 2016

    Hi Muhammed, I am not familiar with the education system in your country, but normally, you need a 3-year or 4-year bachelor degree (i.e. university level) in order to get qualified. I believe plus-two is the two years before university? If so you need to move on to higher education first. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Raq says March 21, 2016

Hi Stephanie,

I sent my transcript via fedex last February 21 but until now, I cannot see the transcript in my IMA profile. What should I do? I verified with fedex tracking tool that the document is already received by IMA.

Thank you,

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 21, 2016

    Hi Raq, I would check with the IMA directly. Shouldn’t be an issue if you have proof that they received it. Cheers, Stephanie

    Reply
      Raq says March 21, 2016

      Thanks Stephanie. I also sent my experience requirement document via email last February 19 and ICMA replied the following day saying, “The ICMA is in the process of evaluating your work experience and your profile will be updated within the next few days. We will contact you if additional information is needed.” But until now, I cannot see any experience in my profile. Where can I see it specifically in my profile page?

      Thank you

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says March 22, 2016

        Maybe you can check with the IMA? It’s hard for me to answer technical questions on their behalf… Stephanie

        Reply
karan kumar says February 26, 2016

Hey stephanie,
i just completed my B.tech degree in Computer science from india and i have no more intrest to continue my career in this field then i came across this CMA course so do you think this will be a good start to build up my financial knowledge ? And also i was planning to do M.S in finance in the near future so what will be your suggestion ? and is this a good approach to shift to finance sector ?
Thank you.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 28, 2016

    Hi Karan, CMA covers management accounting with some corporate finance component, but it isn’t exactly finance. Why don’t you explore further, maybe taking a couple of classes and see if you like it first? This exam is quite tough, and extremely tough if you don’t have basic background in accounting and/or finance. So if you decide to go for this exam, those classes wouldn’t be wasted. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Bhagya says February 4, 2016

Hi Stephanie
I’ve done my 3 year b com from india(accredited university) and want to pursue cma course
I’m planning to goto usa with my husband
Will i be able to procure a job with the cma certification alone as my degree isnt recognized equivalent to a 4 year bachelor’s in usa

Reply
    Bhagya says February 4, 2016

    Thanks in advance

    Reply
Abeer says January 30, 2016

Hi Stephanie,

Can a full member of ACCA can claim exemption for CMA.

Also please advise if Chartered Accountant of ICAP (Institute of Chartered Accountant of Pakistan) can claim any exemption for CMA

Regards
Abeer

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says January 30, 2016

    Hi Abeer, ever since the CMA exam changed to a two-part exam, there isn’t an exemption in terms of waiving one part of the exam. For full ACCA members, the benefit is that the candidate is qualified to take the CMA exam even without a bachelor degree. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Nisheeta Varma says January 28, 2016

Hi Stephanie,

I am Nisheeta aiming to pursue CMA. I have 2 doubts in mind, I would be grateful if somebody can help me with it:

1) I am an Indian Citizen, but currently residing in Madison, Wisconsin, USA (do not have a greencard or SSN). I have created my profile in IMA as a “young professional”. As I am residing in North America and under the age of 33 years. Kindly confirm, do I qualify for the “young professional membership” or not? If not, which membership should I take up as a professional.

2) The experience requirement mentions the word ” 2 continuous years of employment” does that specifically says that their has to be 2 consecutive years of work experience. Or the entire work experience over the years count (inclusive of non-consecutive full time engagement)? If non-consecutive experience is not counted for as relevant experience, am I eligible to give the exams?

Looking forward to your help,

Thanks and Regards,
Nisheeta Srivastava

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says January 28, 2016

    Hi Nisheeta, I am not sure how they will prove your residency in the US. Sounds like you are ok but since you don’t have a SSN it is best to double check with IMA. If not, you can always register as a regular member.

    On your second question, I guess employment = work experience? Or do you mean you have some internship and volunteer work in between the two years? I am quite sure they do mean two continuous years of full time work. One can switch companies but cannot really be “not working”, you know what I mean. Maybe you can tell me what you mean by “non-consecutive” experience”?

    Anyway, you can still take the exam now without any experience, but in order to get the certificate, you need to accumulate the required experience. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
anwar says January 24, 2016

Hi stephanie
My name is anwar, i am from pakistan. I am 35, i am looking for a career change, I have no background in accounting, plus, my bachelors degree is two years, can you tell me if I would be eligible, and although I know some elementary high school level accounting, if I were to study on my own, where should i first start to learn necessary accounting because I think the CMA review curriculum would be just glossing over basic accounting things, I am kind of self studi-er, having been from IT background, it is not tough for me to read or practice something for 12 hours a day, when i am free, but i learn poorly from instructors who cannot keep up pace with my rush, I have tried searching youtube, and though MIT, stanford etc are generous contributors to Open courseware content, but that is true mostly for technology related courses, for business, i have not found a good enough resource, one-stop that i can call. Can I learn all that pre-requisite and prepare for CMA through review courses and pass the exam within six months, how to get started.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says January 25, 2016

    Hi Anwar, that’s great to know that you are a good self-learner. But before we start, please check with IMA whether they are fine with a 2-year degree. Typically they require at least a 3-year degree. They may give special approval in your situation (because I know 2-year degrees are common in Pakistan) but it is best for you to email IMA to double check: ima@imanet.org

    Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
      anwar says January 26, 2016

      Thanx stephanie, your quick reply is appreciated:). should i go over some college accounting texts like Meigs & Bettner (just that i know it is the standard text here in MBA, if it is good, under or overkill, i dont know, another book internet told me so is by Jerry Weygandt, though former is much much cheaper to get and locally available), before I dabble into something like Hock study material, or you think it is not necessary (dont worry, i have just warmed up to your blog, i will keep coming back with ever more questions :D)

      Reply
ojo victor says December 29, 2015

Hey Stephanie,
My name is Victor from Nigeria and i work in a small audit firm here. I only hold a 3 year Diploma in Industrial Relations and Trade Unionism from a reputable Nigerian university. Please, I’d like to know if I can successfully apply for CMA exams with such qualification. Thanks

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 30, 2015

    Yes I think it’s ok. Please check and see if your school is on the “approved” list (the link below). If yes, then just go ahead with the registration; if not, there is one extra step to have your transcript evaluated. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
MOSES says November 17, 2015

Dear CMA representative,

Am in Rwanda and i would like to do CMA certification. I have a degree in accounting but i have no knowledge about registration and exams.

Currently we have no CMA office in Rwanda.

Kindly provide me with the information

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says November 17, 2015

    Hi Moses,
    I have to say I am just a blogger and not a representative from IMA. But the links above will show you the registration process and requirements.

    You may want to check out the official site as well: https://www.imanet.org/

    Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Venkata dilip says November 16, 2015

Hi I need information about CMA course and what is difference between Icwa India ,cima UK and cma USA .if I have work experience in accounts and finance field with that cma will consider before registering the course and after completing this course having guarantee jobs in market

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Priya says October 7, 2015

Hi there!

I wanna know that I am pursuing CA in India and currently working as an article for a firm here in India. Does it count as the working experience mentioned above ?
And do I get any exemptions as in the case of ACCA ?

Thanks !!

Reply
    Stephanie says October 7, 2015

    Hi Priya, there isn’t an exemption from ACCA for the CMA exam, but if you have relevant experience, it can be counted. Please note that internship doesn’t count. Since I am not exactly sure the nature of your articleship it is hard for me to tell. the best thing is to check directly with IMA at ima@imanet.org.

    Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Job John says September 26, 2015

Hai Stephanie.. I just want to know about this..please help me..somewhere on the web I read this ….. “In order to receive your certification, you will have to prove that you worked for 2 continuous years in these fields, and worked with business accounting skills such as auditing, budget preparation and business accounting on a day to day basis.
==>> You can complete this 2-year work experience after you take the exam as well. Once you are a CMA candidate, you have 7 years to submit proof of your financial management experience.” Is it true?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 29, 2015

    Yes, the two years of experience can be accumulated prior, during or after the CMA exam. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Job John says September 21, 2015

Hai..my question is,can I prove my two years work experience for CMA after passing the exam?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 23, 2015

    Hello, if you mean whether you can wait until passing the exam to verify the two years of experience, the answer is yes. Not sure if this is what you mean though.

    Reply
Nandini Sharma says September 12, 2015

Hi Stephanie,
I am 40 years old… I have a Bachelors degree in commerce and Masters in Finance from the University of Mumbai. I worked for 4 years from 1997 to 2001 in the departments of Budgeting/Business Planning/MIS.
I have had a break of 14 years from the industry after that. I wish to study further to improve my chances of working again and am thinking of doing my CMA.
Please advise if my work experience is sufficient for me to go ahead.
Regards

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 16, 2015

    I think so Nandini, but it is best to check with the IMA directly. They are quite friendly and will tell you before applying for the exam. Please contact them at ima@imanet.org. Good luck!

    Reply
Nazarius Hedi says August 11, 2015

Hi there,

I am intended to get the certification in order to higher my qualification status. I am eligilble to take the course, but in the registration form I was asked to choose a non-ima creditation. What is this actually? and can you advise me which course and exam should I take as a finance and control beginner?
thank you, kind regards

Nazarius

Reply
SAFEENA says August 2, 2015

Sir,
This is really informative website for me, it erase a lot of doubts in ma mind regarding cma, thank you sir

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 2, 2015

    Glad you find it helpful Safeena! Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Aleksandar says July 10, 2015

Hello Stephanie,

I have completed a bachelor degree from recognized university. For the last 7 years I have been working for large manufacturing corporation listed on NYSE in position of Cost Controller (plant is over-seas). Finally, yesterday I was informed that I have passed Exam No. 1. While I am getting ready for Exam No. 2, I would like to submit my Work Experience Qualification form. However, it is not 100% clear to me if I can submit this at this stage, or do I have to wait to pass both exams? Confusion arose when I saw one of the Work Experience Qualification forms that started with statement: “Congratulations on completing the CMA examinations!”.

I would greatly appreciate if you could tell me a bit more on what I can do in order to obtain official approval that I satisfy Educational and Work qualifications? Is it as simple as just completing the forms? Should I wait to complete both exams?

Many thanks upfornt!!

Aleksandar

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 11, 2015

    Hi Aleksandar, that’s great news, and congrats on passing Part 1!
    Assuming you are taking Part 2 shortly, you can start preparing for the work verification form. Yes it is quite easy as long as you have a supervisor ready to verify the experience for you. Your experience is perfectly fine, so not an issue at all.

    While you can get this done now, you can also choose to do this after passing both exams. Doesn’t really matter. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Ajit Saini says July 4, 2015

Hi, I have been working in finance department in an indian company. i am taking care of Accounts Receivables. I just want to know that am i eligile for CMA exams. I am having batchlor’s degree for the recognised university.
Please let me know this urgently. becasue i want to start preparing for this.

Thanks !!!
Ajit

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 4, 2015

    Hi Ajit, thanks for your note. If your role involves analysis of accounts receivables, I am quite sure it is ok. But if it only involves upload journal entries for example, it would be a bit of a stretch. So it really depends. I encourage that you write a job description to IMA specifying your specific role within accounts receivable, and wait for their reply. This way you are certain that you can proceed with the application. Good luck and let us know how it goes! Stephanie

    Reply
Jacqueline says July 1, 2015

I couldn’t find an answer on the IMA website, so I’m hoping you can help. How do you get notified of your grade for the CMA? Regular postal mail? Or email?

Thanks!

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 2, 2015

    Hello, it’s email. They *might* still have an option of postal mail but I doubt anyone uses it nowadays. Cheers, Stephanie

    Reply
      Jacqueline says July 2, 2015

      Did it take the full 6-8 weeks for the results to arrive?

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says July 2, 2015

        Hi Jacqueline, yes, it is always 6 weeks after the end of the month you take the exam. This means 40 days / six weeks if you take it at the end of the month, and more if you take it earlier in the month. There are usually more candidates taking the exam at the end of the month and I guess minimizing the waiting is one of the reasons. Hope it helps, Stephanie

        Reply
          Jacqueline says July 6, 2015

          Thanks for the responses; waiting is not my strong suit!

          Reply
          Stephanie Ng says July 7, 2015

          Haha, waiting is always tough!

          Reply
vishnu says May 19, 2015

hi sir,
i completed my degree (b.com) and am planning to do CMA (india).my qstn is.. does indian CMA have gud scope in foreign countries like US…or shld i do CMA (us) along wth this to get a gud job in abroad ?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 19, 2015

    Hi Vishnu,
    The honest answer is that I don’t think Indian CMA is recognized outside of India… maybe in adjacent countries, but not in North America and Europe. If you have long term plans to work overseas, CMA (US) is a better idea. Or if you have specific location in mind (e.g. Australia), then aim for the local qualification. Here is more info on management accounting qualifications around the world: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/management-accounting-certification/

    Reply
jpop Soki says May 7, 2015

i’m a student at faculty of commerce cairo universty i’m about to graduate after 1 month and i wanna take cma and i’m wondering is it possible to study Cma in my own (Self-Study) and pass the exam !!!

BTW my english is not my first language and my english is not that good would you please advise me what i’m suppose to do ??

Thx

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 7, 2015

    Hi Jpop, certainly you can study on your own. Most candidates in the US do that anyway and they have pretty good passing rates.
    From what you wrote to me, I think your command of English is very good. Just start practicing using proper business writing, that is, all the capital letters in the right place, and writing “I am” instead of “I’m”. I am quite sure you know all these but in order to write quickly in business writing on the exam day, you need to get used to writing in this style all the time.

    I also have other tips for the essay here:
    https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-essay-prep/
    And this mega post on all my tips here:
    https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-prep-tips/

    Regards,
    Stephanie

    Reply
vivek says May 7, 2015

i heard huge discount offer by ima(50%). if register within this month… is it correct?

Reply
ABDUL says April 28, 2015

hey.. i am appearing in cma part1 paper in may/june window last time i failed to score 360 score n get only 310. i am good in calculations but there was alaot of theory related MCQs but i pass through MCQs section … i want to know that how sould i attempt essay type section means answer should be brief or to the point… regards

Reply
Joe says April 6, 2015

Hello,

I am planning on taking the CMA Exam in the next year or so. I now work as a Pricing Analyst at a Law Firm, I know this position will satisfy the experience requirement. However, I was previously an Accounts Receivable Administrator at a plumbing wholesaler for 9 months. I am curious to know if this AR position could qualify as valid CMA experience. Do you know if this would qualify? It would cut down my 2 year requirement significantly.

Thanks

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says April 7, 2015

    Hi Joe, if your AR position involves analysis (i.e. not clerical work such as uploading JEs) then it should still count. If you want to make sure, you can always send your job description to IMA at ima@imanet.org for them to take a look. IMA has been doing a good job giving you a clear indication. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
yasin says March 29, 2015

am a non-accounting student. working sector also non-accounts. its possible i can do the cma us and without knowing the account basic its possible i can clear my paper 1 & paper 2. i started my paper 1 prepartion 2 days back & planning to write my paper 1 on january 2016 and paper 2 february 2016 window. tat is gud idea. or will u suggest me please.

regards
yasin

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 30, 2015

    Hi Yasin, yes it is definitely possible but please expect to put in extra effort as an non-accounting major. Afterall, it is an accounting professional exam and they assume that you have basic knowledge in this field. I recommend that you get/borrow a textbook on introduction of financial accounting and start from there. Then, review Section A (or financial accounting) in Part 1 and see if you get the concepts. Hope it helps for a smooth start! Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Indrajit Roy says March 26, 2015

Hi i am currently in 2nd year bcom. I am planning to cma part 1 next year. My question is after i pass both parts will it be difficult to get the 2 years work experience, since in India icwa is more recognized. Will indian companies hire cma usa pass students without the work experience??

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 27, 2015

    Hi Indrajit, in fact, most experience in accounting and finance can be counted as relevant. Because of this it shouldn’t be too difficult to get the 2 years as a BCOM. You are correct though that ICWA is more recognized in India, so unless you aim to work in Big US companies, it might make more sense for you to go for the ICWA. Here is my analysis: https://ipassthecmaexam.co/cma-title-for-career/

    Reply
      Indrajit Roy says March 27, 2015

      Thanks for the reply. The only reason i dont want to do icwa is because of its emphasis on taxation which i am not interested in. Also could you tell me if after passing both parts will i get a certificate verifying the fact which might help me start working in a company in india so that i can complete the required 2 years.

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says March 28, 2015

        I see. That I agree because the CMA exam doesn’t have taxation at all. You will get a mail stating that you passed the two exams. This is not an official recognition and you cannot hold yourself as a CMA with that alone, but you can certain state that you passed the exam on your CV, and in your interview you can mention that you are happy to commit to the company for longer term to gain the experience for the certification, and then add value by practicing what you have learned in the company.

        Reply
Paul Simon says March 22, 2015

Hey Stephanie. I finished my Graduation and now i am working. I wanted to enroll for the CMA exam. Which membership should i take. Professional Membership or Student Membership..? Please do revert at the earliest.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 22, 2015

    Hello, if you have graduated, you will be paying the regular membership.

    Reply
      Paul Simon says March 22, 2015

      There are only three options in the ima website. Professional Member, student member and academic member…?

      Reply
        Stephanie says March 22, 2015

        Yes. Regular = professional membership.

        Reply
Stephanie says March 20, 2015

Hi, where can I download the application forms for CMA? I do not see the forms in your link

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 21, 2015

    Hi Stephanie,
    Yes I need to expand this page a bit more to include all links such as the application form. For now, please go to https://imanet.org and look under “how to become a cma”.

    Cheers
    Stephanie

    Reply
shri says March 18, 2015

hello,

is it mandatory to have 2 year work experience? The problem is I have one and half year only in finance field.. or is there any other option.. if so please help..

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 18, 2015

    Hi Shri, I don’t think so, but you can take the time to accumulate the experience. You can take the exam first, and by the time you are done with the exam, you probably have 2 years or more. Good luck!

    Reply
syed waleed says March 16, 2015

Can I do CMA after O level?

Reply
Ankur Chaturvedi says March 15, 2015

Hi Stephanie,

I am a CA final student. I am currently working as accounts manager in a company in Dubai and worked as an audit assistant in Chartered Accountants firm in India for 2 years and one consultancy as Sr. Analyst in another company in Dubai too. so the total experience is more than 3 years. Am i eligible to take exemption from tow years work experience? if yes then, what documents do i need to show to the CIMA to prove this experience for taking exemption from this two years work experience.

thanks
Ankur Chaturvedi

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 15, 2015

    Hi Ankur,
    If your experience is full time and is consecutive, then yes, they should be ok. There is a work verification form that your supervisor can fill out and mail to IMA.

    In the form, I wouldn’t mention “exemption”, because you are not requesting exemption but instead you are showing IMA that you have fulfilled the working experience requirement.

    You can also check out the details on the requirements here: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-experience-requirements/

    Hope this helps? Thanks, Stephanie

    Reply
jai sahu says March 13, 2015

Hie Stephanie,
I am from India. I have completed graduation with first class. And currently working in travel field, which 70 percent of works related to finance but not in accounts from past 2.5 yrs.
and I want to some good course which is recognized globally… Am planning to do CMA US course , will do my studies till I do my best and pass the exams tooo… So can I get job in mnc’S in easy way? And what are the job prospects for CMA US course in India.. How much will be my starting Salary package as freshers?? Thanku

,

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says March 13, 2015

    Hi Jai, thanks for your note. I have an analysis here on job prospect esp on MNCs: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-title-for-career/

    Please leave a note there if you have any follow up questions. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
      jai sahu says March 13, 2015

      Thnks for the reply,, as I saw that link it is wrote that in India it is upcoming course and it is very rare to get a job in this field…… So CIMA uk will be helpful for me as they describes good salary packages for part qualified students also and does CIMA has good demand in India

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says March 15, 2015

        Yes, that’s my honest opinion. If you think CIMA is better for your career prospect, go for it! It makes sense if you plan to work in India in the long term.

        Best wishes,
        Stephanie

        Reply
Priyamvada Trivedi says March 2, 2015

Dear Stephanie,

I understand after clearing both parts of CMA, a 2 year work experience needs to be shown in certain areas to qualify for a degree. Where can I find exact details regarding the categories that qualify as required work experience.

Thanks,
Priyamvada

Reply
Neel Biswas says February 18, 2015

Hi Stephanie,

Is work experience as FI/CO consultant considered valid for CMA eligibility?

Thanks & Regards,
Neel.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 20, 2015

    Hi Neel, it depends if you work involves financial / investment analysis or management. It is hard to tell from the job title, so you might want to send a job description to IMA for them to confirm. They can be reached at ima@imanet.org. Good luck!

    Reply
Ahsan says February 11, 2015

Dear Sir/Madam,
I want to now, is I am able for student membership or not???
I am not a Bachelor student, my qualification is D.Com (D.Com=Intermediate).
I am not attending any college and prepare CMA as self study.
I am living in Pakistan and I am 25 years old.

Dear sir/madam I know these are boring question for you may be. But I am in trouble from 2 months. Please help me!!!!

Regards,

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 12, 2015

    Hi Ahsan, we are happy to help. If you are not currently attending school, you cannot be eligible for student membership. But you may want to double check with IMA by sending an email to them at ima@imanet.org.

    Self-study for CMA is perfectly fine. I hope you have good review materials though? Here are the pros and cons for the review courses/books: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-review-course/

    Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Abusin says February 8, 2015

Hi Stephanie,
I’m working as project manager with mechanical engineering background, recently I shifted to business development career and for that I am thinking to get the CMA and the knowledge thet it will provided for me. I am little bit concerned about how technical CMA material will be for me -as I told you I had my bachelor degree in Mechanical engineer,

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 9, 2015

    Hi Abusin, it depends on how comfortable you are with basic accounting. I believe that if you have at least some basic knowledge in accounting, you’ll be fine. If starting from fresh, it is recommended that you go through a basic accounting class just to know about the core concepts. Alternatively you can see if reading a book on the introduction to accounting helps. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Tatyana says February 5, 2015

the degree has to be in Finance/Accounting, or any type of Bachelor’s degree? I have one in literature

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 5, 2015

    Degree in any discipline is good Tatyana. Cheers, Stephanie

    Reply
sushmitha says February 4, 2015

hey stephanie,

what i meant is , i am on h4, so i ll be staying here only for few years, in that case will i be eligible for membership discount. If i go back to India(i am citizen of India), will my membership status change from then on?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 4, 2015

    Oh I see. I think temporary stay is probably ok, but I am not sure about dependent visas. It is best to check with IMA directly at ima@imanet.org. Would be nice if you let us know how they reply! Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Muhammad Usman says February 4, 2015

Hi Stephanie – I have finally decided to proceed and register for CMA. Above you commented to drop a note for clarity on experience requirement. I work as Business/Pricing analyst for a manufacturing company and have experience in domains of (i) Transfer pricing (from FTP to End user price) (ii) Variance analysis based on cost movements making changes to Transfer prices) (iii) Bidding process for sales branches.

An insight from you will be helpful.

Regards
Muhammad

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 4, 2015

    Hi Muhammad, that’s great! Sounds like you have no problem getting qualified as long as you have (or you will have) 2 consecutive years of this or related experience. If you want to be 100% sure, you can email a job description to IMA. They will take a look and get back to you. Regards, stephanie

    Reply
Akhilesh Teri says February 4, 2015

hi, i am from india n we have a cma course here provided by institute of cost accountants of india. pls elaborate on that. also, can i give this cma exam from india. if yes, how?

Reply
sushmitha says February 3, 2015

Hi Stephanie,

I am staying in US, though i am not a resident of US. Will I be eligible for Young professional discount?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says February 3, 2015

    Hi Sushmitha, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how can you “stay” in the US but not a resident? The criteria is that you need to “reside” in the US. If you stay there as an international student or H1B visa employee, I think it would be ok; if you stay there with a tourist visa, then I am afraid not.

    Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
jhn says January 8, 2015

i had registered for cwa inter through online admission .i had checked my application status it is showing applied .i want to know how long it will take my application form to be confirmed by icwai.please help me with this

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says January 8, 2015

    Hi jhn, I am afraid I can only help with the US CMA Exam. You might want to check with ICWAI directly. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Divya Manu says January 8, 2015

Hi… Iam planning to join CMA and would like to gather some information about the course.. I would like to know if there are exam centers in India where in once in registered can give the exams..

Thanks and Regards,
Divya

Reply
Sajid Ali says December 14, 2014

Dear Stephanie Ng,

Thank you very much for your kind help. I just passed both the parts of CMA. I am sending my experience to IMA. I have the following responsibilities as Commercial Project Controller.
Can you please confirm, is it relevant to IMA requirements?

• Cost Controlling & Allocation: Continuously record and monitor planned, committed and incurred cost and highlight budget constrains timely to ensure project cost to stay within budget.
• Analyzed variances, cash flow, costs and expenses
• Established appropriate control and feedback mechanisms on income; cost and performance versus budget and last year to influence the department to take corrective action
• Reviewed the business related provisions and accruals raised by the projects and ensure these comply with Siemens and IFRS guidelines
• Responsible for reporting and accounting as per regulatory and legal requirements including annual closing and accounts.
• Monitoring, controlling and reporting of key figures of the projects e.g. Sales, Cost of Sales, Gross Profit, Net Profit (at OIC/actual/EAC) and PoC.
• Planning & Forecasting: Prepare accurately cost, sales and cash flow plan according the underlying project plans (e.g. procurement, program of works, manpower).
• Reporting & Closing: Prepare all internal reports towards the Project Management, internal and external auditors, correct and accurate for the projects.
• Customer: Prepare payment application to the customer by maximizing billing value and ensure timely submission.
• Subcontractor: Evaluate, prepare and issue payment certificate as per works executed considering all contractual rights and obligations.

Best Regards,

Sajid Ali
Dubai, UAE.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 15, 2014

    Hi Sajid,
    I am so glad you passed both exams! I can’t really confirm the experience on behalf of IMA, but it looks good to me, because it involves analysis, planning, and some financial management (vs routine work). Good luck and let us know how it goes! Stephanie

    If you have a chance, it would be nice to drop a note on this page and tell everyone you passed the exam 🙂 https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-success-stories/

    Reply
sam says December 14, 2014

Hi! I hav just completed my b.com in India and I wanna be a CMA can u plzz tell the steps to persue my goal and is ter any difference between CWA and CMA if yes wats it…and plzz tell the steps and requirements to be a CMA, thanks

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 15, 2014

    Hi Sam, this article may help you compare the two qualifications:
    https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-ima-vs-icwai/

    As for the steps, the above highlights what you need to do. You can start by going to the IMA website (www.imanet.org) and join the membership, pay the program fee, and when you are ready, the exam fee.

    Reply
Pankaj Kharakwal says December 11, 2014

Hi,

Can you tell whether the articleship/training for Chartered accountancy counts for the experience requirements of CMA??

Thanks.

Reply
Vikas Kumar says December 8, 2014

Hi Stephanie,

First of all, let me tank you for all those posts and helping out people with their questions related to CMA professional designation.

I am into Management Consulting with one of the Big 4s in India and my work includes working with Banking clients in USA to analyse their compliance needs. We help solve their complex compliance and legal matters in the sense that they approach us to manage their compliance with various US Financial enactments. Would this sort of experience be counted towards the work-experience requirements towards CMA professional designation.

Your reply post is awaited.

Many thanks again, Stephanie !

Vikas K.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 10, 2014

    Hi Vikas, thanks for your kind words! I believe your work is considered relevant because it involves financial analysis. But it is always best to check with the source — you can actually email IMA with a job description and they can confirm it for you. They can be reached at ima@imanet.org. Good luck in getting a favorable reply!

    Reply
Him says December 3, 2014

Hi,

I need to join CMA on urgent basis to move ahead in life, I am aged 35 wkg in US MNC at execution level only on education side I am BCom grad, with MBA (Part Time) and CA inter, hope u help and guide me where to enroll and all, expecting a revert asap

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 4, 2014

    Hi Him,
    The process is basically listed out in the above — so what you can do is to go to ima’s website and join the membership. If you are in a rush to get the certification, then you can join the CMA program and register for the exam immediately, mail in your transcript from school, and start studying for the exam. The registration process is straightforward and can be done within half an hour. Please let me know if you have other questions. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
adeela iftikhar says December 1, 2014

if someone’s doing cma in pakistan is that person continue it in canda or attempt any remainig paper and will u plz provide any number to contact you

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says December 1, 2014

    Hi Adeela,
    You can prepare and take the exam anywhere. I think there is a testing center in Pakistan, but please double check: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-location/

    Reply
    Sajid Ali says December 15, 2014

    Hi Adeela,

    CMA exams are available worldwide. You can attempt it in Canada. Good luck, I just passed both the parts.

    Reply
      Stephanie Ng says December 15, 2014

      Thanks Sajid,and congrats again! 🙂 Stephanie

      Reply
Bhargava says November 23, 2014

Hi Stephine,

I am done with my Bachelor’s in commerce in 2009 and started working in payroll domain for US firms from June 2010 till present in India, I am interested to study CMA can you guide me will this help to shape my carrier well if I go abroad or with in India and wanted to know, whether my prior experience falls under relevant experience or not.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says November 25, 2014

    Hi Bhargava,
    Thanks for your note. Whether the CMA is going to help you in your job depends on your career aspiration. CMA certification is most useful in big, multi-national (and preferably US based) companies with manufacturing arm, because there are lots of costing and management accounting involved in these companies. As you move up and get involved in strategic planning and the role of COO/CFO, the CMA certification is very relevant as well. No certification can guarantee of job or a path of success, but if the above job nature interests you, then the CMA certification is a good choice. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
      Bhargava says November 26, 2014

      Thank you Stephanie,

      I am interested in cost and management accounting and I wanted to get involved on the same you mentioned.

      But will payroll experience come under relevant experience for certification?

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says November 27, 2014

        Hi Bhargava,
        It depends on whether your role in payroll is a routine work or with some analysis involved. The latter is better. To make sure you can check with IMA in advance at ima@imanet.org.

        Regards
        Stephanie

        Reply
Bhuvana says November 14, 2014

Hello Stephanie,

I find ICFAI university in the link you have provided, but the same is not found it in the IMA site drop down.

regards,
Bhuvana

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says November 17, 2014

    Oh really? It is supposed to be the same link. Let me double check. If unsure, please email IMA at ima@imanet.org

    Reply
Jawdat says November 12, 2014

I believe i have the right experience qualifications, how can i prove it to CMA?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says November 13, 2014

    Hi Jawdat, you can email IMA with a job description and see if they give you a favorable reply. You can do that before joining the CMA program so to make sure everything works towards your certification. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
      Jawdat says November 15, 2014

      Many thanks for your reply. I emailed them with the job description and they mentioned that my experience is qualified. In case i was chosen for further documentation. What their requirements for proof will be? I may leave my current job and i would like to request any documentation that might be needed before that.

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says November 17, 2014

        Hi Jawdat, I believe that as long as your supervisor (or ex-supervisor after leaving your company) is willing to verify your experience, it’s fine.

        Reply
Ashily says November 11, 2014

I am in the last semester of B.com (Hons.) specializing in Finance and Investment. I want to take up a Post Graduate Course before CMA. Which one gives more exemptions for the CMA exams – MBA or M.Com?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says November 13, 2014

    Hi Ashily,
    Your BCOM is perfect for qualifying for the CMA exam. Given there are only two parts in the exam, there won’t be any exemption thereafter. Stephanie

    Reply
Muhammad Jassim says October 30, 2014

Hello Stephanie,

I wanted to know..

1) What are the possible ways for an Indian to be eligible for both the CMA and ICAI qualifications?

2) On passing the CMA exam do we get any proof that we have passed it???

3) Does just passing the examination ( without the experience criterion) help fetch a job? Do firms employ people just on the basis of their passing the exam?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says November 1, 2014

    Hi Muhammad, if you are an Indian national living outside of India while you go through the CMA program, then you should be able to make use of the MRA.

    No really on the exam itself, but once you fulfill the experience requirements, you get the certificate.

    Well you can tell the employers that you pass the exam and all you need is the experience (which hopefully can be provided by the company you are interviewing for). if the company values the CMA certification, it should be helpful. But it is of course better to have the full certification when applying for the job. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
gaurav kawa says October 30, 2014

hi
i have done my graduation …now looking for cma..
can u plzz tell me about how much experience i need n in which field….

Reply
Ravi says October 30, 2014

Hi Stephanie

Would appreciate if you could answer the below queries.

1. Will i be eligible for US CMA membership if i successfully complete the CMA (ICWAI)
2. And currently i am working as an RM for Business loan group in a bank, where we scrutinize the B/S of small companies and then grant loan or reject the file.. so will this experience be counted if i am undertaking US CMA.

Reply
Arun says October 28, 2014

Hi , Stephanie I am a bit confused between CMA or MBA . What do you think which should be done first?? and one more thing which is better CMA from India or from US? or do they have equal value??
Pls let me know ASAP..
Thanks!!

Reply
Ryan says October 14, 2014

I am curious if I would meet the requirements to become a CMA. I worked six years as a Staff Accountant, performing financial statement analysis, various balance sheet reconciliations, served as the equipment management support in relations to Financial activity to the operations area, LIFO restatements, and other month and year end activity. This was done at a equipment dealership, not a manufacturing company. Currently, I am a Financial Analyst, where i review budget to actual for various nonprofits, as well as provide other analytical support.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says October 14, 2014

    It sounds perfectly fine to get qualified, Ryan. But if you want to make sure (which I encourage you to do), please email IMA to confirm. You should be able to do this before registering for the CMA program. Stephanie

    Reply
Harihar says September 27, 2014

Hi ,

Thanks for the informative article ship. I am a sales engineer with 5 years of work exp in manufacturing sector( 1.5 years in Engg maintenance and 3.5 years in sales). After consulting with many financial experts regarding my intention to stay in Engg sector itself but to learn abt finance so that in some years down the line, this knowledge would surely help me climb the ladder soon, they advised me to take up CMA. Now my doubt is since I require 6 months of article ship/training in finance field before taking final exam , how can I manage to accomplish this crieteria as I am a full time employee and working in non finance profile ?. Also can I use grad. Acma after completing final exam if I don’t complete 3 years training ?. Please guide. Thanks in advance for your time and response.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 28, 2014

    Hi Harihar, thank you for your note. I agree that you may need to take a closer look at how you can fulfill the experience requirements. First of all, articleship/training or what we call internships in the US is not counted as experience requirements. Also, you need to gain this experience for two consecutive years (not 6 months).

    In your case, you may need to convince your company for an internal transfer so you can accumulate the experience.

    On your last question, I am sorry but I don’t exactly know what you mean by “grad.Acma”. Could you spell this in full? Please note that the terms and education system varies in different countries.

    Reply
Glenda says September 8, 2014

Hi Stephanie,

I know I have some learning gaps. Should I do some background study before signing up with Gleim? Or, is there enough study materials to help me within the program? I see there is a suggested reading list. Should I do that first?

Thanks,
Glenda

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 9, 2014

    Hi Glenda, that would be great for your accounting knowledge. It’s not necessary though. If you run out of time, going through lots and lots of the practice questions work wonders. Good luck! Stephanie

    Reply
      Glenda says September 9, 2014

      Thanks Stephanie. By the way, I contacted IMA about the job experience requirements. I’ve had my own business for 16 years. They asked me to give them some details about the nature of what I do. Once I gave them the information, they told me I meet the requirements. Thought others who are self-employed might like to know this.

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says September 9, 2014

        Oh that’s great to know! I suspect that is the case but now I can really tell readers that it can work. Thanks so much for sharing! Stephanie

        Reply
Glenda says September 1, 2014

HI. I’m wondering about the experience requirement. (I have a BA from an accredited university, so no problem there). I have had my own consulting/bookkeeping business for 16 years, so the CMA is perfect for me. In this case, what would be appropriate verification of my experience?

Thanks.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 2, 2014

    Hi Glenda,
    This is a great question that I wanted to know the answer myself. Self-employment is not listed as it really depends on the nature of the job, but I would think it’s worth a try asking IMA about it, and on how exactly to verify it. You may want to send them an email on this before the application process: ima@imanet.org. Good luck! Stephanie

    Reply
      Glenda says September 2, 2014

      Thanks Stephanie. I’ll report back in case others have a similar query.

      Glenda

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says September 3, 2014

        Thank you!

        Reply
ronald davis says September 1, 2014

I PRACTICED ALL QUESTIONS OF WILEY, HOCK AND GLEIM,PROVIDERS WITH AN AIM OF PASS IN FIRST ATTEMPT OF CMA PART 2 , IS THAT ENOUGH TO PASS CMA EXAM? REPLY MUST………

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says September 2, 2014

    Hi Ronald, it also depends on how you score in each of these questions… Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
zee shaan says August 28, 2014

Hello sir

Is it necessary to have bachlor’s degree to complete cma

Reply
sushant says August 20, 2014

i am currently 22 having no work experience giving ca finals . i m interested inthis course as its of short duration and globally recognised .. but i am confused about the work experience how can i get that … it would be hard to find one . can you guide more about the work exp requirement

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 21, 2014

    Hi Sushant,
    Getting the experience is the same way of finding a job. The experience can be done in your country or elsewhere. As long as it is relevant and is verified by your supervisor, it can be considered.

    For the list of relevant experience, please check out this page:
    https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-requirements/

    Regards,
    Stephanie

    Reply
Shafeek says August 12, 2014

Hi Stpehanie,
I am B.com graduate from India, now i am working in Saudi Arabia the last 4 years as an Accountant. I am interested to get CMA.
1. Is Gleim Review course enough for self study.
2. Is it possible that to join IMA and attend exam after i self study Gleim Review course.

Regards,
Shafeek

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 13, 2014

    Hi Shafeek,
    Thanks for your note.
    1. Sure. Gleim is my #1 recommendation as you can see from this CMA review course comparison:
    https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-review-course/
    2. Yes you can do that. The only draw back is that you need to schedule not too late in case the prometric center in your area is very popular. Good luck!

    Reply
tom says August 11, 2014

Hi.
I passed the CPA exam 2 years ago. i work as a cost accountant currently for the past 10 years. I wanted to take a crack the CMA exam but i am concerned about the experience requirement. I know IMA website says 2 years of Management or Financial accounting experience. Does my cost accounting experience consider management experience? does it mean a controller/manager position experience? i dont have such experience. i report to the controller directly.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 13, 2014

    Hi Tom, it looks to me that your experience fits pretty well. The IMA has a rather broad definition of relevant experience. Here is a list that I extracted from their handbook:
    https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-requirements/

    But I encourage you to email IMA and in most case they can be quite concise and helpful to tell you whether the experience can be counted. Email: ima@imanet.org. Please quote your ID number. Good luck!

    Reply
Pallavi Dalal says August 5, 2014

Hi Stephanie

I have ordered for the Full Gleim Review course for 2015. I have the online access, however the text books are shipped and will take some time to reach me. Since I am away from studies for a long time, I wanted to know from you, what should be the first step to start studying.

1) I feel I should read from the text book and then visit the review course and answer the multiple choice questions.?? Whats your opinion??

2) Does the text book cover all the topics in detail?? Eg. Definitions, examples, accounting concepts etc.

3) I do not have the syllabus with me. Thus with no text book in hand, the Gleim review directly starts with multiple choice quiz in the study unit. With only the online review course, I feel lost.

Need your help.

Regards
Pallavi

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 7, 2014

    Hi Pallavi,
    That’s good progress! Assuming you get the CMA Review System, they actually have everything online including the text book (in electronic format, known as the Knowledge Transfer). They have a specially designed system for you to follow. I would just do that. I tried it before and it works great for me.

    2. The text book does cover things in a lot of detail, which is good and bad depending on your existing knowledge in the area. The system is supposed to help you filter some part of the book that you don’t need to study, so I encourage you to do that.

    3. Yes I know it’s odd to start with the multiple choice questions, but it is specifically designed for you to get to the studying mode, as well as to check how much you already know the material. For example, if you score 20% in the first MC, it is completely ok because it simply shows you need to study more thoroughly in the topic. If you score 90%, then you might want to skip the book and focus only on the practice questions.

    It’s totally fine if you feel uncomfortable with this new method. Just give it a try for a few days. If you still don’t like it, then email me/drop me a note here again. You can also contact your personal counselor at Gleim.

    Hope it helps? Stpehanie

    Reply
Malek says August 5, 2014

Hi Stephanie,

I’m an industrial engineer and I work in a manufacturing firm, during my 2 years of experience I changed many positions, first i was a production engineer, where i created cost formulas for all products and prepared production budgets from sales forecasts, then i became the acting head for production where i was responsible for purchase orders for my department in addition to the production engineer’s tasks, now I’m the acting head of quality assurance, and I’m responsible for preparing the department’s budget as well as analyzing quality costs, and cost cutting projects.

I already passed part two and waiting for my part 1 result this week, so do you think this experience is OK with the IMA?

Thank you

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 7, 2014

    Hi Malek, thanks for your note. I think your experience later in your period, the part on budgeting and cost analysis, is useful. Depending on how you write the description, they may not count the full 2-year period as applicable. You might want to put more emphasis on the later part in the work verification form. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
      Malek says August 9, 2014

      Thanks very much Stephanie!, that should help i believe.

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says August 10, 2014

        You are most welcome Malek! Stephanie

        Reply
Pallavi Dalal says August 4, 2014

Hi Stephanie

I am thinking of pursuing CMA and want to start preparing for the exam. I intend to take the exam in Jan 2015 (part I) and May 2015 (part II). I have a Bachelors in Financial Accounting and Auditing and MBA from India. Currently I am a housewife and mother of 14 month old son in USA. I have also done CFE. I graduated around 12 years back and I am not in touch with books and studies since then. I have 9 years of work experience in capital market surveillance and compliance and I am looking for job in Columbus Indiana. I had certain doubts, which I wanted to get cleared.

1) I intend to buy the Gleim Study Material (both parts together) for preparation. Is this enough?
2) If I buy the Gleim material in this week, will the syllabus pertain to the year 2015? The gleim website doesn’t specify anything like that.
3) Can I start studying for the exam without registering with the IMA. I feel once I am comfortable with the material, I will register and pay the entrance fee in Nov 2014, and then schedule a exam date for Jan 2015.

Your help is appreciated.

Regards
Pallavi

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 5, 2014

    Hi Pallavi,
    Thank you for your note and I am glad that you are taking the initiative and take the CMA exam. On your first question, if you get the CMA Review System which is completely online, then you don’t need to worry about when you get it because it is regularly and automatically updated online. If you are getting anything that is text based, then it is worth noting that Part 1 will undergo some changes in Jan 2015 so in this you do want to postpone getting anything that is NOT online.

    On your second question, it is very smart for you to do that actually. I ran out of time to study myself before so I am suggesting to readers exactly what you have in mind.

    Your son must be so cute at 14 months old! It’s a great idea to take up some studies besides taking care of the little one. Please let me know if I can be helpful along the way. Cheers, Stephanie

    Reply
      Pallavi Dalal says August 5, 2014

      Thanks a lot Stephanie

      Regards
      Pallavi

      Reply
jialin says July 30, 2014

hi, I’m now in my last semester of master in management, and I registered 6 credit hours in this semester. will I qualify the student discount even if I will graduate and will not get 6 credit hours after this semester?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says August 2, 2014

    Hi Jialin, the criteria is that you need 6 credit hours in each semester, but I believe it is calculated based on last 12 months instead of calendar year, maybe you can still get student discounts for a year. It is best to check with IMA directly at ima@imanet.org. Cheers, Stephanie

    Reply
Koti Reddy Mukku says July 24, 2014

Hi
I am Bachelor of commerce graduate under distance education mode from Indira Gandhi National open university(IGNOU) which is a good accredited/ recognised university in India. I am having 3 years experience in Accounts and Finance related jobs. I want to do your CMA USA course. Am I eligible to appear for CMA exams and can get certified.
Gradate means any graduate whether regular full time or through correspondence/ under distance education mode from good recognised university in India. In other words Graduate under distance education stream from good recognised university is also eligible to appear for IMA’s CMA examination and can get CMA certificate upon successful pass of his exams conducted by IMA.

Please clarify my doubt at the earliest possible.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 24, 2014

    Hi Koti, please check whether your school is on this list:
    https://univ.cc/world.php

    If so, the IMA will most likely recognize your school.

    I am actually not the exam administrator, just someone who went through the CMA exam and want to share the experience. To get an official answer, please double check with the IMA at ima@imanet.org. They are friendly people with prompt replies. Cheers, Stephanie

    Reply
nayef says July 14, 2014

hi , how are you , i’m nayef from jordan , can you tell me what is the bset way to study cma and i’m using the hock material .and should i write notes or just reading, i want to aske you also if i studied gliem questions is this enough .

thanks

Reply
Asha says July 10, 2014

Hi Stephanie,

I have just passed my CMA Part 1 exam, I wanted to know, how much time do I have to prepare and give my Part 2 exam. Do the credits i received expire after a certain time ?

Thanks a lot,
Asha

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 12, 2014

    Hi Asha,
    Congratulations! It depends on your background and knowledge on financial management, but roughly speaking, the time required is similar to what it took you for Part 1. We need to complete the CMA program within 3 years. Cheers, Stephanie

    Reply
Trevor says July 9, 2014

Once you pass all exams and meet all other requirements how long until you receive your certification number?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 10, 2014

    Hmm… I don’t think there is an official answer but it’s supposed to be quick… Stephanie

    Reply
tanya mishra says July 9, 2014

if i am from science side in class 12th as well as did my graduation from science field, then also i can attend this CMA exam ? reply soon…..!!

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says July 10, 2014

    Hi Tanya, yes you can, but you may need to do some extra studying in basic accounting, because candidates are assumed to have basic accounting knowledge. Also, you need to work in relevant field for two years before getting the certification. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Dhakshay says June 29, 2014

Hii i am dhakshay

I am done with Indian CA inter !st group and i am pursuing my articleship under a chartered accountant in dubai. Am i eligible to join CMA? i dont have a degree.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 29, 2014

    Hi Dhakshay, generally you need a bachelor degree to get qualified. In your case, I encourage you email the IMA directly to see if there is any way around it. They can be reached at ima@imanet.org. Good luck!

    Alternatively, you can become a member of ICAI which has reciprocal agreement with the IMA.
    Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
kanchetianeel says June 28, 2014

HI Sir,

1.What is the age maximum limit.
2.Maximum how many attempts are there .
3.TOtal how many subjects are there.
4.I am pure IT(Software) employee,is this experince sufficient or do i need extra experince for econamics .
5.Total how much cost it will take.
6.To comlete entire CMA,how long does it take.
7.I am average at spoken english, that’s why i am asking.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 29, 2014

    Hi Kanchetianeel, here are the answers to your questions:
    1. There is no age limit.
    2. Unlimited attempts, but technically you need to complete the CMA program within 3 years or else you need to pay again (but once you pay you are allowed to do it again).
    3. It’s hard to say the number of “subjects” as each exam section covers a lot of subjects… there are two exam sections for the exam.
    4. No you need to get relevant experience to get the CMA certification, but you can do it after taking the exam. For details please take a look at this page: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-requirements/
    5. You can get an estimate here: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-fees/
    6. Typically people can complete within a year, but you can technically get it done within weeks if you can pass the two exams in one go.
    7. You won’t be tested in your communication skills in English, but there are two essays so good business writing in English is essential.

    Hope it helps! Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Binoy Chacko says June 25, 2014

Hi Stephanie,

I have an MBA in Finance and planning to do the CMA course and I heard that there is a little changes in the Syllabus going to effect from 1 Jan 2015.Is it advisable to get trained and take the two exam before the changes effect. Also heard that if we take exam in sep/oct window there is great chance of passing the exam ,I mean the passing percentage will be more.Can you reply your suggestion

Thanks

Binoy

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 26, 2014

    Hi Binoy,
    Yes there are some changes coming up, not minor though. I have a write up here:
    https://ipassthecmaexam.com/new-cma-exam-changes/

    There might be some seasonal fluctuation but I wouldn’t say a “great chance of passing” in a specific testing window. In any case IMA doesn’t publish pass rates for each window so it’s hard to verify the source. In short, I wouldn’t worry about timing the exam based on this information. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Amit says June 22, 2014

Hi, I am a CMA India, how many papers do I supposed to give for CMA…. any exemption available or I need to give all the papers?????

Reply
safdar khan says June 21, 2014

hi,
I am a CA final student doing my articleship thinking to join this course but, will my articleship be considered as work experience.
please reply ASAP.

Regards,
Safdar Khan

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 24, 2014

    Hi safdar, typically internships and trainee programs don’t count, but not sure if this is the same as articleship. You can check directly with IMA to make sure. It would be great if you can let us know IMA’s views. Thanks, Stephanie

    Reply
Priyamvada Trivedi says June 19, 2014

Hi,

I have been all over the internet for help on the CMA course and finally got to this site. I am a Chartered Accountant from India with a BCom degree too. I have recently moved to Seattle and have planned to take the CMA exam. I am actually stuck on finding some good online classes (extensive training, not just revision classes) which are affordable too (since I couldn’t find any classroom classes in Seattle) as I don’t feel very confident going with self studies. It would be a great help if you could suggest some from your experience. Thanks in advance. 🙂

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 20, 2014

    Hi Priyamvada, I’ve got a post that’s perfect for you 🙂 https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-review-course/
    Sounds like Gleim is the one that works for you, better than Wiley and Hock in your case because the focus is on training/working on practice questions. Typically people get the CMA review system, but depending on how tight your budget is, you can consider only the test prep software.

    Hope it helps! Let me know if you have further questions. You are always welcome here. Stephanie

    Reply
      Priyamvada Trivedi says June 20, 2014

      Thanks Stephanie. I went through Gleim’s review course details and I am going for it. 🙂

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says June 21, 2014

        Great! Let me know if I can be helpful along the way! Stephanie

        Reply
Manikanta R says June 17, 2014

I Have completed B.com Degree in Bangalore University with the aggregate of 60%, now i am planning to do CMA, just let me know the Eligibility criteria for applying CMA… and the fee structure also

Reply
jinesh says June 12, 2014

sure.

Reply
jinesh says June 10, 2014

ohh,that is very great of you.actually what i thought is that only my first question is relevant or other questions can be get answered by myself(if i try) or something like that.in fact the first question was the one which i definitely needed a clear answer and i got it. whatever it is i admire your commitment

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 11, 2014

    Well, I am glad to be helpful. Let me know if you have further questions along the way 🙂 Stephanie

    Reply
jinesh says June 9, 2014

ok,thanks for your valuable suggestions.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 10, 2014

    Sure you are welcome Jinesh. In fact I haven’t finished answering your questions (was about to take a plane):
    2. Well it is generally true that American companies look for the American version of CMA, but I probably won’t put it as strongly. It also depends on the type of company you are working in. For financial services for example, I don’t think they value CMA as much as, say, manufacturing companies like P&G and all that.

    3. No, there is no “certificate” or any proof after passing the CMA exam, because the CMA program is not completed. You will only get the certificate after fulfilling all the requirements including the experience. But it isn’t tough to get done.

    4. Yes either classroom training or online class is fine. More info here: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-cpe-requirements/

    Reply
ankit says June 6, 2014

hi,
Is there any exemption in CMA or CPA exam papers for the India CA holding ACCA degree.

Reply
ankit says June 6, 2014

Hi stephanie,
I have done my B.Com & currently pursuing MCA(Master of Computer Applications) from university which is in the list.Can i eligible for the student discount.If yes ,then ,Is there any problems in future in case i dont able to continue with my MCA course.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 8, 2014

    Hi Ankit, yes you should be able to qualify for student discount as long as you are taking at least 6 credit hours in each semester. You can use this discount for up to 6 years. Stephanie

    Reply
ankit agarwal says June 6, 2014

hi stephanie,
Plz let me know, if i want to self study the cma course which books i should refer?

Reply
ankit agarwal says June 6, 2014

Thanx for yours valuable advice.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 6, 2014

    Most welcome!

    Reply
ankit agarwal says June 5, 2014

Hi Stephanie,
Thanx for the great information you are providing to us.I am a ca final year student and done my B.com 3 years earlier from India .I want to join CMA US course but the fee for professional members is just double.Is i am eligible to get student discount?If i don’t, can you recommend me to join a master degree course to get the discount,or if you have any alternative way to get the discount please let me know.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 5, 2014

    Hi Ankit, thanks for your note. Unfortunately you can’t take the student discount if you graduated 3 years ago, it’s really for existing student. Taking on a master’s degree will get you qualified, but wouldn’t the cost of the master’s program a lot higher than the membership and exam fees?

    Also note that the membership fee is an ongoing payment. If it is too hard on your budget, you may want to consider whether to go ahead. For most accounting professionals, at least in the US, the intangible benefits of joining the IMA network exceed the costs. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
MIHIR BHATT says June 5, 2014

Ok.

Thanks.

Reply
MIHIR BHATT says June 4, 2014

Hiiii

I have inquired about CMA USA from Edupristine Coaching classes.

They provide Becker’s notes for study.

Becker’s notes are valid or good for study.

Kindly advice.

Regards,

Mihir Bhatt

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says June 4, 2014

    Hi Mihir, from what I know, Becker has stopped providing CMA review courses since 2006. If you are talking about CMA review materials from Becker, it is at least 8 years old. I would definitely not use it.
    Here is a bit more info: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/becker-cma-review/

    Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Abdul says May 30, 2014

hi… i have just given my cma part 1 exams and my essay type section was also opened… my question is that… opening of essay type section means that i have obtain 50% of total score i.e 250 or i have just attempted minimum 50% mcqs correct

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 31, 2014

    Hi Abdul, nice to hear from you right after the exam! Basically you achieved at least 50% pass rate in the MC questions. It may not mean that you get 250 correct. But it doesn’t really matter in my opinion. It’s always a good sign that you can proceed to the essay questions.

    Here is more info on the scoring and grading: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-scoring/
    Stephanie

    Reply
Priya says May 27, 2014

Hi Stephanie,

I am a Company Secretary in India. I like to take up CMA. I do not have the requisite work experience. Can i sit for the exam?
My questions are:
My college is not in the list. How should i go about it.
How much credits/score should i need to pass the exam?
How do i find if Prometric has a testing center in India?
Where would i find study material or reading material for the preparation?

I would appreciate your guidance.
Thanks in advance

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 31, 2014

    Hi Priya,
    Yes you can sit for the exam without the experience, but in order to get the certification later on, you have to fulfill the experience requirement.

    On your college not being on the list, I would first double check with IMA first, just in case the list is not updated. If it is truly not on the list, you can get an evaluation from the credential evaluators to get a report to be submitted to IMA. Please check with IMA for more information.

    For passing the exam, you need to score 360 out of 500. Here is more info: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-scoring/

    You can actually locate the center before registration. There is a link on this post that directs you to the relevant prometric page for that (first link on the page): https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-location/

    Since most candidates are busy with full time work, many choose to take the self-study courses. The quality is guaranteed i.e. not affected by the quality of the instructors. You can check the pros and cons of major CMA review providers here: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-review-course/

    Feel free to let me know if you have further questions! Stephanie

    Reply
MIHIR BHATT says May 25, 2014

Hello Stephanie!

My name is Mihir Bhatt. I am a Chartered Accountant from ICAI ( Institute of Chartered Accountant of India ). I am planning to go for CMA (USA). I want to know what is value addition of CMA USA in India or USA ? Should i get a job from US MNC in india ?. Suppose i will migrate from India to USA , Should i get job in USA ?

Like CPA , CMA USA is recognized by US Govt ?

Your help will be highly appreciated.

Thanks & Regards,

Mihir Bhatt

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 26, 2014

    Hi Mihir,
    Thanks for your note. The most value-add is in companies with a sizable team in cost and inventory accounting, as well as for big, fortune 500 type of companies.These companies’ US headquarters and regional offices will likely value your CMA certification.

    The US government doesn’t really “recognize” CPA, but CPAs are required to sign off audit reports, so companies MUST have at least some CPAs around. For CMA there is no such statutory requirement. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
      MIHIR BHATT says May 26, 2014

      Thanks a lot.

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says May 31, 2014

        🙂

        Reply
Anthony says May 18, 2014

Hi Stephanie!
Thank you very much for the information here. It is very helpful.
I am economics and finance major. I understand that exams can be taken anywhere. My question is: “If I work in a local hotel (Korea) in cost controlling position, can this experience be counted to satisfy certification requirements?” I don’t quit grasp how work experience is verified if you are not in US.
Thank you,
Anthony

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 19, 2014

    Hi Anthony, thanks for your note and your kind words! Cost controlling should be a relevant experience, but it is best to double check with IMA. I believe they can even pre-approve the experience for you if preferred. It does not matter whether you work in the US or not. As long as you can get the experience form signed (i.e. verified) by your supervisor, you are all set.

    If you have other questions, drop a note any time! Stephanie

    Reply
      Anthony says May 25, 2014

      Thank you!

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says May 31, 2014

        Sure Anthony!

        Reply
amit says May 8, 2014

Hi Stephanie,
First of all i would like to thank you for providing all the information here, I was clueless and ur replies helped me a lot 🙂 I am a Student in India who has just completed graduation and now i would like to pursue ICWA. I would like to know if it is equivalent to CMA US or should i prefer CMA US to ICWA?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 10, 2014

    Hi Amit, these two qualifications have reciprocal arrangement. So you can decide which one is easier to get for you and go ahead. Most of my readers pursued ICWA before hand so they just applied for the CMA certification afterwards, but I do have a few who did the other way round, i.e. take the CMA US first, then get the ICWA. Cheers, Stephanie

    Reply
Saad says May 5, 2014

Hello

Does the fees concession is available to the Indian students as well?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says May 10, 2014

    Yes! As long as you are taking 6 or more credit hours per semester in the year you are applying. You also need to fill out the graduation year in your application. I just include an application form at the bottom of this page:
    https://ipasthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-fees/

    FYI only, the young professional membership discount applies to those in US, Canada and Mexico only.

    Reply
jinesh says April 27, 2014

Hello,

i am an m.com student.i am from India.what is the job prospects of this course in India.can we get a job in India after completing this course?

i am not meeting the work experience part so just merely passing the exams will get me a job or not.will any company consider this in this way?can i get a good job on the basis of just passing the exams and complete the requirement later?personally i prefer to commence my career in big companies rather than small companies just to complete this formality

will it be waste of time and money.do they issue any certificate on the basis of just passing the exams?

so after reading all this.should i do this course?

regards.

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says April 30, 2014

    Hi Jinesh, I am not familiar with the job situation in India, but in all honestly, I don’t think any certification can guarantee jobs in India or anywhere. Also, without fulfilling the experience requirement you cannot get the CMA title, but you can mention it in your CV that you pass the CMA exam.

    Tens of thousands of candidates sit for the pass the exam, so at least for these people it is not a waste of time and money. Whether it is the case for you largely depends on your own background and career aspiration. It’s a question only you can answer I am afraid. Best wishes to you and your career! Stephanie

    Reply
      jinesh says June 5, 2014

      thanks for your reply.

      if i apply for cma us and at the same time i took a job as an accountant will it be considered as relevant experience by them if i work for 2 years.

      likewise what will be the fees approximately for the entire course?i got a message from an institute named ‘miles’ in India providing coaching for this course.have you heard about this institute?whether coaching is needed or can we pass by self study?
      is this course rigorous?

      Reply
        Stephanie Ng says June 5, 2014

        Hi Jinesh,
        Yes the working experience can be counted.
        On Miles, I don’t know enough to comment on the program, but I understand it has a sizable presence in India. From what I know they use IMA materials (Wiley CMA Learning System) in the class, so the value add is on the instructor and classroom setting.

        I would ask your peers to get some feedback on the course, specially on the instructor you are getting because it will have a big impact on your learning experience.

        I generally recommend self-study courses, not only because it is generally more affordable, but also I don’t need to worry about the quality of individual instructors. The ones on my list are all renowned and experienced instructors on a US national level. Hope it helps! Stephanie

        Reply
        Stephanie Ng says June 5, 2014

        Hi Jinesh,
        Yes the working experience can be counted.
        On Miles, I don’t know enough to comment on the program, but I understand it has a sizable presence in India. From what I know they use IMA materials (Wiley CMA Learning System) in the class, so the value add is on the instructor and classroom setting.

        I would ask your peers to get some feedback on the course, specially on the instructor you are getting because it will have a big impact on your learning experience.

        I generally recommend self-study courses, not only because it is generally more affordable, but also I don’t need to worry about the quality of individual instructors. The ones on my list are all renowned and experienced instructors on a US national level.

        More info here: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-review-course/
        On fees: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-fees/

        Hope it helps! Stephanie

        Reply
          jinesh says June 6, 2014

          ok,Thanks again.

          i have some more doubts also.please clarify

          1.There is said an annual membership fee has to be paid in order to maintain the membership.so it means that we have to pay an stipulated amount each year for life time even after we qualify?then only we can use the cma title and our membership remains valid,or otherwise will our title be removed?do the companies check whether we are a member or they rely on our certificate.will it be a problem if we don,t pay that fees later?

          2.when i asked a instructor he said the us companies in India will consider only the cma(us) and in that way we will get job in india itself.what is madam,s take on that?

          3.do they provide a certificate after passing two papers or they will give only after providing sufficient experience.do we need to pass the objective and theory separately?likewise what is the minimum pass mark ?

          4.likewise there is continuous education after we pass. is this a classroom training or we just read it by ourselves.can madam please explain this ?

          regards

          Reply
          Stephanie Ng says June 8, 2014

          Hi Jinesh,
          1. You are right you should expect to pay the membership fee every year thereafter. As to whether companies will find out whether your certification is valid, I don’t think most companies will check, having said that, CMAs should uphold their integrity (IMA is very serious about that). Also, it is very easy for companies to check if they choose to.

          Reply
Ajit says April 25, 2014

Hello Stephanie!

Currently i am pursuing ICWA in India & completed mba in India & also i am working in a CA Firm as part time. I want to do CMA US in India and want to work in US but I’m a below avarge student, so can i apply for Cma US ?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says April 30, 2014

    Hi Ajit, did you know that once you complete your ICWA you can get the CMA certification?
    https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-in-india/

    But then, if you want to do it at the same time, with the MBA you are definitely qualified for the exam. The grades don’t matter so no need to worry about it. Stephanie

    Reply
Avishek Chatterjee says April 22, 2014

I am from Canada, Toronto but I have done my B.Com (Honours) from India. I have registered with CMA but after sending them all my transcripts etc they have told me to complete 2 prequalifying courses i.e. Statistucs and Economics. Can you please explain why? Why can’t I sit for the main exam directly? What do i do?

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says April 24, 2014

    Hi Avishek, I honestly have no idea, and haven’t heard of this… Did you apply for CMA (US) or CMA (Canada)? My site is only about CMA administrated by IMA in the US. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply
Khalid says April 11, 2014

Greetings Stephanie,
I became an IMA member in March 2013 and decided to start with part 2. Since then I took part 2 twice in October 2013 and February 2014. For the exam I took in October I got 300, for February exam I got 350. I was really disappointed and furstrated to see my score extremely close to the passing score. If I got one or two of the multible choice questions I missed right I would have passed!. I am really hesitant whether I should pursue trying or not. I really wonder if I will pass on my next attempt or not. If so how will I do on part 1 given that it has a lower passing rate. Would I be able to pass both parts within the three years window (prior to March 2016).
Please I need your advice.

You advice and reply are highly appreciated.

Regards,
Khalid

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says April 16, 2014

    Hi Khalid,
    It is indeed very frustrating! Have you been working on your practice questions? Make sure you do that, and redo the ones you did wrong previously. Here is also an article dedicated to retakers. I hope it will be helpful for you to analyze your situation: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/fail-to-pass-the-cma-exam/

    Stephanie

    Reply
Ahsan Anjum says April 9, 2014

Dear Sir,
I am new in CMA and not regisered yet…
I want to appear in May-June attempt. I am getting coaching by my brother.
please help me, I want to appear in CMA part-2 firstly. it is possible??
and how much money required???
I am not a bachelor????? Is it necessary to become a bachelor first.??
My planning is here:
1. Pass CMA exams.
2. Complete B.Com degree (it is already continue and half have been completed)
3. Get 2 years experience…

Reply
    Stephanie Ng says April 16, 2014

    Hi Ahsan, you are right that typically a bachelor’s degree is required for CMA exam qualification, but you can take the exam before graduation (allowed as long as you are registered for at least six credits per semester during the academic year).

    Here are more info for you:
    Money required: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-fees/
    Frequently asked questions: https://ipassthecmaexam.com/cma-exam-faq/

    Lastly, you can take part 2 or part 1 first. Doesn’t matter. Regards, Stephanie

    Reply