Is the CMA Exam Really That Tough?

If you’ve been studying to become a CMA, you may be wondering if the CMA exam is really that tough. After all, the CMA pass rates are only about 45-50%. Still, that means that half of the candidates pass their exams. What do these candidates know that the others don’t? Well, it’s all about your study prep. So, in this post, let’s take a fresh look at study tips to pass the CMA exam.

Does the CMA Exam Actually Seem that Difficult?

First, let’s review the CMA pass rates. They aren’t a magic crystal ball, but they can at least tell us how candidates do on the exam, on average.

The global CMA exam pass rate hovers between 45% and 50%. Although that’s not very high, it’s higher than the pass rates for other professional accounting exams, like the CPA Exam.

Why does the CMA exam have a low pass rate?

This goes without saying: CMA candidates who have a good study plan – and stick to it – do better on the CMA exam than candidates who wing it. That is, the CMA exam pass rates are low, in part, because some candidates don’t take studying seriously. For instance, they underestimate how hard the exam is.

But here’s the good news: if you understand the exam’s content, study with one of the best CMA review courses, and stick to your study plan, you can ace the CMA exam.

Tips to Pass the CMA Exam

1.      Study! Don’t underestimate the overall difficulty of the CMA Exam

We’ve already mentioned it, but it’s worth repeating because it’s the primary reason why people fail the CMA exam. The CMA exam is challenging, and only about half of candidates pass. You need a good study plan and the dedication to stick to it.

2.      Start learning your formulas NOW

You need to know a lot of formulas to pass the CMA exam. Even if you memorize things easily, start working on this now so that you’re not stressed to memorize the formulas at the last minute.

3.      Don’t let the wording of CMA questions trick you

The CMA exam questions are designed to be tricky. However, many test-takers complain that the wording is sometimes a bit unusual. Don’t let that get you down. Take your time to read each question and answer it carefully. And if you use a test bank with lots of practice questions (like Gleim’s CMA test bank), you’ll gain a better understanding of how CMA questions are structured.

4.      Keep in mind that the CMA exam content is broad but not extremely in-depth

If you look at the CMA exam syllabus, it might seem like the exam covers a lot of content. And it does! However, you don’t have to be an expert in every single topic tested on the CMA exam. Instead, you need to have a basic level of knowledge on a wide range of topics.

Since the CMA exam covers a wide range of topics, it is essential to study with a review course like Gleim or Becker that is regularly updated and helps you systematically work through the exam content.

5.      Don’t think that you can only answer practice MCQs and pass the CMA exam

One of the biggest tips to pass the CMA exam is to work through all of the questions in your CMA review course. And although some companies like Gleim have great test banks, it’s not enough to only answer practice MCQs if you want to pass. Instead, you should use all of the study tools in your review course and read the textbooks, watch the videos, and take the practice exams in addition to answering the MCQs in the test bank.

6.      Study with a CMA review course that has mock exams

Here’s a good tip frequently shared by people who have passed the CMA exam: take several mock exams before exam day. Some of the best CMA review courses, like Gleim and Becker, include practice exams that replicate the look, timing, and functionality of the real exam. When you take one of these mock exams, you can understand how quickly you need to answer questions and how it feels to answer questions under pressure.

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Bottom Line: You can pass the CMA exam despite the difficulty

Is the CMA exam hard? Yes.

But can you pass the CMA exam if you put forth the proper study tactics? Absolutely! In fact, thousands of people pass the CMA exam every year. And you can pass the CMA exam, too! Good luck, future CMA!