CIMA Syllabus and Subjects

CIMA Syllabus and Subjects – Complete Details

CIMA Syllabus and Subjects – The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification is one of the most globally-recognised and sought-after business accreditations. It combines accounting, finance and management with the leading-edge skills and techniques that drive successful modern businesses. Here we are providing Complete details of CIMA Syllabus and subjects for CIMA Students.

The syllabus is split into three pillars and three levels, and comprises 12 exams: nine objective tests, and three case studies.

Pillars

The syllabus is split into Three pillars. The content of each pillar develops as you move up the qualification. The pillars are interlinked to provide a consistent body of knowledge. They are designed to cover a range of useful business areas in addition to finance. These are:

The enterprise pillar deals with the formulation of strategy, as well as its effective implementation. It emphasises how change management, project management, relationship management and the structuring of organisations can help to successfully implement strategy.

The performance pillar uses the tools and techniques of management accounting and risk management to ensure that strategy is realistic and to monitor its implementation. It shows students how to use their understanding of costs to construct budgets, make decisions about prices and capital expenditure, manage costs and manage performance. It develops the ability of students to progressively identify, classify, evaluate and manage risk.

The financial pillar focus is the financial accounting and reporting obligations of the organisation. This includes an understanding of the regulatory framework and external reporting requirements, and the ability to construct and evaluate complex financial statements to show the financial position and performance of the organisation. The fundamentals of business tax are covered, as are the tax implications of financing decisions. It also looks at formulating financial strategy, which is linked to the formulation of organisational strategy in the enterprise pillar and assessing risk in the performance pillar.

The subjects in each learning pillar are designed to be sequential, from operational to strategic level, encouraging the progressive development of knowledge, techniques and skills.

Levels

The syllabus is also divided into three levels of achievement. Students progress from the operational level to the management level and finally to the strategic level. At each level students study subjects across the three pillars.

The operational level covers the implementation of strategy, as well as reporting on the implementation of strategy.Its focus is the short-term.This level Contains 3 subjects.

Organisational Management (E1)
Management Accounting (P1)
Financial Reporting and Taxation (F1)

Best Recommended Video lectures for Operational level subjects

cima certification

The management level translates the strategy decided at higher levels, and communicates it to lower levels for implementation. It monitors and reports on the implementation of strategy, and ensures corrective action is taken when required. It has a medium-term focus.This level contains 3 subjects.

Project and relationship Management (E2)
Advanced management Accounting (P2)
Advanced Financial Reporting (F2)

Best Recommended video lectures for Management level subjects

The strategic level concentrates on making strategic decisions and providing the context for which those decisions will be implemented. Its focus is the long-term.

This level contains 3 subjects.

Strategic management
Risk management
Financial Strategy

Best Recommended video lectures for Strategic level subjects

Objective tests

The objective tests will focus on levels one, two and three of the CIMA hierarchy of verbs. However, they will also test levels four and five, especially at the management and

strategic levels. Therefore, candidates can expect to be tested on knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis and evaluation, in these examinations.

The results will be available shortly after sitting an objective test, and will provide candidates with specific feedback.

Where a student has not passed, this feedback will provide information to help guide them in revising, prior to re-sitting. Within each level, candidates are able to sit the objective tests in any order. However, they must complete (or receive an exemption from) the three objective tests at each level, prior to attempting that level’s integrated case study.

Integrated case study exams

The integrated case study exams combine the knowledge and learning across the three pillars, and are set within

a simulated business context relating to one or more fictionalised organisations – based on a real business or industry. Examples of these are provided on page 93, as well as on the CIMA website.

The integrated case studies are three hours long. They include both pre-seen material (and a database of related information), and unseen material, made available during the assessment. The case studies incorporate calculations, short

answers and essays. Their focus is on: application, analysis and evaluation which are levels three, four and five of the CIMA hierarchy of verbs. They will be marked by examiners.

Simulated business issues in the integrated case studies provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate their familiarity with the context and interrelationships of that level’s subjects. This reflects the cross-functional working required in the workplace. Skills will include research and analysis, presentation of both financial and non-financial information, and communication skills.

As with the objective tests, feedback will be provided to candidates with their results. Exam sittings for the case study exams will occur every three months. Candidates must have completed (or have been exempt from) the three objective tests at a particular level, before attempting that level’s integrated case study. You can download CIMA Exam Syllabus and Subject Complte details

CIMA Professional Qualification Syllabus 2015

CIMA Syllabus topic weightings

Each subject is divided into a number of broad CIMA syllabus topics.

A percentage weighting is shown against each CIMA syllabus topic and is intended as a guide to the proportion of study time each topic requires.

It is essential that all topics in the CIMA syllabus are studied, as all topics will be examined. The weightings do not specify the number of marks that will be allocated to topics in the examination.

Enterprise pillar

Operational Level :

Organisational Management E1

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Introduction to Organisations	25%
B	Managing the finance function	15%
C	Managing technology and information	15%
D	Operations management	15%
E	Marketing	15%
F	managing Human Capital	15%

Management Level :

Project and Relationship Management E2

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Introduction to Strategic Management and Assessing the global Environment	30%
B	The human aspects of Organisation	20%
C	Managing Relationships	20%
D	Managing Change through projects	30%

Strategic level :

Strategic Management E3

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Interacting with the organisations Environment	20%
B	Evaluating Strategic position and strategic options	30%
C	Leading Change	20%
D	Implementating Strategy	15%
E	The Role of Information systems in organisational strategy	15%

Performance Pillar

Operational Level :

Management Accounting P1

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Costing Accounting Systems	30%
B	Budgeting	25%
C	Short Term Decision Making	30%
D	Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty	15%

Management Level :

Advanced management Accounting P2

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Cost Planning and Analysis for Competitive Advantage	25%
B	Control and Performance Management of Responsibility Centres	30%
C	Long Term Decision making	30%
D	Management Control and Risk	15%

Strategic Level :

Risk Management P3

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Identification, Classification and Evaluation of Risk	20%
B	Responses to Strategic Risk	20%
C	Internal Controls to Manage Risk	20%
D	Managing Risk Associate with cash Flow	20%
E	Managing Risk Associate with capital investment decisions	20%

Financial Pillar

Operational Level :

Financial Reporting and Taxation F1

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Regulatory Environment for Financial Reporting and Corporate Governance	10%
B	Financial Accounting and Reporting	45%
C	Management of Working capital, Cash and Sources of short term Finance	20%
D	Fundamentals of Finance Taxation	25%

Management Level :

Advanced Financial Reporting F2

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Sources of Long Term Finance	15%
B	Financial Reporting	60%
C	Analysis of Financial Performance and Position	25%

Strategic Level :

Financial Strategy F3

Steps	Topics	Weighting
A	Formulation of Financial Strategy	25%
B	Financial and Dividend Decisions	35%
C	Corporate Finance	40%

CIMA Exam Full Syllabus and Pillar

CIMA’s 2015 revised syllabus launch has created an exciting future for the qualification.All exams will now be taken on computer. The existing papers will be set as objective tests, with the addition of integrated case studies after each level is complete

All Certificate level papers completed ( Advice for August 2014 onwards)

Move on to the Professional Qualification and attempt the Operational level
If you take all 3 Operational papers and pass the November exams, you will move on to the new Management level in 2015. You will not have to take the Operational integrated case study.
Alternatively take one or two Operational papers to keep moving through the qualification in November 2014. In 2015, sit any remaining Operational papers, followed by the Operational integrated case study.

IMPORTANT:

For all the Professional papers below, if you fail an exam at the May 2014 sitting, we recommend that you attempt your resit in the August/September sitting. This will give you an extra chance to complete a level under the current syllabus.

Operational Level papers completed ( Advice for August 2014 onwards)

E1	F1	P1	Move on to the Management level. If you take all 3 papers and pass the November 2014 exams, you will move on to Strategic in 2015. You will not have to take the Management integrated case study. Alternatively, take one or two Management papers in November 2014 to keep moving through the qualification. In 2015, sit any remaining Management subjects, followed by the Management integrated case study.
E1	F1		Take the P1 exam in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Operational integrated case study in 2015. If you want to take more than one exam, sit any other paper from the Management level. We suggest F2, as the content builds heavily on the F1 paper you’ve already passed.
E1		P1	Take the F1 exam in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Operational integrated case study in 2015. If you want to take more than one exam, sit any other paper from the Management level. We suggest E2, leaving F2 and P2 to be taken as close to the Management integrated case study in 2015 as possible
	F1	P1	Take the E1 exam in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Operational integrated case study in 2015. If you want to take more than one exam, sit any other paper from the Management level. We suggest F2, as the content builds heavily on the F1 paper you’ve already passed.
E1			Take F1 and P1 exams in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Operational integrated case study in 2015. If you only take/pass one of these papers, CIMA will waive the other, allowing you to move straight onto the Operational integrated case study in 2015. The case study will include topics from all three papers. We strongly advise taking both papers in November, as this will exempt you from the case study and most importantly give you a solid platform for your Management level studies which build on these papers.
	F1		Take E1 and P1 exams in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Operational integrated case study in 2015. If you only take/pass one of these papers, CIMA will waive the other allowing you to move straight onto the Operational integrated case study in 2015. The case study will include topics from all three papers. We strongly advise taking both papers in November, as this will exempt you from the case study and most importantly give you a solid platform for your Management level studies which build on these papers.
		P1	Take E1 and F1 exams in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Operational integrated case study in 2015. If you only take/pass one of these papers, CIMA will waive the other allowing you to move straight onto the Operational integrated case study in 2015. The case study will include topics from all three papers. We strongly advise taking both papers in November, as this will exempt you from the case study and most importantly give you a solid platform for your Management level studies which build on these papers.

Management Level papers completed ( Advice for August 2014 onwards)

E2	F2	P2	Move on to the Strategic level for November 2014. CIMA requirements for the 2010 syllabus are that you must sit all three Strategic papers together at your first attempt. If you pass the three papers in 2014, you will move on to the Strategic level integrated case study in 2015.
E2	F2		Take the P2 exam in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Management integrated case study in 2015.
E2		P2	Take the F2 exam in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Management integrated case study in 2015.
	F2	P2	Take the E2 exam in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Management integrated case study in 2015.
E2			Take the P2 and F2 exams in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Management integrated case study in 2015. If you only want to sit one paper in November, you can then take the other from 2015 by objective test, and subsequently sit the Management integrated case study. Please note that the Case Study will require you to remember the content of all three papers, so we recommend that you complete it as soon as possible.
	F2		Take the P2 and E2 exams in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Management integrated case study in 2015. If you only want to sit one paper in November, you can then take the other from 2015 by objective test, and subsequently sit the Management integrated case study. Please note that the Case Study will require you to remember the content of all three papers, so we recommend that you complete it as soon as possible.
		P2	Take the F2 and E2 exams in November 2014 to ensure you complete the level. If you pass, you will not have to sit the Management integrated case study in 2015. If you only want to sit one paper in November, you can then take the other from 2015 by objective test, and subsequently sit the Management integrated case study. Please note that the Case Study will require you to remember the content of all three papers, so we recommend that you complete it as soon as possible

Strategic Level papers completed (Advice for August 2014 onwards)

E3	F3	P3	Move on to the Professional Competence Level. Sit T4 in August/September 2014 by computer based exam (courses start in July 2014). If you pass, you will have completed all exams. If you are unsuccessful in T4, you can resit in November 2014 using the same pre-seen material.
E3	F3		We recommend you take P3 as a resit in August/September 2014 then attempt T4 in November 2014. If you pass, then you will have completed all exams. Alternatively, you can sit P3 in November 2014, followed by the Strategic integrated case study in 2015. Please note that the integrated case study will require you to retain more knowledge about E3, F3 and P3 than you would in T4.
E3		P3	We recommend you take F3 as a resit in August/September 2014 then attempt T4 in November 2014. If you pass, then you will have completed all exams. Alternatively, you can sit F3 in November 2014, followed by the Strategic integrated case study in 2015. Please note that the integrated case study will require you to retain more knowledge about E3, F3 and P3 than you would in T4.
	F3	P3	We recommend you take E3 as a resit in August/September 2014 then attempt T4 in November 2014. If you pass, then you will have completed all exams. Alternatively, you can sit E3 in November 2014, followed by the Strategic integrated case study in 2015. Please note that the integrated case study will require you to retain more knowledge about E3, F3 and P3 than you would in T4.
E3			We recommend you take F3 and P3 as a resit in August/September 2014 then attempt T4 in November 2014. If you pass, then you will have completed all exams. Alternatively, you can resit your Strategic exams in November 2014, followed by the Strategic integrated case study in 2015. Please note that the integrated case study will require you to retain more knowledge about E3, F3 and P3 than you would in T4.
	F3		We recommend you take E3 and P3 as a resit in August/September 2014 then attempt T4 in November 2014. If you pass, then you will have completed all exams. Alternatively, you can resit your Strategic exams in November 2014, followed by the Strategic integrated case study in 2015. Please note that the integrated case study will require you to retain more knowledge about E3, F3 and P3 than you would in T4.
		P3	We recommend you take E3 and F3 as a resit in August/September 2014 then attempt T4 in November 2014. If you pass, then you will have completed all exams. Alternatively, you can resit your Strategic exams in November 2014, followed by the Strategic integrated case study in 2015. Please note that the integrated case study will require you to retain more knowledge about E3, F3 and P3 than you would in T4.

Professional Competence Level (T4 part b) exam not completed

If you were unsuccessful in your T4 exam in May 2014, then we recommend that you resit in August/September. If you pass, you will have completed all your exams.
If you fail in August/September, then you can resit in November 2014 using the same pre-seen material.
If you do not complete T4 in 2014, then you will be required to sit the Strategic integrated case study from 2015.