cima case study verbs

How to Pass CIMA Case Study Exams: Detailed Guide to Success

This CIMA case study article shows you how to write an answer that puts you ahead of 90% of candidates, offers expert preparation tips, and increases your chances of obtaining your qualification.

1. How to Pass CIMA Case Study Exams: An Introduction to Our CIMA Exam Experience

In the last five years, we’ve helped over 10,000 CIMA students from 94 countries prepare for and pass their CIMA exams. In that time, VIVA’s tutors have seen every kind of exam answer you can imagine.

As an official CIMA tuition provider, we've seen everything; the good, the bad, and the downright baffling! But more importantly, we’ve also seen what works, and what definitely does not work.

In this article, we’ve compiled all of the key DOs and DON’Ts our CIMA tutors have gleaned from their years marking VIVA students’ CIMA mock exam answers. We see the same kinds of mistakes made over and over again. And the great news for you is — these mistakes can be very quickly rectified to help you pass your CIMA exams the first time around.

The Starting Point: What to Be Aware of before Learning More about CIMA Exam Strategies

The first step is being aware of what to avoid in CIMA exams.

This sets the foundation for you to go on refining and perfecting your approach. As in any other walk of life, perhaps the most important thing is to avoid doing foolish things rather than seeking perfection.

In the words of the very wise Charlie Munger: “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”

All the advice below comes directly from our CIMA case study professional tutors, who mark thousands of student scripts throughout the year.

If you wish to get your VIVA mock exam answers corrected, check out our CIMA course pages , where you can obtain professional marking services as part of the Elite Course.

2. What to Expect on Exam Day

Before we get into the meat of the matter, let’s just review what exactly you can expect to be presented with on exam day. (Feel free to skip on to the next section if you are already well acquainted with the Case Study exam format):

• You will be faced with 1 of 3 CIMA exam variants during any specific exam window (that's a total of 6 variants per pre-seen document under the 2019 CIMA syllabus)
• Each variant is broken down into timed sections (maximum of 5, minimum of 3)
• Each section will include either emails, records of conversations, schedules of information or combinations of all 3
• These give new information that leads on from the pre-seen document information
• Within each section, there will be a task or tasks for the candidate to complete (e.g. write a report, write sections of a report, write an email)
• These tasks might be embedded in the body of the email or conversation
• The task or tasks might include several different elements that pull from different pillars and competencies
• Candidates are NOT expected to perform any detailed calculations
• Each section will move through time (you cannot go back to a previous section once you move on to a subsequent section)

Of course, the best way to familiarise yourself with the real-life experience of a CIMA case study exam is to practice as many different mock exams as possible.

VIVA's OCS, MCS and SCS courses come with up to 5 different professionally prepared CIMA mock exams based on the current pre-seen, which you can practice online under timed exam conditions.

You’ll also want to review past CIMA exam variants to familiarise yourself with the different question styles that can come up.

However, there’s no substitute for timed practice based on the current pre-seen material – and that’s what you’ll get with us.

Source: Pexels

3. Reading the Question: Establishing the Case Study Exam Tasks and Requirements

One common error that our tutors' report is that students do not answer all the requirements included in the task.

In some cases, of course, this is simply down to the student not knowing how to answer the particular requirement. However, we have seen many scenarios in which students have simply missed the requirement due to not having read the question carefully enough!

Consider the sample below taken from a case study exam:

Here we have examples of what is sometimes called “triggers”. These are the places in the question where the requirements are explicitly stated.

Triggers are sometimes in the form of questions, sometimes not. Look out for phrases like “I need you to”, “I would welcome your suggestions for”, “Please draft”, and “Can you please include in your report”.

These are the sections that you really need to pay close attention to because it is there that you will be presented with the requirements.

As you can see in the screenshot above, there is one “task”, i.e., the report that you must draft. But the task has two requirements.

One is a comparison of financial performance and the other deals with the introduction of the balanced scorecard.

However, notice that each requirement contains several sub-requirements.

In the case of the first requirement, notice the “and.” You have to both “compare” and “analyse the implications.” Too many students will simply read the “Compare” part and completely pass over the analysis of the implications:

Likewise, in the case of the second requirement. There’s even more going on here, so you must pay close attention as you read through these “triggers.”

Not only do you have to offer your “suggestions for the other three quadrants,” but you also have to “explain why we have chosen the measures for each quadrant” and “ how they will influence behaviours in the company.”

All of these elements must be addressed to gain full marks.

But too often, students only pay attention to the first one or two. It is not necessarily the case that the first thing asked is the most important or even carries the most weight in terms of marks!

So, it’s essential that you carefully read these trigger sections thoroughly, making a note of each requirement as you go.

Another crucial point: answer the questions that have been asked!

This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many students fail to do this. There are two main reasons students fail to answer the question asked:

(i) because they answer a question they wish they had been asked instead;

(ii) They don't read the trigger verbs carefully enough and misinterpret what is being asked.

The first reason has to do with the fact that sometimes, students will carefully prepare for particular kinds of questions during their exam preparation or practice. They will feel much more confident about some particular question types than others and will have prepared very effectively for those question types.

So strong is their hope that this kind of question will come up on exam day that when they read a question that is superficially similar, they will "shoehorn" their prepared answer into that question.

The result is an answer that is either only partly relevant or, in the worst case, utterly irrelevant to the question being asked!

So remember: don't let your hopes/preferences/strengths influence the kind of answer that you give. Allow the question to dictate what kind of answer you write.

The second reason students fail to answer the question asked is that they misinterpret a key term or phrase or forget what they were asked after they start writing. Consider the example below: ‍

In this example, an incorrect interpretation of the question might be to think about identifying the "limitations" or "drawbacks" of TQM, instead of the "obstacles" that might be encountered when implementing TQM.

The second part of the requirement is about how to overcome those obstacles. An incorrect interpretation might be "what the benefits of TQM would be, after implementing."

You can see that these are "similar" kinds of questions, but strictly speaking, they are different. So be very careful when reading the requirements or trigger sections that you identify the key verbs and key terms so you are certain that you are answering what is being asked.

A final point: ensure that your answers are in alignment with the question asked.

This is essentially about ensuring that you do not go off task as you write your answer - that your answer tracks the requirement and corresponds to each part of the requirement.

Too often, students go off task, padding or filling out their answers with irrelevant information. While writing each new paragraph, the key is to briefly refer back to the question and quickly ask yourself: "Is this relevant and contributing to answering the question?".

This is a good "check" to ensure you align your answers with the question.

4. Good Structure and Planning Can Help You Pass Your CIMA Case Study Exam

We really can’t overemphasize the importance of proper structure for your answers when it comes to achieving the required CIMA pass rates.

There are three main reasons why structure and careful planning is essential for getting your CIMA certificate:

1. It helps to ensure you have enough points raised to obtain top marks

2. It helps to prevent the duplication of content

3. It makes life easier for the marker – more precisely, it makes it easier for the marker to see that you have indeed addressed each requirement adequately, where you have done so, and how much you have written for each requirement. Consider good structure as being key to a more positive examiner experience.

If you clearly signal where each task starts and ends with headings and sub-headings and give each relevant point a full, separate paragraph, you will be making the examiner’s life easier (a happy examiner is likely to be more generous with marks!).

The post-exam reports ALWAYS mention the importance of structure. An orderly answer indicates an orderly and clear thought process behind your answer and shows evidence of planning.

5. Our Top Tips for CIMA Case Study Exam Structure and Planning

Firstly, a common question from students is: how do I know how many paragraphs to write for each task?

Now sometimes, we get lucky and a task or requirement will say something like: "Identify five risks..." or "Give three benefits...". In such questions, it's obvious how many paragraphs there should be!

For five risks, we will write five paragraphs, one for each risk. For the three benefits, we will write three paragraphs, one for each benefit.

Unfortunately, CIMA isn't always so generous! We are not always given the specific number of points explicitly. And so the question then becomes: how do we decide on the number of paragraphs to write?

The key is to look at the percentage of marks allocated for that particular task. CIMA now includes a percentage allocation for each task.

A good rule of thumb here is that for every 10% allocated to a particular task, you add one paragraph. So if a task is worth, say, 33%, you will write approximately three paragraphs. If a task is worth 60%, you will write about six paragraphs.

Note that this is a "rule of thumb." This, of course, isn't supposed to be a perfect formula, but rather a guideline to get you started.

There may be cases where four paragraphs are sufficient for a 60% task, if the paragraphs are long and substantial enough in terms of content . Nevertheless, this is a useful general guideline.

We recommend that you plan and structure your answers before you begin writing. 

However, many people lose valuable time at the beginning of each section planning their answers elaborately on the separate whiteboard provided on exam day. Instead, we recommend planning your answer within the answer box itself, not on the whiteboard or outside of the answer box.

A great way to plan on the fly is to work up a structure and fill in the gaps as you proceed. This forces you to get writing immediately, and by the time your structure is "filled out" the answer pretty much writes itself as you just go back and flesh out each heading and sub-heading:

Requirement A (this would correspond to the first requirement, so use an appropriate title, e.g., “Financial Performance”)

- Paragraph 1 (relates to first major point): idea 1, idea 2, idea 3 (If you have time, it’s worth emphasising the title of this key point by underlining it or putting it in bold, for example)

- Paragraph 2 (relates to second major point): idea 1, idea 2, idea 3

- Paragraph 3 (relates to third major point) etc etc: idea 1, idea 2, idea 3

Requirement B (this would correspond to the second requirement, e.g., "Balanced Scorecard")

…repeat as per above

TASK 2…repeat as per above

Remember, get straight to the point.

Write a 1-2 line introduction at the beginning of your answer, restating briefly what you were asked and the order in which you will address each point in the body of your answer.

Too many students waste time in their opening remarks repeating information we already know or rehearsing irrelevant information.

(You will see in VIVA’s model answers how short the introductions are -> you want to give yourself as much time and space as possible to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding! No marks are given for pleasantries).

It's also a good idea to have a "time plan" for each section of the exam. Now some students worry when they hear this: "ANOTHER PLAN!? Isn't that just going to waste even more of my time!?" 

But there is no need to worry here because a time plan is really very simple - but also crucially important! You need to know roughly how much time you can spend on each task so you don't run out of time!

The first thing to do is, note the length of time allocated per section. In the case of the OCS and MCS, that will typically be 45 minutes per section (with 4 sections in total).

In the case of the SCS, it will typically be 60 minutes per section (with 3 sections in total). The next thing to note is that not all of that time will be or can be spent literally answering the question.

Because, of course, some of that time will be needed for reading the question! So it's a good idea to deduct a short amount of time from the total allocated to a section and consider this your "reading time."

A good target is around 5 or 6 minutes maximum for reading the question. The amount left over after you deduct the reading time is the amount that you can allocate to actually writing your answer.

Now, remember: writing your answer should include the planning process. So you don't need to allocate a separate portion of time to the "planning." Consider planning and writing part of the whole answering process.

So after you deduct the reading time, you now need to decide how to allocate the "answer time."

And this is a relatively simple process. Note the percentages allocated to each task/subtask. Then use that to calculate that percentage of the answer time.

So, for example, let's say you have a section of 45 minutes. You deduct 5 minutes for reading time, which leaves 40 minutes.

Let's say there are two tasks: the first one is worth 60%, and the second one is worth 40%.

60% of 40 minutes is 24 minutes. 40% of 40 minutes is 16 minutes.

And there you have it! You would have 24 minutes to write your answer for the first task, and 16 minutes to write your answer for the second task.

7. A Quick Word on CIMA Case Study Answer Length

I'm sure you've all heard the cliche, "it's about quality, not quantity"!

Of course, there's a kernel of truth to that. But let's be realistic: you're not going to pass your exam if you write 2 lines of text, even if they're the best lines ever written by a CIMA student!

So the cliche only gets us so far. The reality is that markers consistently report that longer answers do tend to score higher marks. And that shouldn't be surprising. 

Other things being equal, the longer an answer is, the more likely it will contain more points - or more detailed points.

When it comes to the OCS and MCS exams, you should be aiming for a minimum of 2 pages, but ideally, 3 pages in a typical 45-minute section would be best if you want to score well.

Each relevant point you make should get a separate paragraph and be supported by examples, reference to the pre-seen and perhaps the real-life industry if applicable, and relevant theories from the Enterprise, Performance and Financial pillars.

In the case of the SCS exam , you should aim for a minimum of 2.5 pages, but ideally, 3.5 pages + in a typical 60-minute section if you want to score well.

8. What about the Content of Your CIMA Exam Answers?

Of course, we can’t tell you exactly what to write – that depends on the questions asked on the day! But there are some fundamental rules of thumb and principles that you should bear in mind.

(i) Justify and Explain

One very simple but crucial point is the following: you have to justify all your arguments and should explain technical terms.

Now that might appear obvious. But you’d be surprised how frequently students fail to do these basic things. And our tutors believe they know why.

This is the error of assuming that the marker will already know what you are talking about. The thing is, they probably will! But that’s not the point.

The point of the exam is to demonstrate your understanding!

So even if you think your marker will probably know what you mean, you should act as if they might not. Show them that you understand, and leave no room for doubt.

A good tip here is to try to really adopt the role that you have been assigned - and correspondingly, speak to the character whom you are addressing in the scenario as if they really are that person!

That way, you are more likely to consider terms they may not fully understand and give more comprehensive explanations of your arguments and conclusions.

Consider the following passage, which is taken verbatim from a past student’s mock exam answer for the Strategic Case Study of May 2018:

“Mr. Winston, however, may not understand the online streaming industry, where consumers just want to watch movies and tv series without interruptions of advertisements in between. His presence may also de-motivate other employees looking to grow within the business. The cultures may be different and it will take him a long time to get used to the streaming business.”

The student left it at that and then moved on to the following requirement. You should be able to see clearly what is wrong here, even without knowing what question was asked.

Each of the three sentences above could (and should have) been explained. Take the first. The obvious question is: why may Mr. Winston not understand the streaming industry?

Consider then the second sentence. The obvious question here is, why might his presence de-motivate other employees?

There’s a hint when he mentions other employees have been willing to “grow within the business,” but the student still fails to make his argument explicit.

What he might be trying to say is that, given that existing employees have grown with the business and have been loyal to the company for a long time, they might feel some resentment towards an external person being given a high-ranking position – instead of hiring from within the company.

But this is not what the student wrote. And so, he lost potential marks by not spelling it out. In the case of the final sentence, there are two more key points left undeveloped: in what way exactly may the cultures be different? And why might it take Mr. Winston a long time to get used to the business?

It’s clear that these points seemed obvious to the student, but he ultimately lost marks because he did not demonstrate understanding.

What you’ll often find is that, once you begin to explain something that seems to “go without saying,” you actually think of interesting points that you hadn’t considered before or that you had forgotten. You want to give yourself as much opportunity to make as many points as possible in support of your answer.

(ii) Give Specific Examples in Terms of the Pre-seen Company

It is not enough to simply define a theory or principle or even to explain a theory or principle in the abstract.

You have to apply it as well. What does that mean?

Basically, you have to be able to say why or how a particular theory/principle/method is relevant to the specifics of the unseen and pre-seen information.

Ask yourself: How can this theory be applied to the current case? What are some concrete examples of the abstract concepts I am using here in terms of the current company?

To follow my own advice, let’s look at another example from another real student’s answer. In this case, the student is asked to give examples for each category in a cost of quality report (OCS May 2018). The student’s answer to this requirement is as follows:

“A) Examples of costs to be included in each category of the report are as below:

1. Wastage of materials when errors are found.

2. Duplication of workload when errors are found

3. Damage to morale when work has to be repeated

1. Loss of consumer confidence

2. Damage to reputation

3. Cost of replacing the product

1. Invest in better-trained staff to ensure fewer errors in production.

2. Invest in higher quality materials to ensure the material doesn't fail.

3. investment in automating processes to reduce human error

1. Inspection of raw materials on arrival

2. Inspection of completed goods before they leave the factory

Notice that this segment of the answer is quite well-structured. The student uses headings and sub-headings and orders the answer logically.

However, the problem is that the student doesn’t actually give specific examples for each category that are derived from the company in question (a luxury bag manufacturer in this case).

Instead, she gives generic examples that could come from almost any company that manufactures any product. In this case, the student would need to provide specific examples.

So instead of simply saying “wastage of materials when errors are found,” the student should give concrete examples of errors that could occur in the context of this company, a luxury bag manufacturer. What kinds of materials are likely to be wasted? What kinds of errors might be found?

These are the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself when applying a particular theory or model to the current case. The marker needs to see that you can actually use the theories and models you have learned during your objective studies in a real-world scenario and in a realistic way.

This shows you’re ready for the real world as a management accountant! Simply giving generic examples that could equally well apply to any number of companies or scenarios is not sufficient to score full marks.

(iii) Avoid List-style Answers

Another common error is that students will give their answers in the form of bullet points.

Unfortunately, this is not what markers are looking for. It might seem neat and tidy and concise to you, but to a marker, it will simply give the impression of superficial engagement. Lists also give the impression that you are rushing through the answer.

Try to write your answers in prose style. It should be conversational but professional. You are trying to engage with and guide the fictional person who has asked for your assistance. Throwing a list of bullet points without elaboration will not be acceptable!

Now that’s not to say that you can’t use bullet points to structure your answers. But this is different from simply having a list of one-liners alongside bullet points.

You may organize your sub-headings in a bullet-point style, but what follows should be in prose style, with full sentences, explanations, examples and justifications.

9. Managing Technical CIMA Questions That Appear in Exams

Many students mistakenly believe that when it comes to more technical questions involving financial statements and “the numbers,” a different approach is necessary.

Students feel they need to spend much of their time performing calculations and showing off their ability to use various formulae from their objective studies. 

However, this is not the case. In fact, you are not expected to perform lengthy calculations when it comes to technical components in the case study exam. Instead, the extent to which you will be expected to demonstrate your technical capacities corresponds to the following:

You will need to be able to:

- explain how the content of a schedule/table/financial statement has been prepared

- interpret the solution from a schedule/table/financial statement

- interpret the information within the schedule/table/financial statement

- explain the accounting treatment for a certain type of transaction and the impact on the financial statements

The occasional basic calculation can be made to illustrate a point or to support your interpretation, but that interpretation should be written in prose form.

Markers do not want to see long strings of calculations and formulae without any written explanation or justification. If you do include calculations, keep them short, and focus instead on demonstrating your understanding through written means.

When it comes to a general approach to technical components, we recommend that you follow the order of operations indicated in the diagram below:

We've already dealt with structure above.

In terms of content, it's a good idea to start with the general theoretical and technical concepts/principles that you are going to be using in the requirement. You don't need to spend too long on this phase - you're not expected to give a complete, exhaustive abstract explanation of a model or theory.

Rather, give a short but jargon-free summary of the model or theory that you are making use of. You want to spend as much time on the application phase as possible. This is where you will demonstrate your deep theoretical understanding. 

Remember, markers want to see you applying your knowledge as if you were really working in this company, in the specified role, and charged with the tasks outlined in the exam .

Simply stating abstract principles would not be acceptable in the real world. Nor is it acceptable in the CIMA case study exam.

Finally, and ideally, you want to move beyond the narrow application of the relevant theory to the specifics of the case.

Markers like to see students adopt a wider perspective of the business and spell out some of the broader implications of your solution to the task/requirement.

It's a good idea here to stretch out your time horizon and consider second and third-order consequences of a particular action - positive or negative.  

Markers also like to see students derive conclusions and recommendations in questions where students are asked to consider advantages and disadvantages/risks and benefits of particular courses of action. This shows deeper engagement with the case and wider business awareness.

10. How to Pass CIMA: Key Takeaways for Upcoming Case Study Exams

When it comes to case study success, there are three really key components:  

1. Solid theoretical knowledge relating to objective subjects

2. Intimate knowledge of the pre-seen and some familiarity with industry trends

3. Excellent exam answer technique

Too many CIMA students get hung up on revising their objective test theory in the wrong way, i.e., committing theory to memory from their CIMA objective test textbook material. The result is less flexibility in producing answers to new problems.

A much better approach is to review key theories by applying each one to the specifics of the current pre-seen document.

In this way, you kill two birds with one stone, i.e., solid theoretical knowledge and intimate knowledge of the pre-seen.

Then it's all about honing your exam technique. The reality is, our markers report over and over again that the typical student's main problem often isn't so much their lack of theoretical knowledge (although that is sometimes definitely the case), as they cannot order their thoughts, apply their knowledge, and master their timing.

 When it comes to timing, there's no substitute for practice (all of VIVA's mocks can be taken in our online CIMA exam simulator under timed conditions).

If you combine practice with careful attention to the points listed above, you will likely write an exam answer that puts you ahead of 90% of CIMA students.

11. Get Ahead with VIVA Financial Tuition

It doesn't matter what kind of business career you're after, CIMA qualifications can unlock a brighter future.

Whether you aim to be a Chief Financial Officer or business owner, our CIMA exam tips and advice can get you where you want to go faster, and for a fraction of the cost of traditional tuition providers. Start your journey today and discover our range of CIMA courses .

Check out our market-leading Study Packs for the current Case Study. The packs include hours of high-quality video tuition by some of the world's leading CIMA experts, alongside mock exams modelled closely on the official CIMA exams and a whole range of support materials. You might also want to read: Working through your CIMA Case Study Course .

Like to explore how VIVA can help you with your CIMA studies?

Be the first to find out when we release new CIMA resources.

Related resources

Other resources that may be of interest to you.

MJ THE TUTOR

Cima exam support and preparation, 10 burning questions (that students ask) about the cima case study exams.

This is from the “Accounting Makes Cents” podcast episode #9 released on Monday, 21 March 2022.

In today’s episode, I thought we’d do something slightly different and address a list of frequently asked questions about the CIMA case study exams. Most if not all of this  information is available on the CIMA website. But I suppose if you’re a first-time case study exam taker, it’s difficult to separate that concern or anxiety over what you’ll be facing on exam day. Sometimes you may just need that reassuring and supporting voice to help you with your burning questions.

Jump to show notes .

So here goes. Let’s do our FAQs about the CIMA case study exams:

Question 1: In a case study exam, a student faces off with 3 or 4 questions. Each question is between 30 to 60 minutes long. What happens when the student finishes answering a question but still has a few minutes left before the 60 minutes is up, can the student save these minutes and add them onto the next question?

A: No. Each question is exactly the length that it is stated. As you enter the exam platform, there will be a list in the front of the number of questions you’ll be facing, be it 3 or 4, and the time associated with each one. If a question states that it is 45 minutes long, then that question is 45 minutes long. Let’s say we have question 1 and question 2, both at 45 minutes. If you saved a few minutes because you’ve addressed the requirements faster, maybe you finished question one with 10 minutes to go, this 10 minutes does not get added up to question 2. Question 2 will still be 45 minutes.

Question 2: So a follow up on the time per question, how strictly should a student be following the time limit given by CIMA per question?

A: Very strictly. If the question is worth 45 minutes, the platform is actually set up so that it will close you off from the current question, if you do not finish by the allotted time. There is a timer at the exams, and that timer does alert the student if you only have 5 minutes and 2 minutes to go before the time is up. Once time is up, you are closed off from the current question and transferred to the next question, in which case, the timer resets and starts counting down again.

Question 3: There are sometimes multiple requirements to be addressed. So let’s say we have 2 requirements per question. Should a student be doing well on all the requirements? Meaning, is it still possible to pass if a student encounters one bad requirement?

A: For the first question, with regards to doing well on all requirements, that is the simplest rule to follow. A student should strive to answer all the questions in order to gain the best possible mark for the exams. Having said that, to address the second question, which is for any reason, you encounter one bad section or requirement, where you are unfamiliar with the topic and that kind of thing, do not panic. One bad section will not fail you the whole exam. It is still possible to recover as long as you address the bad section as best you can.

Question 4: What is the pass mark?

A: So the pass mark for a CIMA case study exam is 80/150. There is a bit more involvement in the way that the 80/150 is calculated. You see, this is a scaled mark. So the exam itself is out of 100 points. So if you are thinking of it in normal terms, think of it as 100%. There is no exact point as to a pass mark with the 100%. So that doesn’t mean that if you score 50% it’s a pass, or if you score 53% (which is what 80/150 is), that it’s a pass. The scaling happens because of the different difficulty levels of the exam variants. There are various discussions on this on the CIMA website, in my other podcasts and blog posts. So I’ll direct you to those entries and encourage you to visit those websites if you wish to understand the scaling better. But the pass mark is 80/150. And your results will be presented in that way. If you get 90, that means it is 90/150, and so on.

Question 5: Would it be okay for the student to address the second requirement first before the first requirement in a question?

A: Yes. Sometimes, it does happen that a student is more familiar with the second requirement than the first one. So the advice is for the student to address the topic area that you are most confident in. This will help with coming up with answers, paragraphs, and ideas, they’re gonna be faster because you’re familiar with it. This doesn’t mean that you should abandon the other requirement just because you’ve answered one of them. The strategy is still to address all requirements as best you can.

Question 6: Since it’s a typing kind of exam, how fast of a typist should I be?

A: CIMA suggests that a student should at least be able to type 20 words per minute. I do have a blog post about being Speedy Gonzales, I’ll link it up on the show notes . But the general rule is that if you can type 20 words per minute, then you can take the exams. Of course, it goes without saying, if you can be faster then it is probably better.

Question 7: How big of an issue is it to use the right spelling and grammar for the exams?

A: I always say that the CIMA case study exam is not an English test. It is written in English but a lot of the exam takers are bilingual and speak multiple languages. Present company included. Some students don’t even have English as their first language. So this is really not a big problem. If it occurs at the exams, so be it. You don’t have to correct every single spelling mistakes you make. However, this does not mean that you can get away with typing gibberish. The only rule I’d probably point out with regards to spelling is that while it occurs and it’s normal, your sentence or message still needs to make sense, even if you’ve misspelt a word here and there.

Question 8: Can we bring a calculator at the exams?

A: Yes. CIMA has published a list of calculators that you are able to bring with you at the exams. Just to point out as well, that the case study exam is not a mathematical exam. You may have to do some simple calculations but nothing overly complicated. The case study is first and foremost a report-writing exam highlighting skills in strategy and logical thinking.

Question 9: Should I bring the pre-seen material to the exams? If not, is there a way to access the material on the day?

A: No. The pre-seen material will be available on the platform. It’s gonna be a button which opens up a separate window on your screen. The button is available once you’ve entered the exams online. So if you need to refer back to an information on the pre-seen, the material is available. Having said this, I usually advise students that the pre-seen should be read prior to getting to the exams. If you’ve been doing practice questions and all that, you should be familiar with the pre-seen by the time you hit the day of the exams. The only time you should be referring to the pre-seen during the exams is when you want to include a very particular information on your answer, something like a specific name or terminology. But generally, this is very rare.

Question 10: How do I book for the exams?

A: This can be done online, using your MyCIMA account. There is more information about this on the CIMA website. So I’ll just link it up on the show notes . If you are planning on booking an exam, please do remember the important dates. There are exam windows of when you can start booking for the session and when those windows close for exam booking. Just be sure to remember so that you don’t get closed out if you are planning to do it.

Show notes simplified

In this episode, MJ the tutor tackles frequently asked questions about the CIMA case study exam. While all information is available on the CIMA website, students facing a CIMA case study exam for the first time normally agonises over what they’d be facing up on exam day. MJ the tutor recognises the angst and sets out to alleviate some of the common ones here.

Resources and links from this episode: MJ the tutor on A Brief Look at How the Case Study Scaling Mark Works MJ the tutor on To Be or Not to Be a Fast Typist? CIMA website: Scheduling Your Exams CIMA website: Exam Timetable CIMA website: A Guide to Your Examination Results CIMA website: Calculator Guidance

Credits: “Ding Ding Small Bell” ( https://freesound.org/s/173932/ ) by JohnsonBrandEditing ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1RImxnsbfngagfXd_GWCDQ ) licensed under CC0 Licence. “Counting numbers” ( https://freesound.org/people/MrSeriousss/sounds/587504/ ) by MrSeriouss ( https://freesound.org/people/MrSeriousss/ ) licensed under CC3 Licence.

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You must complete mock exams 1 to 3 and send them to your allocated marker by the deadlines set out in the course schedule.	You must not copy the mock exam solutions. If you do so this will invalidate your pass guarantee.
You must achieve an average mark of at least 40% in your full mock exams. This is to ensure you are putting in enough effort.	You must attend or watch the recorded versions of masterclasses 1 & 2 and make notes on the pass guarantee form.
Use the pass guarantee form to document your key learning points throughout your studies, submit within 1 week of the final exam.	You must confirm that you have read and understood the pass guarantee terms.

Exam Resource

Ocs may and august 2023 post exam material.

This document contains the full post exam supporting materials for the May and August 2023 Operational Case Study exams. This includes:

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