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Your Quick Guide To Passing The CIMA Case Study Exams In 2024
Management Case Study (MCS)
Evaluate opportunities to add value
Implement senior management decisions
Manage performance and costs to aid value creation
Measure performance
Manage internal and external stakeholders
Strategic Case Study (SCS)
Develop business strategy
Evaluate the business ecosystem and business environment
Recommend financing strategies
Evaluate and mitigate risk
Recommend and maintain a sound control environment
“What % do I need to pass?”
There is no official pass mark for the CIMA case study exams. Instead, CIMA marks scripts out of 100, ranks them in order and then looks down the list to a point where it feels the scripts are not strong enough. Everyone below that level fails and everyone above that level passes.
The first passing script is given a score of 80 and the first failing script a score of 79. The marks given are then scaled according to a formula, with a perfect 100% script scoring 150. This does sound odd, but it’s the way CIMA does it!
So what percentage is typically a ‘passing’ script? After all, it is useful to have an approximate target to work towards. The suggested figure is roughly 60%. This is slightly lower than the 70% required for the objective test exams, but that doesn’t make it easy!
“Great! Can I now go ahead and pick a date for my exam?”
Hold on! Unlike the objective test exams, which could be taken all year round, case study exams can only be taken at certain times.
CIMA has 4 exam windows a year (February, May, August and November) where it is possible to sit a case study exam. In each of these months, exams are scheduled over a 3 day period . Each pre-seen will be available for 2 sittings, with new ones released for the May and November sittings.
2. What is the pre-seen material and how should I use it?
You’ll only be given access to the pre-seen material roughly six weeks before your case study exam. So, it’s super important you know how to use that short amount of time to get the most out of the pre-seen material!
“ What is in the pre-seen material pack?…”
The pre-seen material pack contains around 20 pages of information about a fictional company, its position and the industry it operates in. The pack often includes:
- Examples of the company’s competitors
- Descriptions of the company’s markets
- Mission and vision statements
- Financial statements
- Press releases
- Newspaper or digital articles about the company
How SHOULD I use the pre-seen material?
- Read it thoroughly – this means more than once! We recommend reading it at least 3 times
- Undertake a full strategic analysis of the material.
- Consider what the pre-seen may not be telling you about the performance of the business – i.e. have they left any details out on purpose?
How SHOULDN’T I use the pre-seen material?
- Don’t try to guess what the exam questions or topics will be and learn set answers – focus on making sure you understand the pre-seen.
- Don’t spend lots of time trying to work out which real company the pre-seen company is based on – this won’t help you answer the questions in the exam.
“Do I need to memorise everything in the pre-seen pack?”
No – you will be given an electronic copy of the pre-seen material in your exam.
But, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t become familiar with the material. You will be under great time pressure in your exam, so quickly recalling key information rather than constantly re-reading it can save you vital time.
“Do I need to include quotes from the pre-seen material in my answers?
You should include details such as the company name, key individuals at the company, financial figures found in the financial statements, the country or countries mentioned or the competitor (if there is one), if they are relevant.
But, you are not required to quote full sentences or phrases from the material to support your analysis.
3. 5 things you must do to prepare for your case study
One of the main reasons for students failing the case study exam is poor preparation! So, we’re sharing our top 5 exam prep tips to maximise your chances of passing on the big day!
Find Your Astranti Case Study Course
We have OnDemand courses available for every case study student, whether you need lots of guidance and assistance along the way or you just need to get up to speed with the latest pre-seen. On our courses, you will find study guides, recorded videos, mock exams & practice questions, live online classes, tutor/mentor support and much more.
Prices start at just £495, or £90 a month!
Explore each of our case study courses below…
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