CMA Studying Tips

You are here for a reason. Remember that you're studying for this exam because you have aspirations of advancing your career. It's important to remember why you're doing this because you need complete dedication to study and pass this exam.

Some of you may be very early in your career, but many of you are mid-career with families. It's important to remember that you need to be
prepared to study in the evenings and on the weekends. If you begin with the end in mind and remember your WHY, those long nights cozied up with your CMA study materials will be a little easier.

Because the CMA exams do not need to be taken in order, there tends to be some confusion on which Part you should take first. This is such a great question, but the answer is, there is no right answer. Between the two Parts of the exam, the topics are not connected, so you will not get questions on Part 2 that are related to Part 1 topics, or vice versa.

We recommend that deciding which Part to take first starts with studying the syllabus and the topics tested on each part. If you're more familiar with the topics on the Part 2 exam, then you should start with Part 2 (or vice versa). Go with the Part that has topics that come naturally to you.

CMA Myth Busting: Historically, Part 2 has a higher pass rate, so the common belief is that Part 2 is easier than Part 1. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that Part 2 is easier. Most CMA candidates start with Part 1. When the candidate passes Part 1, they move onto Part 2. If the candidate never passes Part 1, a lot of them simply never take Part 2. This makes the pass rate for Part 2 higher because the majority of the people who are taking Part 2 have already taken Part 1.

Ultimately, it's your decision on which Part to take first -- don't use your friends experience because you may have different strengths. Choose the Part that reflects your comfort level and don't second guess yourself.

Once you've made the decision to study for the CMA exam and you receive your materials, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of information you need to learn. Inside the materials, you'll find the syllabus, which will help you determine what you need to study, and by process of elimination, what you do not need to study. Outside of the materials sent to you, there is no need to get distracted trying to study with materials outside of the textbook or searching for other sources that are not written specifically for the CMA exam. Everything you need is right inside the CMA packet.

The age old question - how long do I need to study for the CMA exams? Obviously this question is personal and varies amongst everyone, but both HOCK and the ICMA recommend about 150 hours of study per part. To make it easier (and so you don't get burnt out), we suggest breaking up your studying across four months - targeting to study 8-10 hours per week to prepare for the exam. It's up to you to adjust this time to fit into your own personal and professional schedule.

On average, based on our 20 years of experience, students usually study for each part of the CMA exam for 3-6 months, and pass both parts of the exam in about a year. However, many students take longer due to life priorities and that's okay! The IMA provides a three year period of eligibility when you first register for the exams, so fear not - you have time to complete the exam, even if you have another job or responsibilities to take care of.