Current CIMA Qualification Positions

Written By Michael Siaw Larbi

CIMA qualification reference

Current CIMA qualification positions

Use this page to understand how the professional levels, learning routes, assessments, exemptions, practical experience and membership steps fit together. It adds a stable reference without replacing MSL's CIMA programme, guides, date page or case-study resources.

3professional levels

12self-tailored assessments

2learning routes

3 yearsminimum relevant experience

Reviewed on . Exact dates, fees and an applicant's confirmed exemptions remain on the current MSL guide or individual CIMA record.

Choose the route that matches your position

One qualification, different ways to enter and learn

Self-tailored route

Objective tests, then a case study at each level

Complete E, P and F objective tests before the level's case study, unless CIMA has confirmed an exemption or advanced entry for you.See the full CIMA programme

Finance Leadership Programme

Guided learning and embedded assessment

FLP changes how subject knowledge is assessed, but keeps OCS, MCS and SCS as the three case-study examinations.Read MSL's FLP guide

MSL Ghana guidance

Accelerated route for qualified ICAG members

MSL describes 15 exemptions and direct SCS entry for eligible full ICAG members. Confirm current individual eligibility before payment.Check the ICAG-member route

The professional qualification

The 12 assessments on the self-tailored route

These are the nine objective tests and three case-study examinations used on the self-tailored route. FLP covers the same professional levels through guided learning and embedded assessment, while retaining the three case-study examinations. Foundation may be your entry stage, but it is not a fourth professional level.

4 self-tailored assessments

Operational Level

The first professional level, covering the short-term decisions and reporting used in finance work and completed by the Operational Case Study.
  1. E1Managing Finance in a Digital WorldObjective test on the self-tailored route
  2. P1Management AccountingObjective test on the self-tailored route
  3. F1Financial ReportingObjective test on the self-tailored route
  4. OCSOperational Case StudyCase-study examination

4 self-tailored assessments

Management Level

The second professional level, developing the performance, reporting and decision skills tested together in the Management Case Study.
  1. E2Managing PerformanceObjective test on the self-tailored route
  2. P2Advanced Management AccountingObjective test on the self-tailored route
  3. F2Advanced Financial ReportingObjective test on the self-tailored route
  4. MCSManagement Case StudyCase-study examination

4 self-tailored assessments

Strategic Level

The final professional level, focused on long-term strategy, risk and financial decision-making and completed by the Strategic Case Study.
  1. E3Strategic ManagementObjective test on the self-tailored route
  2. P3Risk ManagementObjective test on the self-tailored route
  3. F3Financial StrategyObjective test on the self-tailored route
  4. SCSStrategic Case StudyCase-study examination

Ten answers for planning the route

What the rules mean in practice

Official CIMA position

How is the CIMA professional qualification structured?

The professional qualification has three levels. On the self-tailored route, they contain nine objective tests and three case-study examinations.

Operational, Management and Strategic are the three professional levels. The self-tailored route uses three objective tests and one case study at each level. FLP covers the same levels through guided learning and embedded assessment, while retaining the three case studies.

MSL clarification

Is CIMA Foundation one of the three professional levels?

Foundation is an entry stage for students who need it. It is not a fourth professional level.

MSL shows Foundation on the wider route map because some students begin there. Once you describe the professional qualification itself, however, the correct count is three levels: Operational, Management and Strategic.

Official CIMA position

What is the difference between CIMA's self-tailored route and FLP?

The self-tailored route and FLP lead through the same professional competencies and the same three case studies, but they assess the subject knowledge differently.

The self-tailored route uses nine separate objective tests. FLP builds the subject assessment into guided learning. FLP does not remove OCS, MCS or SCS, and it does not create a different qualification.

Official CIMA position

How do I progress through CIMA on the self-tailored route?

At each level, complete the three objective tests and then pass that level's case study before moving on.

That means E1, P1 and F1 before OCS; E2, P2 and F2 before MCS; and E3, P3 and F3 before SCS. A CIMA-confirmed exemption or accelerated entry can change where an individual starts.

Official CIMA position

How do I progress through CIMA on FLP?

On FLP, complete the required learning and embedded assessments for the level, then pass the same case study taken at that level.

Use the FLP dashboard to see what remains in your learning pathway. The level sequence is still Operational, Management and Strategic, with OCS, MCS and SCS as the three case-study examinations.

Official CIMA position

How do CIMA case-study examinations work?

OCS, MCS and SCS are three-hour computer-based examinations offered in four usual windows each year.

Each case study places you in a workplace role and asks you to apply the knowledge from all three subject pillars at that level. Use MSL's maintained date page for exact booking and examination dates instead of carrying an old date into a new window.

Check the current case-study dates

MSL safety boundary

Which CIMA exemptions will I receive?

Your entry point depends on CIMA's assessment of your exact qualification and records.

A degree or professional qualification may change where you begin, but a similar course title is not enough to prove a particular exemption. Wait for the confirmed decision before you skip an assessment, enrol at a higher level or pay for a route based on an assumed exemption.

MSL Ghana guidance

What accelerated CIMA route does MSL describe for qualified ICAG members?

MSL's current guide describes 15 exemptions and direct entry to SCS for fully qualified ICAG members, subject to current individual confirmation.

The guide requires evidence of full ICAG membership, including the Letter of Good Standing it names. MSL did not find a current public CIMA page that restates every condition, so confirm the route and your documents before payment. Student status or partial ICAG completion is not proof of eligibility.

Read MSL's ICAG-member route guide

Official CIMA position

How much practical experience do I need for CIMA membership?

You need at least three years of relevant practical experience that is recorded and verified.

Relevant experience can be gained before, during or after the examinations. Keep a clear record of the work you performed and the people who can verify it, instead of trying to reconstruct several years of experience after your final result.

Official CIMA position

Does passing the CIMA examinations automatically make me an ACMA or CGMA?

No. Passing the examinations does not automatically make you an ACMA or award the CGMA designation.

You must complete the required assessments, satisfy and submit the practical-experience requirement, and complete the membership process before using the membership and designation letters. Passing SCS completes the examination route, not the whole admission process.

Continue with the page that matches your question

More CIMA help from MSL

Sources MSL checked

MSL guidance controls how this reference explains the Ghana-facing route. Official CIMA material is used to confirm the qualification structure, learning routes, assessments and membership requirements. Where current public corroboration was incomplete, the answer is labelled and limited instead of being overstated.

Michael Siaw Larbi
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