Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Join An Elite Group of Global Management Accountants

The CGMA designation is powered by two of the world's leading accounting bodies - CIMA and the AICPA. It aims to establish management accounting as the most valued profession in business worldwide.

The Future of Accounting

CIMA focuses on business, giving you more than just accounting knowledge. You will not only be financially qualified but also professionally trained in business management, which makes you capable of advising on business strategy and risk management.

A Professional Qualification

There has been a move away from studying academic qualifications (diplomas/degrees) and a move towards professional qualifications. A professional qualification tells potential employers that you know how to do the job and can hit the ground running.

Travel the World

The CIMA qualification is recognised in over 170 countries worldwide. In addition to having the ability to practice all over the globe, CIMA graduates earn on average 40% more than their non-CGMA counterparts.

CIMA graduates are sought after in 176 countries worldwide. This means that you will have the freedom to travel the globe, experience new and exciting cultures, and apply for positions at industry leading firms & corporations.

Unlike traditional financial degrees, the career pathway for a CGMA is much broarder than strictly financial reporting.

Here is a brief list of just some of the positions your CIMA qualification will make you eligible for:

Financial Accountant

An essential role in any organisation, financial accountants are entrusted with ensuring that an organisation is financially sound. This is done by auditing financial statements and reporting on the company’s financial position. These findings then inform the strategic and operational plans made by senior management.

This role is also the initial steppingstone to more senior positions, such as Finance Manager and CFO.

Business Analyst

Business analysts are tasked with analysing data sets to identify needs and shortcomings in a business’s products, services and processes. They are required to identify areas needing improvement and assist in designing technical solutions to solve these issues.

They work side by side with senior management and need excellent communication and problem solving capabilities to identify solutions and ensure they are clearly communicated to all parties involved.

Management Consultant

Management consultants assist top-level management in decision making and act as advisors on how best to implement their strategic plans. They have a firm understanding of all business functions and how each part of an organisation must work together effectively in order to achieve a common goal. This is an ideal position for someone with solid business knowledge and an understanding of how to manage workplace relationships.

Consultants can either maintain a full time position at one organisation or move from client to client, on a contractual basis.

Finance Manager

Finance managers are responsible for the financial health of an organisation. They analyse data and financial reports provided by the accounting team and actively seek out ways to increase the businesses’ profitability. They allocate funds, oversee the operational budget and ensure that the revenue flowing into the business exceeds the amount leaving it.

These are only four possible positions open to CIMA graduates, but the list is vast and constantly evolving. By choosing to study CIMA your potential career path becomes limitless both locally and abroad.

All first-time students must register with CIMA online and pay a once-off registration fee (which includes the first year's subscription fee). CIMA will provide you with your student ID, and once you've made payment you will have access to their online portals such as MyCIMA and CIMA Connect. To register visit www.cimaglobal.com and click 'Register as a student'. We're here to walk you through the process however so you are welcome to add your CIMA fees to your IBTC booking and we will pay it over for you.

Depending on your previous qualifications (accounting and finance) and work experience you may be eligible for certain exemptions. Keep in mind however that CIMA only awards exemptions for completed qualifications and you can only apply for exemptions once you have registered with CIMA.

The exemption process:

• Pay your registration fee over to CIMA or IBTC first
• Submit transcripts and certificates of prior qualifications to [email protected]
• Receive exemption confirmation from CIMA
• Email [email protected] to decline any exemptions.

The following advanced entry routes are also available:

• CPP (Corporate Professional Pathway) – exemptions based on your experience. Complete an online application form. CIMA admits candidates onto the programme and assigns you to a tuition provider. You can start at any of the ICS exams, depending on your experience. If you have 10 years snr strategic financial experience, you may also apply to start at the Strategic Case Study.
• Master’s Gateway: If you have an existing SAIPA qualification, Masters in Accounting, or MBA Finance, or are a member of another professional body, you may start the Management Case Study (Masters Gateway).
• If you have a SAICA qualification, you will only need to complete the Strategic Level Case Study Exam.

As a CIMA student you will need to pass both Objective Tests (OT) and Case Study exams.

Objective Tests

• You will have to do an objective test (OT) for each subject.
• The OTs are PC-based exams available on demand – so you can do them all year round.
• The results are made available immediately.
• You must complete each OT within a level before you can attempt the Case Study (ICS) exam for the same level. So, for each level (except Certificate Level) you will need to complete 3 x OTs and 1 x CS before passing
• OT exams are 90 minutes long and they are made up of short questions including multiple choice, multiple response, data entry and fill in the gaps etc.
• The entire syllabus is covered and students need to get at least 100/150 to pass

Case Study

• You will have to do a Case Study (CS) exam at each level (except Certificate Level).
• The CS exams are PC-based and available four times per year in February, May, August and November.
• These exams combine the knowledge and learning areas within the three pillars from the same level. They include pre-seen case study material.
• The Nov and Feb sitting using the same pre seen as well as the May and Aug sitting (therefore two pre seens in total)
• The pre seen is out seven weeks before the exam
• Case Study exams are three hours in length and marked by the examiner, results aren't immediate.
• The exam is made up of long questions adding up to a total of 100 marks, students need to get at least 80/100 to pass
• There are no calculations in the exam
• If you have received exemptions for any of the OT's make sure you have no knowledge gaps.

Book your exam as soon as you start studying. It’s important to set a date and work towards it.

• Register for your exam via your MyCIMA account
• Select your closest Pearson VUE exam centre and a date and time that will suit you
• Pay your exam fees directly to CIMA or select ‘pay later’ if you’ve included it in your IBTC booking
• Receive a confirmation email from CIMA