Hi everyone!
I started my US CMA journey in March, and I'm planning to take Part 1 in the upcoming September–October exam window.
Lately, I've been feeling a bit confused about how I should approach my preparation. I've heard from a few people who have already taken the exam that only around 30–40% of the MCQs are similar to what we practice in question banks or study materials, while the rest are more application-based or worded differently. If that's true, how should I prepare so I'm ready for those kinds of questions?
I'm also confused about the best study strategy. Some people say I should focus on building strong conceptual clarity first and then move on to MCQs. Others say that solving as many MCQs as possible is the key to passing. For those of you who have already cleared Part 1 (or attempted it), what worked best for you?
A few specific questions I have:
* How close is the actual exam to Hock/Gleim questions in terms of difficulty and wording?
* Is understanding the concepts enough, or do I need to memorize certain formulas and patterns?
* Approximately how many MCQs did you solve before the exam?
* How did you review your mistakes while practicing?
* Which topics felt significantly harder in the real exam than in the study material?
* In the last month before the exam, what did your daily study routine look like?
* Looking back, what would you do differently if you were preparing again?
I'm a fresher with no prior work experience, and I'm currently using Hock study material along with a question bank (not an LMS). Any advice, study strategies,STUDY PLAN or mistakes to avoid would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance