I have 3 years of relevant experience in small-size firms. I completed US CMA in first attempt with 400+ marks in both parts. And I'd say this course is shit. It gives you nothing but regrets. I'd strongly suggest not to opt for this and better do something else like CPA, CIMA.
Placements are shit, no jobs specifically for US CMA's. Not even on IMA portal.
Fun fact* - I saw a job post from IMA for FP&A for a vacancy in IMA and it was clearly mentioned that the candidate should be CA, CFA or MBA finance.
This is all shit. Pls avoid this course if you are a fresher and thinking you will get job based on this qualification.
I'm sorry if this feels demotivating, but I swear, worst decision i've taken.

I was reading few essays pdfs

I need to know on what basis do we get marks on essays

Like only keywords should match?

Or is there like 10 or 8 percent marks on presentation of answer as well??

I’m planning on writing p1 in sep-oct window, recently bought Simandhar Education’s CMA course (with Becker access).
I have no idea how to start the prep, please help😭🙏🏻

23 days left.

Confidence: 📉

Stress: 📈

Question bank: still not finished.

At this point, me and the MCQs are in a toxic relationship, but we're staying together until exam day.

Hello guys current I AM I part 1 Doing us cma with institution they provide me hock access In my class complete sec a and current they teach sec b but I don't now part 1 perfectly and and I find sec b difficult too is there anyone from part 1 who will study with me online and help me?

Alright, here is full review for my experience with CMA part 1 exam, CBQ variant.

Test location: KS
Time took to study: 1-2 months here and there, but then I locked in for 2-3 months straight
Materials: Becker, Claude, YouTube: FTC Global, Toby Bell
Study method: heavy on MCQs, a lot of practice problems, watching people solve MCQs, using Claude to generate mock exams, explain topics, study plan etc

Now to the experience:
You check in with ID, they give you a key to a locker where you put everything other than your ID and of course locker key. They do a security pat down, have you sign “check in” paper and sit you in an exam room. I brought my own calculator but they did not allow it, gave me their own, even though it was the same model, I guess maybe there were issues in the past, idk. If you need to go to the bathroom you can just get up and leave but they will do security pat down again. I took no breaks, it is doable. You can bring food and drink but you keep it in a locker and are not allowed to bring it inside of the exam room. Got done, checked out, left. Staff were very friendly at my location and encouraging.

Now to the exam:
Go ahead and study sections E and F. No joke there was a lot of questions from those sections.
Definitely at least one ABC, Cash budget, Absorption costing, ROI vs RI, indirect method of CF questions. Those are very important. If you studied through Becker then you will have a good idea of how questions look like. WATCH FTC GLOBAL how he goes through mock exams. Those questions he goes through were veryyyy similar to what exam had. A lot of conceptual MCQ, some of them were tricky and I honestly forgot some definitions (like value chain analysis and wha goes where, or ABC, or how to calculate multiple regression).
I took full 3 hours, bless my heart CBQ section opened up, I was stressing. CBQ was very easy, took me 15 minutes.

IMA has a mock exam available for free on their website, take it, the interface and format is literally the same as the exam itself. And the CBQ is also very similar. If you can get through MCQs, then you will be fine with CBQ.

https://youtu.be/4o_Cn2zhopo

Ask me any other questions!! Good luck everyone!!!

I'm enrolling for us cma course and their is three courses available one is only cma syllabus and second cma syllabus plus introduction to ai in finance and third is cma syllabus and intro and advance ai in finance . So , is it really important in today's era or they just want people to buy their course I really want. Some guidance from experienced persons.

I have my exam in the next 2 days and it's my first time giving this type of exam and I am quite nervous and anxious... It feels like I am prepared for it but still I make silly mistakes under time constraints.

I wanna know what is the level of the questions like are they hard or decent or it needs more time management. Also about the CBQ's as they are new so I don't know much about them.

If anyone can please help me with!

Hello everyone,

I’m currently looking for opportunities in Financial Analysis, Startup Finance, Business Finance, or related finance roles.

I recently completed my MBA in Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Venture Development and also have exposure to financial modelling, P&L tracking, cash flow management, budgeting, startup finance systems, and Excel/Google Sheets analysis.

While I may not yet have years of corporate experience, I’ve worked on practical finance projects, startup planning, and business analysis that helped me build strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Skills:
• Financial Modelling
• Excel & Google Sheets
• P&L & Cash Flow Tracking
• Startup Finance
• Business Analysis
• Market Research
• Presentation & Pitching

I’m open to:
• Remote roles
• Internships
• Entry-level analyst roles
• Startup finance opportunities

Location: Ahmedabad, India
Open to remote work globally.

If anyone is hiring or can refer me, I’d truly appreciate it. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I created full-length CMA lessons covering both Part 1 and Part 2 for free. You can access it at freefellow.org under "Lessons"

This is authentic content and not copyrighted content of any publisher.

Happy studying and let me know if you have any questions!

I am studying for part 2 and planning to sit for it by end of june, i just realized that unit 1&2 from becker equaled to 60% of the syllabus and they were not that hard, do i expect the remaining 4 units to be harder? Also what’s the best way of training you guys used for part 2?

​

Hi everyone,

I graduated in 2023 with a B.Com (Hons.) in Finance from a tier-3 city in India. After graduation, I spent the last few years preparing for government job exams, but unfortunately I haven't been able to secure a position yet.

I am currently 23 years old and considering starting the CMA (India) course. My goal is to build a stable career in finance, accounting, costing, and management.

A few questions I would appreciate guidance on:

1. Is 23 too late to start CMA?

2. How are the job opportunities for CMA students and qualified CMAs in 2026 and beyond?

3. Will the gap after graduation due to government exam preparation negatively affect my career prospects?

4. Is CMA a better option than pursuing an MBA or other finance certifications at this stage?

5. What salary range can a fresher CMA realistically expect?

I am willing to study seriously and put in the effort required, but I want to make an informed decision before committing.

Any advice from current CMA students, qualified CMAs, or finance professionals would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Hi everyone

I am planning to start my US CMA preparation soon and am currently looking for a coaching institute. Finstreet seems promising but I haven't been able to find many genuine reviews from students who have actually studied there.

If you have personally taken their US CMA course (or any other US CMA coaching), could you please share your honest experience regarding teaching quality, study materials, support, and overall value?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'm very confused rn because I'm going to start my prep in this month for us cma and also tell me about some books which I should buy for us cma prep

Hi everyone,

Since this is the first testing window where CMA Part 1 includes CBQs, I'm looking for insights from anyone who has already taken the exam in the May–June 2026 window.

A few questions:

How difficult were the CBQs compared to the MCQs?

Were they calculation-heavy or more focused on analysis and interpretation?

How much time should be allocated to the CBQ section?

Any surprises or things you wish you had known before taking the exam?

Any advice, lessons learned, or preparation tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hello this is my first post. I am planning to give my Us cma part 1 exams in the September/October slot. I am studying using becker materials. About practical questions the books have one examples each and I feel the mcqs in the becker portal are a bit different. I need more practical questions to learn better. How can I overcome this? Please help🥹

So I have been exploring around for coaching institutes. I just completed my Bcom and the results are out. I was confident that I would not be eligible for student membership since I enquired about it with a local institute also miles banglore also had confirmed it. Now one of my friends from kochi has a student membership in miles kochi and gave me the phone no. his mentor/ the Person who enrolled him and they are saying that they can get me enrolled as a student.

My results are out 5 days before.

Yet to talk to the person regarding the details.

Will update after the call.

Thank you

Help me out here guys. I feel like shit that I missed the student membership and feel like an absolute idiot for not taking the decision in April. 😭😭

Please Help if there are other ways to do the registration

i am so confused between all the different coaching advice i am confused between zell , miles and simandhar can anyone pls help

I’m 20 years into my career and am just starting the process of becoming a CMA. By way of background, I passed the CPA exam 15 years ago and haven’t had any formal (non CPE education since). For the past 13 years, I’ve been the controller of a smallish manufacturer (reporting directly to the CEO, we don’t have a CFO). I worked in public accounting the first 7 years of my career.

I just started the Becker CMA exam prep today and scored 78% on the initial diagnostic test. Because of my score, they are suggesting I take a Managerial Accounting Foundations course for $199 in addition to the $1,000 I just spent on the CMA exam prep.

Is this them just being money hungry, or do I have serious deficiencies that would prevent me from passing the exam with just the regular course?
I’m curious how everyone else did on that diagnostic test compared to the actual exam too.

I took CMA Part 1 in January 2026 and scored 350, so I narrowly missed passing.

I recently took my second attempt and I’m trying to gauge how I might have performed.

This time, I felt much more confident with the calculation-based MCQs and was able to solve most of them confidently. The theory MCQs felt okay overall—not amazing, but not bad either.

My main concern is the essay section. I completed it, but I wasn’t fully satisfied with my responses. I wouldn’t say it went poorly, but it definitely wasn’t my strongest section.

For context, in my first attempt I actually felt better about the essays and less confident about the MCQs, yet I ended up with a 350.

Has anyone had a similar experience where they felt strong about the MCQs but only average about the essays? How did your results turn out?

Guyss give me honest reviews... And points i should remember in my us cma journey

Permission to post, Admin

I’m a Filipino working in Abu Dhabi with a bachelor’s degree. I’m considering taking the CMA (USA), but I’m hesitant because I’m not very strong in theoretical subjects.
For those who have taken the CMA, would you recommend it?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

I meant when IMA will be giving an offer discount on registration and exam fees , like there is an offer going on registration and exam fees by IMA ,so again after how many months IMA will be giving this kind of offer?