Where to start with cima?

nicd1981 · May 2012

Hi all, I have two exams to do in june and then im AAT qualified! yipee.
Im not sure yet but am considering starting cima, just taking one exam at the first sitting to see how i go. Ill get exemtions from the certificate level, does anyone know which book or exam module is the best place to start?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Nicola

ps im considering buying the book and maybe the cimastudy.com online study course.

Rinske · May 2012

Start with your strongest subject or the exam you sat last, depending on how you feel about things.

F1 is very similar to the financial statements and P1 is very similar to financial performance, combined with cash management and budgeting.
Now when I say similar, it's similar, but a lot more, hence start with a strength.

Alternative go for the E1 paper, as that is very much smart business management, which is purely theory and practical application. It's considered a small paper, but all written and writing is just not my strongest point.

Although BPP used to suggest that you sit E1 and F1 before P1, but I can't find the order back in the new site. I think that it said somewhere that P1 picked up more from E1 and F1, then the other two from P1, but I can't find it back anywhere.

nicd1981 · May 2012

Hi Rinske,
Ive just been reading other posts regarding cima that you had been involved with.
Ill be honest i really struggled with financial statements, i only sat this exam last week and dont know wether ive passed or not, definitely still revising in case of a resit.
I enjoyed budgeting and financial performance but i wouldnt exactly say i had a strengh in this
What i have left is credit management and personal tax
Where you say'' BPP used to suggest'' is there a site i can find suggestions like this?
If im going to try self study as i couldnt afford classroom i dont want to take on a subject and be out of my depth!
thanks
Nicola xx

Rinske · May 2012

Well, that's the problem, I can't find anything on the BPP site anymore, now that they changed it. Not an improvement if you ask me, but then, I'm sure they have their reasons. But it does mean I can't show you what suggested route I meant and I haven't got the full route in my memory either, so I can't give you a link.

As for the self study, I'm not sure, but play at your strengths for the first paper you pick, whichever you decide it is. I went for F1 with E1 first, as I just sat the financial statements exam and I still had stuff for F1 in my memory at that point.

Credit management got touched in P1 again, but only fairly basic. Then again, if you say you enjoyed budgeting and financial performance, why not go for that one, see how well you get on, on your own and if not, maybe book some exam feedback or similar course!

There is no set route and I don't think CIMA recommends any specific route to take, so it really is down to personal preference.

Maybe have a look at some past exam papers and base it on those?
http://www.cimaglobal.com/Our-locations/Ireland/CIMAachieve/Exam-guides/

nicd1981 · May 2012

Hi again,
Ive spent the last three hours reading information on all three exams, i even managed to find a link to this years past paper for E1 and although i knew na da i think i will definitely take E1, and as its basically all written and may be able to take F1 or P1 aswell.
Decision time i suppose, thanks for your advice, ive emailed cima asking how i about registering and claiming my exemptions without physically having my L4 certificate, as soon as they get back to me im hoping to purchase my first book for E1
Just do some reading etc alongside studying for my final exams
Are you all finished now?
Nic xx

Rinske · May 2012

I wish! I only finished operational level so far.

2 weeks for the next exam and no way of passing it as I am now...

nicd1981 · May 2012

you never know, which exam are you studying for?
Congratulations , you have done so well to get this far
Believe in your self, My tutor told me the thing i lack most when studying for exams in PMA-positive mental attitude, unless you can give your self confidence your nerves may get the better of you!
I know nothing of cima study as i havent even completed my level 4 yet, and i know its a massive jump from AAT to CIMA which is why im trying to get a head start and start reading the books now, try and build a bit of knowledge as im a massive panicker!! ahah

good luck with your exam,

Nic xx

*Jo · May 2012

I decided to go with sitting F1 first figuring that as its my weakest subject passing it would give me a boost. As you can probally see from my other postings im taking time out at the moment due to family circumstances but intend to follow on from F1 with E1 which I should have been sitting in a couple of weeks.
My plan was to start with a couple of single paper sittings, then try 2 at once for a couple so building myself up for the strategic level.

Im still planning on trying it that way when things at home have settled down. Im also attempting to self study and have to say its a huge step up from studying AAT but will be oh so worth it when qualified.

Good luck with your AAT exams and starting CIMA.

Rinske good luck with your exams you will be fine.

Jo

nicd1981 · May 2012

Hi Jo,

Thanks for your advice, i spoke to some of my college friends about starting cima and again got warned how difficult it is expecially self studying, i may just try one subject first and see how i go rather than struggle with two! I suppose i have time to figure out exactly what im going to do as i wont know if im getting my exemtions til i know if ive passed my fnst exam and i still have two left!

Good luck all

nic x

Woooof · May 2012

Started studying my CIMA in January. F1 is very much financial statements with things added on... E1 is one I am struggling with, I am not very keen on all written papers... it would help if you could at least type it up on a PC as most people are quicker typing.

BPP recommends:

1st sitting: E1 +F1
2nd sitting: P1 + E2
3rd sitting: P2 + F2

nicd1981 · May 2012

Congratulatons woof

I didnt know you couldnt type ? is it all completely written, as in hand written??

oh dear x my hand writing is attrocious haha

Woooof · May 2012

From all the exam advice and posts on CIMA I presume it is hand written (Unless someone else knows for sure?).

As a rough guideline they say 5 marks is 3/4 of a page... so 80 marks (Excluding Section A) is around 12 pages... That's only a rough guideline but trying to answer all the questions will be difficult. If I pass this exam first time it will be a miracle.

I have also found the exams so diverse for E1 it's unbelievable. A page in my study book can turn into a 25 mark question in an exam. My main aim going into the exam is:

1. Explain the term
2. Relate it to the company/scenario

From the exam feedback guides this seems to net you the most marks.

Rinske · May 2012

It is all written indeed.

The 5 mark question is 3/4 page, but a 10 mark question guideline is 1 page and a 25 mark question has a guideline of 3 -4 pages, so it's not completely in comparison to the 3/4 page on the 5 mark question.

But it's guidelines, it really is, so don't get too hung up on how much you need to write!

nicd1981 · May 2012

Oh no, im not a writter, when i answer AAT questions i write lots of sentences, bullet points sort of, then add in bits to make them into paragraphs, and eventually i have a report!
how do you do that handwritten?
Itd be a total mess xx

Rinske · May 2012

Practice I guess, but the written exams are not my strong point either, but then, every exam requires writing in CIMA.

taskey · May 2012

i am doing e1 and so not ready for it (again). i wish i had left this one and done something a bit more interesting. it has got to the point of giving up on cima as everytime i book my exam, my whole life falls apart. november i changed jobs so could not get the time off work, february to now, i have caught one of our managers with his hands in the till - so to speak. so i have to be in police interviews etc, and getting home really late. studying is the last thing i have wanted to do when i get home.

i will still study and do past papers for the next week, and holding out for a miracle i will get the 50% i need.

tracy

Where to start with cima?

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