cima management case study past exam papers

Management Accounting Mastery

Master the skills needed to pass the cima exams and become a chartered global management accountant, a breakdown of the cima management case study exam.

T he aim of the CIMA Management Case Study Exam (MCS) is to teach you how to APPLY your knowledge from the three objective test papers in the workplace.

Here you’ll play the part of a Finance Manager (at a fictitious organisation) who has to give advice to the CFO and senior business managers on matters such as:

• Decisions about which investments are needed in order to produce products
• Using costing information to analyse and manage the drivers of costs.
• Considering the environment in which the business operates, as well as key stakeholders.
• Measuring the performance of both individuals and divisions
• Considering risk in more detail for longer term decision making, as well as the options for long-term finance.
• More advanced financial reporting in order to paint a picture of past performance; this may involve group accounts for a number of entities.
• Management Information such as raw data, performance information, cost reports and present reality through numbers.
• Perhaps influence your CFO and the senior business managers

Exam Window

The SCS will be held during the fourth week (generally five days) in every exam-month –February, May, August and November.

Brought Forward Knowledge Required

You’ll be expected to remember all the key theories, models, frameworks, and calculations etc you learnt in the three CIMA Management Level OT papers so that you can apply them in the business setting of the fictitious organisation in the MCS

Learning Outcomes and Syllabus Content

There is no additional syllabus content for you to learn as you should have all the knowledge you need from your studies of the three Management Level OT papers.

However, in the MCS, you must be able to demonstrate that you can apply the following skills from the learning outcomes tested in the three OT exams to the particular business context set in the case:

• Technical skills – 39% of your score
• Business skills – 24% of your score
• People Skills – 21% of your score
• Leadership Skills – 16% of your score

Let’s look more closely at these skills below..

1. Technical skills – 39% of your score

Rather than performing specific calculations or simply demonstrating technical knowledge as you would in the objective tests, the MCS goes beyond this and you’ll be expected to:

• Explain the benefits of applying certain techniques to the scenario
• Interpret the findings of a previously prepared analysis/report

The technical skills required in the case study will be drawn from across the E2, P2 and F2 papers

The MCS will examine you more on higher level skills such as analysis, synthesis, interpretation and justification of recommendation

2. Business Skills – 24% of your score

What the MCS is really testing here, is whether you can appreciate that any given syllabus topic from E2, P2 or F2, can have different benefits or drawbacks given different business situations

To develop this awareness ahead of your exam, it’s important that you take an interest in the business news and practice analysing business based case studies.

You will NOT earn credit for business skills if you produce a list of benefits and drawbacks of a management accounting technique without saying WHY they are a benefit or a drawback given the context of the case.

There’s no set list of business skills that you should be aiming to develop and tick off before the exam but you should make sure you are familiar with the fictitious organisation in the case.

3. People Skills – 21% of your score

The people skills you’ll be expected to demonstrate as a senior manager are:

• Appropriate use of clear and concise communication
• Being able to persuade others (particularly top level management)
• Understanding the needs of others

4. Leadership Skills – 16% of your score

As part of your analysis of the situations thrown up by the case, you’ll be expected to consider:

• How to drive performance forward
• How to manage organisations and teams through change

Essentially the MCS will test your abilities to APPLY some of theories surrounding performance management and change management learned in CIMA E2 to the given situation of the case.

This will mean giving advice appropriate to the specific issues that come up in the case, rather than regurgitating your knowledge of these theories from your CIMA E2 text book.

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Related links

• FAQs: About the test
• FAQs: Troubleshooting
• AICPA & CIMA website

CIMA's Question Tutorials

Get hands-on experience of our computer-based assessments. CIMA ® offers two types of question tutorials to cover the objective tests and case study exams.

The question tutorials provide you with examples of the types of questions encountered in the exam. They can be used to experience the test driver and how items are presented. They give you the opportunity to explore this technology and become familiar with how the online system works.

• are tailored for each qualification/subject and provide examples of question types you are likely to encounter in the live exam*. Please note: these tutorials should not be viewed as a full test.
• provide answers to the questions throughout the exam, by clicking on the ‘answer’ button at the top left of the screen.
• provide candidates with an opportunity to practice a full-length case study exam.
• should be taken using the supporting material – pre-seen, model answers, and marking guidance, see additional resources below.

*Please note there are some slight differences between the functionality of the question tutorials and the live exams; in the live exams there is no ‘navigator’ button – candidates can move to the next question by pressing ‘next’. Questions can be flagged for review and reviewed at the end of the exam via the review screen.

How to register for a free question tutorial

• click ‘create account’ and complete the details
• select an exam
• checkout and submit your request
• take the exam immediately or completed it within 1 month
• get an email with details of the exam

Additional Resources

• Operational case study question tutorial supporting material
• Management case study question tutorial supporting material
• Strategic case study question tutorial supporting material
• Level 4 EPA 1 role simulation question tutorial supporting material

Exam tutorials

These are designed to familiarise you with the exam software and functionality you will encounter at the test centre. They are not tailored towards any one qualification.

Take the exam tutorial here »

NB: The above system requirements may only apply to running the tutorials. CIMA’s online exams details »

Subject Exam Questions

Activity-based management.

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CIMA Management Case Study Courses

Dedicated to helping you pass your case study exam

Ever since our first CIMA case study course over 14 years ago, Astranti has gained a reputation for offering the most comprehensive case study courses in the market. Our courses are dedicated to providing you with the best advice and support to help you pass your exams on the first attempt.

What’s more, our courses offer great value for money.

When compared to the Official CIMA Provider’s course, we provide a more in-depth analysis of the pre-seen, a wider range of exam guidance and study materials, and all at a lower cost.

In addition, our team of dedicated case study tutors, personal mentors, and renowned materials known for their clarity and simplicity, make our courses a favourite among students. With an average Trustpilot rating of around 4.8 from over 600 reviews, you can trust that our courses deliver exceptional quality.

And to give you peace of mind, we offer a double guarantee. You can try out our course and determine if it’s right for you without any obligation to continue. Plus, with our one-time payment, you’ll never have to worry about any additional costs.

Read on to discover more…

“I have used Astranti for all three case studies which in my view is integral to passing, with the most recent pass coming on the SCS exam. Astranti help you develop the correct exam writing style required to pass and gain the additional marks that could be the difference in passing or not. I can certainly say that by using Astranti I have gone into each exam confidently assured that I have given myself the best possible chance to pass.”

CIMA Case Study Student , October 2022

Focused on what it takes to pass

Our course is designed with one thing in mind…

Getting you through the exam

Plus a pass guarantee for peace of mind

Unrivalled support

Dedicated course mentor supporting you from start to finish

Assigned marker focused on giving you personal advice

Case study tutors are on hand to answer all your questions

Great value for money

The most comprehensive case study course

All for a great price!

With instalment options to help spread the payments

Course content

Our goal is to make the Astranti Premium Course the most comprehensive on the market.

Over more than 15 years of teaching CIMA case study we’ve considered exactly what students need to support you in order to give you everything you need to pass.

So what exactly do you get?

“Brilliant study material. I used Astranti throughout, sucked in by their free products at certificate level and I’m glad I was! The material provided is brilliant and the course tutors know exactly what it takes to get the pass at the case studies, if you use them and put the hours in you will pass! Couldn’t recommend enough, and achieved first time passes in all professional exams.”

CIMA Case Study Student , July 2022

Pre-seen pack

• Full analysis of the pre-seen , picking out the most important snippets of information so that you don’t miss a thing
• Strategic analysis that links the pre-seen to the key theories and models from the syllabus
• An analysis of the top 10 most likely issues to appear in the final exam according to our case study experts
• Our industry analysis provides an overview of the real-world industry that the pre-seen company belongs to, so you can apply this in the exam to score extra marks
• 30 pre-seen knowledge questions designed to cement your knowledge learned

7x Mock exams with debrief videos

• 7 fully timed computer-based mock exams , with challenging questions designed to replicate the real exam
• Detailed solutions so you understand where you went wrong quickly and easily and to enable you to learn how to approach a similar question in the real exam
• Debrief videos where our tutors walk you through the best approach to each mock
• 5x mock exams as standard
• 2x bonus mocks for the February and August exam sittings

3x Marking and feedback

• Comprehensive marking and feedback for 3 mock exams from your assigned expert tutor
• Commentary on each script on a section by section basis, tellilng you what’s great and what needs to be improved
• A 7 page summary analysis of each script, guiding you on what you need to do to improve

'How to pass the case study' course

• Get to grips with the case study exam and find out exactly what it takes to pass
• Perfect your exam planning and writing technique
• Find out how to maximise the marks that you score in your final exam
• Learn how to provide the best answers written down in the right way, within the time given in the exam
• Hear exactly what the examiners say about how to pass the case study exam and the mistakes that past students made

Theory revision series

• Designed to refresh all of your syllabus knowledge relevant to the case study exams. We take the most commonly examined theory from E2, F2 and P2 and summarise that for you so you can review theory quickly and easily
• Take the study text with you wherever you are, with both the online and printable versions
• Watch the tuition videos for an even more detailed analysis of the key theory , including worked examples throughout to help with your understanding

Ethics and Questions packs

• Ethics is   the most commonly examined topic at management case study . As such it’s the most important topic for you to revise
• Our   ethics video   shows you how to pass ethics questions in the exam
• Our   20 practice ethics questions   enable you to master a range of ethical questions and practice the specific method that is proven to enable you to pass these questions
• Our   questions pack  contains 60 case study exam-style questions , helping you to  prepare for your exam.

3x Live online masterclasses

• Attend 3  LIVE  online masterclass days and get instant answers to your questions from our experienced MCS tutor using our interactive chat box throughout each session

Tutor expertise and Discussion hub

• Ask our tutors further questions and join the student/tutor conversation on our discussion hub
• Tailored support from your personally assigned exam marker , with all of the experience you could need to give you the best advice needed to ensure you pass the exam

Personal course mentor

• Support from your assigned mentor from the first day of the course to the last
• They’ll help you work your way through the course at a good pace, keeping up with your desired schedule and hitting the course deadlines as you go with regular catch up emails, video calls, or a combination of the two – whatever works for you!
• On hand to answer your questions or guide you in the direction you need

Exclusive to the course

Tutor & Mentor support

There are so many benefits to studying online, like flexibility, cost savings and the ability to study at your own pace.

However, there are often some challenges too, such as a lack of study structure, lots of distractions, limited accountability and a general feeling of isolation, which can all lead to reduced motivation and momentum!

For this reason, our premium courses give you exclusive access to our tutors and course mentors .

Use our course discussion hubs to contact our expert CIMA tutors whenever you need help with a tricky piece of theory.

And, have regular check-ins with your own personal course mentor via email, video call or a combination of the two, to get help staying focused, hitting your deadlines and ensuring you have everything you need to pass your exam.

How our premium course compares

Giving students value for money is important to us . Why not check out the table below to see how our premium course compares to that of the official CIMA publisher?

You must complete both practice exams and one of the mock exams and send them to your allocated marker by the deadlines set out in the course schedule.

 

You must not copy the mock exam solutions. If you do so this will invalidate your pass guarantee.

 

You must achieve an average mark of at least 30% in your submitted practice and mock exams. This is to ensure you are putting in enough effort.

 

You must attend or watch the recorded versions of the masterclasses and make notes on the pass guarantee form.

 

Use the pass guarantee form to document your key learning points throughout your studies, submit within 1 week of the final exam.

You must confirm that you have read and understood the pass guarantee terms.

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You must complete mock exams 1 to 3 and send them to your allocated marker by the deadlines set out in the course schedule.	You must not copy the mock exam solutions. If you do so this will invalidate your pass guarantee.
You must achieve an average mark of at least 40% in your full mock exams. This is to ensure you are putting in enough effort.	You must attend or watch the recorded versions of masterclasses 1 & 2 and make notes on the pass guarantee form.
Use the pass guarantee form to document your key learning points throughout your studies, submit within 1 week of the final exam.	You must confirm that you have read and understood the pass guarantee terms.

Exam Resource

Scs november 2022 - february 2023 post exam material.

This document contains the full post exam supporting materials for the November 2022 and February 2023 Strategic Case Study exam containing:

• pre-seen material
• exam variants
• suggested solutions
• examiners report (available from 28 April)
• marking guidance (available from 28 April)