CIMA 2015 Syllabus First Intuition

CIMA 2015 Syllabus

There are significant changes being made to the CIMA syllabus and method of assessment with

effect from 1 January 2015.

First Intuition has had been involved in the discussions surrounding developing the revised structure,

ensuring that our material meets CIMA quality requirements.

The highlights:

No changes at all to Certificate level papers in terms of syllabus and assessment method.

The changes apply to the Operational level onwards.

Slight changes to the names of the papers (but still called “E1”, “E2” etc) and minor changes

to the syllabuses of each paper.

Computer –based exams for all Operational, Management and Strategic level exams:

90 Minute exam for each individual paper

Every individual paper (e.g F1, P1 etc) can be taken “on demand” at a Pearson-approved

computer-based exam centre, such as your local First Intuition centre. These exams will

involve approximately 60 “objective test” questions.

Some (but not all) of these will be multiple choice. Others will involve the input of numbers

or a “drag and drop” of key information. All questions will be worth 1 mark, regardless of

how “complex” or “easy” the question is perceived to be. Results will be given to the student

immediately after the exam. The 90 minute exams will be ready to sit from 1 Janaury 2015.

3 hour integrated case study

For each of the Operational, Management and Strategic levels, there will be, in addition to

the 90 minute CBEs, an “integrated case study”. This will be a 3 hour exam , also sat on the

computer.

These exams will involve a preseen element available a few weeks before the actual exam

with new information /”triggers” being released on exam day. There will be 3 or 4 “triggers”

/ new events which will each lead to a question/ series of tasks to answer during the 3 hours.

These series of tasks will be individually timed, with a countdown clock in the top right of the

screen. Each task could last between 30 and 60 minutes and contain several elements (a bit

like “parts a,b and c”).

CIMA 2015 Syllabus First Intuition

The tasks will often be in the form of writing a reply to an email from a colleague at work. It

will not be obvious how many marks each individual “task” is worth – CIMA want candidates

to use their judgement to determine how long to spend on each individual task.

The more minutes that are allocated to a series of tasks, the more marks it will be worth,

although candidates will not be specifically told how many “marks” are available.

Once this time for a question/set of tasks is up, the computer will automatically move the

candidate onto the next question/ set of tasks, based on a new event/”trigger”.

It is not therefore possible to “overrun” on a question/series of tasks but candidates need to

ensure that they write everything they want to within this time as once the time is up, YOU

CANNOT GO BACK to the question. This is because the following trigger may contain

information which may have hekped you with an earlier task.

Candidates may leave a task earlier than the allocated time, but once a task is left, YOU

CANNOT GO BACK to the question.

These exams will be marked, with the results being given back to the students within

approximately 4 weeks. The first sitting of the new integrated case study exam will be in

February 2015, with future sittings in May, August and November each year

T4 Case Study to be replaced by the Strategic level integrated case study.

CIMA have not yet confirmed what the pass mark is for the 90 minute or 3 hour exams

No reading time for any exam but 15 minutes “tutorial time” for each paper explaining how

the assessment works. No question requirement will be revealed during this time.

Online calculator for all exams. Also, “whiteboards” will be available instead of pen and

paper to make rough workings. This board will allow students to make notes and wipe clean.

Pilot papers should be available in July 2014

CIMA 2015 Syllabus First Intuition

Current CIMA Syllabus

CIMA 2015 Syllabus First Intuition

Assessment under 2015 syllabus

Strategic Level

Integrated case study – 3 hour CBE E3 Strategic Management – tested via 90 min CBE

P3 Risk Management – tested via 90 min CBE F3 Financial Strategy – tested via 90 min CBE

Management Level

Integrated case study - 3 hour CBE E2 Project and Relationship Management – tested via 90 min CBE

P2 Advanced Management Accounting – tested via 90 min CBE F2 Advanced Financial Reporting – tested via 90 min CBE

Operational Level

Integrated case study - 3 hour CBE E1 Organisational Management – tested via 90 min CBE

P1 Management Accounting – tested via 90 min CBE F1 Financial Reporting and Taxation – tested via 90 min CBE

90 minute Computer-Based Exams (CBE) using Objective Testing to test knowledge and

understanding with only a bit of application.

The 3 hour integrated case studies will test application, analysis and evaluation and can only

be attempted once a student has successfully passed (or been exempted from) all three

papers in that level. These exams include both pre-seen material (and a database of related

information), and unseen material/”triggers”, made available during the assessment. The

case studies incorporate short answers and essays with limited, if any, calculations.

Once you pass a CBE, it is “banked” forever. Passing 3 papers in a level under the current

syllabus means that you don’t have to take the integrated case study paper for that level

under the 2015 syllabus.

CIMA 2015 Syllabus First Intuition

Transitional arrangements :

There will be no resits for any papers failed under the current syllabus in February 2015

If you have passed any paper (e.g. F1) under the current syllabus, you will not have to sit the 2015

CBE equivalent

If you fail any paper under the current syllabus, you will have to sit the 90 minute computer based

exam AND the integrated case study for that entire level

The key point however is that if you haven’t finished a level (e.g. the Operational Level, papers E1, F1

and P1) by NOVEMBER 2014, you will have to resit any outstanding papers in that level AND the

integrated case study for that level too.

YOUR GOAL IS THEREFORE TO ENSURE YOU FINISH A LEVEL BY THE END OF NOVEMBER 2014.

Note : Special one-off transitional rule for the Operational Level for November 2014. If you have only

passed 2 Operational Level papers by the end of November, you can pay for a “waiver” for the

remaining paper. However, you will still have to sit the operational level case study paper in 2015.

This waiver does not apply to the management or strategic level.

Pros and cons of taking the operational level waiver

You can’t fail a waiver, you can fail an exam. Therefore, no chance of having to “retake” the

waived paper

If you take the waiver, you still have to sit the operational level integrated case study.

If you sit and pass all of the operational level exams by November 2014, you will avoid the

need to sit the operational level case study

The current operational level exams have a known previous exam history which it may be

easier to prepare for. With any new syllabus, there is more of the “unknown” involved, with

no real previous exams available

You will need to study for any operational level paper that you take a waiver for because its

knowledge will be needed for the operational level integrated case study

Also, many management level papers follow on from the operational level equivalent (i.e. F2

follows on from F1)

CIMA 2015 Syllabus First Intuition

First Intuition Advice for all CIMA students

May 2014 : Have a plan as to what papers to sit and pass in May and November. Your main goal

should be to finish off a whole level by the November 2014 sitting.

If you are at the Operational level : Aim to complete the operational level in May 2014, allowing you

to move onto the management level papers in November 2014. If this is not possible, aim to

complete the operational level in November 2014.

If you are at the Management level : Plan to finish all 3 management level papers ASAP. If you can

finish them in May, aim to take the 3 Strategic Level papers in November. This will just leave you

with the Strategic Level Integrated Case Study in 2015 to qualify.

If you are at the Strategic level : Aim to pass all 3 Strategic papers in May 2014 and take the T4 Case

Study in August or November 2014. The 2015 syllabus won’t affect you, assuming you pass all of

your 2014 exams.

November 2014 : Aim to finish off a level.

If you are at the Operational level in November 2014 : Take the remaining papers in November

2014 to finish off the operational level.

If you are at the Management level in November 2014 : If possible, finish off the Management level

in November 2014. If this isn’t possible, it may be worth studying towards your remaining

Management level papers with classroom courses with a view to taking the CBE in early 2015 at your

convenience.

If you are at the Strategic level in November 2014 : Any papers not passed in November 2014 will

have to be sat in 2015 under the new format

T4 in November 2014 : If you fail the November 2014 sitting of T4 Case Study, you have to sit the

Strategic Level Integrated Case Study in 2015

Important note : there are syllabus changes for most of the Operational, Management and

Strategic papers under the 2015 syllabus. Therefore, any papers resat in 2015 may involve a slightly

different syllabus. First Intuition will be able to help you “plug the knowledge gap” for any papers

not passed in the November 2014 siting

Useful CIMA resource

CIMA have a very useful tool on their website which gives personalised advice as to what papers to

study for :

http://www.cimaglobal.com/Students/2015-syllabus/Transition-arrangements