CImA Course
CImA is a leading membership body that offers a globally recognized professional management accounting qualification. CImA qualification has an emphasis on accounting for business.
CImA qualified management accountants have an excellent understanding of finance and business. They use this to shape the future of their organizations. They have a broad business perspective and excellent employment opportunities around the world.
CImA is the only professional accounting body that revises its syllabus and related examinations every four years following a comprehensive consultation and research program to ensure that the syllabus and examinations reflect the current needs of business. All of the syllabus content is international in scope and the structure has been carefully considered to reflect the importance of both examinations and practical experience.
To qualify as a Chartered Management Accountant under the CImA qualification, an applicant must:
Theoretical + Practical + Applied and professional standards = CImA qualification VALUE for Employer
Employers value the CImA qualification for its balanced mix of theoretical, practical and applied development of skills and knowledge. The combination of these factors ensures that CImA members understand how a business operates.
Theoretical
The CImA syllabus provides the in-depth theory which is the cornerstone of all CImA members’ knowledge. CImA’s strength is combining the theory with the need to demonstrate the practical application of this in the real world of business. TOPCImA, the final test of professional competence, is the ultimate test of practical ability prior to qualification.
Practical
Not only do CImA members gain the tools and techniques within the syllabus to apply the theory in practice, but there is a rigorous requirement of practical application prior to qualification. Each student has to complete a minimum of three years’ practical experience.
This practical experience complements the CImA syllabus by identifying the essential financial and technical skills required to become a competent Chartered Management Accountant, but what really differentiates Chartered Management Accountants is that this focus includes a demonstration of the broader management abilities, such as interpersonal and organisational skills, that are so essential to succeed in the business world.
Applied
CImA believes that the practical application of knowledge is of greater value than the acquisition of the knowledge itself. Therefore, CImA has a robust continuous professional development policy which is based on outcomes rather than hours completed.
CImA works closely with employers to ensure a synergy exists with their in-house training needs and development. This avoids duplication whilst adding value to the employer. We have a CPD (CImA Professional Development) accreditation program which is specifically designed to support employer organizations to get the best out of their CImA qualified staff.
Ethical Conduct and Governance
Membership of CImA demonstrates the achievement and maintenance of technical competence but beyond this, members are also required to uphold the highest professional and ethical standards when applying their knowledge and skills.
This is a fundamental difference between qualifications retained through a professional body and other role-focused qualifications such as MBAs, diplomas and certificates.
It is part of CImA’s responsibility to stakeholders, including employers, regulators and the business community at large, to promote ethics to our members
Roles and Functions of CImA Members
The diversity of functions in which CImA members operate can be demonstrated from the findings of our 2006 member survey. The following are areas which occupy a significant amount of time within the roles of CImA members.
| Management Accounting | 65% |
|---|---|
| Financial Management | 54% |
| Planning and Strategy | 42% |
| Financial Accounting | 39% |
| Project Management | 36% |
| Information Technology | 34% |
| Corporate Reporting | 28% |
| Business/Practice Management | 24% |
| Risk Management | 23% |
| Compliance | 22% |