CMA Exam Information: What You Need to Know

If you’re pursuing a career in accounting or looking to move up the ladder, the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification is a great step to take. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry—we’ll break down the CMA exam basics for you. Keep reading to learn all the CMA exam information you need to know before you get started.

The CMA is globally recognized in the accounting and finance industry. It equips you with accounting skills and knowledge that can unlock a world of career opportunities and advancement, including higher earning potential. Read about more reasons to become a CMA in our blog.

Being a CMA means more than just knowing how to generate the numbers. CMAs explain the “why” behind the numbers and turn data into dialogue. They help companies answer important financial questions like: How much will this new sales initiative cost? What’s the return on investment on buying that company or developing and launching that new product?

CMAs often work closely with upper management, and their knowledge, skills, and experience influence the direction companies choose to take. They play an important role on the management team by providing meaningful financial data and analysis that assist management in running the business efficiently and profitably.

So, what’s the CMA exam really like and what do you need to do to become a CMA?

The CMA is a two-part exam, and each part tests you on key managerial and financial accounting concepts and skills.

Each part has 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 essay questions. You have to get at least 50% of the MCQs right to move on to the essay portion of the exam.

Learn more about the topics tested in each exam part in our guide to the CMA exam.

CMA candidates must meet requirements for Education, Ethics, Examination, and Experience. You have seven years after passing the exam to satisfy the education and experience requirements. Get a detailed breakdown of all the CMA requirements in our guide.

There are a lot of organizations and acronyms in the CMA world: IMA, ICMA, Prometric. What do they all do? And how do they affect you, as a CMA exam candidate?

To become a Certified Management Accountant, you first have to become a member of Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), meet all the necessary requirements set by the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA), and pass the CMA exam at a Prometric testing center. This may seem like a lot, but we’ll break it down for you.

IMA is the association of accountants and financial professionals and focuses on education, research, and professional events for management accountants. It produces conferences for CMAs; provides continuing professional education courses; publishes newsletters, books, and magazines; and assists with the logistics of administering the CMA exam, such as processing registrations. You’ll need to become an IMA member first before you can take the CMA exam.  IMA does not create, write, or score the CMA exam itself—this is done by the ICMA.

The ICMA is the exam administration and certification division of IMA. ICMA actually creates the CMA exam. It writes the syllabus and questions, grades your exam, and ensures the integrity of the exam process. ICMA is also responsible for evaluating CMA applicants’ credentials and administering continuing education requirements.

Prometric is a global test-administration company with locations worldwide, and the ICMA contracts them to administer the CMA exam. To take your exam, you’ll schedule an appointment with Prometric during one of the CMA exam testing windows. You can also schedule a test driveOpens in new window at the Prometric testing center where you’ll sit for your CMA exam.

The exam questions and solutions are not released to review providers, or the public, until they are retired and no longer included on the exam. IMA is partnered with several review providers, but no exam prep provider has inside knowledge of the exam or any particular connection or relationship with the ICMA. That’s a crucial distinction to keep in mind as you consider CMA review courses. Every review provider, including Gleim, generates their own study materials, including practice questions and mock exams.

Once questions are retired, they’re released to the public. This allows candidates to get hands-on experience with the style, depth, and breadth of the questions they’ll encounter on the real exam. We recognize the importance of these questions, and quickly incorporate them into our review materials, adding answer explanations and incorporating a Prometric-style display to help candidates prepare for the real deal.

Becoming a CMA will help advance your career, and choosing to sit for the exam is an important first step. Choosing the right CMA exam prep course is the second step, and Gleim is here to help.

We created the industry’s first CMA exam prep course in 1981, and we’ve trained more CMAs than any other review course. So many candidates pass with Gleim because our course is designed to make sure you feel confident when you sit for your exam.