CIMA...... Just got started

[Participant]

I'm glad it's harder. The pass mark was always high 40%s, far too easy.

Every man and his dog is an accountant now, the profession was rapidly losing its standing. Compare it to the difficulty involved in passing other professional exams, it needed to be harder.

Some of the idiots I've met that have passed their CIMA exams made me embarrassed to have done something so simple.

 

[Rids]

Not at all, with half the time available, every syllabus area/outcome examined, no written materials available except for dry wipe boards & marker pens and subjective answers to objective test questions...

I don't want the qualification to be easy but it shouldn't be ridiculously difficult either. I haven't an aversion to putting the work in, believe you me but just a fair chance at passing would be nice.People have managed to pass but as you can imagine very few.

Its possible the time pressure issues are a Strategic level thing only - having done two management papers I finished both with 40+ minutes to spare. I have run into questions where the answers were very subjective - usually in a "Which Three from Six" situation where there 4 perfectly reasonable outcomes.

 

[BennyC]

Its possible the time pressure issues are a Strategic level thing only - having done two management papers I finished both with 40+ minutes to spare. I have run into questions where the answers were very subjective - usually in a "Which Three from Six" situation where there 4 perfectly reasonable outcomes.

Myself and many others I've spoken to had no time to review flagged questions at the end of F3 (I manage my time very well in exams), I haven't yet sat P3 but it's supposed to be even worse. 90 minutes time for E3 is perfectly ample.

Some questions are quicker to answer than others so some time saved can be used elsewhere but it felt very much pot luck as to how many lengthy or quick questions you got and that the balance in each exam didn't exist. I'll stop moaning now

 

[Pudney]

Apparently the case study uses a scalar marking scheme too, which none of the training providers were told, and to quote a tutor 'you could fail with 62% but pass with 53% depending on your proficiency across the competences.'

I too preferred the old style exams as whilst there were right/wrong answers you could still display a level of understanding and competence and gain some marks even if you couldn't fully answer the question. Now it's either completely right or completely wrong and even practise & revision kit answers are laughable and completely subjective and totally hopeless, can't help but laugh.

You're not even given a mark now, just pass/fail and 2 days later you can login to see which areas of the syllabus your were/weren't proficient in but failing say all 5, with 69% could give the illusion that you're no where near passing when it'd be quite the opposite.

At £115 a pop it's a total cash cow.

From what you say the marking system sounds similar to the ACA case study system. Personally I think it's a good method, by that stage of your training it's important to be able give advice across the breadth of issues and not just focus in on easy marks on certain questions.

 

[Rids]

From what you say the marking system sounds similar to the ACA case study system. Personally I think it's a good method, by that stage of your training it's important to be able give advice across the breadth of issues and not just focus in on easy marks on certain questions.

Case studies are now at all levels though, not just Strategic like previously.

 

[Pudney]

Case studies are now at all levels though, not just Strategic like previously.

Presumably they get harder. I've had a quick look and it just seems to be a normal essay style exam based around one scenario. Doesn't seem too demanding although it's a bit unfair to do that if the marking style isn't made clear beforehand.

 

[BennyC]

A brief update for those interested:

Dear Ben,

Thank you for your patience. As promised in my last email, I am writing to you with the results of our review of the F3 Financial Strategy exam, and to let you know how the outcome has affected your result.

You have now, after the review of your result(s), been awarded a pass for your exam on 09-Mar-15. This will be updated in your MY CIMA account along with any relevant sectional feedback later today.

I do appreciate that this has been an uncertain and unsettling time for you, and for this I am sorry.

I am committed to working with you, and following your experience, wish to support you in your further progression to complete the CIMA qualification. So, I have instructed that a credit for one strategic case study exam sitting be added to your account. This will be valid for two years from today, and means that your first attempt for the strategic level case study exam will be free of charge.

I also wish to express my deep appreciation for the feedback we have received during this process and to thank you for your personal commitment to your CIMA studies. We have learned from this experience and will feed these learnings into our ongoing innovations around our exam and assessment systems to ensure they remain world class.

You continue to have my personal assurance that we will do right by you on your journey to becoming a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

Yours sincerely,

Dr Noel Tagoe

 

[Martynt74]

Glad to hear it's sorted out for you. Congratulations

 

[semi-pro waster]

Well done on the pass and I hope it's smoother for the next iterations of the process.

 

[Rids]

Just took on P2 today and managed to sneak a pass. Very strange exam, I thought I was prepared so decided to take on the official Pearson Vue mock and scored very poorly. I decided to take the exam anyway with only slightly more study and sailed through first time. The exam just didn't feel right to me, was too easy, like it should be aimed at the P1 level not P2. Infact I dare say that my P1 paper based exam sat in November was harder than this one.

I mean I'm glad I got the pass but I think a trained chimp could probably have gotten the same result with the questions I had.