Top Tips for PERFECT answer planning!

In the CIMA exam, you really DON'T want to waste time by planning too much and writing too little!

I have often spoken to CIMA students who are looking for a set plan to help with their writing. I have outlined my tried and tested plan in just eight EASY steps in my MCS study Text Part 1.

For now, however, here is just one key step that I would HIGHLY recommend you use in the CIMA exam for a successful answer...and to get that pass! Read on to find out more...

How are CIMA Case Study exams marked?

CIMA’s Case Study marking can be tricky to get your head around. I’ve spoken to countless students who found it difficult to understand why they’d failed their Case Study. Often, students receive a ‘fail’ mark even when their results show they have a reasonably good understanding of all subject areas.

So, what can you make of your Case Study results? With the February Case Studies looming, it's a good time to explore what CIMA are looking for in order to grant that allusive ‘pass’!

How have management students performed in 2017?

Take it from me, as a CIMA student, it's important to know how other students are performing so you can asses your own approach to revision. So, do you know how CIMA Management students been doing with their exams so far this year? Are you aware of what they are finding difficult or what they are succeeding in? No?

Read on to find out...

This student qualified after years of failure. Find out his secret...

Trust me, signing up for an online course will mean the difference between you passing and failing your exam. When striving to succeed in a CIMA exam, going it alone without the support of an online tutor, is not a good idea - as one of our recent graduates will contest!

Tim*, who spent four years trying to pass the Strategic Case Study exam, managed to finally achieve  his pass on the August 2017 sitting. How did he manage this after failing for so long? Read on to find out!

Online studying guarantees CIMA success! Here's why...

Do you ever find it difficult to fit in your CIMA course around your busy working life? If you do, you should seriously consider online learning for CIMA.

All of Astranti's CIMA materials are online. This means no classrooms, no waking up at the crack of dawn for an early morning class or dashing to a late evening session after a hard days work. Online courses and materials mean you can study in your own time, at your own pace and in your own way. 

As a tutor for the CIMA qualification, I know this is THE best way to study if you want to master the CIMA syllabus and achieve that all important pass. Here's why...

How can YOU make the most of the night before your exam?

It's the night before your CIMA exam and you're nervous and unsure how to proceed. Should you stay up and try and cram in as much extra revision as possible? Should you get an early night? Should you go for a run to try and clear your mind?

We've all been there - it can be a tricky decision. Many of us end up buckling under the pressure and trying to revise as much as possible until the early hours - but time and time again studies have shown this is not the best approach. Read on to find out how you can make the most of your pre-exam evening and set yourself up for CIMA success the next day!

Manage your time to guarantee exam success!

Good time management is essential for succeeding in any occupation - but to succeed as a CIMA qualified account, excellent time management needs to become second nature to you!

Of course, you want to get qualified so that you can kick-start your career - but you should also see your CIMA revision as an opportunity to perfect the time management skills that will be so essential to you as you progress. Read on to find out how to manage your time and master your CIMA revision!

Here's how to use algorithms to succeed in your CIMA revision...

What is one of the most important inventions of the 20th Century? Computers. It seems that in the modern day the whole world is computerized - your CIMA exams will even need to be sat using a computer! We rely on computerized systems so much because they are infallible, in a way that other human-controlled systems are not.

Sometimes, when work or revision is stressful, we all wish we could perform tasks as well as computers can. But what can we learn from these devices and how can this help your CIMA revision? Read on to find out...

Part 2: Mock exams

I'm sure you know how important it is to take mocks before your real CIMA exams, however, many students fail to make the most out of their mocks, and I don't want you to be one of those students! 

In Part 1 of this blog post, I discussed the ways to make your revision questions dynamic, interesting and engaging. Well, now it's time to turn our attention to mock exams - so keep reading to find out the best techniques for using mock exams as part of your CIMA revision!

Tailor your revision to suit your learning type!

Everybody is different and we all learn in different ways. Experts agree that there are four main learning groups into which individuals fall - visual learners, audio learners, linguistic learners and physical learners.

Read on to find out more about these different learning groups and how your own learning type could effect which type of study material is best for you!

On the move? Here's how to study...

Sometimes it feels as though students' other commitments prevent them from studying as hard as they should. Well, this doesn't have to be the case - not all CIMA revision has to be done at a desk. In fact, you can learn well no matter where you happen to be, as long as you are prepared. 

Here's how to revise when you can't get to your computer... 

Organise yourself to improve your revision!

You can’t be a good accountant if you aren’t organised. Revising for your CIMA exams is the perfect way to prepare yourself for the high levels of organisation and time management that you will need to consistently retain throughout your career as an accountant. With this in mind, what changes can you make to help yourself stay organised ahead of your CIMA exams?

Can I cram for an exam and still pass?

Working life can be stressful enough without the burden of CIMA exams. While trying to juggle other responsibilities, it’s incredibly easy for working CIMA students to think ‘I can always do my revision another time’. But can you leave your revision until the last minute and still get the results you want from your CIMA exams?

Four tips to help change your revision...forever!

Have you ever walked into the self help section of a book store? If you have, then you may have noticed that there are a good number of books claiming to perform near miracles in a very short amount of time. Become happier in six days? Sounds good! Stop smoking after one session with a hypnotist? Sign me up! Learn how to grow your own money tree? This book comes with free saplings to get you started!

Okay, so maybe some of these aren't exactly the real deal – but it doesn't stop a lot of books from claiming to change your life in under a week. As great (and easy) as it sounds, the effects are unlikely to last long term. In order to see real results, you must keep working on your goals consistently. How can we do this? We have some great tips from one of the most successful self help gurus - no money trees included!

This memory trick will help you ace your CIMA exams…

When revising for CIMA exams, memory power is very important. In many ways, exams are like sophisticated memory tests – if you can remember all the material from the CIMA syllabus and apply it correctly in your CIMA exams, you are on the path to success! 

The following technique will help you to unleash your full memory potential, including the power to remember everything you need for your CIMA exams! 

Mocks = Success!

Imagine that you are about to take your driving test. You've practised all the manoeuvres, driven along both quiet country roads and busy city streets and spent more than your fair share of free time memorising all of the different parts of the car. However, on the day itself, you do not pass the test. Why could this be? Well, one of the reasons could be that you haven't practised a trial driving test. You've become so used to driving along, chatting to the instructor and knowing that it's okay to make mistakes, that you are not fully prepared for what the test will actually be like.

In the same sense, not taking mocks when preparing for your CIMA exam could cost you exam success. Why are these so important? It's actually for a number of reasons. Read on to find out more!

Prepare for your CIMA OT exam with this handy guide.

Are you preparing for your CIMA OT exam? It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, with so many different topics and possible questions! If you are feeling like you are not sure which route to take, have no fear. I was speaking to an examiner the other day and they told me about a route through the exam that will navigate you towards success!

Humming to the tune of success...how music can help with revision!

Flashcards, pens every colour of the rainbow, chunky neon yellow highlighters….there are many tools that we use when revising for the CIMA exams. Some of you may prefer to write in plain black and on snow white paper, whilst others will pin notes all over the house to remind themselves of the key areas of the syllabus.

A trio of materials to combat the CIMA exam!

It's not long until the CIMA pre-seen is released! How is your revision going? Do you feel like your mind is blossoming with knowledge or do you currently feel like a stick in the mud who is feeling a little overwhelmed? Have no fear, we are here to help!

Our very first piece of advice would be to start your revision now. Yes, right now, before you start reading that 900-page book, begin studying origami or planning a walk that will take you as far away from the CIMA exam as possible. But without a pre-seen available from CIMA yet, how can you start revising? Well, we may have the materials just for you! The answer is in our Ethics pack, Course Videos and Study Texts. With these three, we have a trio to combat CIMA!

Do you get distracted? I know I do! Four tips to minimise distractions

Don't let distraction lead to CIMA failure! 

Sometimes, the temptation to get distracted and lose focus during CIMA exam periods can be almost irresistible. Going through the same or similar things over and over can be so frustrating that you spend your time staring at a wall, flicking through your phone or doing anything that isn't revising!

To overcome this, I have devised a few useful tips to help you become productive even when things get tough: