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CMA Part 1

A full CMA Part 1 plan: IMA's current rules checked, membership and window sorted, a calendar across all six sections, weekly multiple-choice and essay practice, timed mocks and a calm exam day.

Free · Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows · v1.0.0 · Other platforms

Then open the Marketplace in the app, search for CMA Part 1, and click Install. It goes into your own files, and works offline from then on.

What it installs.

1

Pillar

1

Area

50

Projects

197

Starter tasks

🎓 Finance & Business Certifications

CMA Part 1

Studying for CMA Part 1, Financial Planning, Performance and Analytics: external reporting, budgeting, cost management, internal controls and the essay questions.

  1. IMA Part 1 exam rules and format check
  2. IMA membership and CMA programme entry
  3. Part 1 or Part 2 first decision
  4. Choosing the Part 1 testing window
  5. Review course and question bank choice
  6. Weekly study hours budget
  7. Part 1 study calendar across the six sections
  8. Diagnostic test of accounting and maths basics
  9. Permitted calculator and on-screen exam tools
  10. Weekly study block routine
  11. Error log for missed multiple-choice questions
  12. Learning Outcome Statements coverage tracker
  13. Daily formula and variance flashcards
  14. Weekly essay scenario practice
  15. Mixed-section question sets each week
  16. Monthly progress review against the calendar
  17. Financial statements and how they connect
  18. Receivables, inventory and investments valuation
  19. Leases, long-lived assets, revenue and income taxes
  20. US GAAP and IFRS differences for Part 1
  21. Strategic planning tools and planning assumptions
  22. Forecasting with regression, learning curves and expected value
  23. Master budget built from sales to cash
  24. Flexible budgets and variance analysis
  25. Responsibility centres and transfer pricing
  26. ROI, residual income and the balanced scorecard
  27. Cost behaviour, absorption and variable costing
  28. Job order, process and activity-based costing
  29. Supply chain, lean and process improvement
  30. Governance, risk and internal control under COSO
  31. Systems controls, security and business continuity
  32. Information systems and data governance
  33. Finance automation, AI and data analytics
  34. Essay answer structure and scoring
  35. First full timed Part 1 mock exam
  36. Weak section recovery plan
  37. Rescheduling to a later testing window
  38. Last 30 days revision plan
  39. Final mock exam fortnight
  40. Exam day logistics and test centre plan
  41. Results and next-step decision
  42. Part 1 as a university student
  43. Part 1 alongside a full-time finance job
  44. Employer sponsorship and study leave request
  45. Sitting Part 1 without a local test centre
  46. Retake plan after an unsuccessful attempt
  47. Part 1 from a non-accounting background
  48. Analysing a real cost data set with Part 1 methods
  49. Lunch-and-learn on a Part 1 topic for colleagues
  50. Applying Part 1 concepts in your current role

Where it starts.

Each project arrives with its purpose, milestones and first tasks written out. Here is how the first three read.

IMA Part 1 exam rules and format check

IMA updates the CMA content specification outline, candidate handbook and testing policies from time to time, and prep guides written for an earlier year can be wrong about the sections, the essay rules and the fees.

First tasks

  • Download the current CMA candidate handbook from IMA's website
  • Write down the Part 1 format, length and section weightings exactly as IMA states them
  • Note IMA's rule for moving from the multiple-choice section to the essays
  • Recheck IMA's Part 1 pages for policy or outline changes @recurring(quarterly)

IMA membership and CMA programme entry

Joining IMA and paying the CMA entrance fee open your candidate record and let you register for Part 1, and they also start the clock on the time IMA allows to pass both parts. Doing it deliberately, with the right membership category and the completion deadline written down, avoids paying a professional rate when a student or academic rate applies, or losing passed credit later.

First tasks

  • Compare IMA's membership categories and pick the one you qualify for
  • Ask your manager or HR whether membership and exam fees are reimbursed
  • Pay for membership and the CMA entrance fee and file the receipts
  • Renew your IMA membership before it lapses @recurring(yearly)
  • Check how long remains before your programme completion deadline @recurring(quarterly)

Part 1 or Part 2 first decision

Candidates may sit the two CMA parts in either order, and the better choice depends on what you studied and what you do at work. Someone who builds budgets and variance reports every month may find Part 1 a natural start, while a graduate fresh from corporate finance modules may prefer Part 2. Deciding with evidence rather than habit puts your strongest early result first and keeps motivation high.

First tasks

  • List your degree modules and job tasks that match each part's outline
  • Attempt twenty free sample questions from each part
  • Write the decision and the two main reasons behind it
  • Pencil the other part into a testing window after your Part 1 sitting

Make it yours.

Install CMA Part 1, then tell Aurum the date you're aiming for. It checks whether the plan fits the weeks you actually have.

Free · Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows · v1.0.0 · Other platforms

Blueprints are general information to help you organise your own work. They are not medical, financial, legal or other professional advice. See the Terms.