What is US CMA course ?
US Certified Management Accountant (CMA) or US CMA course is a professional certification credential in the management accounting and financial management fields. The certification signifies that the person possesses knowledge in the areas of financial planning, analysis, control, decision support, and professional ethics.
The CMA is a US based, globally recognized certification offered by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA US). IMA US has a legacy of more than 100 years and as of date the membership of US CMA certified candidates is more than 1,40,000 across 150+ countries.
Bachelor degree on any subject. Students who are pursuing their bachelors are eligible to take the US CMA exams. Two years of professional experience in accounting or finance. For Freshers the experience requirement may be completed within 7 years of passing the examination.
A single level of examination which is divided into two parts. Candidates can attempt any part in any order as per their convenience. Each exam part is four hours in length . US CMA exam will have 100 multiple choice questions, followed by two 30-minute essay questions. Exam is conducted at Prometric testing. The exam is conducted in the following windows
a. January – February
b. May – June
c. September – October
The most vital part of the US CMA scholastic program for an aspirant is to know the US CMA syllabus first. A detailed idea about the US CMA syllabus is of utmost important to take informed decisions prior initiation of the journey towards the goal of achieving the coveted US CMA credential. A thorough idea of the CMA subjects for exam will also help to build confidence-a necessary step to crack the CMA US exam.
US CMA Syllabus
Let’s have an in depth look on the course details of the current US CMA syllabus:
The US CMA course involve a 2 part online exam based on the following sections:
CMA US Exam Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics
Sec A: External Financial Reporting Decisions (15%)
- Financial Statements: Types, purpose, and use.
- Recognition, Measurement, Valuation, and Disclosure: Concepts like revenue recognition, leases, and income taxes.
- Financial Statement Analysis: Comparative analysis, common-size analysis, and financial ratios.
Sec B: Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting (20%)
- Strategic Planning: SWOT analysis, mission, vision, goals.
- Budgeting Concepts: Master budget, operating, and financial budgets.
- Forecasting Techniques: Time series, regression, and trend analysis.
- Budget Methodologies: Activity-based budgeting, zero-based budgeting.
- Annual Profit Plan & Supporting Schedules.
- Top-level Planning and Analysis: Pro forma statements, what-if analysis.
Sec C: Performance Management (20%)
- Cost and Variance Measures: Standard costing, variances for materials, labor, and overhead.
- Responsibility Centers and Reporting Segments: Cost centers, profit centers, and investment centers.
- Performance Measures: Financial performance and non-financial performance measures (balanced scorecard).
Sec D: Cost Management (15%)
- Measurement Concepts: Cost behavior, direct vs. indirect costs, and fixed vs. variable costs.
- Costing Systems: Job-order costing, process costing, activity-based costing (ABC).
- Overhead Costs: Overhead allocation, absorption costing, and variable costing.
- Supply Chain Management.
- Business Process Improvement: Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and just-in-time (JIT).
Sec E: Internal Controls (15%)
- Governance, Risk, and Compliance: Principles of corporate governance.
- Internal Control Structure and Management: COSO framework, segregation of duties.
- Systems Controls and Security Measures: Information security, internal control testing.
Sec F: Technology and Analytics (15%)
- Information Systems: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
- Data Governance: Data management, integrity, and protection.
- Technology-enabled Finance Transformation: Cloud computing, robotic process automation (RPA).
- Data Analytics: Big data, data visualization, and predictive analytics.
CMA US Exam Part 2: Strategic Financial Management
Sec A: Financial Statement Analysis (20%)
- Basic Financial Statement Analysis: Ratio analysis (liquidity, profitability, solvency).
- Profitability Analysis and Special Issues: Revenue and expense recognition, off-balance-sheet financing.
- Impact of International Operations on Financial Statements.
Sec B: Corporate Finance (20%)
- Risk and Return: Portfolio management, beta, and the CAPM model.
- Long-term Financial Management: Bonds, debentures, preferred and common stock.
- Raising Capital: IPOs, debt financing, equity financing.
- Working Capital Management: Cash, accounts receivable, and inventory management.
- Corporate Restructuring: Mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures.
Sec C: Decision Analysis (25%)
- Cost/Volume/Profit Analysis (CVP): Breakeven analysis, margin of safety.
- Marginal Analysis: Make or buy, special order, and product mix decisions.
- Pricing Decisions: Transfer pricing, market-based pricing, cost-plus pricing.
Sec D: Risk Management (10%)
- Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): Risk identification, assessment, and response strategies.
- Risk Mitigation Strategies: Hedging, insurance, diversification.
Sec E: Investment Decisions (10%)
- Capital Budgeting: Net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period.
- Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis.
- Valuation Methods: Market comparables, precedent transactions, intrinsic valuation.
Sec F: Professional Ethics (15%)
- Ethical Considerations for Management Accountants.
- IMA’s Statement of Ethical Professional Practice: Integrity, credibility, confidentiality, and competence.
- Fraud Triangle: Pressure, opportunity, rationalization.
Each part of the exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and two essay questions
Weightage given each part of US CMA exam syllabus
Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance and Analytics
| Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance and Analytics | Weightage |
| Technology and Analysis | 15% |
| Internal Controls | 15% |
| Cost Management | 15% |
| Performance Management | 20% |
| Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting | 20% |
| External Financial Reporting Decisions | 15% |
Part 2: Strategic Financial Management
| Part 2: Strategic Financial Management | Weightage |
| Financial Statement Analysis | 20% |
| Corporate Finance | 20% |
| Decision Analysis | 25% |
| Risk Management | 10% |
| Investment Decisions | 10% |
| Professional Ethics | 15% |
Top US CMA Exam tips – the preparation strategy [ 2024 Update] :- The most important part is the study/preparation in a guided manner having a proper schedule. Eventually, you will be adapted to the syllabus and format of the US CMA exam. But the ultimate aim is to clear the exam in shorter duration and obviously at first attempt.
Summary
So, by now, you are quite well versed about the US CMA syllabus and the US CMA subjects.
Before you gear up to take up the US CMA examination, there are a bunch of important points that you must keep in mind.
1.To register for the exam get access to the US CMA exam support package which includes a variety of practice and mock questions
2. Candidates are advised to study at least 150-170 hours per level or part and 300 hours in total
3. Effective study preparation of US CMA course
4. Proper study support from books and coaching from a quality US CMA training institute than self-studies only.
Choose the best US CMA institute in India, Africa, and Middle East – Uplift Pro
Uplift Pro is one of the top training institutes for the US CPA, US CMA, US CIA courses in India, Africa, and Middle East. Uplift Pro is also an Indian partner of GLEIM, US and an IMA US authorized CMA US study center. Our team consists of seasoned professionals and entrepreneurs from IIEST, IITs, London Business School, and ULCA who have decided to provide a strong back to young ambitious students and professionals to reach their desired career destinations in an organized way.
Some of our exclusive features include
A. Authorized partner of IMA US CMA course in India
B. Live online classes ensuring that the regular office working hours is least impacted
C. The dedicated faculty team for uplift live online classes are CMA US qualified with incredible marks and have more than 25 years working experience in corporate world. This help the student to learn and simulate the real life corporate working conditions which can not be attained through a CMA pass out faculty only.
D. 1:1 personal support from our 30 plus years of experienced CMA certified faculties. Also, provides full admin support through the dedicated Uplift WhatsApp study group. We have a pass rate of 80% in US CMA course exams.
E. Pass percentage of students ” at first attempt” is about 80% in a duration of 6-9 months in comparison to near about 40-45% pass rate in a global perspective.
F. The small batch size of online classes provide effective interaction with the faculty which help personalized attention towards achieving the target of 80% “pass at first attempt”
G. Affordable US CMA course fees with special discount in your IMA fees.
H. “Till you pass” guarantee assuring that you may attend our live online classes at no extra cost until you pass. It means once you become an uplift student, you can attend unlimited live online classes till you pass at no extra cost or reregistration fees.
I. Comprehensive coverage of US CMA course details including authorized GLEIM CMA study materials , class mock session, IMA registration and job assistance.
J. 120 hours of classes (Live Online Interactive Sessions) by veteran CMA faculties from Monday to Saturday from 9 pm to 10:30 pm
K. Recordings of live online classes available
L. In class mock session conducted by the faculty to make student aware of the exam pattern
M. Doubt clearing session before the exam window
N. Training on soft skills and interview techniques
O. Additional notes prepared by the faculty members on important topics
P. Administration Support towards IMA registration
Q. Job assistance
Request for Live Demo class / contact at +91-8787088850 to book your seats now.