CMA COACH - STUDY PLAN
CMA Exam Study Plan It’s finally here! The CMA Exam study plan you’ve been waiting for. This plan is broken down week by week so you know exactly what to focus on. Focus is so important in order to properly prepare for this rigorous exam. Are you ready to propel your career & income
to new heights? I’ll help you get there!
WRITTEN BY: NATHAN LIAO, CMA
About The Author
About the Author
Being a CMA has opened so many doors as a Corporate Controller and entrepreneur. I haven’t only acquired advanced skills in ing and finance, but also in business and strategy. I’m here to guide you through your exam preparations, and my wish for you is to both exams on your first try just like I did. I truly hope that this study plan will serve as your com and provide you with clear direction and valuable information. You can kick it to overdrive with 1-on-1 coaching but if you choose to self-study, keep this close by and handy. Here’s to your successful exam preparation! Thank you,
After 12 years in ing, I chose to sit for the CMA exam to
advance my career and knowledge. I knew it was a challenge, so I took a serious, methodical approach to preparing. I also was busy—I couldn’t spend every spare minute studying like a crazy person, wor-
Author of CMA Coach
ried I wouldn’t cover enough information.
Creator of the #1 Online CMA Prep Course CMA Exam Academy
After ing both Part 1 and Part 2 the first time, I wanted to share my special techniques with others, so they could also save time, and avoid the cost and aggravation of staring over or giving up. I’ve now coached over 3000 candidates to successfully prepare for the CMA exam, and I’m ready to add you to the list of happy CMAs who used my methods! ii
Preface Preparing for your CMA exam is like preparing for a race. You will need commitment, discipline, a coach, and a training schedule. If you are reading this, you are committed not only to taking but to ing the exam and I applaud you for it. Let this guide serve as your training guide, and me as your coach. All that is left is discipline. I know that you have it in you. Let’s start training together. Before you know it, you will have won the race and achieved your CMA credential.
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C HAPTER 1
CMA PART-ONE Let’s review what CMA Part-One has in store for you. We’ll review each section and how long you should devote to each one. This breakdown will make it easier to assimilate the content and provide a solid study framework. It’ll only work if you put in the work. Please note that this is based on a three-month study plan. If you need more time, don’t hesitate to take it.If you feel that this pace is too slow for you, don’t hesitate to move faster.
Sections Covered and Tested A) External Financial Reporting Decisions 15% Level C Level C
1 Week
B) Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting
30%
2 Weeks
C) Performance Management
20% Level C
2 Weeks
D) Cost Management
20% Level C
3 Weeks
E) Internal Controls
15% Level C
1 Week
4-Hour Exam. 100 Multiple-Choice Questions and 2 Essay Questions. The percentages represent the weight each section carries on the exam. Level C means that the sections will be tested at the highest level of comprehension and application.
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Week 1
Week 3
Section A: External Financial Reporting Deci-
Section B: Planning, Budgeting, & Forecast-
sions
ing (Continued)
- Topic 1: Financial Statements
- Topic 4: Budgeting Methodologies
- Topic 2: Recognition, Measurement, Valuation & Disclosure
- Topic 5: Annual Profit Plan & ing Schedules - Topic 6: Top Level Planning & Analysis
Week 2
Week 4
Section B: Planning, Budgeting, & Forecast-
Section C: Performance Management
ing
- Topic 1: Cost & Variance Measures
- Topic 1: Strategic Planning
- Topic 2: Responsibility Centers & Reporting Segments
- Topic 2: Budgeting Concepts - Topic 3: Forecasting Techniques
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Week 5
Week 8
Section C: Performance Management (Contin-
Section D: Cost Management (Continued)
ued)
- Topic 4: Supply-Chain Management
- Topic 3: Performance Measures
- Topic 5: Business Process Improvement
Week 6
Week 9
Section D: Cost Management
Section E: Internal Controls
- Topic 1: Measurement Concepts
- Topic 1: Governance, Risk & Compliance
Week 7
- Internal Auditing - Systems Controls & Security Measures
Section D: Cost Management (Continued) - Topic 2: Costing Systems - Topic 3: Overhead Costs
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C HAPTER 2
CMA Part-Two Let’s review what CMA Part-Two has in store for you. We’ll review each section and how long you should devote to each one. This breakdown will make it easier to assimilate the content and provide a solid study framework. It’ll only work if you put in the work. Please note that this is based on a three-month study plan. If you need more time, don’t hesitate to take it.If you feel that this pace is too slow for you, don’t hesitate to move faster.
Sections Covered and Tested A) Financial Statement Analysis
25% Level C
2 Weeks
B) Corporate Finance
20% Level C
4 Weeks
C) Decision Analysis
20% Level C
1.5 Weeks
D) Risk Management
10% Level C
0.5 Week
E) Investment Decisions
15% Level C
2 Weeks
F) Professional Ethics
10% Level C
1 Week
4-Hour Exam. 100 Multiple-Choice Questions and 2 Essay Questions. The percentages represent the weight each section carries on the exam. Level C means that the sections will be tested at the highest level of comprehension and application.
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Week 1
Week 4
Section A: Financial Statement Analysis
Section B: Corporate Finance (Continued)
- Topic 1: Basic Financial Statement Analysis
- Topic 3: Raising Capital
- Topic 2: Financial Performance Metrics - Financial Ratios
Week 5
Week 2 Section A: Financial Statement Analysis (Continued) - Topic 3: Profitability Analysis
Section B: Corporate Finance (Continued) - Topic 4: Working Capital Management
Week 6
- Topic 4: Special Issues
Section B: Corporate Finance (Continued)
Week 3
- Topic 5: Corporate Restructuring - Topic 6: International Finance
Section B: Corporate Finance - Topic 1: Risk & Return - Topic 2: Long-term Financial Management 10
Week 7
Week 9
Section C: Decision Analysis
Section E: Investment Decisions
- Topic 1: Cost/Volume/Profit Analysis
- Topic 1: Capital Budgeting Process
- Topic 2: Marginal Analysis
- Topic 2: Discounted Cashflow Analysis
Week 8
Week 10
Section C: Decision Analysis (Continued)
Section E: Investment Decisions (Continued)
- Topic 3: Pricing
- Topic 3: Payback & Discounted Payback
Section D: Risk Management
- Topic 4: Risk Analysis In Capital Investments
- Topic 1:Enterprise Assessment
Week 11 Section F: Professional Ethics - Topic 1: Ethical Considerations For Professionals - Topic 2: Ethical Considerations For The Organization
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If you’d like to reach out to me directly, email me at
[email protected] I reply to all emails I get :) Best of luck and I wish you exam success!
Thank-You!
There you have it! A solid study plan for CMA Part-One and also for Part-Two. What do you think? Don’t be fooled by its simplicity. That’s the power of this plan; simple yet effective. At the end of the day, the results are up to you based on the effort that you will put into this process. You have the tool, now make it work for you! If you are interested in working with me 1-on-1, I invite you to visit CMA Exam Academy. It’s my #1 online prep course for the CMA exam where candidates are becoming CMAs by ing the exam on their first attempt with my help.
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