15 Strategies for Passing the CMA exam While Working Full-Time : 2024

Admin 29 Dec, 20239.1k

15 Strategies for Passing the CMA exam : 2024

Passing the CMA USA exam is a difficult endeavour; therefore you'll need to devote adequate time to studying for each section. While finding time to study can be difficult, obtaining a CMA will be a worthwhile investment.
To find time to study for the CMA exam, you'll have to make compromises.

Some candidates believe that making multiple minor sacrifices is the best way to go (e.g., waking up an hour early, studying during your lunch break, or watching a bit less television). Other candidates would rather make a single significant sacrifice (e.g., working fewer hours a week or taking a summer off of college).

The most important thing is to be honest with yourself�don't make a sacrifice that isn't absolutely necessary. Finding study time is only worthwhile if you keep to your schedule.

1. Make a priority list

You don't want to be a slacker at work or an inefficient resource. The easiest approach to avoid this is to get down with your boss and plan out the next few months in terms of projects and duties. When you can predict your workload, you'll be able to better manage your study time.

2. Work hours that are flexible

If you've been a good employee, your manager is likely to be understanding and allow you flexible hours to assist you study for the CMA exam. After all, obtaining a CMA will benefit your company as well.

3. Remove the background noise

This implies you'll have to spend less time on non-productive activities like watching TV, social networking, or attending too many happy hours. NorthStar Academy provides you multiple options to choose from. It�s self study platform allows you to study at your own pace, but you must schedule study time each week.

4. Health is a valuable asset

It's very possible that studying and working will have an impact on your body, and weariness will set in. To maintain your health, it's critical that you eat well, exercise often, and get enough rest in between.

5. Refrain from succumbing to temptation

You'll be invited to a lot of events, social responsibilities, and office parties, but you must remember yourself that passing the CMA exam is the most important thing you can do right now. Everything else is merely incidental.

6. Perseverance

Staying motivated is one of the best ways to study for the US CMA exam. Not everyone is concerned with their personal development. The fact that you took that step should serve as a reminder to you that you must make the most of the time you have.

7. Workplace productivity tips to study CMA USA EXAM

If time management is not your strong suit, utilise planners, organisers, time tables, and charts to keep track of what you should be studying next and post them on the walls of your room.

Knowing the ways to study for the CMA USA exam also entails being able to visualise how much free time you have and how much time you should devote to learning for the same. It will make juggling between your 9-5 and your studies a lot easier.

Procrastination should be avoided at all costs. Keeping your wits about you and following the NorthStar Academy guide will aid your success!

8. Make a call to a friend

Not literally, but metaphorically. Committing to a goal and enlisting the help of a friend as an accountability buddy motivates you to work even harder.

Allow that friend to hold you accountable if you stray from your aim. Committing to a co-worker for assistance in this area will also be beneficial.

Consider enrolling in a NorthStar Academy review course with weekly accountability check-ins to keep you on track until exam day.

9. Identify your sweet spot

Our productivity thrives in a variety of settings and surroundings. Find a quiet place and listen to music that energises you and helps you concentrate. This will improve not just your academic performance but also your productivity at your full-time work.

10. Career services

Reach out to your present employer's HR department if it has a career centre. Someone there is likely to be able to assist you in properly planning your studies and managing your career goals as you seek to accomplish Certified Management Accounting certification.

11. Find a study partner

Is there anyone else in your company studying for the CMA exam as well? If so, you can share notes, check in on each other's progress, and serve as sounding boards when you're stuck or lacking inspiration.

12. Make preparations ahead of time

If you want to manage your time, you'll need to start planning a few weeks ahead of time. Determine your strong and weak areas, as well as how much time you'll need to commit to each, and schedule your study time appropriately.

13. Have a good time

No one benefits from a life of work and no recreation. You have the right to a cheat day every now and again, when you relax, go out, and don't think about work or CMA.

14. At work, give it your all

You should not be studying while at work. This would be a disservice to your employer and could lead to an adverse appraisal. You must continue to excel at your job, and doing so will provide you with even more motivation to do so on your CMA exam. Success feeds on itself.

15. Give yourself a week off before the exam

Request a couple days off from your employment as the exam date approaches. This will allow you to re-energize your mental energy and ensure that it is focused on the exam.

Here we have an extra topic for you as an add on,

7 Golden Rules for Passing the CMA exam in the United States

First and first, the student must recognise that the CMA USA is a professional exam that must be treated with seriousness and importance in order to pass. It's a professional exam with stringent qualification requirements. According to recent trends, the global passing rate is only 45 percent.

This percentage will decrease with time. The passing percentage was above 75% in early 2004-2005, and to maintain demand for the qualification, this percentage of passing was managed, just as any other professional body like the ICAI, AICPA, and others.

1. Make sure you're using the proper stuff

Education is a long-term investment rather than a one-time expense. The money you spend on education will be repaid to you over time as you advance in your job. Many times, I've seen students take shortcuts such as using a friend's CMA USA coaching materials, pirated copies with outdated syllabuses, and so forth.

All of these things will not help you pass the exam. When compared to an organised student or someone who has spent in CMA USA coaching in India, the percentage of pupils passing using such shortcuts is relatively low. I've seen students using materials that are four to five years old without recognising that the syllabus has changed twice in the last four years.

2. Make a well-thought-out strategy (A decent strategy has a 50% chance of succeeding)

Three months of systematic preparation is sufficient to pass the exam. Along with your CMA USA online classes, you should set aside two to three hours per day for tests, plus a little more effort on weekends. I usually advise students to develop a schedule of topics and software to study.

Make an elaborate chart, for example, to see at a glance how many questions you need to cover from the text book and software, which will help you identify the volume to cover and arrange your daily activities accordingly.

Don't worry if you skip a few days of studying; our CMA USA guidance will help you maintain the necessary momentum.

3. Exam preparation in a step-by-step manner

While preparation, the following steps are recommended.

i) Complete topic-by-topic concepts from a text book/with the help of CMA USA online programmes
ii) Answer the software questions that pertain to that issue.
iii) Once all of the concepts for a given segment have been covered, begin conducting condensed mock examinations (5 to 10 mock exams are preferred)
iv) In India, the majority of CMA USA coaching replicates the examinations a few days before the exams.

For example, you might write four-hour tests from your home or university in the same time zone as the exam. One or two simulated exams should be completed one week before the actual exam date.

4. Register for the exam ahead of time

It is usually a good idea to register for exams ahead of time. This is beneficial in two ways.

i) You will be given the exam dates of your choice; some students prefer to take the exam at the end of the window, and registering ahead of time will assist you in doing so. If you register late, prometric exam slots may become unavailable. Students frequently go to various cities because they are unable to secure convenient dates in their home city, which may have been prevented with forward planning.
ii) Having a firm deadline offers you the CMA USA tutoring pressure you need to prepare for the exam and helps you stay on track.

5. Take care of your identity and calculator requirements

When compared to the exam application form, students frequently have issues with changes in ID, such as first name, last name, and so on. Unfortunately, this occurs half an hour before the exam, causing them to become extremely worried.

Students must double-check that the names on the exam application via ID card, and if necessary, reach out to Prometric call center a few days before the exam to cross-check so that there are no last-minute misunderstandings.

6. Precautions to Take During Exams

i) Keep in mind that you only have 180 minutes for multiple choice questions, which equates to 1.8 minutes for each question (Total 100 MCQ�s ). This implies that you should not devote too much time to any particular question.

ii) Make sure you start with questions that are in your area of expertise.

i.e. you have the option of marking the question and moving on to the next one, so if you come across a question that you are uncomfortable with, mark it and go on. NorthStar Academy, a premier provider for CMA USA coaching in India recommends that you answer questions from your strong areas first, as this will boost your confidence and help you solve the tougher and time consuming questions later on.

7. Exam success requires a healthy mind

This is a critical issue; you must understand that every student who takes an exam is under pressure, and the better you handle the strain, the more likely you are to pass the exam. Coaching for CMA USA might assist you in dealing with such stress. A pleasant and tranquil mindset will help you do better on the exam.

Keep the following in mind:

Make sure you get adequate sleep the night before the exam.
What you eat (not too heavy), and what you wear (comfortable not very tight) All of this should be considered during your exam preparation and on the day of the exam.

Conclusion

To summarise, all it needs is commitment to properly manage your employment and studies at the same time. Once you've done that, you'll be able to take advantage of all 24 hours of each day and reap the rewards in the short and long term. NorthStar Academy offers various certification courses, including for those who are interested in pursuing the Certified Management Accountant designation. Earn your CMA Certification online with NorthStar Academy.