How to Become CMA USA Professional - An Ultimate Guide

Admin 29 Dec, 20239.1k

Introduction

With the ever-changing world dynamics, there has been a steady rise in the demand for a CMA USA professional. A US Certified Management Accountant (CMA) is a certification offered to individuals validating their credentials as skilled in the field of financial management and business accounting. The US CMA certificate is a highly valued credential by top organizations and multinational companies around the globe.

Offered by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), the USA CMA is a highly sought-after credential by students in the Finance and Accounting community due to its soaring demand across several industries worldwide. The US CMA certification recognition also promises a steady career growth curve with a rising salary with promotion. However, there might be some challenges in clearing the respective exam and obtaining the certificate. Hence, in this blog, we have discussed everything you need to know to become a successful CMA USA professional by cracking the CMA USA exam.

Understanding the Importance of CMA USA Professional

The US Certified Management Accountants are among the top professionals in the Finance and Accounting Management backgrounds. With acceptance in over a hundred countries, the US CMAs have acceptability almost everywhere in the world, including the USA, UK, Canada, Dubai, India, etc. Being in-demand professionals, a CMA USA can earn high salary benefits and top job roles that offer a stable career and steady growth.

A certified CMA USA professional can fill some of the top management jobs and positions within an organization or company based on their level of knowledge and skill set. Being an internationally recognized certification, USA CMA certificate holders in India and abroad can fill the following job roles, among many others:

Chief Financial Officer
Finance Manager
Financial Analyst
Financial Risk Manager
Financial Controller
Cost Accountant or Manager
Relationship Manager
Finance Director
Credit Controller
Chief Accountant
Management Accountant, etc.

A CMA USA professional develops industry-relevant and readily applicable skills to help his organization achieve new heights. A CMA USA professional can find jobs in a wide range of industries in India and abroad. Some of them include the following:

Manufacturing
Educational services
Construction
Medical and health services
Mining
Insurance
Real estate
Transportations
Utility and communication services, and many more.

The CMA USA opens up a whole array of exciting job opportunities for a CMA USA professional willing to build a career in the field of Finance and Accounting.

What is the US CMA Salary in India?

Due to the high demand for quality CMA USA professionals across several industries worldwide, the potential salary of candidates is also very high. The top multinational companies and organizations in India and abroad hire CMA USA professionals for top management positions.

USA CMA salary in India ranges between ?2.4 lakhs and ?3.6 lakhs. According to Payscale, the average annual salary of a CMA USA professional in India is ?786K.

Are you hooked on knowing how to crack the CMA USA certification exam? Well, let us tell you how. You can join a CMA USA course, prepare for the CMA USA certification exam, and ace it in just one attempt! Your roadmap to becoming a successful CMA USA professional is here. Read ahead to learn more about how to become a CMA USA professional.

How to become a CMA USA?

To become a CMA USA professional, you need to fulfill the eligibility criteria, become a member of IMA, prepare from the top CMA USA coaching and then take the CMA USA certification exam and clear it.

Lets first see the eligibility criteria for the CMA USA Exam.

CMA USA Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the CMA USA certification exam, candidates have to fulfill some prerequisites specified by the IMA. The eligibility criteria are mentioned as follows:

Candidates must possess a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university or institution.

Candidates require full-time work experience for at least two years in the relevant fields of Finance and Accounting. Candidates with four years of part-time job experience in the relevant fields are also eligible to apply.

Candidates who do not fulfill either of the two experience requirements have an option to accumulate the relevant work experience within the 6 yrs of clearing the CMA USA exam.

Candidates must possess the IMA membership before applying for the CMA exam.

Candidates must adhere to the IMAs Statement of Ethical Professional Practice.

Now, let us see the examination pattern for better understanding.

CMA USA Exam Pattern

Knowing the CMA USA exam pattern is extremely crucial for well-rounded preparation for the exam. The USA CMA exam is held in two parts: Part-I and Part-II. The exam pattern is given below.

Exam Name	USA CMA
Exam in parts	2
Duration of exam	4 hours (3 hours for MCQs and 1 hour for Essays)
Type of Questions	Multiple Choice Questions + Essay Type Questions
Maximum marks allotted for each exam	500
Passing Marks	360

Moreover, candidates must note the following:

The USA CMA exam can be taken in any of the following months under the Prometric testing center.
- January/February
- May/June
- September/October
If candidates wish to reappear for any part of the exam, they need to register again for the same exam.
Candidates can take the exam in any order; candidates can take the Part-II exam before the Part-I exam if they wish.
Candidates need to pass the first exam they take before they are eligible to take the second exam. Therefore, candidates need to get at least 75% in the first exam before they can take the second one.

Clearing this exam requires a lot of sincere effort, dedication, and practice, along with thorough guidance for an all-around preparation. You can get guidance from experienced mentors by enrolling in a US CMA course at the training institute.

When you enroll yourself in a US CMA course, you can access all the relevant study material and get streamlined guidance for your preparation for the USA CMA exam. Before enrolling in such a course, it is important to know the USA CMA exam details to prepare mentally for what you have to study.

US CMA Course

The CMA USA course can help develop skills and knowledge of finance, accounting, and management that students can make use of in their workplace to make well-informed decisions and influence their organization.

Let us know all the details of the USA CMA exam so that you know what to expect from a US CMA course.

CMA USA Syllabus To Be Covered in the Course

A US CMA course syllabus is prepared according to the USA CMA certification exam. The US CMA course syllabus is divided into two parts according to the CMA USA exam: Part-I and Part-II.

The Part-I syllabus contains Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics, which consists of the following subtopics:

Technology and Analytics (15%)
Performance Management (20%)
Internal Controls (15%)
External Financial Reporting (15%)
Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting (20%)
Cost Management (15%)

The Part-II syllabus contains Strategic Financial Management which comprises the following subtopics:

Corporate Finance (20%)
Investment Decisions (10%)
Decision Analysis (25%)
Professional Ethics (15%)
Financial Statement Analysis (20%)
Risk Management (10%)

Now that you know what you have to study for the US CMA exam, let us check the money you need to invest in becoming a CMA USA Professional.

US CMA Fee Structure

To apply for the USA CMA certification exam, candidates need to pay various fees. As specified by the IMA, the fee break-up is different for students and working professionals. Candidates need to pay an IMA Membership fee, among other charges, before they can apply for the USA CMA exam, which can cost you above 1 lakh rupees.

Here are the CMA USA Certification exam fee details.

Particulars	For Students (in USD)	For Professional (in USD)
Fees for membership in the IMA	$135(3 years)	$260(1 year)
CMA entrance fees	$210	$280
Part 1 Exam	$345	$460
Part 2 Exam	$345	$460
Total	$1035	$1460

However, when you enroll at NorthStar Academy for CMA USA coaching, you get BUNDLE Discounts on the IMA fee. You can also choose different CMA USA course packages according to your convenience.

Becoming a CMA USA professional has now been made easy with CMA USA coaching. You can enroll in the best USA CMA coaching institute and get all-inclusive guidance to crack the USA CMA exam and become a successful CMA USA professional.

Now that everything has been summed up for you, it is time for you to decide which way to go and when to enroll for the CMA USA course and make yourself eligible for your dream job at your dream company by becoming a successful CMA USA professional!

FAQs

1. Is CMA USA a professional degree?

Yes, the CMA USA is a professional credential offered to individuals who successfully pass the CMA USA exam held by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

2. What is a professional CMA?

A professional CMA is an individual who possesses the USA CMA certification offered by the IMA. One can become a CMA USA professional by passing the CMA USA certification exam, which validates the individual as experienced in the skills of finance and accounting.

3. Who is eligible for a US CMA course?

The IMA has specified some eligibility requirements for candidates who want to apply for the USA CMA exam. Candidates must possess:

A bachelor's degree
Two years of full-time job experience in the relevant fields of finance and accounting.
At least four years of part-time work experience in the relevant fields if candidates don't have full-time work experience.
Membership of IMA.

4. Is CMA USA equivalent to a Master's Degree?

The UGC recognizes the CMA USA qualification as equivalent to a postgraduate degree in India. Although the CMA USA is a professional certification that certifies individuals as having expertise in the field of Finance and Accounting, it can be pursued instead of a master's degree program.

5. Is US CMA better than MBA?

US CMA can be completed alongside your normal course of study. You can even pass the exam before you finish your MBA. The USA CMA exam can be managed well within a year, while a traditional MBA program takes up to two years to complete. From a course fee point of view, it is economical to go for USA CMA.

6. Which degree is best for CMA USA?

Candidates willing to pursue the CMA USA exam require a bachelor's degree from any recognized university or institution. Although courses including concepts of Finance and Accounting help students to grasp concepts of CMA USA better, candidates can pass their graduation in any subject.

Conclusion

The IMAs CMA USA certification opens up many lucrative career opportunities in financial management and business accounting for a CMA USA professional. Passing the exam for the same is not easy, but you can clear the USA CMA exam in just one attempt with the help of guidance from a US CMA coaching institute. Enroll yourself with NorthStar Academy (NSA) and ace the USA CMA certification exam to become a successful CMA USA professional.

NorthStar Academy offers a well-organized US CMA course to students from different educational backgrounds. In association with Becker, NSA provides study material for the USA CMA course, which subject matter experts have curated in accordance with the USA CMA exam syllabus. It is one of the most trusted and popular study material sources among US CMA aspirants.

You can also avail yourself of Bundle discounts on IMA CMA exam fees on enrolling with NorthStar Academy. You can now also get the benefits of online classes by NSA, which means you can access all the study materials and much more from the comfort of your home! Grab this opportunity by enrolling in the best US CMA course from NSA, and become a successful USA Certified Management Accountant!