CIMA

Nicky000

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to boards.ie and am looking for advice. Is anyone signed up for CIMA exams? I am looking for a place to either do part-time or just revision courses for CIMA in CARLOW, as I work full time in Dublin. Does anyone have an ideas?????
IT Carlow seem to only do CPA.
Thanks!

NicheG

I've been a CIMA student for the past couple of years and if you are working in Dublin, then your best option is to either enroll with BPP (based down off Baggot St., across from Bank Of Ireland HQ) or Dublin Business School (on Aungier Street). They both have evening and part time courses
What exams have you enrolled for so far?
Are you exempt from Certificate Level?

Nicky000

Hi there,

Yes I'm exempt from certificate level. I will be doing the professional level. I was hoping to find a place closer to home in Carlow as it will be too time consuming to go via Dublin. Thanks a mil for the reply. I hope to find revision places to catch up if I don't go to classes initialy.

NicheG

I could be wrong, but I've not heard of Carlow IT holding part time courses for managerial level (or any level for that matter).
I think Athlone IT may have a course.

But like I said; the majority are in Dublin, Limerick and I think Cork.
Best of luck with the study.

I'll be doing my revision Strategic Level, with BPP.

monaliza

Hi,
I'm doing the strategic level at the moment too but not going to classes or home-study, just going by the books and past exams. I plan to do revision course though and am between BPP and the ones cima Ireland are presenting for 170 per subject. Michael Barry in BPP is excellent so will prob go there for P9. Has anyone heard about the CIMA Ireland ones before, are they any good?
Are you doing a home-study course or just the revision classes?
I contacted CIMA to get the statistics for students who passed all three strategic level exams in their first sitting, needless to say I'm still waiting for a reply.

NicheG

At the moment I'm doing home study for both of them, but probaly intend to do two revision weekends at BPP also for P3 and P9. I passed P6 last sitting.
Sitting all three at once is extremely tough, I found.
In hindsight, I really should have passed P3 first time round, but messed up on the day.
I'm quietly confident for both this time round.

Nicky000

Hi all,
Thanks for all the replies! It's great to hear that so many are studying themselves, it gives me hope!! Is it true that P4 and P5 are the better ones to start on?
I think I will look up the revision seminars you've mentioned, but if P4 and P5 are easier it may not even be an issue to get seminars in.
What type of work are you guys doing at the moment???

monaliza

NiceheG,
I'd say it is very difficult to pass the three exams in one sitting. I'll have to see how I get on but I may decide to focus on just two exams closer to the time. It's a good sign that you are confident especially with so much time left. Hope it goes very well.

Nicky000,
You could easily do P4 and P5 without going to any classes but I'd recommend you mix one of them with one of the other more challenging subjects. That way at least you'll have one difficult subject to keep you motivated and one easy one to look forward to (in comparision).

I'm working in accounts for a small sized company. I used to work in the multi-nationals but I found you were restricted to one area. I find that in a smaller company you get exposure to everything and there's less politics and game-playing:).

Nicky000

Hi Monaliza,

Thanks for the advice - it's great to hear other opinions. What would you recommend would be ideal to study together? I am only going to do 2 exams at a time, which means I should have managerial level done by end of next year.

MissRibena

Hope you don't mind me butting in but I'm also sitting the Strategic level in Nov 2008. I had exemptions up to this level and am shocked at how low the pass rates are but suppose I need to be prepared that I probably won't pass all 3.

Anyway, I'm studying alone with BPP study texts and revision kits. So far I'm just over half-way in all 3 study texts and hoping to have them finished by the end of Sept to start really concentrating on question practise. I'd love to go to the revision courses but between getting time off work and the price of them, it's not going to be likely.

If anyone is interested in exchanging email addresses and staying in touch, I'd be up for it.

NicheG

Nicky000
Just my opinion (and others may disagree) but a combination of two papers per sitting I think is probably the best choice, particularly at Managerial Level. I muddled through Managerial level doing this, although I got seriously stuck on Paper 2. This is notoriously the hardest of all managerial papers as most people will testify to.
Two exams, while holding down a full time job is reasonably realistic.

MonaLisa
I think you are taking the right approach;you would probably need to be looking at question practice mid to late September. Don't get bogged down too much in the Study Texts.
Just some advice for each paper:

Paper 3; In essence it is a common sense exam. Case Study (Q1) usually gets you to identify risks and then what controls would you put in place to mitigate these risks. Or else it might ask you how to improve existing controls. Make sure you know Corporate Governance and the whole section of I.T inside out, because if you get a question on either; it is possible to regurgitate your wrote learning.

Paper 6: Make sure you know your theories inside out. About 5 weeks before the exam; I went through every past exam paper and listed off each theory/theorist asked and made sure I knew each. Again, if you have a reasonable business acumen (make sure you keep abreast of the business pages/CIMA magazine) and you'll be sure to do well.

Paper 9: I found this the toughest. Heavy emphasis on NPV and Mergers & Acquisitions. You are bound to get either or as the bulk of your Question 1. A lot of the other syllabus areas in this paper are quite doable in an exam situation. As a numbers based exam; it is starting to get a lot more wordy, so there is still a lot of wrote learning involved.

Let me know how the study goes. I've started looking at questions on P3 this weekend.

NicheG

NicheG wrote: »

Nicky000

MonaLisa
I think you are taking the right approach;you would probably need to be looking at question practice mid to late September. Don't get bogged down too much in the Study Texts.
.

Apologies, I meant to direct that at MissRibena.
But hopefully it will serve as decent advice for both of you sitting strategic for the first time.

Nicky000

Morning all, hope you guys had a good weekend!

Thanks for the emial NicheG, it's great to be in contact with someone who has been through the process. Would you have any advice on which papers to combine for studying? P4 and P5 are the easier of all papers, should I combine one of these with another more difficult one, and which one??

MissRibena

Hi all - glad to see you're back after the weekend.

Thanks for the advice NicheG - it's very much appreciated. Did you go to classes or revision weekends and what did you think of them?

It's such a relief to have come across anyone in the CIMA boat. Everyone I know doing accountancy exams are doing ACCA. The CIMA discussion forum doesn't seem to be up to much either. I've been really feeling out in the cold - probably should have gone for home study or something but nevermind now. Has anyone any thoughts on standard revision courses versus question-based ones?

I got the book "CIMA: Pass first time" (yeah right!) and it's not bad but pretty standard exam/study technique stuff. I also go the BPP audio success CDs to try to brainwash myself in the car on the way to work! In fact, I'm so nerdy I created them as MP3s to listen to out walking but it kinda slows me to a crawl - if anyone is interested in some or all, let me know and I'll try and work some way of getting them to you. My biggest problem is that it's 8 years since I graduated, so a lot of the theoretical knowledge has become hazy and I'm struggling to catch up on that front. On the other hand, I've got much more practical business and accounting knowledge than I had 8years ago, so hopefully that might work as some kind of compensation.

For the OP; I checked out the CIMA course in Athlone AIT and it appears to be a full-time one year course doing strategic and TOPCIMA. They don't seem to have any part-time CIMA courses (just ACCA) unfortunately.

Monaliza - if you do hear about what the pass rate is for all 3 in first go, I'd love to know (I think). Why are they so hard - what's it all about? Is it just a money racket or are they testing perseverence as much as knowledge or is the average student a bit of a dosser? I've sat tonnes of exams but never before had this idea hanging over me that no matter what I do it's very unlikely to come good in the end. It's tough and I've more respect for the people who stick it out now.

Nicky000

Hi Miss Ribena,
How are you finding the cd's? Were they expensive to buy? Have you any for the managerial level? I'm just starting my managerial level exams, 2 in November. I'm still to decide on which 2 - I better get moving on it by the sounds of the emails going back and forth!!!
Let me know about the cd's, I'm interested! Thanks

NicheG

Hope yee had a great weekend too.
Nicky000,
just to answer some of your Qs. This would be my order (again in my opinion) of degree of difficulty of the managerial papers (i.e 1 being the hardest and 6 being least hardest). Notice the way I did not say easiest...as they are all pretty difficult, BUT VERY PASSABLE.

P2 Management Accounting Decsion Management (1) (60% Numeric : 40% Discursive)
P8 Financial Analysis (2) (80% Numeric : 20% Discursive)
P7 Financial Accounting & Tax Principles (3) = quite linked in with P8 (Mostly numeric)
P1 Management Accounting Performance Management (4) (Discursive & Numeric)
P4 Organisational Management & Info Systems (5) (Discursive)
P5 Integrated Management (6) (Discursive)

So IMO, i think you have picked the two more manageable of the managerial level, but that is not to say that you have made the wrong choice. They could be ideal as first time passes to get you into the swing of things and build confidence for the other four. It all depends as well on whether you are more comfortable with wordy papers or calculation type papers.

As for the CDs, I recall getting them for P2, but I think I may have thrown it out last year, so apologies for that, as I could have sent it on to you.

MissRibena,
I have the CDs for all the strategic and did find them useful. I also downloaded P3 and P9 onto my IPod. Mind you, they are so boring. They should have considered getting a more lively actor to 'star' in them. lol

I still have not decided on which revision weekend I am going to do. I was exploring the possibility of going to BPP or FTC in London, as I heard some good reports from Irish people going over for weekend revision for strategy level. More than likely I might go to Michael Barry for P9 and possibly Peter Plant for P3 at BPP. Have plenty of time to decide.

Nicky000

Guys..... thank you so much for the info - you have no idea how helpful you all are. I'm so glad I sent out the cry for help! Thanks NicheG for the breakdown, think I'll try and do one 'less difficult' and one 'more difficult' subject together. Just got the ok from the boss in work to register my subjects!!! All stations go now.

NicheG

Just looking down through some of the posts and again trying to answer some questions:

Monliza
My first sitting of strategic (this time last year) was the most stressful time of my life. Trying to concentrate on 3 subjects I thought was just not manageable. I realised this about 6 weeks from the date I had started evening classes with BPP. I was doing P6 on a Wednesday night and P3 on a Thursday night and decided to do P9 at weekends. Unfortunately the P9 lecturer that we had; I did'nt really take to his style of teaching too well and had it in my head that I would concentrate least on this as I had spoken to some people who had sat strategic before and some of them just concentrated on two to get them out of the way to give them a more realistic chance of passing the three exams in at least two sittings. I went in to Nov2007 exams reasonably confident for P6 and P3. I managed about 5 hours of study for P9 (but still managed to get 43 marks in it which I was amazed with for so little study). I was so disappointed with P3 (47marks). When I decided to take P3 and P9 again in May2008, I think I rested on my laurels a lot and thought I had enough in the tank to do the minimum amount for both. How wrong I was. I realised by a month to go I was extremely underprepared and bascially panicked for the last 3 weeks. I was a bag of nerves the days of the resits and basically got out of it what I put in. I made a promise to myself not to let that happen again and am totally focused this time.

Nicky000
I'm working in a medium sized Pharmaceutical company and a lot of the subject matter I cover (particularly P2,P9 and P7/8 to a lesser extent) is very relevant in my job.

MissRibena,
I woud'nt go into the November exams peparing yourself not to pass all three. It sounds like you have got a lot of work done on your own for all three. So I would'nt make that assumption just yet. I just found that evening/weekend classes for all three just took up too much time.
As for the % of people who pass all three at once; I guess it is difficult to know and I would be surprised if CIMA released that. They generally only release pass artes for individual subjects. The approx pass rate for each of the three Strategic subjects ranges from around 52% - 55% I think. But based on the number of people I saw re-sitting one or more exams in May08 who I attended classes with in Nov07 at BPP (taking all three for the first time) was higher than I expected. Thats not to say that pasing 3 at once is impossible.

MissRibena
I would tend to have a look now and again at the CIMA discussion board, but of late it seems to be a little thin on the ground with regards good topics and decent advice. Just with regards as to whether or not you should attend QBR (Question Based Revision) days or/and weekend revision. I would advise that you probably do both (again depending on the cost and available time off work). As you've had exemptions up to this point; it might be no harm in getting a taste of what sort of answers the examiners are looking for and QBR days are great for that. Again, that is just my opinion. I believe BPP are going to some for all three.

I also bought the 'Pass First Time' book by David Harris. I read through it twice. I suppose it is helpful in some way as to more exam technique, but again I would'nt say it helped me in any way. He is the current examiner for P6 as far as I know.

Nicky000
I bought the CDs from BPP at their Dublin offices in Ladd Lane. I think it is possible to buy them from the BPP website. I recall they cost about €13 to €15 approx. But I seem to recall I only had the P2 one at managerial level, as I distinctly remember throwing it out after I passed that exam.
Again with P4 and P5; these are papers that you could manage to do on your own with self study. Again might be no harm to sit a revsion weekend with either BPP or Dublin Business School (FTC).

Hope this helps.

MissRibena

NicheG - thanks a million for the reassurance. I discovered last week just how bad the pass rates are for the first time so am still coming to terms with it. I'll still try my best. I still don't know about to do about QBR or revision weekends. It would end up costing me a small fortune by the time I get up to the big smoke and stay over etc, and they are not exactly cheap in the first place. Probably QBR would be my best bet.

Nicky000 - I don't have any managerial CDs (starting straight at strategic level) - sorry. They are not bad and I bought mine online for a similar price to NicheG.

NicheG

MissRibena wrote: »

NicheG - I still don't know about to do about QBR or revision weekends. It would end up costing me a small fortune by the time I get up to the big smoke and stay over etc, and they are not exactly cheap in the first place. Probably QBR would be my best bet.
.

I think the QBR would suit you. As you said, you have made good progress on the study texts of all three at this stage. Revision weekends are ideal if there are syllabus areas that you don't understand or sometimes (as in the past for me at managerial level) they are great for cramming. But I would'nt recommend that. LOL.

At a QBR day; you will be given questions to do where you will undertake them under somewhat exam type conditions then they will take them up to mark where you will be given feedback on how you did and areas where you may have fallen down on. It can be daunting as generally for me, I tend to soak up all of the info in the last two weeks prior to an exam. Sitting an 'exam' (or so to speak) before the main exam rattles me and I tend to do poorly in a mock situation. But again, that is just me. Loads of people I heard on CIMA discussion board, swear by them.

MissRibena

Thanks again NicheG.

I really was feeling all alone until I found this thread and since I was on here I've been trying to find some more students to stay in touch with and have had a go at setting up a messageboard for current strategy level students. Hopefully there'll be some joiners - feel free to invite anyone you think might be interested ...

You can reach it at http://www.cimastrategy.proboards104.com/

NicheG

MissRibena wrote: »

Thanks again NicheG.

I really was feeling all alone until I found this thread and since I was on here I've been trying to find some more students to stay in touch with and have had a go at setting up a messageboard for current strategy level students. Hopefully there'll be some joiners - feel free to invite anyone you think might be interested ...

You can reach it at http://www.cimastrategy.proboards104.com/

Hi MissRibena,
I had a look at the forum and it looks great. Hopefully it will take off and attract a good mix of people.

19bm82

Hi all,

Im am thinking of sitting some cima exams next may,
I have been awarded exemptions to all Cert Level and Management Level apart from P4 and P5 the business management pillar.

In the letter from cima they explained I should consider waiving some exemptions if I felt I could not now pass the exams.

This has seriously spooked me because I graduated in 2004 and would find it very difficult if I were to sit these today. And as the exams are integrated I may struggle badly with P3 and P9 at Strategic Level.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

BM

MissRibena

19bm82 - don't waiver them!

I had exemptions for all exams up to strategic level and wondered if I was crazy not to do some of the earlier exams first. I sat all 3 strat exams (first business-related exams in 7 years) in one sitting and passed and have also since passed TOPCIMA first time. I never had a class for any of them: bought the books and studied like mad at home (note: I mean I really studied hard and approached every exam forensically ... it's no cakewalk). I did buy some of the books for the earlier exams to refer to when I thought there was a gap in my knowledge but rarely used them.

So it can definitely be done. Don't let them intimidate you.

19bm82

Thanks Miss R,

Ill take your advice, it would absolutely kill me to have to work for exams which id already been exempted from?

I'm going to take the P4 and P5 in one sitting in May,
As I missed registration for the November sits, ill begin working soon which should mean I wont be under too much stress next spring.

From speaking to friends(who are doing ACCA) most seem to recommend home study followed by a few revision courses.
Would you agree with this?

Is it true that all Management level must be completed before I can sit Strategic?

Finally could you or any others recommend a good revision course provider for P4/P5

Thanks,
BM

Knifey_Spoony

19bn82...I am in the exact same position as you!
I have recently decided to do the cima exams. I got my degree in 2005, and haven't done any study since. I am entitled to the same exemptions you listed, and I too am undecided about whether to waiver them or not.
I honestly dont remember much from college at all. I did really well in my exams, but would not be able to attempt any exam q's right now.

MissRibena,...do you really recommend not waiving the exemptions?
Would I be okay to take the exemptions, and just buy some of the books relating to those subjects and brush up on them myself? Would I be crazy to attempt all exams and waive my exemptions...?
I'm just really worried that I will find the other exams impossible having not studied accounting in 4 years...

Also, I hear the syllabus is changing in 2010. Would I still be entitled to all the same exemptions...?
The next exams aren't until May 2010, right? Is there anything I can do between now and then? Or do I need to wait until classes start (I'm guessing they start in March or April?)?

Thanks!

I'm quite eager to start now Maybe I should apply for my exemptions etc now anyway? And then recap on the subjects I get the exemptions for, between now and classes starting?

Thanks!

tascha

Hi,
I am exempt from the certificate level (becasue of a business degree) and would like to get going on the operational/ managerial level in the Nov 2010 sitting. Probably with DPP. Would it be over-ambitious to do 3 papers while working a non related part time job and having little previous accounting theory/ experience? If you do suggest this, what paperes would be best to group together for an easier start? DPP Platinum programme a good choice?

Thanks

Tascha

BPP Platinum?

Only working part-time and doing a recognised course like that should be ok.

I would probably do the operational level first.

Vimto

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anybody has taken CIMA training through WIT yet?