Countdown to success: whether studying with a quality partner learning provider such as BPP or on your own at home, this essential exam schedule from BPP will set you on track for success in November. This is not a definitive guide to passing the CIMA exams but it will give you a structure for planning your studies and monitoring your progress.
| Position | BPP |
Planning your studies is key, You need to study the Post Exam Guides for that paper, access the past I questions and answers (available via your MyCIMA account) and look out for relevant articles in FM and Velocity. Tutors at BPP have developed this eight-week "countdown" guide.
8 weeks to go
What BPP students will be doing (face to face or online).
Be halfway through the "taught phase". Working through condensed and focused course notes under the guidance of their tutor.
Getting to grips with key areas of the syllabus and how each topic is likely to be examined.
Submitting completed course exams to get feedback, check understanding and get an early gauge of how they are progressing.
Reviewing an online walk-through of all the course notes for any areas they want to revisit.
Raising any queries with their tutor and discussing issues online with fellow students.
Practical steps to match BPP students
Must be sticking closely to your study plan.
Assuming you are working from a textbook, avoid the temptation to get bogged down in too much technical detail at this stage in your studies.
See if you can find other CIMA students, maybe at work or via CIMAsphere, who you can contact.
Use the progress tests or similar in your textbook, but try them without looking at your notes, plus ensure you note where you are going wrong and draw up a list of topics to revisit later.
Start a simple study log of "topics I understand" and "topics I need to come back to". This will help you to gain a sense of progress and ensure you remember to come back to certain areas in detail.
6 weeks to go
What BPP students will be doing (face to face or online)
Nearing completion in terms of syllabus coverage and getting ready for the all-important revision phase.
Already have been through some real past paper questions and started to get a feel for the specific exam skills needed for specific papers.
Still have some areas/topics where they're not happy, so will be reviewing these in preparation for moving into the revision phase.
Completed another course exam and sent it in for marking and feedback.
Practical steps to match BPP students
Again, the key here will be sticking to your study plan and maintaining your motivation. Remind yourself why you are in this and the benefits that will accrue when you complete your CIMA studies.
Self-study can be a real challenge and sticking to your plan will help you to maintain a sense of momentum.
It is vital that you are now reaching...
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