CIMA Case Study Exam - Cheat Sheet

CIMA Case Study exam – Cheat Sheet
Welcome to your Cheat Sheet

Passing professional CIMA exams can be a challenge. Success at the case study level is about
integrating the knowledge from your OT exams but putting yourself in the position that you
can use this knowledge to solve problems presented in the pre-seen and question paper on
the day.
This seems like a lot to take in but there are ways to make studying for your CIMA case
study exams easier.
What’s key to success is being prepared to put the hours in, using those hours wisely and
applying the knowledge to respond to exam questions.
This Cheat Sheet will run through tips for how to make your preparation more effective and
a checklist of things to ensure you complete, right up until the day of your exam, to give you
the best chance of passing your next exam.
Key tips for preparing for your CIMA Case Study Exam
1) Have a Plan
When it comes to exam success, a robust plan is key to ensure you stay focused. Before you
start studying it’s important to sit down and make a plan that fits in with your life, is feasible
to execute and will ensure you cover everything you need to get 80 marks on the day of
your exam.
Key things to ask yourself when creating a study plan are:
• What type of learner are you? - Are you better at retaining information when you
watch, listen or read? Once you know this you can decide on the best format to
engage with.
• What times and days suit? - Once you narrow down the times of day that suit you, it
will be easier to schedule in time. Figure out if mornings are best or evenings when
you’re home from work. This will build a routine and ease you into a regular study
schedule.
• Where do you prefer to study? - There’s no point creating a plan if you have no idea
where you’re going to actually study! Work out if your home is the best place, on
your daily commute or is there a space in the office that would accommodate.
• What if I fall behind? - Everyone falls behind at some point as life gets in the way.
Don’t stress about it. Instead, look at what you’ve missed and catch up sooner rather
than later. Then go back to your plan and schedule.
You can download a free study plan on the course resource section of your Case Study
Course Page.
2) Don’t Delay Starting!

It can be daunting knowing where to start when it comes to studying for your CIMA Case
Study exams. The ideal way to study and pass is to start studying early to allow time for
practice and revision.
Our six-week case study webinar series combined with our case study kickstart programme
will give you the confidence and knowledge required to be successful on the day of your
exam. The sooner you get started the more you’ll learn and the more prepared you’ll feel
come exam day.
Don’t make the mistake and wait for the preseen or get caught up in the preseen minutia –
start the case study kickstart today or enrol for the next webinar.
3) Have a strategy for approaching case study questions

Exam questions require you to have a strategy for how to approach questions and this will
dramatically increase your chances of getting beyond a pass mark in every question you
attempt. So apply these tips when approaching every case study question questions:
Þ Planning
The exam is all compulsory questions, therefore planning is vital. It is

important to get a good understanding of everything included within the case
and how it is related. Split the requirements into smaller sections and
address them that was. Read the question carefully and take your time in
thinking about an approach and solution. If you start writing too quickly you
will miss key points and marks.
Þ Layout and Structure (incl. professional marks)
Being professional is key and planning will enable you to produce logical, well
thought out and organised answers that hits all the key points. The best way
to structure your answer is to assume the role of the character in the
scenario/ each requirement and replicate the deliverable in your answer (i.e
if the questions requires you to prepare briefing notes, this should be the
format of your answer). Remember the importance of:
o Tone: be professional and clear at all times
o Who you are speaking to, the Board or a colleague?
o Layout: follow the guidance and give the examiner what they want.
Þ Technical Knowledge
The syllabus is examined using a 100% integrated case study, examining

across a breadth of knowledge. You need to be familiar with the OT subjects
but ensure that you are not led by this knowledge and that you are applying
it to the case in a solution-oriented way.
Þ Time management
It should go without saying that planning and time management is vital. Be

strict with your time and ensure you have practised completing the tasks in
the time allowed well before exam day..
3) Build Mock Exams into Your Study

Many students leave mock exams until it’s too late to digest their performance and what
they learn from the process or treat them as an add-on rather than a prerequisite.
Exam technique goes hand in hand with knowledge and if you haven’t practiced an exam
before the real thing then how will you know what to improve? Mocks are fundamental to
your study because:
• They allow you to practice a full exam under the strict timeframe and mirror the
stressful conditions you will have to cope with in the real exam.
• You learn to refine how you select your answers and improve your ability to recall
and analyse information when required, and how to strategically approach the paper
as a whole.
• You get an understanding of what your strengths are and narrow down the areas
you need to work on.
Don’t let the first time you try a case study exam be your exam day!
4) Make sure you practice using the right software

It may seem obvious, but the only real way to pass your CIMA exams is to practice using the
software and tools that you’ll need to use on the day!
Relying on pen and paper isn’t going to help when you go to a test centre or do a remote
exam at home.
If you turn up without ever using the exam software then you’ll waste time and put yourself
under a huge amount of pressure. Doing it this way is setting yourself up for failure.
So, in advance of exam day, familiarise yourself with the software. Completing learnsignal
mocks will help familiarise yourself with answering computer based questions.
5) Devise ways to deal with stress

There’s no escaping it. At some point, students studying for their CIMA OT exams will feel
stressed. It could be at the start when feeling overwhelmed at all that’s required or on the
day before the exam when last-minute jitters come into play.
To calm nerves and not let stress take over, make sure you come up with strategies early in
your study process to help you calm your mind and body. Here are 4 simple strategies that
may help:
• Take a break and breathe - When things get too much, simply walk away and take a
deep breath. Or if you’re in the middle of your exam and that’s not feasible, close
your eyes and just breathe for a minute or two to calm everything down.
• Look after yourself - That means you need to sleep, eat and exercise to keep your
mind and body healthy.
• Talk to someone - If things get too much reach out to someone and vent. It could be
a relative, friend, colleague, whoever it is just talking through it may help to bring
perspective.
• Be kind to yourself - Remember that if you fail, you can just take the exam again. It’s
never the end of the world.
If you follow these we hope you’ll feel more prepared going into your exam and have a
calmer study journey from start to finish.

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CIMA Case Study exam – Cheat Sheet

Welcome to your Cheat Sheet

Key things to ask yourself when creating a study plan are:

2) Don’t Delay Starting!

3) Have a strategy for approaching case study questions

The exam is all compulsory questions, therefore planning is vital. It is

Þ Layout and Structure (incl. professional marks)

The syllabus is examined using a 100% integrated case study, examining

It should go without saying that planning and time management is vital. Be

3) Build Mock Exams into Your Study

4) Make sure you practice using the right software

5) Devise ways to deal with stress

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