CMA Exam Changes: Everything You Need to Know
ICMA has updated the CMA exam effective September 2024. Read here to learn about the latest Certified Management Accountant exam changes.
CMA Exam Updates
The CMA exam is updated every few years to ensure it is testing information that is most relevant to management accounting and finance professionals.
ICMA’s most recent job analysis study showed content areas that needed to be adjusted based on the most in-demand expertise for today’s management accounting professionals. This has resulted in changes to the CMA exam, and if you’re wondering what those changes are, you’re in luck! Read on. The most recent changes to the CMA exam took effect on September 1, 2024 and are summarized here.
Changes to Part 1
| CMA EXAM PART 1 CHANGES | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Content | Section A | Consolidated Financial Statements |
| Section B | None | |
| Section C | Controllable Margin; Critical Success Factors (CSFs) | |
| Section D | None | |
| Section E | Testing and Remediating Internal Controls | |
| Section F | None | |
| Deleted Content | Section A | None |
| Section B | None | |
| Section C | None | |
| Section D | Life Cycle Costing; Process Costing Computations; Theory of Constraints; Activity-Based Management (ABM); Efficient Accounting Processes | |
| Section E | None | |
| Section F | Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT); Communication Channels | |
Changes to Part 2
| CMA EXAM PART 2 CHANGES | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Content | Section A | Financial Statement Trend Analysis |
| Section B | Debt versus Equity Financing | |
| Section C | None | |
| Section D | None | |
| Section E | Profitability Index | |
| Section F | Business Fraud; Data Ethics and Regulations | |
| Deleted Content | Section A | None |
| Section B | None | |
| Section C | None | |
| Section D | None | |
| Section E | None | |
| Section F | Moral Philosophies; IMA’s Statement on “Value and Ethics”; Facilitating Payments | |
When Should I Take the CMA Exam?
Both parts of the CMA exam are administered in three windows per year: January/February, May/June, and September/October. When you choose to take your exam depends on your preparation plan and your current strengths and weaknesses in understanding CMA exam content. Most successful candidates take about three months to study for each CMA exam part.
More Resources on Taking the CMA Exam
We have an entire section dedicated to resources about the CMA exam. You can check it out here or choose from a few of our favorite articles below. Each tackles a specific pain point related to taking the CMA exam.
Start Your CMA Exam Journey Today
Now you know what to expect regarding current changes to the CMA exam, but do you know what to expect from your CMA exam prep course? Get to know the ins and outs of the best CMA exam test prep, UWorld CMA, with a free 7-day trial. The trial gets you access to study text, practice questions, video lectures, and more.
