Wiley CMA vs. Gleim

In the comparison covered on this page, it’s clear that Wiley is the best CMA review course. Wiley is the less expensive and offers more support and features that you need to pass the first time.

Each Wiley course is packed with standard features that Gleim either doesn’t have or that are only available when you upgrade to the most expensive package. Some of those standard features you get with Wiley review courses include:

• Guaranteed Access to Your Course Until You Pass

• Access to a Full Team of CMA Certified Instructors Like Monte Swain, Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CGMA

• Deep Dive Video Lectures to Supplement Tough CMA Topics

• Bite-sized Lessons to Keep Studying Manageable

• Score Predictor to Estimate How Well You’ll Do on the Exam

• 100% Coverage of ICMA LOS

• Mobile App Access

• 24/7 Customer Support

Tabatha Sloggett, CMA, passed the exam after studying with Wiley.

“I felt well prepared going into the exam. The WEL system was systematic, progressive, comprehensive, and reiterative. That’s EXACTLY what is needed to prepare for AND pass this exam. It’s difficult, but WEL provides you a sound timeline and plan. Then, like everything in life, it’s up to us to WORK the plan. If you do work the plan, you will pass; maybe not on the first try but using WEL will absolutely result in a passing score eventually,” says Sloggett.

Before we dive into details about specific features, review this comparison chart to quickly reference some key course features you get with Gleim vs. Wiley CMA Review. You can see that Wiley provides more study materials than Gleim, including deep dive videos, bite-sized lessons, and Score Predictor.

Wiley and Gleim both have two course options and two price points for CMA exam prep. Both Wiley courses are more affordable while also providing more features than the comparable Gleim courses.

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Both Wiley courses include standard features like a customizable exam planner to chart your study plan, a test bank of more than 4,000 multiple-choice questions, bite-sized lessons, digital flashcards, Score Predictor, and more. None of Gleim’s courses have any of those features except for practice questions and flashcards, but you even have to upgrade to Gleim’s Premium course to get flashcards.

On the other hand, when you upgrade to Wiley’s Platinum package, you get all standard features plus extra support like:

• Instructor Mentoring

• 11^th Hour Final Review Course

• Live Online CMA Virtual Classes

• Microsoft Excel Course

This free Microsoft Excel course is particularly valuable because it enhances the skills you need to succeed in your career as a CMA.

Education technology can really make a difference in the efficiency of your studying efforts. One example of this is Wiley’s Score Predictor technology. Wiley’s Score Predictor uses the results from your practice materials to estimate how well you will do on the exam.

This information lets you adjust your study plan so you are spending your study time efficiently. It also goes on long way in boosting your confidence come exam day.

Score Predictor, the Wiley Learning Platform, and other education technology is what helped Wiley win the 2021 SIIA CODiE award for Best College and Career Readiness Solution. This award recognizes Wiley as a global leader in education technology.

Gleim’s CMA prep education technology includes adaptive learning with SmartAdapt™ Technology, digital textbooks, and other online study materials.

The only thing worse than failing the CMA exam on the first try is having to re-purchase a course to keep studying. With Wiley, you can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing you get access to your course until you pass the exam. Wiley’s Unlimited Access Until You Pass Guarantee comes with free updates and is available on every course option with no exceptions.

Gleim also offers Access Until You Pass on its CMA review courses.

A lot of your study time will involve reviewing practice questions, so you want to use a test bank that has high-quality questions that resemble what you’ll encounter on the actual exam.

Wiley CMA exam practice questions not only imitate what you’ll see on the real exam, but they also mimic the real exam interface. With Wiley, you get:

• 4,200+ high-quality MCQs

• Past CMA exam questions

• 100% coverage of ICMA LOS

• 44 exclusive essay questions

• Customizable practice quizzes in the same interface as the exam

Wiley has a greater number of CMA Test Bank questions than Gleim, and Wiley has more CMA practice questions than Gleim.

CMA candidate Vaishnavi Suresh says Wiley’s test bank helped her feel confident on the day of the exam. “It was great that the test bank was recreated exactly like the real exam format and thus I felt quite comfortable with the format on the actual exam day,” says Suresh.

Flashcards will help you supplement the rest of your study plan while you’re on the go. They are also important for reinforcing the most testable information.

Wiley offers over 750 digital flashcards in all CMA review courses that can be accessed online or in the app. You can also create your own custom flashcard decks to drill in on the areas you need to study most.

With Gleim, you only receive digital flashcards if you upgrade to the Premium course.

Genrev studied for the CMA exam with Wiley and used flashcards and the mobile app to study on the go.

Wiley CMA review courses and Gleim CMA courses are all offered in online formats as self-study programs.
Wiley offers two course options that come with standard study tools meant to help you study as efficiently as possible and pass the exam on the first attempt.

Standard Wiley course features include:

• A Full Team of CMA Certified Instructors

• 70+ Hours of Compelling Video Lectures

• Unlimited Access Until You Pass

• Bite-sized Lessons

• Score Predictor

• Test Bank With Thousands of Questions

• Mobile App Access

• And More!

If you want to pull out all the stops and get extra support, you can upgrade to Wiley’s Platinum course and get:

• Instructor Mentoring

• Live Online CMA Virtual Classes

• 11^th Hour Final Review Course

• Free Microsoft Excel Course

Gleim also has two course options, and you have to upgrade to get standard features like flashcards and video lectures.

IMA Strategic Partner

It’s a good idea to choose a CMA test prep provider that is an IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) strategic partner. Strategic partners must meet IMA standards as they relate to the CMA exam. Wiley is an IMA strategic partner, so you can be assured that all Wiley materials will reflect current industry trends and standards. Gleim is also an IMA strategic partner.

Instructor Mentoring

In both Wiley courses, you get access to expert mentors. This means if you ever get stuck on a tough topic as you’re studying, you can get help from an expert mentor.

Gleim offers “personal coaching” with both of its courses, which is access to a personal mentor who helps you create a study plan and checks in on your progress.

Bite-sized Video Lessons

In all Wiley courses, you get video lectures including deep dive videos and bite-sized lessons. The bite-sized lessons can be completed in as little as 30 minutes and help you retain more information. The shorter lesson size also makes the material more manageable so you can reduce your stress and more easily fit studying into your busy schedule.

Gleim does not offer bite-sized lessons and also doesn’t offer any video lectures in the Traditional course.
CMA candidate Franco Dean Caoili says Wiley’s bite-sized lessons made the learning material more digestible and easier to understand.

“The way Professor Monte Swain discussed some of the concepts he really changed the way I approached managerial accounting. He made some of the most difficult topics so digestible, and it really helped me understand what managerial accounting is really about,” says Caoili.

Simulated CMA Mock Exams

Practice exams are important for boosting your confidence on exam day, and full-length mock exams are important for building your stamina while practicing time management. Both Wiley and Gleim offer full-length mock exams and unlimited practice exams, but only Wiley’s mock exams mirror the interface and format you’ll see on exam day.

Angel Geronimo, CMA candidate, knew exactly what to expect on exam day because she studied with Wiley.

“I remember during my exam that I felt at ease because the practice exams in Wiley were like the actual exam. The interface and the way the questions were asked, were all based on how the CMA exam is actually conducted,” says Geronimo.

Live Virtual Classes

You can attend live online virtual classes if you study with Wiley’s Platinum CMA review course. During these live classes, you can interact with expert instructors and ask questions. Gleim does not offer any live classes, online or otherwise.

On top of bite-sized video lessons, Wiley also provides deep dive videos with all Wiley courses. These lessons supplement tough topics to help facilitate deeper understanding. Gleim does not have deep dive videos and only offers video lectures in general in their Traditional course.

CMA candidate Greg Hoggard really looked forward to Wiley video lectures with instructor Monte Swain, Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CGMA.

“Professor Swain was an amazing representative of the accounting trade. His quips and dry humor coupled with his energetic and positive approach was the complete package. I looked forward to all of his lectures,” says Hoggard.

Score Predictor is a tool that lets you know how well you will do on the exam based on practice material results. It projects your score range for each section and the exam as a whole. This allows you to adjust your study plan so you continue to improve your chances of passing them exam.

Wiley offers Score Predictor with all Wiley CMA courses. Gleim does not have this feature.

Looking to relieve nerves and feel confident in your skills going into exam day? Wiley created an 11^th Hour Final Review for last week studying. If you study with Wiley’s Platinum course, you get access to the 11^th Hour Final Review, which guides you through hot topics on the exam and emphasizes working problems. Going through this final exam review dramatically improves pass rates.

Gleim does not have an 11^th Hour Final Review, but their “Final Review Mode” shifts your study plan to focus on your weak areas.

“Wiley’s 11^th Hour Review was a nice refresher of all the pertinent material,” says CMA candidate Justin Kelley.

Looking at Wiley and Gleim side-by-side, it’s very clear that Wiley offers a lot more support while still being less expensive. Features that come standard with Wiley CMA courses include deep dive videos, bite-sized lessons, Score Predictor, flashcards, and video lectures. Gleim does not offer standard study materials like flashcards and videos unless you invest in their more expensive course, and even then, Gleim offers fewer features than Wiley. So, whether it’s cost, technology, study materials, or lectures, Wiley has got Gleim beat.