cima strategic case study examiners report

CIMA Case Study Feb 2023: The Examiners Report

The February 2023 CIMA case study exams are just around the corner.

Students sitting a case study exam this month should be primed and (almost) ready for exam day! Your pre seen analysis is done, the industry analysis has been ticked off and you should have taken at least one mock exam by the stage.

So now is the ideal time to learn from other students mistakes as CIMA released The Examiners Report from the November case study sitting.

It’s a resource that goes under the radar, but you’d be a fool to over look it as CIMA are essentially giving you free advice on WHAT NOT TO DO on exam day!!

I’ve gone through the OCS, MCS and SCS examiners reports and picked out my key takeaways.

OCS: Fireworks Nov 22 Examiner Feedback

Significant number of candidates gave very poor answers, mainly due to;

• Lack of application to the scenario, leading to generic, text-book type answers.
• Lack of clarity and depth in explanations: a focus on identification rather than explanation.
• Candidates answering the task that they wish they had been asked rather than what had been asked or misreading the task given.
• Gaps in technical knowledge and understanding in some of the P1 and F1 areas, meaning that some tasks were answered well and others poorly.

You can read the full OCS November 2022 examiners report here.

MCS: Happy Playz Nov 22 Examiner Feedback

The examiner gave feedback around the quality of answers provided by students and stated that basic level 1 answers were summary of content from the syllabus with no real insight or application to the scenario, while at the other end of the spectrum, the advanced level 3 answers were evaluated and applied to the scenario with justification.

While another common pitfall was students not answering the requirement OR students were reluctant to commit themselves to solution/proposal in the fear of a “wrong” answer.

The examiner gives a nice one pager at the end of the report with a list of advice on what to do BEFORE and DURING the exam, you can find the full MCS November 2002 examiners report here.

SCS: Hottayr Nov 22 Examiner Feedback

The SCS report was in a similar format to the MCS report, illustrating the differences between a weak (level 1) and strong (level 3) answer.

• Recalling syllabus content is helpful, BUT YOU MUST apply it to solving problems presented in the exam.
• There is no substitute to mock exam practice.
• If asked for a recommendation, you must justify it. Even if your recommendation is different from the examiner, you will still gain credit for the quality of the justification.
• Be sure to include real-world examples – low carbon products are discussed widely in the press, so it’s possible to research this easily before exam day.

You can read the full SCS November 2022 examiners report here.

Good Luck with your upcoming case study exam!

Share this:

cimastudent

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

Exam Resource

Study guide case study examination - strategic level.

What is this? A calendar of articles and recorded learning support resources that will assist your Strategic Case Study exam preparation.

Why do I need it? The resources in the guide cover a range of themes and can be broadly split into two main categories: Study support — Motivation, confidence, time, strategic and memory recall. Exam support — Question-answering techniques and exam day planning.

Management Accounting Mastery

Master the skills needed to pass the cima exams and become a chartered global management accountant, cima strategic level case study – a winning study schedule, cima strategic level case study (scs) overview.

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that there’s a lot to do in preparation for your CIMA Strategic level case study exam.

As you will have seen from an earlier blog post I wrote, your approach needs to involve:

• Careful analysis of the pre seen material
• Familiarity with what is going on in that industry in the real world
• Thorough revision of your technical knowledge from the three objective test papers
• A good understanding of your “role” in the fictitious organisation
• Practicing the many elements of exam technique needed to pass

Now you’re probably pretty scared of awaits you in the CIMA Strategic level case study, right?

And you’re wondering: is it even possible to be fully prepared in such a short space of time?

But don’t worry, I’ve broken down what you need to do in a step-by-step, week-by-week, structure for you to follow.

It’s based on the same blueprint that CIMA case study experts Astranti use on their CIMA SCS Exam Course .

And this schedule has been proven to work over and over again by students who have passed their CIMA Strategic level case study exam, despite working full time and having other commitments taking up their time.

Now it won’t be easy.  Preparing for CIMA exams never is.

But if you follow the plan below over the coming weeks it will set you up for success…AND don’t worry if you feel you are falling behind.   You will soon catch up if you are determined to pass.

Activity #1: CIMA Strategic Level Case Study Pre Seen Analysis

In particular you are looking to find out:

• A clear picture of what the organisation does and the industry it operates in
• How the business is performing and where it is currently heading
• The potential threats and opportunities for the business
• Who the stakeholders are and how you would advise they be managed
• A list of the key issues facing the organisation that are likely to come up in your exam
• How you would deal with such issues to provide practical business advice
• The key topics from the E, P and F papers that are relevant to this particular case
• Your own interpretation of the figures provided (what they mean for the business)
• Any potential ethical issues that may arise
• A list of key facts you can summarise onto one page and read over regularly

Activity #2: Start Learning More About the CIMA Strategic Level Case Study Exam

In particular you’ll want to discover:

• The key ingredients to passing the CIMA Strategic Level Case Study
• A general overview of the exam format
• Your Role and how it will shape your exam answers
• How to analyse the pre seen
• How to Identify ALL the requirements
• Why you must plan your answers
• The 9 stages of exam planning
• How you can practise your answer plans
• The best approach to typing up your answers for a clear pass
• How to practise your writing style
• How the SCS exam is marked
• How to master time management in your exam
• The optimum approach to preparing for the SCS exam

Recommended resources:

• Relevant SCS Pre Seen Material from CIMA Connect
• Matt’s FREE guide to analysing the pre seen quickly and effectively
• Astranti Detailed Video Guides walking you through the SCS pre seen
• Astranti SCS Study Text no.1 covering in depth what is needed to pass the exam
• Astranti SCS Tuition Videos on exam time management, writing style and answer planning
• Recent SCS Examiner reports from CIMA Connect

Activity #1: Start Revising Theory from Papers E3, P3 and F3 (and how to apply it)

Your CIMA Strategic case study exam is not just testing your technical knowledge but also your application of this knowledge.

“Application” basically means knowing when and how to use a theoretical model appropriately in your exam so that you can provide the best advice possible to your boss in the case.

Here you’ll want to learn:

• Which theories are most applicable to the CIMA Strategic level case study exam
• The underlying concepts of those theories so you can explain them
• The pros and cons of using them in different business scenarios
• What the examiner is really after when it comes to earning marks for technical skills
• How to interpret and analyse key financials to help the decision making process
• How to apply different theoretical models to the pre seen
• How to use theory as a useful tool for providing sound business advice in the exam

Activity #2: Start revising the different aspects of Ethics (an area often examined)

Ethical issues can come up in any CIMA Strategic level case study exam.   Such as the ethics of suppressing the facts in a report to stakeholders (Variant 1, May 2017), the ethical issues relating to a product placement decision (Variant 2, May 2017), and ethical risks associated with analysing the competitor’s product in order to copy it (Variant 4, May 2017).

The CIMA Strategic level case study examiner has also made a point of saying that Ethics needs to be dealt with better by students.  Here’s just one example from a recent examiner’s report:

“Candidates are not usually very proficient at questions on ethics and unfortunately this question was no different.”

So if you want to score well in your exam you need to be prepared to deal with the different aspects of ethics should they come up.

In particular you want to learn:

• Why ethics is so important at case study
• Ethics – the theory and how to apply to the exam
• Corporate Social responsibility – the theory and how to apply it
• How to use CIMA’s ethical code – which the examiner for the CIMA SCS exam said could come up at any time
• Controlling ethics – a checklist on how to deal with ethical problems faced in the exam
• Why students ethical sections are typically so poor
• A checklist of ethical headings to consider to analyse ethical issues in depth and maximise marks
• How to write ethical recommendations in depth
• What the examiners say about ethics and the exam
• A standard structure to use in the exam to maximise marks on ethics questions

Activity #3 (Optional): Watch a live/recorded webinar on the keys to passing the CIMA SCS exam.

Here you’ll by taught by an expert tutor where you’ll learn:

• What it takes to prepare fully for this exam, and what YOU will have to do between now and your exam date
• What the examiner says you must do to pass AND what you must avoid
• The skills of effective planning with a live demonstration of answer planning
• A good understanding of the key points from the current pre-seen
• How to use your knowledge of the pre-seen to score marks in the exam
• The 10 theoretical models most likely to be examined, based on the current pre-seen
• The writing style that maximises your marks in the exam
• How to master your time management – often the biggest roadblock to passing this exam

Activity #4: Attempt Your First CIMA Strategic Level Case Study Mock (and submit for marking)

Without doubt the difference between passing and failing the CIMA Strategic level case study exam comes down to one thing: How well you have practiced your exam technique under exam conditions.

Mock exams help you with just that.

But also, mock exams help you determine whether the hours you have already spent revising have worked in terms of committing the vital information to your long term memory.  After all, in the heat of your exam, you need to be able to quickly and easily recall how to approach the answers.

As each exam window is based on a different case, you’ll want to make sure that the mock exams you are attempting are on the latest pre-seen and contain realistic scenarios which could occur in the real exam.

Once you have attempted your mock, you’ll want to get your mock marked by an experienced tutor.

It’s really hard to tell by yourself whether you would have picked up marks or not throughout your script and also it’s hard not to be biased.

Your marker will give you a good outside perspective as to the level of knowledge and exam technique you have displayed in your script.  And also point out which areas of improvement you need to focus on most and how to go about making those adjustments.

Activity #5: Review First Mock solution

Here you want to review what a high quality answer looks like as well as the best way to structure your exam answer to the different requirements you are faced with.

It’s important that you don’t simply copy out the solution.  Instead as you read through, think about and note down any key insights you learn.  In particular ask yourself:

• Did I spot ALL of the same requirements?
• Did I format my answer in a similar way?
• Did I apply the same or similar theory to each requirement?
• Did I make roughly the same number of points in each section?
• Did each of my points have a similar amount of depth to them?
• Was my overall advice in each section in line with the solution?

It’s also important to remember that mock exam practice is all part of the learning process.  You’re not expected to be writing a strong answer just yet.   And it’s also better to find out where your strengths and weaknesses lye right now rather than on your actual exam day

• Astranti SCS study text no.2 which covers all the key areas of the syllabus from E3, P3 and F3
• Astranti’s S CS Ethics pack which goes into detail about how to deal with Ethics confidently
• Astranti Masterclass 1 where you’ll be taught the keys to passing the SCS exam
• Astranti S CS Mock Exam 1 and Solution
• Marking and feedback from experienced Astranti tutor

Activity #1: Review First Mock Feedback When Returned by Marker

Your experienced marker will review your script in detail, paragraph by paragraph.

They will give specific feedback for each paragraph and determine your areas for improvement. This will enable you to identify weaknesses in your answers and how you can improve on them to get those vital marks.

Specifically they will give you feedback on:

• How well you applied the case to the unseen scenario – are you scoring enough application marks?
• Your application to the pre seen – are you using pre seen information enough?
• The balance of your points under technical, people, business and leadership skills
• Your exam technique – focusing on what you need to do to score more marks
• Your writing style – is the way you make your points scoring good marks?
• Whether you are writing enough to pass – do you need to make more points and in which sections?
• Any key areas of technical weakness that you need to revise.
• Whether your point’s long enough and your explanation’s detailed enough.
• Your overall performance with your final mark – and whether you are on track to pass

Activity #2: Attempt Your Second Mock (and submit for marking)

Use what you learned from your first mock to your advantage.   Particularly look to put into place those improvements identified by your marker.

Submit your mock for marking to confirm how well you scored and put those improvements into place

Activity #3: Review Second Mock Solution

Follow the same process as for your first mock solution

 Activity #4: Keep Revising Theory from Papers E3, P3 and F3

Keep testing yourself on how well you explain the theories you cover and your ability to apply them to potential scenarios affecting the case.

Activity #5 (Optional):   Keep Revising Ethics

Keep working on how to deal with ethical issues successfully in your exam

 Recommended Resources;

• Astranti SCS Mock Exam 2 and Solution
• Astranti SCS Text Books

Activity #1: Review Second Mock feedback when returned by marker:

Follow the same process as when you got the feedback for your first mock.  Take comfort from where your strengths are and don’t get too down about your weaknesses.  You’ll never produce a perfect answer.  Simply commit to work on those specific areas of improvement in isolation before your next mock.

Activity #2: Attempt Your Third Mock

Use what you learned from previous mock attempts to your advantage.   Particularly look to put into place those improvements identified by your marker.

Activity #3: Review Third Mock Solution

Follow the same process as per previous mock solutions.

Activity #4: Keep Revising Theory from Papers E3, P3 and F3

As in previous weeks

Recommended Resources;

• Astranti SCS Mock Exam 3 and Solution

Activity #1: Review Third Mock feedback when returned by marker

Activity #2: Attempt Your Fourth Mock

Activity #3: Review Fourth Mock Solution

• Astranti SCS Mock Exam 4 and Solution

Activity #1: Review Fourth Mock feedback when returned by marker

Activity #2: Attempt Your Fifth Mock

This will typically be your final mock before your actual exam.

As such, it needs to be very challenging and probably more difficult than real exam. That way your actual exam will feel like just another mock.

This final mock will cover some of the major topics (ones likely to be tested in the real thing) from E3, F3 and P3.

Submit this mock for marking to see where you really stand a week before your exam date.

Activity #3: Review Fifth Mock Solution

Activity #5 (Optional): Final Revision Webinar Ahead of Your CIMA Strategic Level Case Study Exam

Here you’ll learn:

• The common mistakes made in the exam according to the examiner
• Which errors you are still making that you’ll want to eradicate
• The top 10 most likely issues in your exam based on the current pre-seen
• Whether you are using the pre-seen information as you should be – the examiner says you must!
• A reminder of the key elements of passing the SCS exam
• Four key areas of improvement for YOU to score more marks on exam day (based on a script you have written)
• Pre-prepared paragraphs based on your pre-seen which you can memorise that are guaranteed to score you extra marks in the exam
• What the markers are saying about SCS scripts they are marking and what they say you should do to improve
• The key time saving tips for the exam to ensure you complete every section on the day
• A number of top industry examples which you can use to score marks in your exam
• What other students are saying which can be of use to you in your exam
• Astranti SCS Mock Exam 5 and Solution
• Astranti Masterclass 2

This is your CIMA Strategic level case study exam week!!!

Exams are held between Tuesday and Saturday.

  Activity #1: Review Fifth Mock feedback when returned by marker

Hopefully be now you’ll marker will be reporting that you’ve ironed out most of your weaknesses and you are well on track for passing your exam.

Activity #2:   Final Tweeks

Work on any remaining areas of exam technique and technical knowledge that need improving.

Other activities to perform on pre exam days:

• Re read the pre seen & the one page summary of your analysis
• Create a list of key points you want to use in your exam
• Review all the key lessons from your mocks
• Re read the key theories just to refresh your mind
• Try to visit your chosen exam centre
• Make sure you have your admission slip and ID ready
• Take it easy the day before your exam – no last minute cramming
• Sleep well and relax the night before the exam
• Practice thinking positively ahead of your exam – visualise success

Activities to perform during Your exam:

• Go into exam with confidence – even if you don’t feel like it, try and act like it (trust me this works)
• Work quickly through your exam and aim to make lots of points
• Keep going right to the end and try to maximise your marks
• Keep an eye on the time throughout and stick to your timings
• Stick to what has worked in your mock exam practice
• Your revision notes
• Your admission slip and ID

Final thoughts

This schedule is not meant to intimidate you.  It looks long and involved but it is manageable even with a full time job and other commitments .  Plus you can always use it as a template to create your own schedule.

I can’t guarantee you a pass if you stick to this plan. I wish I could.

But if you follow ALL the steps outlined in the schedule, you are gearing yourself up for the best chance of passing first time.   After all, it means you are following a proven framework that has been used by many successful students on Astranti’s CIMA SCS course

And if your exam is fast approaching, you can still catch up and complete all these activities in time.  It just means you’ll have to put in the extra effort in the time remaining.  But what you can’t do is skip ahead or miss a couple of these steps out …as this virtually guarantees you will fail.

Just be prepared to put in the hard work now so that you can reap the benefits come results time.

P.S. Have any questions? Drop me a note in the comments section below.

P.P.S. If you know someone who is also taking their CIMA Strategic level case study exam, please share this plan to help them, too.

How to Pass CIMA Case Study Exams: Detailed Guide to Success

This CIMA case study article shows you how to write an answer that puts you ahead of 90% of candidates, offers expert preparation tips, and increases your chances of obtaining your qualification.

1. How to Pass CIMA Case Study Exams: An Introduction to Our CIMA Exam Experience

In the last five years, we’ve helped over 10,000 CIMA students from 94 countries prepare for and pass their CIMA exams. In that time, VIVA’s tutors have seen every kind of exam answer you can imagine.

As an official CIMA tuition provider, we've seen everything; the good, the bad, and the downright baffling! But more importantly, we’ve also seen what works, and what definitely does not work.

In this article, we’ve compiled all of the key DOs and DON’Ts our CIMA tutors have gleaned from their years marking VIVA students’ CIMA mock exam answers. We see the same kinds of mistakes made over and over again. And the great news for you is — these mistakes can be very quickly rectified to help you pass your CIMA exams the first time around.

The Starting Point: What to Be Aware of before Learning More about CIMA Exam Strategies

The first step is being aware of what to avoid in CIMA exams.

This sets the foundation for you to go on refining and perfecting your approach. As in any other walk of life, perhaps the most important thing is to avoid doing foolish things rather than seeking perfection.

In the words of the very wise Charlie Munger: “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”

All the advice below comes directly from our CIMA case study professional tutors, who mark thousands of student scripts throughout the year.

If you wish to get your VIVA mock exam answers corrected, check out our CIMA course pages , where you can obtain professional marking services as part of the Elite Course.

2. What to Expect on Exam Day

Before we get into the meat of the matter, let’s just review what exactly you can expect to be presented with on exam day. (Feel free to skip on to the next section if you are already well acquainted with the Case Study exam format):

• You will be faced with 1 of 3 CIMA exam variants during any specific exam window (that's a total of 6 variants per pre-seen document under the 2019 CIMA syllabus)
• Each variant is broken down into timed sections (maximum of 5, minimum of 3)
• Each section will include either emails, records of conversations, schedules of information or combinations of all 3
• These give new information that leads on from the pre-seen document information
• Within each section, there will be a task or tasks for the candidate to complete (e.g. write a report, write sections of a report, write an email)
• These tasks might be embedded in the body of the email or conversation
• The task or tasks might include several different elements that pull from different pillars and competencies
• Candidates are NOT expected to perform any detailed calculations
• Each section will move through time (you cannot go back to a previous section once you move on to a subsequent section)

Of course, the best way to familiarise yourself with the real-life experience of a CIMA case study exam is to practice as many different mock exams as possible.

VIVA's OCS, MCS and SCS courses come with up to 5 different professionally prepared CIMA mock exams based on the current pre-seen, which you can practice online under timed exam conditions.

You’ll also want to review past CIMA exam variants to familiarise yourself with the different question styles that can come up.

However, there’s no substitute for timed practice based on the current pre-seen material – and that’s what you’ll get with us.

Source: Pexels

3. Reading the Question: Establishing the Case Study Exam Tasks and Requirements

One common error that our tutors' report is that students do not answer all the requirements included in the task.

In some cases, of course, this is simply down to the student not knowing how to answer the particular requirement. However, we have seen many scenarios in which students have simply missed the requirement due to not having read the question carefully enough!

Consider the sample below taken from a case study exam:

Here we have examples of what is sometimes called “triggers”. These are the places in the question where the requirements are explicitly stated.

Triggers are sometimes in the form of questions, sometimes not. Look out for phrases like “I need you to”, “I would welcome your suggestions for”, “Please draft”, and “Can you please include in your report”.

These are the sections that you really need to pay close attention to because it is there that you will be presented with the requirements.

As you can see in the screenshot above, there is one “task”, i.e., the report that you must draft. But the task has two requirements.

One is a comparison of financial performance and the other deals with the introduction of the balanced scorecard.

However, notice that each requirement contains several sub-requirements.

In the case of the first requirement, notice the “and.” You have to both “compare” and “analyse the implications.” Too many students will simply read the “Compare” part and completely pass over the analysis of the implications:

Likewise, in the case of the second requirement. There’s even more going on here, so you must pay close attention as you read through these “triggers.”

Not only do you have to offer your “suggestions for the other three quadrants,” but you also have to “explain why we have chosen the measures for each quadrant” and “ how they will influence behaviours in the company.”

All of these elements must be addressed to gain full marks.

But too often, students only pay attention to the first one or two. It is not necessarily the case that the first thing asked is the most important or even carries the most weight in terms of marks!

So, it’s essential that you carefully read these trigger sections thoroughly, making a note of each requirement as you go.

Another crucial point: answer the questions that have been asked!

This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many students fail to do this. There are two main reasons students fail to answer the question asked:

(i) because they answer a question they wish they had been asked instead;

(ii) They don't read the trigger verbs carefully enough and misinterpret what is being asked.

The first reason has to do with the fact that sometimes, students will carefully prepare for particular kinds of questions during their exam preparation or practice. They will feel much more confident about some particular question types than others and will have prepared very effectively for those question types.

So strong is their hope that this kind of question will come up on exam day that when they read a question that is superficially similar, they will "shoehorn" their prepared answer into that question.

The result is an answer that is either only partly relevant or, in the worst case, utterly irrelevant to the question being asked!

So remember: don't let your hopes/preferences/strengths influence the kind of answer that you give. Allow the question to dictate what kind of answer you write.

The second reason students fail to answer the question asked is that they misinterpret a key term or phrase or forget what they were asked after they start writing. Consider the example below: ‍

In this example, an incorrect interpretation of the question might be to think about identifying the "limitations" or "drawbacks" of TQM, instead of the "obstacles" that might be encountered when implementing TQM.

The second part of the requirement is about how to overcome those obstacles. An incorrect interpretation might be "what the benefits of TQM would be, after implementing."

You can see that these are "similar" kinds of questions, but strictly speaking, they are different. So be very careful when reading the requirements or trigger sections that you identify the key verbs and key terms so you are certain that you are answering what is being asked.

A final point: ensure that your answers are in alignment with the question asked.

This is essentially about ensuring that you do not go off task as you write your answer - that your answer tracks the requirement and corresponds to each part of the requirement.

Too often, students go off task, padding or filling out their answers with irrelevant information. While writing each new paragraph, the key is to briefly refer back to the question and quickly ask yourself: "Is this relevant and contributing to answering the question?".

This is a good "check" to ensure you align your answers with the question.

4. Good Structure and Planning Can Help You Pass Your CIMA Case Study Exam

We really can’t overemphasize the importance of proper structure for your answers when it comes to achieving the required CIMA pass rates.

There are three main reasons why structure and careful planning is essential for getting your CIMA certificate:

1. It helps to ensure you have enough points raised to obtain top marks

2. It helps to prevent the duplication of content

3. It makes life easier for the marker – more precisely, it makes it easier for the marker to see that you have indeed addressed each requirement adequately, where you have done so, and how much you have written for each requirement. Consider good structure as being key to a more positive examiner experience.

If you clearly signal where each task starts and ends with headings and sub-headings and give each relevant point a full, separate paragraph, you will be making the examiner’s life easier (a happy examiner is likely to be more generous with marks!).

The post-exam reports ALWAYS mention the importance of structure. An orderly answer indicates an orderly and clear thought process behind your answer and shows evidence of planning.

5. Our Top Tips for CIMA Case Study Exam Structure and Planning

Firstly, a common question from students is: how do I know how many paragraphs to write for each task?

Now sometimes, we get lucky and a task or requirement will say something like: "Identify five risks..." or "Give three benefits...". In such questions, it's obvious how many paragraphs there should be!

For five risks, we will write five paragraphs, one for each risk. For the three benefits, we will write three paragraphs, one for each benefit.

Unfortunately, CIMA isn't always so generous! We are not always given the specific number of points explicitly. And so the question then becomes: how do we decide on the number of paragraphs to write?

The key is to look at the percentage of marks allocated for that particular task. CIMA now includes a percentage allocation for each task.

A good rule of thumb here is that for every 10% allocated to a particular task, you add one paragraph. So if a task is worth, say, 33%, you will write approximately three paragraphs. If a task is worth 60%, you will write about six paragraphs.

Note that this is a "rule of thumb." This, of course, isn't supposed to be a perfect formula, but rather a guideline to get you started.

There may be cases where four paragraphs are sufficient for a 60% task, if the paragraphs are long and substantial enough in terms of content . Nevertheless, this is a useful general guideline.

We recommend that you plan and structure your answers before you begin writing. 

However, many people lose valuable time at the beginning of each section planning their answers elaborately on the separate whiteboard provided on exam day. Instead, we recommend planning your answer within the answer box itself, not on the whiteboard or outside of the answer box.

A great way to plan on the fly is to work up a structure and fill in the gaps as you proceed. This forces you to get writing immediately, and by the time your structure is "filled out" the answer pretty much writes itself as you just go back and flesh out each heading and sub-heading:

Requirement A (this would correspond to the first requirement, so use an appropriate title, e.g., “Financial Performance”)

- Paragraph 1 (relates to first major point): idea 1, idea 2, idea 3 (If you have time, it’s worth emphasising the title of this key point by underlining it or putting it in bold, for example)

- Paragraph 2 (relates to second major point): idea 1, idea 2, idea 3

- Paragraph 3 (relates to third major point) etc etc: idea 1, idea 2, idea 3

Requirement B (this would correspond to the second requirement, e.g., "Balanced Scorecard")

…repeat as per above

TASK 2…repeat as per above

Remember, get straight to the point.

Write a 1-2 line introduction at the beginning of your answer, restating briefly what you were asked and the order in which you will address each point in the body of your answer.

Too many students waste time in their opening remarks repeating information we already know or rehearsing irrelevant information.

(You will see in VIVA’s model answers how short the introductions are -> you want to give yourself as much time and space as possible to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding! No marks are given for pleasantries).

It's also a good idea to have a "time plan" for each section of the exam. Now some students worry when they hear this: "ANOTHER PLAN!? Isn't that just going to waste even more of my time!?" 

But there is no need to worry here because a time plan is really very simple - but also crucially important! You need to know roughly how much time you can spend on each task so you don't run out of time!

The first thing to do is, note the length of time allocated per section. In the case of the OCS and MCS, that will typically be 45 minutes per section (with 4 sections in total).

In the case of the SCS, it will typically be 60 minutes per section (with 3 sections in total). The next thing to note is that not all of that time will be or can be spent literally answering the question.

Because, of course, some of that time will be needed for reading the question! So it's a good idea to deduct a short amount of time from the total allocated to a section and consider this your "reading time."

A good target is around 5 or 6 minutes maximum for reading the question. The amount left over after you deduct the reading time is the amount that you can allocate to actually writing your answer.

Now, remember: writing your answer should include the planning process. So you don't need to allocate a separate portion of time to the "planning." Consider planning and writing part of the whole answering process.

So after you deduct the reading time, you now need to decide how to allocate the "answer time."

And this is a relatively simple process. Note the percentages allocated to each task/subtask. Then use that to calculate that percentage of the answer time.

So, for example, let's say you have a section of 45 minutes. You deduct 5 minutes for reading time, which leaves 40 minutes.

Let's say there are two tasks: the first one is worth 60%, and the second one is worth 40%.

60% of 40 minutes is 24 minutes. 40% of 40 minutes is 16 minutes.

And there you have it! You would have 24 minutes to write your answer for the first task, and 16 minutes to write your answer for the second task.

7. A Quick Word on CIMA Case Study Answer Length

I'm sure you've all heard the cliche, "it's about quality, not quantity"!

Of course, there's a kernel of truth to that. But let's be realistic: you're not going to pass your exam if you write 2 lines of text, even if they're the best lines ever written by a CIMA student!

So the cliche only gets us so far. The reality is that markers consistently report that longer answers do tend to score higher marks. And that shouldn't be surprising. 

Other things being equal, the longer an answer is, the more likely it will contain more points - or more detailed points.

When it comes to the OCS and MCS exams, you should be aiming for a minimum of 2 pages, but ideally, 3 pages in a typical 45-minute section would be best if you want to score well.

Each relevant point you make should get a separate paragraph and be supported by examples, reference to the pre-seen and perhaps the real-life industry if applicable, and relevant theories from the Enterprise, Performance and Financial pillars.

In the case of the SCS exam , you should aim for a minimum of 2.5 pages, but ideally, 3.5 pages + in a typical 60-minute section if you want to score well.

8. What about the Content of Your CIMA Exam Answers?

Of course, we can’t tell you exactly what to write – that depends on the questions asked on the day! But there are some fundamental rules of thumb and principles that you should bear in mind.

(i) Justify and Explain

One very simple but crucial point is the following: you have to justify all your arguments and should explain technical terms.

Now that might appear obvious. But you’d be surprised how frequently students fail to do these basic things. And our tutors believe they know why.

This is the error of assuming that the marker will already know what you are talking about. The thing is, they probably will! But that’s not the point.

The point of the exam is to demonstrate your understanding!

So even if you think your marker will probably know what you mean, you should act as if they might not. Show them that you understand, and leave no room for doubt.

A good tip here is to try to really adopt the role that you have been assigned - and correspondingly, speak to the character whom you are addressing in the scenario as if they really are that person!

That way, you are more likely to consider terms they may not fully understand and give more comprehensive explanations of your arguments and conclusions.

Consider the following passage, which is taken verbatim from a past student’s mock exam answer for the Strategic Case Study of May 2018:

“Mr. Winston, however, may not understand the online streaming industry, where consumers just want to watch movies and tv series without interruptions of advertisements in between. His presence may also de-motivate other employees looking to grow within the business. The cultures may be different and it will take him a long time to get used to the streaming business.”

The student left it at that and then moved on to the following requirement. You should be able to see clearly what is wrong here, even without knowing what question was asked.

Each of the three sentences above could (and should have) been explained. Take the first. The obvious question is: why may Mr. Winston not understand the streaming industry?

Consider then the second sentence. The obvious question here is, why might his presence de-motivate other employees?

There’s a hint when he mentions other employees have been willing to “grow within the business,” but the student still fails to make his argument explicit.

What he might be trying to say is that, given that existing employees have grown with the business and have been loyal to the company for a long time, they might feel some resentment towards an external person being given a high-ranking position – instead of hiring from within the company.

But this is not what the student wrote. And so, he lost potential marks by not spelling it out. In the case of the final sentence, there are two more key points left undeveloped: in what way exactly may the cultures be different? And why might it take Mr. Winston a long time to get used to the business?

It’s clear that these points seemed obvious to the student, but he ultimately lost marks because he did not demonstrate understanding.

What you’ll often find is that, once you begin to explain something that seems to “go without saying,” you actually think of interesting points that you hadn’t considered before or that you had forgotten. You want to give yourself as much opportunity to make as many points as possible in support of your answer.

(ii) Give Specific Examples in Terms of the Pre-seen Company

It is not enough to simply define a theory or principle or even to explain a theory or principle in the abstract.

You have to apply it as well. What does that mean?

Basically, you have to be able to say why or how a particular theory/principle/method is relevant to the specifics of the unseen and pre-seen information.

Ask yourself: How can this theory be applied to the current case? What are some concrete examples of the abstract concepts I am using here in terms of the current company?

To follow my own advice, let’s look at another example from another real student’s answer. In this case, the student is asked to give examples for each category in a cost of quality report (OCS May 2018). The student’s answer to this requirement is as follows:

“A) Examples of costs to be included in each category of the report are as below:

1. Wastage of materials when errors are found.

2. Duplication of workload when errors are found

3. Damage to morale when work has to be repeated

1. Loss of consumer confidence

2. Damage to reputation

3. Cost of replacing the product

1. Invest in better-trained staff to ensure fewer errors in production.

2. Invest in higher quality materials to ensure the material doesn't fail.

3. investment in automating processes to reduce human error

1. Inspection of raw materials on arrival

2. Inspection of completed goods before they leave the factory

Notice that this segment of the answer is quite well-structured. The student uses headings and sub-headings and orders the answer logically.

However, the problem is that the student doesn’t actually give specific examples for each category that are derived from the company in question (a luxury bag manufacturer in this case).

Instead, she gives generic examples that could come from almost any company that manufactures any product. In this case, the student would need to provide specific examples.

So instead of simply saying “wastage of materials when errors are found,” the student should give concrete examples of errors that could occur in the context of this company, a luxury bag manufacturer. What kinds of materials are likely to be wasted? What kinds of errors might be found?

These are the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself when applying a particular theory or model to the current case. The marker needs to see that you can actually use the theories and models you have learned during your objective studies in a real-world scenario and in a realistic way.

This shows you’re ready for the real world as a management accountant! Simply giving generic examples that could equally well apply to any number of companies or scenarios is not sufficient to score full marks.

(iii) Avoid List-style Answers

Another common error is that students will give their answers in the form of bullet points.

Unfortunately, this is not what markers are looking for. It might seem neat and tidy and concise to you, but to a marker, it will simply give the impression of superficial engagement. Lists also give the impression that you are rushing through the answer.

Try to write your answers in prose style. It should be conversational but professional. You are trying to engage with and guide the fictional person who has asked for your assistance. Throwing a list of bullet points without elaboration will not be acceptable!

Now that’s not to say that you can’t use bullet points to structure your answers. But this is different from simply having a list of one-liners alongside bullet points.

You may organize your sub-headings in a bullet-point style, but what follows should be in prose style, with full sentences, explanations, examples and justifications.

9. Managing Technical CIMA Questions That Appear in Exams

Many students mistakenly believe that when it comes to more technical questions involving financial statements and “the numbers,” a different approach is necessary.

Students feel they need to spend much of their time performing calculations and showing off their ability to use various formulae from their objective studies. 

However, this is not the case. In fact, you are not expected to perform lengthy calculations when it comes to technical components in the case study exam. Instead, the extent to which you will be expected to demonstrate your technical capacities corresponds to the following:

You will need to be able to:

- explain how the content of a schedule/table/financial statement has been prepared

- interpret the solution from a schedule/table/financial statement

- interpret the information within the schedule/table/financial statement

- explain the accounting treatment for a certain type of transaction and the impact on the financial statements

The occasional basic calculation can be made to illustrate a point or to support your interpretation, but that interpretation should be written in prose form.

Markers do not want to see long strings of calculations and formulae without any written explanation or justification. If you do include calculations, keep them short, and focus instead on demonstrating your understanding through written means.

When it comes to a general approach to technical components, we recommend that you follow the order of operations indicated in the diagram below:

We've already dealt with structure above.

In terms of content, it's a good idea to start with the general theoretical and technical concepts/principles that you are going to be using in the requirement. You don't need to spend too long on this phase - you're not expected to give a complete, exhaustive abstract explanation of a model or theory.

Rather, give a short but jargon-free summary of the model or theory that you are making use of. You want to spend as much time on the application phase as possible. This is where you will demonstrate your deep theoretical understanding. 

Remember, markers want to see you applying your knowledge as if you were really working in this company, in the specified role, and charged with the tasks outlined in the exam .

Simply stating abstract principles would not be acceptable in the real world. Nor is it acceptable in the CIMA case study exam.

Finally, and ideally, you want to move beyond the narrow application of the relevant theory to the specifics of the case.

Markers like to see students adopt a wider perspective of the business and spell out some of the broader implications of your solution to the task/requirement.

It's a good idea here to stretch out your time horizon and consider second and third-order consequences of a particular action - positive or negative.  

Markers also like to see students derive conclusions and recommendations in questions where students are asked to consider advantages and disadvantages/risks and benefits of particular courses of action. This shows deeper engagement with the case and wider business awareness.

10. How to Pass CIMA: Key Takeaways for Upcoming Case Study Exams

When it comes to case study success, there are three really key components:  

1. Solid theoretical knowledge relating to objective subjects

2. Intimate knowledge of the pre-seen and some familiarity with industry trends

3. Excellent exam answer technique

Too many CIMA students get hung up on revising their objective test theory in the wrong way, i.e., committing theory to memory from their CIMA objective test textbook material. The result is less flexibility in producing answers to new problems.

A much better approach is to review key theories by applying each one to the specifics of the current pre-seen document.

In this way, you kill two birds with one stone, i.e., solid theoretical knowledge and intimate knowledge of the pre-seen.

Then it's all about honing your exam technique. The reality is, our markers report over and over again that the typical student's main problem often isn't so much their lack of theoretical knowledge (although that is sometimes definitely the case), as they cannot order their thoughts, apply their knowledge, and master their timing.

 When it comes to timing, there's no substitute for practice (all of VIVA's mocks can be taken in our online CIMA exam simulator under timed conditions).

If you combine practice with careful attention to the points listed above, you will likely write an exam answer that puts you ahead of 90% of CIMA students.

11. Get Ahead with VIVA Financial Tuition

It doesn't matter what kind of business career you're after, CIMA qualifications can unlock a brighter future.

Whether you aim to be a Chief Financial Officer or business owner, our CIMA exam tips and advice can get you where you want to go faster, and for a fraction of the cost of traditional tuition providers. Start your journey today and discover our range of CIMA courses .

Check out our market-leading Study Packs for the current Case Study. The packs include hours of high-quality video tuition by some of the world's leading CIMA experts, alongside mock exams modelled closely on the official CIMA exams and a whole range of support materials. You might also want to read: Working through your CIMA Case Study Course .

Like to explore how VIVA can help you with your CIMA studies?

Be the first to find out when we release new CIMA resources.

Related resources

Other resources that may be of interest to you.

0800 048 7804   |   [email protected]

About Us Testimonials Exam Dates About CIMA Quick Purchase Basket Help Contact Us studyHUB Home

CIMA Strategic Case Study

‘How to pass the case study’ mini-course

“The main reason people fail their CIMA case study exams is not lack of theoretical knowledge, not lack of pre-seen preparation – it’s poor exam technique. People just don’t know how to write answers in a way that scores marks, how to plan to focus what they say and how to manage their time across the exam to maximise marks in each section.”

Nick Best, Astranti CEO

The case studies are difficult to pass, with around 40-50% of people typically failing each sitting , and for most, it’s because they don’t fully understand what it takes to score highly in the exam.

They don’t know how to:

• Produce answers that meet the examiner’s needs
• Play the role assigned in the exam
• Plan effectively
• Manage their time to create balanced answers
• Write answers that score high marks

Having helped thousands of students pass the case study, Peter Stiff, Astranti’s case study expert, has pooled his years of experience teaching CIMA case studies and produced over 10 hours of video content to show you exactly what you need to pass your CIMA case study exam .

We’ve also written a comprehensive study guide for you to work through alongside the video series , so that you can cement your understanding and begin to apply it to your exam.

Learn what it takes to pass

Understand what the examiner says you need to do to pass

Learn why people fail and how to avoid the same mistakes

Learn how to play your role in the exam to score highly

Perfect your exam technique

Learn the skills to master your time management

Develop your writing style to make clear focused points

Learn how to create effective answer plans

Maximise your marks

Review past students’ scripts and see how to improve yours

Learn what it really takes to pass from the examiner’s reports

See how to review your mocks to improve your answers

Take a look for yourself…

Part 1 – What does it take to pass the exam?

Part 1 - What's covered?

Chapter 1 – the keys to passing the SCS

What are the most important factors in passing the CIMA Strategic Case Study exam and what do you need to do to achieve that? Our first video answers these key questions as well as providing a general introduction to the exam.

Chapter 2 – the exam

In order to pass the exam you need to understand what it looks like! We review the nature of the exam and run you through what you will be faced with on exam day.

Chapter 3 – your role

CIMA provide you with a ‘role to play’ for your exam. What is that role and what does this mean for the way you answer the questions in the exam? The examiner has commented that people playing the role well score more marks, so this is critical to you passing.

Chapter 4 – how to analyse the pre-seen

The CIMA examiners regularly comment that people do not use the pre-seen information enough in their exam. We provide a step by step approach to analysing the pre-seen to get the most from it which is useful to those people who don’t use the Astranti Case Study analysis.

Chapter 5 – answering the question

The examiner’s most common criticism of student scripts is ‘not answering the question asked’. The problem is people not properly identifying the requirements – it’s harder than it sounds! This video shows you how to avoid this most common of errors.

Total video running time: over 3 hours

Part 2 – Exam planning and writing

Part 2 - What's covered?

Chapter 6 – why you must plan your answers

Planning is one of the keys to passing the CIMA Strategic Case Study, yet most people don’t plan. In this video, we outline why planning is so important and why it is key to passing.

Chapter 7 – the 9 stages of exam planning

Our 9 step planning approach ensures you create answers that meet all the key requirements the examiner requires from a script. Follow these steps as the first stage in producing an excellent answer.

Chapter 8 – planning practice

You will only excel at planning through practice. Having been shown how to plan, it’s now your turn!  We provide a question for you to plan, run through the solution and show you what an excellent plan for that question would look like.

Chapter 9 – writing approach

Using the right writing style makes a significant difference to the mark you score. So what is the style you should use that will enable you to score the most marks from the ideas you generate? This video demonstrates the style that markers say helps them give you the most marks.

Chapter 10 – writing practice

Can you produce a script like the good scripts you’ve just been shown? You will be given a question and will be shown how to evaluate that script to ensure you are writing your answer in a way that is scoring the most marks from the points made.

Additional content – lessons from student scripts

We examine a range of student Case Study scripts. You will see the good scripts, so you’ve got a clear idea what to produce in the exam, and the bad scripts, so you can learn what not to do!

Total video running time: over 4 hours

Part 3 – Scoring high marks on the pre-seen

Part 3 - What's covered?

Chapter 11 – how is the SCS marked?

By understanding how the Strategic Case Study exam is marked, you can tailor your answer to ensure you pick up all the key marks and miss out things that aren’t scoring well.

Chapter 12 – time management

The most important skill to master to pass this exam is time management. That’s not just us saying that it’s the top answer to the regular post exam poll we conduct of our students. Why is this so important and how do you master your own time management in the exam? This video will show you.

Chapter 13 – the optimum approach to preparing for the SCS exam

As you approach the exam what do you need to do to prepare in the best way? We will guide you through the steps you need to take to ensure you pass.

Chapter 14 – application to the SCS

Having the ability to apply your knowledge of the theory to the pre-seen scenario is crucial when preparing for the SCS exam. This section provides a series of templates and guides for you to do just this, linking in with some of the key theory and models from operational level.

Additional content – the examiner’s analysis of a real student script  

There’s nothing better than hearing what the CIMA examiner wants from your Case Study exam. Luckily the examiner has provided us with an analysis of a real exam script with her commentary on what’s good and how it can be improved. We analyse this script and her comments and pick out the key learning points so you can produce a script which meets her needs.

Additional content – the marking grid

Our marking grid is tailored to give you feedback on the key areas of exam technique required to pass the SCS exam. In this video, we review each of these key areas and show you how to use the feedback given from your marked mocks to improve.

Additional content – review of examiner post exam reports

At the end of each exam, the examiner provides guidance on the key strengths and weaknesses in that set of exams. By examining a range of reports over a number of years we learn what she is looking for from your script, what you need to do to score well and what traps you need to avoid. We also examine how her feedback has changed over the years so you understand her current thinking.

Total video running time: over 3 hours

What our students have to say…

Please see our  testimonials page  for our latest student reviews. Here are a couple of examples:

“I’ve just passed my SCS and couldn’t have done it without Astranti.

I purchased the full course and it was brilliant; the preseen analysis was very useful, the exam technique was absolutely vital, and I was really grateful for the marked mocks and support from tutors (and other students).

This was my first case study having completed the other levels many moons ago before they introduced case studies at every level. I’d self studied the Strategic OTs and scraped through but there’s no way I could have passed the case study on my own.”

CIMA Qualified , July 2022

“Fantastic course for the Operational Case Study CIMA exam. I normally study for my exams with textbooks, but as I didn’t know where to start with the first case study exam, I purchased the full Astranti OCS course, which was well worth it.

Everything I needed was included and it helped me untangle what my priorities should be in revising, as well as teaching me the best exam techniques.

Passed first time which I put down to the excellent course structure, materials, and very communicative and helpful staff.”

Passed CIMA OCS , January 2022

Purchase the ‘how to pass the case study’ mini-course

The ‘How To Pass The Case Study’ Mini-Course is also part of our SCS Premium and Essentials Courses. Head to the course page to find out more.

SCS ‘How To Pass The Case Study’ Mini-Course £165

To qualify for the pass guarantee you need to ensure you complete ALL of the following steps. Failure to complete all of these steps will mean you will not qualify.

View & Print:

1. Click the “View + Print” link to view the study text.

2.  Wait  for all of the pages to load , this can sometimes take a couple of minutes depending on the size of the document (scroll to the last page to ensure that every page loads).

3.  Click  on the print icon within the document viewer (NOT the print icon in the browser menu).

4.  Follow  the steps to print.

Other things to try:

Please try an alternative browser.   Google Chrome and Firefox are recommended, but other  browsers may also work.  Updating your browser to the latest version can help your document load more quickly.

If you are using Windows XP and a version of Internet Explorer older than 9, we cannot guarantee  that printing will be possible. We recommend obtaining access to a computer with at least Windows 7.

Updating to the latest  version of flash can help to resolve some people’s printing issues ( download the latest version of flash .)

If your document fails to load, try clearing your cache and browser history. If your documents still do not load it may be due to the network you are on. We suggest trying to print on a different network.

If you still cannot print your document we suggest using a different computer and/or printer in case you are experiencing a hardware issue.

This Content is Locked

To access this resource you will need to purchase it, or join our complete course. Visit our quick purchase page to get the resources you need.