Want to plan the perfect answer in the CIMA exam? Read on!

In the CIMA exam, you really DON'T want to waste time by planning too much and writing too little!

I have often spoken to CIMA students who are looking for a set plan to help with their writing. I have outlined my tried and tested plan in just eight EASY steps in my OCS study Text Part 1.

For now, however, here is just one key step that I would HIGHLY recommend you use in the CIMA exam for a successful answer...and to get that pass! Read on to find out more...

Top Tips on how to revise during the holidays!

Revising during the holidays can be tricky. If you celebrate Christmas, you may find yourself reading through the CIMA pre-seen between canapés and carols, or practising a CIMA mock exam whilst tucking into a mince pie. But have no fear – there IS a way to study during the holidays and get that all important pass in the New Year!

So, read on to find out how to revise well and still keep that festive spirit!

Why did I fail my CIMA Case Study exam if I performed well in all competencies?

CIMA’s Case Study marking can be tricky to get your head around. I’ve spoken to countless students who found it difficult to understand why they’d failed their Case Study. Often, students receive a ‘fail’ mark even when their results show they have a reasonably good understanding of all subject areas. 

So, what can you make of your Case Study results? With your February Case Studies not too far away, it's a good time to explore what CIMA are looking for in order to grant that allusive ‘pass’! 

Find out what these OCS students thought about the November exam!

For our Astranti November students, the exams are all finished and it's time for a moment of relaxation. The ink had barely dried on the student's handwritten notes, however, when we sent out a survey to get their thoughts on the exam, our materials and any golden nuggets of advice for future students.

What we found was eye opening, to say the least! Take a look at our results below:

How succesful have CIMA Operational students been in 2017?

One thing I know is that finding out how other students have handled exams is a great way to help you build your own tailored study plan. Statistics don't lie - if lots of other students struggle to pass an exam, the likelihood is you will also need to study extra hard for it.

As we enter into the final months of 2017, now is the perfect time to look back at how students have performed with CIMA this year . The following Operational CIMA results can show you how to tailor your own revision patterns to ensure CIMA success at Operational level...

Three reasons why marking and feedback make a BIG difference!

When you are revising loads, it can be tempting to go it all alone and rarely get feedback from a qualified marker. If this is you, then don't let it continue! Getting feedback and having an experienced outsider's perspective could really make the world of difference. Don't believe me? Read on and see why!

Help - it's the night before my exam!

It's the night before your CIMA exam and you're nervous and unsure how to proceed. Should you stay up and try and cram in as much extra revision as possible? Should you get an early night? Should you go for a run to try and clear your mind?

We've all been there - it can be a tricky decision. Many of us end up buckling under the pressure and trying to revise as much as possible until the early hours - but time and time again studies have shown this is not the best approach. Read on to find out how you can make the most of your pre-exam evening and set yourself up for CIMA success the next day!

How to study WITHOUT getting distracted!

I have been teaching students for years now and know that not every tip works for every student. Some students, for example, may find it easiest to revise through videos - whilst others hate the idea and much prefer study texts! There are a few tips, however, that apply to everyone and can simply make the world of difference when it comes to passing!

This is one of them - when you are revising, limit ALL distractions. Sounds simple, but it's easier said than done!

So, how can you limit your distractions? Here's three things that I personally do...

How videos can help with your CIMA revision!

When I was at school, one of my favourite subjects was physics. There was a catch, however – I only really understood the theory when the lesson included a video. This could be cars whizzing around a racetrack to demonstrate the doppler effect, dolphins communicating underwater to show the differences in their communication or, my very favourite, a simulation of a rock being thrown through space and whizzing past all of the planets in our galaxy. With videos, physics suddenly jumped out of the dull textbooks and became alive – and the same can be said for videos and your CIMA revision!

So how can videos help your revision? Here's four reasons why!

Getting a head start towards success!

Few people have experienced as many roller-coaster highs and lows within their career as Steve Jobs has. After being fired from his own founding company Apple, Jobs spent years trying to launch a new sleek computer called the Cube. The plans didn't take off, although Jobs did eventually return to Apple when the company was financially flailing. Instead of driving Apple into the ground, as many thought he may, Jobs instead took the company to new heights. A fantastic role model for everyone who is afraid of failing and making mistakes, Job's never ending resilience and talent for spotting opportunities ultimately carried him through to success.

So what do Steve Jobs and studying for your CIMA exam have in common? The answer lies in this quote from Jobs: “if you look really closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” The same can very much be said for your CIMA qualification! With this quote in mind, here are four things that you can be doing in order to create your own CIMA 'overnight' success.

Here's how to study away from your laptop...

Sometimes it feels as though students' other commitments prevent them from studying as hard as they should. Well, this doesn't have to be the case - not all CIMA revision has to be done at a desk. In fact, you can learn well no matter where you happen to be, as long as you are prepared. 

Here's how to revise when you can't get to your computer... 

How to stay organised ahead of your exams

You can’t be a good accountant if you aren’t organised. Revising for your CIMA exams is the perfect way to prepare yourself for the high levels of organisation and time management that you will need to consistently retain throughout your career as an accountant. With this in mind, what changes can you make to help yourself stay organised ahead of your CIMA exams?

Here's why continuous studying is not a good plan...

Working life can be stressful enough without the burden of CIMA exams. While trying to juggle other responsibilities, it’s incredibly easy for working CIMA students to think ‘I can always do my revision another time’. But can you leave your revision until the last minute and still get the results you want from your CIMA exams?

How can the Compound Effect change my revision?

Have you ever walked into the self help section of a book store? If you have, then you may have noticed that there are a good number of books claiming to perform near miracles in a very short amount of time. Become happier in six days? Sounds good! Stop smoking after one session with a hypnotist? Sign me up! Learn how to grow your own money tree? This book comes with free saplings to get you started!

Okay, so maybe some of these aren't exactly the real deal – but it doesn't stop a lot of books from claiming to change your life in under a week. As great (and easy) as it sounds, the effects are unlikely to last long term. In order to see real results, you must keep working on your goals consistently. How can we do this? We have some great tips from one of the most successful self help gurus - no money trees included!

The memory trick that will change your revision forever...

When revising for CIMA exams, memory power is very important. In many ways, exams are like sophisticated memory tests – if you can remember all the material from the CIMA syllabus and apply it correctly in your CIMA exams, you are on the path to success! 

The following technique will help you to unleash your full memory potential, including the power to remember everything you need for your CIMA exams! 

How to stay calm whilst waiting for exam results.

After months of hard work and nights watching the moon as you do your revision late into the night, the CIMA case study exams are finally over for May! How do you feel? Excited for your result or anxious and fearing the worse? If it's the former, then great! We are sure that you will all get the result you deserve and enjoy the celebrations that will soon follow. But what happens if you are feeling a little nervous? We have some tips that may just help...

Key information from the examiner's report!

One of the best things you can do when revising for the exam is read over the Examiner's report- after all, they will be the ones looking at your exam paper in May! In order to help you get started, we have collected some of the key themes from the Examiner's February report. The full report is available right here: OCS February 2017 Examiner's Report. We suggest that you read through this yourself very carefully! 

Learning lessons from those who mark and assess the exam themselves could be all the difference between a pass and a fail this May. For every sitting I analyse the report and share the important findings, so students do not make the same mistakes. The examiners often have to repeat themselves on where students are going wrong, which we don't want to happen for the next sitting! With this in mind, here are the top three key themes from the newest OCS report.

Revision Tips: Which style of learner are you?

When I first started secondary school, one of my teachers really enjoyed creating mind maps when we were learning. If you are not sure what these are, think of lots of colour, information and thin, wiggly lines connecting everything together. Mind maps often start with one word in the middle and link in all of the topics that are related to this. Let's take CIMA, for example. Topics that link to this could be the case study material, key theories and Ethics.

Many of the students enjoyed using the mind maps, but they didn't do much for me. Why is this? Well, it could be because we all have different learning styles. One method of learning may do wonders for one student, while it could be a disaster for another person.

We all have different learning styles. Research has shown that there are up to eight different types – here, we will look at the main four. Which one are you? Read on to find out.

A revision guide just for you!

I was speaking to a student recently who narrowly failed the exam. Why was this? He had good intentions and studied the material, but unfortunately his planning let him down. With so much information needed for the Case Study exam, it can sometimes be overwhelming. It's tempting to give more attention to certain theories or texts, but you do need to have a balance!

Fear not, however, if you struggle with this – Astranti have a general study plan right here. Don't worry about sticking to the exact dates, as I know that you are all very busy, but this can be used as a helpful guide for your CIMA journey.

Humming to the tune of success...how music can help us with revision!

Flashcards, pens every colour of the rainbow, chunky neon yellow highlighters….there are many tools that we use when revising for the CIMA exams. Some of you may prefer to write in plain black and on snow white paper, whilst others will pin notes all over the house to remind themselves of the key areas of the syllabus.