The Case Study Examination provides a simulated context which allows learners to demonstrate that they have acquired the required knowledge, skills, techniques and mindset for that role. Those five core activities are:

1. Develop business strategy
2. Evaluate business ecosystem and business environment
3. Recommend financing strategies
4. Evaluate and mitigate risk
5. Recommend and maintain a sound control environment

Each of those core activities will have 15%-25% weight on the exam.

• There are four examination windows per year, in  February, May, August and November. For details of upcoming Case Study Examination dates, visit cimaglobal.com.
• Pre-seen material will be published on the CIMA website ahead of the May and November examinations. The same preseen will be used for 2 examination windows (e.g. preseen will be the same for May-Aug and Nov-Feb sessions).
• Candidates must use the material to prepare for the examination, immersing themselves in the simulated scenario and considering the organisation’s current position and future strategy.
• During the course of the examination, new information will be provided at the start of each section (task). In response, candidates will have to consider the new information that’s been given, as well as their previous analysis of the pre-seen material.
• Results will be available in MyCIMA about six weeks after the examination.

• The examination lasts three hours. A 15-minute tutorial is available before the start of the examination to allow candidates to familiarise themselves with the test driver.
• The examination has three sections (tasks), which are each 60-minutes long. All sections are equally weighted. Candidates may finish a section early and move on to the next but cannot return to previous sections in the time remaining.
• There may be more than one sub-task within each section and an indication of how long to spend on each sub-task will be given to allow candidates to manage their time. If no weighting is given, then candidates should assume that the sub-tasks are equally weighted.
• More than one core activity will normally be assessed in each section/task and the order of core activities and assessment outcomes in the blueprint does not reflect how these might be structured in the examination.
• All core activities will be assessed in each form of the examination in line with the weightings. 
• The examination requires constructed, written responses from candidates in the format of a range of business communications (for example, emails, memos, reports and briefing notes).

• The Case Study Examinations are human marked.
• The Case Study results will contain the following information:
  • Grade: Pass or Fail
  • Scaled score: 0 to 150 with 80 and above being a Pass
• There is no requirement to obtain a pass or meet a minimum threshold for each core activity.
• Feedback on performance against each core activity will be provided so that learners know their areas of weakness for further study.