Introduction
Most of the CIMA qualification is examined through objective tests, which are computer-marked and available on demand. The case study exams are different in almost every way: they are written, human-marked, sat in fixed windows, and based on a business scenario you receive in advance. For many students they are the most unfamiliar part of the journey, because nothing at the objective-test stage quite prepares you for the format.
This guide explains what the case study exams are, how the pre-seen material and exam windows work, how the exams are marked, and how to prepare. If you want a map of where the case studies sit in the overall qualification, our guide on how the CIMA qualification works covers the full structure.
What a Case Study Exam Is
Each professional level of the CIMA qualification ends with a case study exam that integrates the three objective test subjects from that level. According to CIMA, the exam is a role simulation: you are given a fictional company and a job role within it, and you respond in writing to realistic tasks that draw on learning from all three subjects at once.
That makes the case studies different from objective tests in several important ways:
| Objective tests | Case study exams | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Multiple choice and other objective question types | Written responses to tasks |
| Length | 90 minutes | 3 hours |
| Scheduling | On demand at Pearson VUE test centres | Four exam windows per year |
| Marking | Computer-marked, provisional result on the day | Human-marked, results after the window closes |
| Scope | One subject at a time | All three subjects of the level, integrated |
The case study tests whether you can apply what you learned in the objective tests to a business situation. You are marked on how well you answer the tasks in role, using the scenario in front of you, rather than on recalling theory.
The Three Case Studies: OCS, MCS and SCS
There are three case study exams, one at the end of each professional level:
- Operational Case Study (OCS) closes the Operational level and integrates E1, P1 and F1. CIMA's case study support materials describe the role as a finance officer supporting the company's finance manager, so tasks focus on costing, budgeting, financial reporting, and explaining figures to colleagues.
- Management Case Study (MCS) closes the Management level and integrates E2, P2 and F2. Here you take the role of a finance manager, and the tasks step up to project appraisal, performance management, and advising on more complex decisions.
- Strategic Case Study (SCS) closes the Strategic level and integrates E3, P3 and F3. You act as a senior manager reporting to the board, dealing with strategy, risk, and financial strategy questions at organisational level. Passing the SCS is the final exam step before the CGMA designation.
On the standard route you sit the case study after passing the three objective tests at that level, because the exam assumes you can already use all three subjects. Students on the CGMA Finance Leadership Programme follow a different route to the same case study exams, which we cover in our FLP guide.
How the Pre-seen Material Works
Some weeks before each exam window, CIMA releases pre-seen material for each case study: a pack describing the fictional company, its industry, its financial statements, and its recent history. The exam tasks are set in that same company, and a copy of the pre-seen is available for reference during the exam.
CIMA's guidance is clear that you should be extremely familiar with the pre-seen by exam day. Time spent understanding the company's business model, its numbers, and its industry pays off directly, because your answers are expected to use the scenario rather than generic theory. The same guidance warns against question spotting and prefabricated answers: the unseen material introduced in the exam changes the situation, and markers reward responses that deal with the task actually asked.
The exact release date for each sitting is published on the official CGMA exam timetable, so check it when you book.
Exam Windows and Dates
Unlike objective tests, which you can book on demand throughout the year, case study exams run in four windows per year: February, May, August and November. According to the official CGMA exam timetable, exams within each window are available on three days, from Wednesday to Friday.
That fixed rhythm matters for planning. If you miss a window, the next chance is three months away, so most students work backwards from a target window: book the exam, note the pre-seen release date, and plan objective-test passes and revision around it.
One current change to be aware of: AICPA and CIMA upgraded the CGMA Professional Qualification syllabus in 2026, and the upgraded content is examined in case study exams from the May 2026 sitting onwards. If you are using older study materials, check they reflect the current exam blueprint.
Pass Marks and How Marking Works
Case study exams are human-marked, and AICPA and CIMA describe a marking and moderation process designed to ensure the correct marks are released. Because scripts are marked by people and moderated, results take longer than objective tests. According to CIMA's official guide to examination results, case study results are published to your exam dashboard about six to seven weeks after the last day of the exam window.
The same guide sets out what your result contains:
- An overall grade (pass or fail)
- A scaled score between 0 and 150, where 80 or above is a pass
- Feedback on your performance by each core activity
The scaled score is not a percentage. CIMA uses scaled scoring so that results are comparable across different variants and sittings of the exam, which vary slightly in difficulty. The core activities and their weightings come from the published exam blueprint for each level, and the feedback shows how you performed against each one, which is especially useful if you need to resit.
How to Prepare
The case study rewards a different kind of preparation from the objective tests, but it builds directly on them.
Keep your objective-test knowledge warm. The tasks assume you can use E, P and F pillar content from your level without hesitation. If you passed an objective test months ago, revisit the weaker topics before the case study, because a costing or reporting technique you cannot recall is a technique you cannot apply. Regular objective test practice is the most direct way to keep that knowledge current.
Learn the pre-seen properly. Read it several times, summarise the company in your own words, and get comfortable with its financial statements. Aim to know the business well enough to advise it, since that is exactly what the tasks ask you to do.
Practise writing under time pressure. Three hours of structured writing is a skill in itself. Practise planning an answer quickly, allocating time across tasks in proportion to their length, and writing in clear business English addressed to the person in the scenario. Leaving a task unanswered is one of the most expensive mistakes in a human-marked exam.
Use the blueprint, not guesswork. The exam blueprint lists the core activities and assessment outcomes for each case study. It tells you what the examiners are allowed to test, which makes it the most reliable revision checklist available.
Answer the question asked. CIMA's own support materials warn against prepared answers. Markers reward relevant application to the specific task, so read each requirement carefully and use the scenario's facts and numbers in your response.
Where to Start
The strongest case study preparation starts long before the pre-seen is released, with secure knowledge of the level's three objective test subjects. That knowledge is built most reliably through question practice.
You can practise CIMA objective test questions for free here, whether you are working through the Operational, Management or Strategic level. Build the subject knowledge first, and the case study becomes an exercise in applying what you already know.