How to Self-Study CIMA: Exam Order and a Practical Study Plan

You can self-study CIMA. On the self-tailored route the objective tests are on demand, so you choose when to sit each one, and only the case study exams have fixed windows. That freedom works only if you plan: check your exemptions first, pick a case study window to aim for, work backwards to a date for each objective test, then study each paper the same way: notes, lectures, questions, a timed mock, review. This guide covers each step and ends with two sample schedules you can adapt.

Check your entry point and exemptions first

Before you buy anything or plan a date, run the official exemptions calculator. It tells you where you start. A degree, another accounting qualification or relevant experience can remove papers, or a whole level, from your plan.

CIMA rule. CIMA doesn't charge for exemptions. They are based on your qualifications and experience, and you confirm them during registration. Exemptions can let you start at the Management level, or even the Strategic level (exemptions page; full rules in the exemptions policy). With no accounting background you can start with the Certificate in Business Accounting (BA1-BA4), which is "open to anyone". CIMA says it takes about 6 months.

OpenTuition's advice. An exemption removes an exam, not the knowledge. Each case study draws on all three subjects at its level. If you were exempted from, say, F1, skim the F1 notes before you start Operational Case Study (OCS) preparation.

Choose a route: self-tailored or the FLP

CIMA rule. Both main routes cover the professional qualification curriculum and use the same case-study exams at each level; subject knowledge is assessed differently (study routes, checked 9 Nov 2026):

This guide is written for the self-tailored route, where OpenTuition's free notes and lectures replace a paid course. For fees see the CIMA FAQ.

Plan backwards from a case study window

Pick the case study window you want to sit, then work backwards. All three objective tests at that level must be passed or exempted before the scheduling window closes.

CIMA rule. Case study exams run in February, May, August and November. You can book a case study before you finish the objective tests. However, if you have not passed (or been exempted from) all three by the time the exam scheduling window closes, CIMA cancels the booking (candidate FAQs). Objective tests can be rescheduled up to 48 hours before the exam.

The next windows, from the official timetable (checked 9 November 2026):

Results dates and full details are on our CIMA exam timetable page.

OpenTuition's advice. The planning method below comes from the guest article this page originally carried, by Stuart Pedley-Smith of Kaplan. It still works:

1. Set the end date. Choose the window for your final case study (or for the next level, if that is as far as you can see).
2. Set level milestones. One case study window per level.
3. Give each objective test a pass date. Count back from the booking deadline for the case study. Leave about 6-8 weeks for case study preparation after your last objective test, plus 3-4 weeks spare in case you need a resit.
4. Give each paper a start date that fits around work, family and anything you will not give up. Agree the busy periods with your employer if they support your studies.
5. Write the dates down and tell someone. A colleague, a family member, or a Study Buddy on OpenTuition.

Book each objective test when you start the exam, not when you feel ready. A booked date creates a deadline, and you can still move it up to 48 hours before.

Choose a sensible exam order

CIMA rule. Within a level you can start with any subject. The case study for a level unlocks once you have passed, or been exempted from, all three objective tests at that level (self-tailored pathway).

There is no compulsory order of E, P and F within a level. What follows is our advice, not a rule.

OpenTuition's advice

• Finish one level before you start the next. The pillars build on each other: P2 assumes P1, F2 assumes F1, E2 assumes E1. The case study also tests all three subjects together.
• Start with the exam closest to your job or your degree. An early pass builds confidence and shows you how objective tests feel.
• Do not leave your weakest paper until last. If it needs a resit, it pushes back your case study window.
• Keep the three objective tests close together. If more than about six months pass between your first objective test and the case study, the early material fades.
• One paper at a time. On demand means you never have to study two objective tests side by side.

How to study each paper with OpenTuition

For each paper, go through the course chapter by chapter: notes, then the lecture, then questions. When the syllabus is done, sit a timed mock and fix what it shows up. Everything on OpenTuition is free; a free account saves your progress and mock results.

Each paper hub links its notes, lectures, chapter tests, flashcards and a revision mock. P1 as an example:

1. Notes. Read the chapter in the P1 notes. Print it or save it as a PDF if you like to write on paper.
2. Lecture. Watch the lecture for that chapter (P1 lectures) with the notes open. Pause and work the examples yourself before the tutor does.
3. Questions. Do the chapter test (P1 practice) and the P1 flashcards before moving on. Then practise from an up-to-date exam practice kit. Objective tests sample the whole syllabus, so volume of questions matters.
4. Stuck? Post in the CIMA forums.
5. Timed mock. One to two weeks before your exam date, sit the P1 revision mock: 60 questions in 90 minutes, matching the real objective test, with answers as soon as you finish. Sit it in one go, without notes.
6. Review. List every mistake by chapter. Re-read those chapters, redo the questions, then sit your exam. If the mock went badly, move the exam: you have until 48 hours before it.

Before the exam, check the examination blueprint for your exam period. The 2027-2028 blueprints cover objective tests from January 2027 to January 2028 and case studies in May, August and November 2027 and February 2028. February 2027 case studies still use the 2026-2027 edition.

From objective tests to the case study

When your last objective test at a level is passed, your work changes. The emphasis shifts to applying the level’s knowledge to the pre-seen and new task information. Keep revising technical gaps and check the blueprint for your sitting. Allow about 6-8 weeks.

CIMA rule. Each case study is a 3-hour, computer-based, human-marked exam. You play a role in a fictional organisation, working from pre-seen material released before the exam (dates in the table above). Results come out on the fixed date for your level and sitting in the official timetable; use that date when planning the next window.

OpenTuition's advice

• Weeks 1-2: read the pre-seen several times. Build a one-page summary of the business, its numbers, its people and its risks.
• Weeks 2-4: revise the level's three objective test subjects through the pre-seen. Ask which topics this business would actually face.
• Weeks 4-8: sit full timed mocks. OpenTuition has free 3-hour mocks for the Operational, Management and Strategic case studies. The case-study mocks are AI-marked, with feedback, and set on the current pre-seen (sign in to start). Debrief using the model answers and marking scheme, and review the AI feedback when available before planning another attempt.

More help: CIMA case study overview and Top tips for the Operational Case Study.

Sample study schedules

These are OpenTuition's planning examples, not CIMA requirements. Change the numbers to fit you.

Assumptions. Operational level, no exemptions, starting mid-November 2026. Roughly 60-90 hours per objective test and 50-70 hours of case study preparation. One spare month for a resit. Lighter weeks over the year-end holidays. The weekly hours in each schedule give more time than these totals in some blocks (for example, about 160-195 hours between the pre-seen and the exam in the intensive plan); treat the difference as revision, rest and buffer, not extra required study.

Part-time: CIMA study plan while working full time (8-10 hours a week)

For example, two weekday evenings of 2 hours plus one weekend block of 4-6 hours.

This example takes about nine months for Operational level. Repeating nine-month blocks for all three levels would be about 27 months, but later levels, results dates, resits and window alignment can extend it. It is a planning illustration, not a three-level completion forecast. CIMA describes around four years as typical for the route.

Intensive (25-30 hours a week)

For example, study leave or a gap between jobs.

The February 2027 OCS looks closer, but booking closes on 19 January 2027. Even at this pace, E1 would not be passed in time. That is why you plan backwards from the booking deadline, not from the exam date.

What to do next

1. Run the exemptions calculator and note your starting level.
2. Pick your case study window from the CIMA exam timetable and write down your three objective test dates.
3. Open the hub for your first paper (start at the CIMA hub) and do chapter 1: notes, lecture, chapter test.
4. Read the CIMA syllabus overview and the CIMA FAQ for structure and fees.
5. Find a Study Buddy or introduce yourself in the CIMA forums.

About this guide

This page used to carry "Planning for success in an on-demand world" by Stuart Pedley-Smith, Head of Learning at Kaplan Financial, first published by Kaplan in 2016. Its five-step backward-planning method is kept in the planning section above. Everything else on this page is OpenTuition's own guidance.