CIMA exams from home now on the go
CIMA announced the delivery of its first-ever at-home exams to students across the world, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on how we all move […]
CIMA announced the delivery of its first-ever at-home exams to students across the world, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on how we all move and work. So far, things seem to have gone well. But can we expect at-home exams to stay with us after lockdown finishes?
Carrying on
CIMA previously announced its new exam process as a means to keep its students engaged and progressing, even though its regular test centres might be closed. The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the unified voice of CIMA and the American Institute of CPAs, said it had been developing a testing solution since the early days of the pandemic.
“The road ahead will of course be difficult but management accountants can really put their skills to use to help their organisations, and showcase how much value they bring to businesses,” said Stephen Flatman, vice president of examinations — management accounting, in a published statement. “We are proud of the great resilience our students are showing to keep their careers moving, and steadily grow the pool of finance professionals able to help organisations navigate even the most uncertain and complex times.
“Our colleagues and partners worked hard to come up with and deliver an at-home testing solution for our students in a very short amount of time,” Flatman added. “This change in our approach has so far enabled students from over 70 countries to progress their studies, book their CIMA exams and get them closer to earning the CGMA designation.”
Making it work
The few students that have taken papers online so far have been positive about the experience. “I was feeling rather nervous about sitting my exam, especially under new and unfamiliar conditions,” said Matthew Barton, a CIMA student, in a statement. “But once I clicked the ‘begin exam’ button the process was very smooth, it’s close enough to the test centre experience so it’s not worth delaying your studies until they can reopen. I feel a lot better about the process now and will sit another exam next month.”
As you know, taking an exam can be stressful enough, and the last thing you’ll want to happen will be a technical failure, so CIMA have robustly tested their system to ensure it provides a seamless and efficient performance. You’ll need to be just as confident in your own computer and internet connection to make the process work for you.
Help is at hand
The CIMA website is full of useful further information with videos on how to make the process work, plus advice on scheduling and much more. Visit their site here.
Our team are also still contactable online, and are very happy to answer your tuition, revision, and exam-related questions. If you choose to sit your exam online at this time, please don’t think your paper will be any easier than usual. You’ll need to be just as prepared and diligent throughout the process as you normally would, but do get in touch with us if you’d like any support.
As for the future? Like many things that have found a new home online during this crisis, we think it will take a very good reason to go back to the ‘old’ ways!
