CIMA Finance Leadership Program (FLP)

The general structure of the programme is almost identical to that set out in the CIMA’s CGMA Professional Qualification syllabus, and consists of three main levels: Operational, Management and Strategic. Each level follows the same structure:

• The Topic is the most granular piece of learning content within the programme. Each assessed Topic will include a group of topic-level assessment questions (TLAs). These TLAs are what determine your proficiency and progression through the programme. There are approximately 300 topics in total across the programme, however not all Topics are assessed.
• A collection of associated Topics is grouped together into Skill Sets, which are primarily used to capture and display your progression on the student dashboard. There is no assessment at this level.
• A collection of associated Skill Sets is grouped together into a Competency Area. Competency Areas are the major milestone for you on your journey through the programme, and are the delivery point for the comprehensive, learning assignments called the Business Simulation Assignments (BSA). The BSA is a customized, learning assignment which you can apply your learning in a risk-free environment because you are not graded on them. BSAs can only be accessed after you successfully complete all Skill Sets within a Competency Area.
• The Exam Review Course is available on its own tab on the student platform and provides insight on the exam purpose and structure and includes mock (practice) exams, some of which are graded by an external tutor.
• Case Study Exams are three hours and designed for you to demonstrate your mastery of the content by completing several simulated workplace tasks. To progress from one level to the next, you must take and pass the case study exam at your current level. After a student completes a CS exam , they can continue to a higher level of learning and progress further by completing competencies, therefore there are no delays in moving forward with their study. This flexibility to progress whilst you wait on their exam results is unique to FLP and if you fail the earlier Case Study you can repeat it whilst your higher-level progress is retained. You are eligible to sit for the case study exam when you have passed all your assessment and completed all relevant BSAs your level (however you can book your Case Study exam well in advance when studying on the programme as soon as the respective exam window opens). Case study exams are proctored at Pearson Vue test centres or online. The same case study exam is used for all CGMA Professional Qualification students regardless of their learning path.

Within the Finance Leadership Programme, student proficiency and progression are determined by topic-level assessments (TLAs). These are objective questions which students must successfully undertake to complete individual topics and progress through the programme.

The main difference between TLAs and Objective Tests (OTs) is in their delivery. TLAs are linked to individual topics, meaning that students will undertake these assessments – and demonstrate their proficiency – continuously as they complete each topic rather than taking an exam in a test centre. This provides more flexibility for students, but also means that there is much more assessment: students will, on average, undertake three times more questions per subject area in the Finance Leadership Programme than through OTs.

For certain topics in the Finance Leadership Programme, students can also choose to ‘pre-assess’, or take the TLAs before they attempt the learning. Again, this provides more flexibility for students by allowing them to demonstrate prior learning or experience and use this to speed up their journey through the programme. Students can only attempt to pre-assess a topic once: the threshold for completing pre-assessment is higher and, if a student does not complete it successfully, they must then undertake the learning before attempting the assessment again.

Otherwise, the format, complexity and coverage of TLAs and OTs is identical. Individual TLAs for each topic are produced using the same processes, to the same standards and verb levels set out in the CIMA’s CGMA syllabus, as are questions used in OTs.

A key difference between the two programmes is how you learn. In the self-study route, you have the flexibility to find a learning provider that fits your needs, timelines and preferred learning format. In the CGMA FLP, the learning is part of the all-inclusive subscription package and delivered online in a self-paced e-learning environment.

The self-study route uses objective tests to assess topic proficiency within each of nine competency areas of the syllabus. These objective tests (OT) are multiple choice and taken via Pearson VUE, either at testing centres or online. You can decide when you are ready to take an OT and schedule your exam sitting at any time.

The CGMA FLP seamlessly blends learning and assessments to ensure you understand key topics and can apply new skills before you move on to more advanced business concepts. Topic proficiency is regularly assessed via multiple-choice questions that are embedded into the online learning experience.

In both programmes, you must pass the assessment of all competencies within a given level to be eligible and authorised to sit for a case study exam.

Regardless of which programme you choose, you will take the same case study exams, under the same exam conditions and to the same standards. All case study exams are offered four times per year, administered worldwide via Pearson VUE either in testing centres or online.

Eligibility for FLP is open to anyone with the relevant academic qualifications to exempt them from Certificate level. Also, all current or lapsed CGMA candidates at Operational level or above are eligible to transition to the CGMA FLP.

You will maintain all progress you have made with thus far as a CGMA candidate, as outlined here:

• If objectives tests have been passed, you will receive credit for the corresponding competency area learning and assessment. This means you will not be required to re-take the learning or assessment in competency areas where you have already proven your proficiency via Objective Test.
• If case study exams have been passed, you will receive credit for them in the CGMA FLP and will not be required to re-take them.

Everything you need to complete the CGMA FLP is included, no supplementary learning, tuition support or materials are required. Regardless of length, each subscription includes:

• Registration fee
• Student fees
• Case study exam fee
• All learning materials
• All assessment materials
• Interactive exercises
• 2 Case Study exam credits per level included in subscription period
• Business simulation assignments
• Access to tutor videos about how to approach your case study exam
• Video analysis of the pre-seen materials for your case study window
• Graded case study mock exams with personalised feedback

Registration for FLP can happen any time of the year, however, the best time to register for FLP is outside a Case Study exam month (to avoid lapsing during or shortly before an exam window which may be the month of a booked exam). Case study exams are in February, May, August and November of every year.