Starting your CMA US journey during college years is advisable. Early start provides one with better time and college study management along with CMA exam preparation. By well-planned strategy and proper resources, you can finish both parts of the CMA exam before graduation. Thus, you can surge ahead in your career.

The CMA US syllabus is divided into two parts:

The syllabus has to be understood, which will actually help you to channel your efforts on areas that need more concentration, which is actually in line with your strengths and weaknesses.

The examination is comprised of two parts:

Part 1: It deals with financial reporting, planning, and control.
Part 2: It deals with financial decision-making, analysis, etc.
Each paper has two parts of 100 multiple-choice question answers, followed by two essay type questions. The total time for each paper is four hours, therefore time management is quite critical during an exam.

Before you take the CMA exam, ensure that you are eligible with the help of the criteria below:

• Graduate whose degree is approved by an acknowledged university.
• Two years of working experience in the field of accounting or finance.
• Most candidates resort to a review course in their study and preparation for the CMA exam. In doing so, candidates are able to build on the study materials that can be obtained, sit for practice exams, and obtain structured guidelines on how to cover the syllabus satisfactorily.
• Balancing college studies with the CMA prescription is a strict regimen. Make a study plan that includes daily study hours, review hours and off-time. Following your schedule is very important, but don’t be so rigid that it can’t be changed if needed.

Your college curriculum would definitely be covering some of the topics which are part of the CMA syllabus. Use your textbooks, notes, and all other supplementary ones from your degree course to build further on those subjects.

While self-study is not ruled out, joining a good coaching institute for the CMA would make things easier for you. The guidance given by experienced faculty in these institutes helps avoid blunders and ensures that you study the right material, which is possible through the right study material and techniques.

Mock examinations are paramount in making you feel well acquainted with the pattern to be followed in the exam. So regular practice must be followed within the given time, with a view to managing your speed in the book examination and increasing your confidence in the same. Analyze your performance during the mock exam so that you may know your weakness and develop accordingly.

Be consistent in your preparation for the CMA exam. Set achievable goals, celebrate the little victories, and surround yourself with positive peers and mentors who keep you focused.

Having a group of peers or finding others for joint studying can be something motivating and helpful. The same concept goes in a manner that a peer might bring the light of understanding about a topic that might seem complex to you; at the same time, peers would keep you held liable for your study.