About this course
CMA Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics is best understood as the technical toolkit for a management accountant. While Part 2 focuses on high-level strategy, Part 1 ensures you have the operational skills to manage a finance department day-to-day. It answers the critical questions of how a company plans for the future, manages its costs, and ensures internal processes remain efficient and profitable.
The syllabus is structured around a logical financial cycle. It begins with External Financial Reporting, where you master the construction of financial statements and US GAAP standards. This foundation leads into the core of the exam: Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting, followed by Performance Management. In these sections, you learn to drive the budgeting process and then measure success by comparing actual results against your plan using variance analysis. You will also dive deep into Cost Management, which covers the complex math behind pricing and costing systems. Finally, the course safeguards the future with Internal Controls and Technology and Analytics, ensuring you can manage risk and utilize modern data tools effectively.
To earn this certification, you must pass a single four-hour exam that rigorously tests these concepts. The session opens with three hours dedicated to 100 Multiple Choice Questions, which make up 75% of your score. If you perform well enough here, you move on to the final hour, which consists of two essay scenarios accounting for the remaining 25%. Success requires more than just memorization; you must demonstrate the ability to analyze data and write clear, logical business recommendations.
