US CMA Course: Syllabus, Fees, Jobs & Eligibility for Indian Students

Why Select the US CMA Credential?

CMA USA serves as an international standard for management accountants and finance experts. Currently, the IMA provides the CMA program in over 100 countries, supplying learners with all the necessary expertise and competencies to thrive in this sector.

Yet why choose the US CMA? Let us discover:

• The US CMA qualification holds global recognition, spanning nations such as China, India, the UK, Canada, and the Middle East. Beyond acquiring diverse capabilities, you also attain international exposure and global business ethics.
• The duration of CMA USA is another compelling factor to select this program. It is a brief 6 to 9 month curriculum, whereas traditional MBA or MS programs typically require 1.5 to 2 years.
• Candidates can also take advantage of various US CMA scholarships. The IMA has distributed over $35 million in grants to assist students in completing the CMA credential at no expense.
• Based on the IMA Global Salary Survey, professionals holding the CMA designation earn 58% more globally than their peers without the certification. This highlights the worth of the CMA title in the employment sector.

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US CMA Credential: Eligibility Requirements for Indian Scholars

A class 12th certificate and an undergraduate degree represent the two primary eligibility conditions for Indian students. The IMA grants candidates up to seven years following their exam success to fulfill their degree and professional experience mandates to achieve full certification.

The CMA USA eligibility criteria for Indian applicants can be outlined as follows:

• IMA Membership
• A Class 12th or Higher Secondary Certificate or an Associate Degree in the USA is compulsory to qualify as a certified management accountant in the US.
• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field of study.
• A minimum of 2 years of work experience within finance, accounting, or management.

US CMA Credential Costs

The US CMA program fees are structured to assist candidates across various stages. Students and academic members benefit from reduced rates, facilitating an earlier entry into the program. Professionals are charged higher fees, reflecting the substantial value the curriculum brings to active practitioners.

Let us examine the CMA program expenses in the USA.

Note: Alongside the CMA entrance fee, an additional IMA membership fee is likewise mandatory.

CMA USA Course Details: Examination Structure

Candidates are allotted 4 hours to finish 100 multiple-choice questions and 30 minutes for two essay prompts. Furthermore, the CMA USA curriculum is organized around 12 distinct subjects divided across both sections of the program.

The US CMA curriculum is split into two sections:

• Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics
• Part 2: Strategic Financial Management

Candidates may attempt the two segments of the CMA programs in the USA in any sequence, though both must be successfully cleared to earn certification.

Part 1, specifically Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics, lasts for 5 hours. Within this 5-hour timeframe, examinees must answer 100 multiple-choice questions and complete two 30-minute essay questions within 1 hour.

Similarly, Part 2 covers Strategic Financial Management, spans a duration of 5 hours, and follows an identical structure: 100 multiple-choice questions to be solved in 4 hours, and two 30-minute essay questions to be answered in 1 hour.

Several additional key details to remember regarding the CMA USA exam layout include:

• You may take the two segments of the US CMA program in any order, but qualification for the subsequent part requires clearing the initial one. Both sections can also be scheduled on the same day.
• The scoring scale ranges from 0 to 500, and candidates must attain a minimum score of 360 in both sections to pass the examination.
• Examinees must answer at least 50% of the multiple-choice questions correctly to qualify for the essay portion.
• CMA examination results are released 6 weeks after taking the test.

Let us now explore the curriculum for the Certified Management Accountant program.

CMA USA Course Curriculum

The Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Examination is divided into two segments, each crafted to evaluate distinct competencies necessary for success in accounting and financial sectors. While Part 1 centers on financial planning and performance, Part 2 concentrates on strategic financial management. Both parts assign different weightages to subtopics, making it vital to know where to concentrate efforts.

CMA USA Curriculum: Part 1

The CMA exam subjects and their respective weightages for Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics (Part 1) are detailed below:

• Technology and Analysis (15% Weightage) - Information systems; Data governance; Technology-enabled finance transformation; Data Analytics
• Internal Controls (15% Weightage) - Governance, risk, and compliance; System controls and security measures
• Cost Management (15% Weightage) - Measurement concepts; Costing systems; Overhead costs; Supply chain management; Business process improvement
• Performance Management (20% Weightage) - Cost and variance measures; Responsibility centres and reporting segments; Performance measures
• Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting (20% Weightage) - Strategic planning; Budgeting concepts; Forecasting techniques; Budgeting methodologies; Annual profit plan and supporting schedules; Top-level planning and analysis
• External Financial Reporting Decisions (15% Weightage) - Financial statement; Recognition, measurement, valuation, and disclosure

CMA USA Syllabus: Part 2

Similarly, the exam topics and their weightages for Strategic Financial Management (Part 2) are:

• Financial Statement Analysis (20% Weightage) - Basic financial statement analysis, Financial ratios, Profitability analysis, Special issues
• Corporate Finance (20% Weightage) - Risk and return; Long-term financial management; Raising capital; Working capital management; Corporate restructuring; International Finance
• Decision Analysis (25% Weightage) - Cost/volume/profit analysis; Marginal analysis; Pricing
• Risk Management (10% Weightage) - Enterprise risk
• Investment Decisions (10% Weightage) - Capital budgeting process; Capital investment analysis methods
• Professional Ethics (15% Weightage) - Business ethics; Ethical considerations for management accounting and financial management professionals; Ethical considerations for the organization

You can attempt the CMA USA across 3 testing windows throughout the year, which include January - February, May - June, and September - October. You can choose an application period that is best suited to your needs and schedule your preparation.

Here are the US CMA Exam Dates 2025, along with their last date for registration:

You may apply for the Certified Management Accountant in the USA course in an online mode. Here are the steps involved in its registration process:

• Step 1: The first step is to become a member of the IMA. To become a member of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), one has to fill in the registration form depending on the career status: a professional membership, an academic membership, or a student membership.
• Step 2: Pay the required registration fees. After you are an IMA member, you have to pay a one-time entrance fee to be able to sit for the exam. Since there are two parts to the exam, you will have to pay the US CMA course fees at least twice. If in case you fail a part of the exam, you’ll have to pay the fee an additional time to retake it.
• Step 3: Once you complete the registration process and pay the US CMA course fees, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your authorization number and further instructions to select your Prometric test centre for the CMA USA exam.

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A CMA scholarship enables students to complete their CMA course with no cost and offers financial support to bear the course expenses. More than 20,000 students globally have received the CMA Scholarship to date. To apply for CMA scholarships, you must visit the official IMA website and check for the ones that you may opt for. Do also check the deadlines and eligibility criteria for the same. We have discussed some of the CMA scholarships below:

Suggested: Indian Students Scholarships in USA

The USA CMA certification is like the most precious feather you can add to your cap. It will make your resume stand out and boost your chances of entering consulting services, financial services, accounting, financial planning, taxation, and other related fields.

According to the IMA 2021 Salary Survey, CMA professionals earn 58% more than non-CMA professionals. The table given below has been sourced from the IMA 2021 Global Salary Survey and provides a comparison of the salary details of CMA professionals across different countries:

The scope of pursuing the Certified Management Accountant course in the USA is far and wide. CMA certification from USA open up new opportunities in a variety of industries, including banking and financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and so on.

Some of the popular and highly paid US CMA jobs are mentioned below:

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A CMA (Certified Management Accountant) is a very important factor in helping you gain a competitive and high paying job. It also opens up many international opportunities. Hence, it is imperative that you take your time to prepare for it.

Use standardised test materials and books like Wiley CMAexcel Learning System Exam Review 2021, Study Programmes offered by Becker, CMA Exam Academy, GLEIM CMA Review, Hock International, PRC, SURGENT Accounting & Financial Education, to kickstart your preparation.

Additionally, these are a few Approved Course Providers for CMA Exam Prep in India:

1. ISDC- International Skill Development Corporation
2. Logic School of Management
3. Chanakya Business School
4. EduPristine
5. NorthStar Academy
6. Academy for Professional Studies and Charitable Trust
7. Ample Training Institute Private Limited
8. Elance Learning
9. Financial Planning Academy
10. FM Academy
11. Hi-Educare Academics Private Limited
12. Horizon Global Education
13. INPROX Campus for Professional Studies
14. IPFC Academy
15. LedgerGate CMA Academy
16. Orbit Institutes Private Limited
17. Simandhar Education
18. Uplift Professionals Private Limited
19. VG Learning Destination India Private Limited
20. Vidyarupa School of Management Studies

The CMA credential is also available in India through the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, yet this is merely one distinction separating CMA USA and CMA India. They feature distinct exam formats, prerequisites, and are administered by separate organizations.

Let us examine the Certified Management Accountant in the USA versus India: