The CMA — Certified Management Accountant — is granted by the IMA, headquartered in the U.S., and requires passing a two-part exam, a bachelor’s degree, and two years of qualifying work experience. The CGMA — Chartered Global Management Accountant — is granted jointly by the AICPA and CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and is awarded to existing CPAs and CIMA members, typically without a separate dedicated exam (though CPAs complete an assessment). Both credentials signal management accounting expertise, but they’re issued by different bodies and earned through different paths. The CMA is generally more widely recognized internationally, especially in the Middle East and Asia; the CGMA is more common among U.S. CPAs and CIMA members in the UK and Commonwealth countries.
