The CMA entrance fee is a one-time fee you pay when you formally enroll in the CMA certification program. It’s paid once and starts your three-year window to complete both exam parts. The exam fee is paid separately for each part of the exam — so you’ll pay it twice (Part 1 and Part 2) at minimum, and again if you retake a failed part. Think of the entrance fee as your “enrollment” cost and the exam fees as your “per-attempt” cost. Both are paid to the IMA, both are non-refundable in most cases, and current pricing is on the IMA website. Don’t pay the entrance fee until you’re ready to actually start studying — the clock starts as soon as you do.
