Studying for the CMA takes guts, grit, and some serious hard work. Even though I’m a highly ambitious person, I didn’t study or attempt the exam perfectly the first time. I want to be sure that none of you make the same mistakes I did.
Here are 12 CMA exam mistakes I learned about the hard way. Some were made while I was preparing for the exam, and others were made during the exam itself. I’ll also discuss what I would do differently if I could do it over again. The good news is that if you are studying for or retaking the CMA exam, you can learn from my mistakes.
Originally published on September 3rd, 2021, this article was updated and republished on September 12th, 2024.
CMA Studying Mistakes
Getting ready for your CMA exam isn’t just about studying hard; you also need to study smart. Here are some common CMA study mistakes that I’ve noticed many CMA candidates make, including myself.
Not Having a Study Plan for the Whole Syllabus
The first mistake I made, and one that I’ve seen a lot of other people make, is not having a plan to study, both for parts one and two of the CMA exam.
You should know that this test is a doozy, and you have a significant quantity of conceptual ground to cover. Whatever CMA study guide you follow, make sure it’s comprehensive.
I made my own through trial and error, and then had to revise and refine it. It would have been an immense benefit for me to have that roadmap from day one, then follow it.
Live Classes That Last Less Than 10 Weeks
Mistake number two for me was underestimating how long it takes to study for the CMA exam.
Remember, you’re not just covering topics at a high level. You have to dive deep, engage with the material, memorize a lot of information, and aim for maximum retention if you hope to pass.
My CMA prep course is accelerated and still lasts 16 weeks for each exam part. Any less than that, and you’re probably wasting time and money.
Not Getting CMA Coaching Support
Enlisting the help of a CMA coach is an invaluable investment, and one I sincerely wish I had made.
Honestly, I’m not sure that CMA coaches were really available to me when I was studying for the CMA. But they are now. If you’re studying for the CMA exam now, take advantage of this resource and join a community or even hire a tutor.
I spun my wheels trying to find my mistakes, self-identify gaps in my knowledge, and access better answer explanations. This frustration is, in part, why I launched my own program.
Any way you slice it, you’ll do better with a little help from a friend (or, more accurately, an expert).
No Set Study Schedule
This perhaps should go without saying, but I wish someone had said it to me: you can’t wing it and pass the CMA exam. This isn’t a shallow test.
I pretty quickly realized that not having a study schedule for the CMA exam wouldn’t work. Once I course-corrected, I started going to the same coffee shop every day after work.
Getting consistent made my life a lot easier, but I wish I had started out that way.
Exam Secrets Cheat Sheet
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Not Sharing Your Goal to Become a CMA
This may sound a little trite, but there is a lot of validity to this and psychological evidence that social skills help us achieve goals. You’ll get where you want to go faster and more easily with social support.
I think I may have been a little worried that I would fail the CMA exam. Whatever my reasons, I wasn’t vocal about my goals, and missed out on having a support system through my journey.
Eventually, I figured out how to become a CMA, passed the exam, and achieved my goal.
But life is easier when you share the load, and the people in your life want to support you.
No Rest From Study
A second issue with my lack of soft skills impacted me internally: I didn’t take breaks or rest nearly enough while I studied.
I worked seven days a week and got burned out and stressed out.
This is definitely not a great headspace to be in as you prepare for the CMA exam, or really any major challenge. Productive study breaks are an important way to prepare for exams, including the CMA.
Not Managing Health
Just as mental breaks are important to your success, so are physical breaks. For me, I stopped working out and I didn’t eat right during my exam prep.
This lack of healthy habits did major damage early on, impacting my ability to focus and maintain the energy I needed to both work and study.
Once I put a little focus on myself, and took time to manage my own health well, I saw immediate improvements in the quality of my study time.
Not Knowing When to Use a Test Bank
Not knowing how and when to use various types of CMA study materials is a big issue.
The resources available to prepare for the CMA exam have improved a lot, but even when I was studying, I didn’t use them all as best I could.
A CMA test bank is an essential resource that will help you get familiar with the test structure, and ensure you are covering every topic you need to. Using timed CMA practice tests, you can work on speed and accuracy, and discover how ready you are to take the real exam.
Do not ignore all of the many sources of information and guidance out there that can help you prepare for this test.
CMA Exam Mistakes
All the blood, sweat, and tears poured into preparing for the exam lead up to the moment you step into the exam hall, so it’s understandable to feel nervous. I was there, too! While you might feel jittery during the exam, avoiding mistakes that could impact your final score is crucial.
To help you avoid such pitfalls, I’ll share some exam mistakes I made and strategies to prevent them. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be in the best position to ace your exam. You don’t have to learn the hard way!
Getting Stuck on Difficult Questions
It’s easy to get caught up with difficult questions, spend 10 minutes on each, then rush through everything else when you realize you’re running out of time.
Time management is your best friend during the CMA exam. That’s because each CMA exam part has 100 MCQ questions, with only 3 hours to complete this section, and this gives you just 1.5 minutes per question.
One effective strategy to finish your CMA exam on time is to skip long, difficult questions, or those you aren’t confident with, and go for the easier ones first. When you encounter a challenging question, mark it, and return to review it only when you’ve finished everything else. Remember, whether you spend 1 minute or 10 minutes on a single MCQ, you’d score the same one point.
Overthinking Simple Questions
Overthinking questions is another common pitfall. A question may seem easy at first glance, but the deeper you look, the more confusing it becomes. When this happens, you may waste time on questions that weren’t tricky in the first place.
Here’s what you can do to stop overthinking during your CMA exam. Read the question carefully. Take a second to think about the likely answer before you review the MCQ options. Then, take a look at the possible answers. If you have a match, select it, then move on. If not, pick the most likely answer, mark the question, and get going. If you have time, you can return to review it later.
Skipping the Review of Instructions
Before the 4-hour timer starts ticking, Prometric offers 15 minutes for candidates to go through a tutorial. The tutorial is simple, but don’t overlook this 15-minute time slot. Use this valuable time to do a ‘brain dump,’ where you’ll jot down the following on the sheets provided:
- Intricate formulas
- Key concepts
- Mnemonic devices
By doing this, you won’t have to mentally draw up every concept or formula each time you need it. You have everything right at your fingertips! This neat CMA exam hack can save precious time and prevent you from blanking out under stress.
Neglecting to Review Answers
If you have some extra time, don’t just call it a day. Use every second the best you can! Go back and check through your answers, especially the tricky or difficult ones you’ve marked previously.
When reviewing your answers, make it a point to also look through the wording of the questions. You might have missed certain terms, like “except,” “not,” or “most,” that can completely change the answer.
Learn From My CMA Mistakes
Love to learn from other people’s mistakes? Smart. I like that.
If you’re looking for more tips and strategies to excel in the CMA exam, I’ve got you covered. Through my experience giving advice to over 80,000 accounting and finance professionals, I’ve gained insight into the most common mistakes candidates make. In the CMA Exam 16-Week Accelerator course, you’ll get proven study tips and exam strategies to help you avoid these pitfalls and conquer your exam confidently!
If you have any questions about what you’re doing right (or wrong) as you prepare for the CMA exam, drop them below, and this community will help you out!
Hi, I’m Nathan Liao (aka the CMA Coach)! For the last 10 years, over 82,000 accounting and finance pros came knocking at my door seeking guidance and help. If you’re also aiming to conquer the CMA exam on your very first try—without wasting away time or money—you’ve found your ultimate guide. Dive in deeper to discover more about me and the dedicated team that powers CMA Exam Academy. Click here and let’s embark on this journey together!
