CMA Exam - Second Attempt Materials

The CMA Exam results came out last week and while there were many candidates who were successful, there were also some candidates who did not pass their exams. If you are one of these candidates, I encourage you to continue your studies and to take a realistic look at how much you think you need to study to pass the next time you take the exam. Based on this assessment, you can determine when you should plan on taking the Exam. As a general guideline, if you scored 320 or above, you are close to being ready to pass, and should probably plan to take the exam as soon as you are able to. If you scored less than 320, then you may want to plan a few more months of studying before you take the Exam again.

Do you need a second Test Bank?

After results come out, we get a number of requests from candidates who are looking to purchase a second Test Bank to study from. It is my experience that a second Test Bank does not add a lot of value to your preparations. All of the main providers use past released CMA Exam questions as the foundation of our Test Banks. We all add some of our own questions to the Test Bank as well, but the majority of questions between providers will be the same. Therefore, even though you are purchasing a second Test Bank, you will not be getting a second set of questions to prepare with. 

What additional materials should you consider?

If you are looking for additional study materials, I often recommend that you purchase Videos, especially if you do not have Videos already. While there are differences between the Textbooks of the main providers, a second Textbook is still a book that is read. Some candidates learn more effectively by listening or watching, so if you purchase Videos, you are getting a new way of learning the material, and a new perspective on that material.

Do you already have all of the materials from a provider?

If you already have a Textbook, Videos and a Test Bank and are still looking for additional materials, you should look to purchase the study tool that you think will be most beneficial to you. If you did not always understand the Textbook that you have read, another Textbook will bring value to you. If you did not like the Videos that you have, someone else’s Videos will provide great value to you. If you have a Test Bank that does not have answer explanations to the incorrect answers, another Textbook with incorrect answer explanations will be very helpful to you. 

Use free samples before purchasing 

But, before you purchase a second of any of these study tools, make certain to use the free samples that all of the main providers offer so that you can see the Textbook, Videos or Test Bank you are looking to add.

Don’t give up!

While we would always prefer to pass on our first attempt, the pass rate for the CMA Exams is only about 50%. If you are in the position of having to take the Exam again, I encourage you to do that. And while additional study tools may be helpful, make certain that you think carefully about what you already have and what would be helpful to you. This will help you make good decisions about what further investments you may need to make to pass the next time you take the exam.