If you’re a professional in managerial accounting, or you’re wondering how to get your foot in the door, becoming a Certified Management Accountant is the best step toward career advancement. But it’s important to be aware of the process and how much time you can expect to invest into earning your credential.
So how long does it take to become a CMA? The answer varies based on your experience, education, and preparation for the CMA Exam.
How long does it take to become a CMA? | |
| Process | Approximate time |
| #1: Enroll in the CMA program | Immediate |
| #2: Complete education requirements | 0 - 4 years |
| #3: Pass the CMA Exam | 2 months - 3 years |
| #4: Complete experience requirements | 0 - 4 years |
| TOTAL: 2 months – 7 years | |
How to become a CMA
To earn your CMA certification, you must meet specific requirements, including eligibility, enrollment, and passing the CMA Exam.
CMA eligibility requirements
Before you’re officially certified as a CMA, you’ll need to:
- Be an active member of the IMA
- Pay the CMA program entrance fee
- Complete education qualification
- Complete experience qualification
- Pass both parts of the CMA Exam
- Comply with the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice1
Steps to become a CMA
Completing these eligibly requirements and earning your CMA certification looks like:
#1: Enroll in the CMA program
Become a member of the IMA by creating an account and paying the IMA membership fee ($295 for professionals, $49 for students, $160 for academics). Then, you can immediately enroll in the CMA program as a CMA candidate by paying the entrance fee ($300 for professionals, $225 for students/academics).
# 2: Complete education requirements
To become a CMA, your must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university OR hold an approved professional certification
In the United States, the IMA’s approved certifications in lieu of a degree are:
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CFA Institute
- Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Institute of Internal Auditors
- Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
- Certified Treasury Professional (CTP), Association of Financial Professionals
You must fulfill the education requirement and submit verification within seven years of passing the CMA Exam.1
# 3: Pass the CMA Exam
The CMA Exam consists of wo separately taken exam parts covering CMA essential knowledge areas.
- Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics
- Part 2: Strategic Financial Management
It doesn’t matter which exam part you take first, but you must pass both Part 1 and Part 2 to complete the CMA Exam requirement. You should prepare to pass the CMA Exam on your first try with a trusted CMA Exam Review. Becker’s course provides updated content, engaging instruction, and a personalized study experience to guide you to exam-day success.
#4: Complete experience requirements
The CMA certification experience requirement is two continuous years of full-time, professional experience in management accounting and/or financial management. You may alternatively complete this work part-time over four years. You can complete experience prior to or within seven years of passing the CMA Exam.
How long does it take to pass the CMA Exam?
Your timeline to passing both parts of the CMA Exam depends highly on your previous knowledge and experience in management accounting.
If you’re a seasoned management accountant, you’ll likely move through exam review quickly and be ready to sit for the exam in as little as 1-2 months. But if you’re an entry-level professional who hasn’t gained much experience in financial management, you’ll encounter more concepts during exam review that are new to you and therefore need more time to prepare for the exam.
Likewise, how much time you invest each week studying will determine how quickly you’re ready to sit for the exam. On average, the IMA recommends a total 170 study hours for Part 1 and 130 hours for Part 2.2 You can therefore use this estimate to create a timeline and study plan by defining:
- How many hours you can study per day and per week
- When you want to take the exam
- Be sure to plan for a time within the IMA’s current CMA Exam testing windows. You won’t be able to schedule your exam outside these dates.
- Testing windows are offered each year in January/February, May/June, and September/October.4
- How much you already know about the exam part’s content areas
- You’ll get a more accurate understanding of your current knowledge as you work through CMA Exam Review, where you’ll find yourself spending more time on certain concept areas and less time on others.
The IMA provides these guidelines, understanding that this is an estimate and each person’s case will differ according to their specific needs:2
# study hours per week | Time to prepare for Part 1 | Time to prepare for Part 2 | Time to pass the CMA Exam |
| 12 hours per week | 14 weeks | 11 weeks | 25 weeks |
| 15 hours per week | 12 weeks | 9 weeks | 21 weeks |
| 20 hours per week | 9 weeks | 7 weeks | 16 weeks |
How long does it take to complete CMA education and experience requirements?
If you’ve already completed a bachelor’s degree and two years of professional experience in management accounting or financial management, you don’t have to invest any more time into CMA education and experience!
However, if you’re a recent grad without experience under your belt, you must work in the profession full-time for two years, or part-time for four years. The good news is that you can complete this experience before or after passing the CMA Exam.1
In this light, completing education and experience requirements to become a CMA could take you anywhere from 0 to 4 years, depending on your current situation.
Maximum time to complete the CMA program
The IMA allots a maximum three years from the time you pay the CMA program entrance fee until completing the program by passing both parts of the CMA Exam. If you do not pass both CMA Exam parts in three years, you must forfeit the credit of any single part that you passed and pay the CMA program fee again to renew your candidacy.1 Note that this maximum time limit does not extend to education and experience requirements, which allow up to seven years after you pass the CMA Exam.
For example, you could take 2.5 years to pass both parts of the CMA Exam and then an additional 2 years to complete your experience requirement—totaling 5.5 years before earning your CMA certification. However, if you dedicate consistent time each week to study and rely on a CMA Exam Review that makes the most of these hours invested, you will likely pass the CMA Exam and be on your way to certification exceptionally faster than this example.
Get there faster with Becker
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Learn more about how to become a CMA and life after certification in our free CMA Exam Guide eBook!
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About the author
- https://www.imanet.org/en/IMA-Certifications/CMA-Certification/CMA-Handbook
- https://www.imanet.org/newsletters/cma-connection/2022/august/how-long-does-it-take-to-pass-the-cma-exam#:~:text=Average%20CMA%20study%20time%20for,of%2012%20hours%20each%20week.
- https://www.imanet.org/en/IMA-Certifications/CMA-Certification/Enroll-in-the-CMA?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22400376474&gbraid=0AAAAApXJVgOc3mXlX0rtW3jv7fI967E95&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0qTCBhCmARIsAAj8C4Y4g30sbSBETlm6nfx4tZXeHVQpokqKDy-p_0UUmEQwonP4Hsy39KUaAjFKEALw_wcB
- https://www.imanet.org/en/IMA-Certifications/CMA-Certification/FAQ