CMA USA Course: Fees, Duration, Eligibility, Syllabus & Salaries

CMA USA is a global benchmark for management accountants and financial professionals. The IMA today offers the CMA course in around 100+ countries, wherein they equip the students with all the required knowledge and skills to excel in this domain. 

But why CMA in the USA? Let us find out:

• CMA from USA is recognized by developing countries like China, India, UK, Canada, and the Middle East countries. Apart from learning various skills, you also gain worldwide exposure and business ethics at an international level.
• The CMA USA duration is another reason to opt for this course. It is a short-duration course of 6-9 months, unlike MBA and MS, which on average take 1.5 to 2 years to complete.
• You may also avail yourself of different scholarships for US CMA. Over $35 million worth of scholarships have been provided by IMA to help students pursue the CMA certification at no cost.
• According to IMA’s Global Salary Survey, a certified management accountant earns an average base salary of $110,000 per year. It is much higher than a regular MBA or MS graduate’s base salary.

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A class 12th certificate and an undergraduate degree are the two most important eligibility criteria for Indian students. The IMA has made the provision for undergraduates to have another seven years to produce the documents upon successful acquisition of the CMA US certificate.

The CMA USA eligibility for Indians can be summarized as below:

• IMA Membership
• Class 12th/ Higher Secondary Certificate or Associate Degree in USA is mandatory to become a certified management accountant in USA.
• An undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Minimum 2 years of professional experience in the field of Finance, Accounting or Management.

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The US CMA course fees are set up to support candidates at different stages. Students and academic members get a lower fee, which makes it easier for them to start the course early. Professionals pay a higher fee, showing that the course adds strong value to those already working in the field.

Let's look at the CMA course fees in the USA.

Note: Along with the CMA entrance fee, an additional IMA membership fee is also required

You will be given 4 hours to complete 100 MCQ questions and 30 minutes for two essays. Further, the CMA USA syllabus is structured on 12 different topics pertaining to both parts of the course.

The US CMA course is divided into two parts:

• Part 1: Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics 
• Part 2: Strategic Financial Management

You may appear for the two parts of the CMA courses in the USA in any order, but you will only be qualified for the next one if you clear the first examination.

Part 1, i.e, the Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics part spans across 5 hours. Out of these 5 hours, you need to attempt 100 multiple-choice questions, and write two 30-minute essay-based questions within 1 hour. 

Similarly, Part 2 is the Strategic Financial Management section, and is also of a duration of 5 hours, with a similar pattern. 100 multiple-choice questions to be attempted in 4 hours, and two 30-minute essay-based questions to be written in 1 hour.

A few more important pointers to note about the CMA USA exam pattern are:

• You may appear for the two parts of the CMA courses in the USA in any order, but you will only be qualified for the next one if you clear the first examination. You may also take both parts on the same day
• The test range is 0-500, and you must score a minimum of 360 in both parts to pass the exam. 
• You must get at least 50% of the MCQs right to be eligible for the essay section
• You will receive an email containing your test results 6 months after taking the test.

Let's understand the Certified Management Accountant course syllabus now

The Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Examination is divided into two parts, each designed to test different skills required to succeed in accounting and financial domains. While Part 1 revolves around financial planning and performance, Part 2 focuses on strategic financial management. Both parts carry varying weightages for subtopics, making it crucial to understand where to focus.

CMA USA Syllabus: Part 1

The CMA exam topics and their weightages for Financial Planning, Performance, and Analytics (Part 1) are as follows:

• Technology and Analysis (15% Weightage) - Information systems; Data governance; Technology-enabled finance transformation; Data Analytics
• Internal Controls (15% Weightage) - Governance, risk, and compliance; System controls and security measures
• Cost Management (15% Weightage) - Measurement concepts; Costing systems; Overhead costs; Supply chain management; Business process improvement
• Performance Management (20% Weightage) - Cost and variance measures; Responsibility centres and reporting segments; Performance measures
• Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting (20% Weightage) - Strategic planning; Budgeting concepts; Forecasting techniques; Budgeting methodologies; Annual profit plan and supporting schedules; Top-level planning and analysis
• External Financial Reporting Decisions (15% Weightage) - Financial statement; Recognition, measurement, valuation, and disclosure

CMA USA Syllabus: Part 2

Similarly, the exam topics and their weightages for Strategic Financial Management (Part 2) are:

• Financial Statement Analysis (20% Weightage) - Basic financial statement analysis, Financial ratios, Profitability analysis, Special issues
• Corporate Finance (20% Weightage) - Risk and return; Long-term financial management; Raising capital; Working capital management; Corporate restructuring; International Finance
• Decision Analysis (25% Weightage) - Cost/volume/profit analysis; Marginal analysis; Pricing
• Risk Management (10% Weightage) - Enterprise risk
• Investment Decisions (10% Weightage) - Capital budgeting process; Capital investment analysis methods
• Professional Ethics (15% Weightage) - Business ethics; Ethical considerations for management accounting and financial management professionals; Ethical considerations for the organization

You can attempt the CMA USA across 3 testing windows throughout the year, which include January - February, May - June, and September - October. You can choose an application period that is best suited to your needs and schedule your preparation. 

Here are the US CMA Exam Dates 2025, along with their last date for registration:

You may apply for the Certified Management Accountant in the USA course in an online mode. Here are the steps involved in its registration process:

• Step 1: The first step is to become a member of the IMA. To become a member of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), one has to fill in the registration form depending on the career status: a professional membership, an academic membership, or a student membership.
• Step 2: Pay the required registration fees. After you are an IMA member, you have to pay a one-time entrance fee to be able to sit for the exam. Since there are two parts to the exam, you will have to pay the US CMA course fees at least twice. If in case you fail a part of the exam, you’ll have to pay the fee an additional time to retake it.
• Step 3: Once you complete the registration process and pay the US CMA course fees, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your authorization number and further instructions to select your Prometric test centre for the CMA USA exam.

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A CMA scholarship enables students to complete their CMA course with no cost and offers financial support to bear the course expenses. More than 20,000 students globally have received the CMA Scholarship to date. To apply for CMA scholarships, you must visit the official IMA website and check for the ones that you may opt for. Do also check the deadlines and eligibility criteria for the same. We have discussed some of the CMA scholarships below:

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The USA CMA certification is like the most precious feather you can add to your cap. It will make your resume stand out and boost your chances of entering consulting services, financial services, accounting, financial planning, taxation, and other related fields. 

According to the IMA 2021 Salary Survey, CMA professionals earn 58% more than non-CMA professionals. The table given below has been sourced from the IMA 2021 Global Salary Survey and provides a comparison of the salary details of CMA professionals across different countries: 

The scope of pursuing the Certified Management Accountant course in the USA is far and wide. CMA certification from USA open up new opportunities in a variety of industries, including banking and financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and so on. 

Some of the popular and highly paid US CMA jobs are mentioned below:

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A CMA or Certified Accountant Management is a very important factor in helping you gain a competitive and high paying job. It also opens up many international opportunities. Hence, it is imperative that you take your time to prepare for it. 

Use standardised test materials and books like Wiley CMAexcel Learning System Exam Review 2021, Study Programmes offered by Becker, CMA Exam Academy, GLEIM CMA Review, Hock International, PRC, SURGENT Accounting & Financial Education, to kickstart your preparation. 

Additionally, these are a few Approved Course Providers for CMA Exam Prep in India:

1. ISDC- International Skill Development Corporation
2. Logic School of Management
3. Chanakya Business School
4. EduPristine
5. NorthStar Academy
6. Academy for Professional Studies and Charitable Trust
7. Ample Training Institute Private Limited
8. Elance Learning
9. Financial Planning Academy
10. FM Academy
11. Hi-Educare Academics Private Limited
12. Horizon Global Education
13. INPROX Campus for Professional Studies
14. IPFC Academy
15. LedgerGate CMA Academy
16. Orbit Institutes Private Limited
17. Simandhar Education
18. Uplift Professionals Private Limited
19. VG Learning Destination India Private Limited
20. Vidyarupa School of Management Studies

CMA certification is also offered in India, and is issued by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, but that is not the only difference between CMA USA and CMA India. They have different exam structures, eligibility criteria, and are offered by different exam bodies.

Let us understand Certified Management Accountant in the USA vs India:

This was all you had to know about the details of the CMA USA course. If you are interested in upskilling yourself and climbing the ladder in management and financial related fields, A CMA in the USA will give you that much-needed boost.

But navigating through this journey alone is not easy for anyone. For any further advice or assistance, feel free to get in touch with our Yocket Professionals, to get your very own personalised piece of advice that will make this journey a tiny bit easier.