CIMA exam fees 2024: a comprehensive guide

This article has details on CIMA exam fees for current or future professionals who want to study CIMA. This includes costs around CIMA membership and subscription fees that are required as part of your studies.

The CIMA exam fees guide is updated regularly.

CIMA Registration fee

To get started with the CIMA qualification, you’ll need to pay the registration fee of £95.

If at any point you need to re-register, for instance if you take an extended break from your studies, the fee is also £95.

The registration fee includes your first year’s CIMA subscription. This is required by all students and qualified CIMA professionals to maintain their CIMA membership status. The subscription runs for a single calendar year – 1st January to 31st December.

Alternatively, if you qualify for the accelerated CIMA route via the professional or master’s gateway, the registration fee for both of these options is £425.

What is the CIMA subscription fee?

The annual CIMA subscription fee guarantees your status as a CIMA member.

Fees for the CIMA subscription vary based on your circumstances:

• £130 for those currently studying CIMA

• £300 for those who passed the Strategic Case Study exam (the final exam)

• FREE for new students (first year’s subscription)

CIMA subscription fees are due by 31 March each year to avoid lapsed membership.

What do the CIMA exams cost?

The standard CIMA route to qualification costs £2,293 to sit all the exams. 

This does not include the cost of any resits, which will be the full amount for each exam you need to take again.

Adding the cost of the registration fee and annual subscription over four years, the total cost of the Professional Qualification comes to £2,827.

The fees are broken down as follows:

• You are in a Tier 1 country (Western Europe, Australia, Singapore, USA and Canada)

• £95 for a CIMA student registration

• £390 for annual CIMA student fees over three years

• £2,437 for nine Objective Test and three Case Study exams

If you need to complete the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting before starting the Professional Qualification, you will pay £468 for four Objective Test exams.

Additional costs

There are additional costs that you will need to bear in mind when completing the CIMA qualification.

In order to put yourself in the best position to succeed in the exams, you will need to factor in training costs and extra purchases such as study texts.

Your overall fees will change depending on whether:

• You qualify for an exemption

• You need to resit

• You are in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 market

What are the CIMA study programme costs?

Many people studying the CIMA qualification will have their training paid for by their employer. If you are self-funding CIMA, you have various training options that will affect your study costs.

For example, you could choose to study using all pre-recorded learning materials or through online live evening classes. You may also choose to purchase additional resources such as a mock exam.

There are currently three models for CIMA training:

• Buy paper: Buy your CIMA paper individually and choose from different study modes

• Subscription: Our monthly subscription is a cost-effective way to study for a CIMA qualification

• Apprenticeship: Complete CIMA via an employer-funded apprenticeship route

View study costs by CIMA level and paper.

CIMA exam fees breakdown

View CIMA exam fees by level:

Each level contains multiple Objective Tests.

Read the guide to the CIMA exams.

CIMA exemptions

Exemptions to CIMA papers may be available if you have qualifications or experience relevant to accounting, finance, and business.

If you have a degree related to these subjects, it is likely you will be able to bypass the first level of the CIMA qualification, the Certificate in Business Accounting.

Unlike other accountancy bodies, CIMA does not charge a fee for exemptions.

If you think you may be eligible to an exemption, see CIMA’s exemption policy.

Read the essential guide to CIMA exemptions.

Need help getting started with CIMA? Get in touch with BPP.

BPP is a holder of the CIMA Excellence Award, awarded to select providers with exceptional pass rates. Training with a high-quality institution will help you avoid having to pay costly resits, while feeling confident about becoming a CIMA-qualified accountant at your own pace.

Discover the CIMA levels

Introductory
Certificate

First full part of qualification
Operational

Build on existing knowledge
Management

Become Chartered
Strategic