Professional Accounting Qualifications with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) November 2014
Contents Why Choose ATC International Page 3 CIMA Contact Details Page 4 About The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Page 5 The Certificate in Business Accounting Page 6 The 2010 Professional Qualification Page 8 The Diploma in Performance Management in Russian Page 12 Face to face Training Courses with ATC International Page 14 Contact Us Moscow Tel: +7 495 660 51 95 Fax: +7 495 660 51 96 Email: Moscow@atc-global.com Maria.kuznetsova@atc-global.com Address: ATC International Ltd. 50, Gilyarovskogo Street 129110 Moscow Russian Federation Ukraine Tel: + 38 044 585 5363 Fax: + 38 044 585 5364 Email: kiev@atc-global.com Address: ATC Ukraine, 7th Floor, 48 Bogdana Khmelnytskogo str. 1030 Kiev Ukraine St Petersburg Tel: +7 911 792 57 32 Fax:+7 495 660 51 96 Email: Nikolai.Pavlov@atcglobal.com 2 P a g e
ATC International is now part of Becker Professional Education In May, 2011 Becker Professional Education, a global leader in professional education, acquired ATC International. Nearly half a million professionals have advanced their careers through Becker Professional Education s courses. Throughout its more than 50 year history, Becker has earned a strong track record of student success through world-class teaching, curriculum and learning tools. Becker Professional Education and ATC International are together advancing careers worldwide by enabling accounting and finance professionals to develop the knowledge and global skills necessary to stay ahead in an ever-changing business world. Why choose ATC International? Choosing a quality professional finance consultancy partner is critical to achieving success in CIMA s examinations. At ATC International we aim to provide you with the highest quality of client service, consultants, seminar programmes and materials. We have been operating in Europe, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Central Asia since 1993. We have helped thousands of people achieve their professional and career goals across the region, with thousands more studying using our seminars to qualify. We are very proud of our pass rates and our support provided to all of our candidates at all stages in their training. ATC International works in partnership with both clients and individuals ensuring that whatever your needs are, ATC International has a solution to suit you. No other provider has this kind of experience and at ATC International we are committed to doing everything we can to help finance professionals to succeed in CIMA s examinations. We offer: Specialist Consultants We recruit highly experienced subject specialists to be our specialist consultants. They work extensively in the region, teaching students for whom English is a second language. Our tutor, Moscow-based Mike Ashworth, was named International Tutor of the Year 2010 by industry leading magazine, PQ Magazine. In 2011, Darek Bargiel, who is also well known to Moscow students, made the shortlist for this award and 3 P a g e
in January 2012 it was announced that Moscow based Valery Shumakov has been shortlisted for this prestigious award for this year. Study Material You will be given Kaplan study material approved by CIMA (Study text, Exam kit and Pocket notes). The study material sets out the curriculum for each subject in a clear and logical way and contains many examples and practice questions, vital to successful examination preparation. On-going Support and Help Our consultants and client teams are on hand to help you with any problem technical or practical during your exam preparation. CIMA Registration and Liaison Service We offer a full CIMA registration and liaison information, including an effective working relationship with CIMA s Customer Services Department in the U.K. just ask our staff for details and they will be delighted to help. Our Clients Our extensive client list ranges from large national and multi-national organisations to forward-thinking local firms throughout the region. We are recognised as being able to focus clients particular needs and to provide the best consultancy to meet them. Whatever your professional finance consulting needs, ATC International has the experience, the skill, the resources and the determination to provide a truly effective solution. For more information on ATC International please go to www.atc-global.com. CIMA Contact Details Telephone: +44 (0)20 8849 2251 E-Mail: cima.contact@cimaglobal.com Web: www.cimaglobal.com Postal address: 26 Chapter Street, London, SW1P 4NP, United Kingdom 4 P a g e
About The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is a leading membership body that offers a globally recognised professional management accounting qualification. With an emphasis on accounting for business, CIMA's reputation is continually growing. Founded in 1919, CIMA currently has more than 195,000 members and students worldwide and is the fastest growing accountancy body. Chartered Management Accountants are financially qualified business leaders who operate in all areas of an organisation. They create value by applying leading edge techniques with a commercial and forward looking focus, adapting to the changing needs of the business. CIMA Qualifications CIMA offers four accountancy qualifications: The CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting This is the entry level accounting qualification for students with little or no accounting background. The Certificate in Business Accounting is a recognised qualification in its own right which is valued by employers around the globe. The Certificate papers are examined all year round by Computer Based Assessment. The Certificate papers are also an entry requirement if the student wishes to go further and sit the CIMA Professional Qualification. The CIMA 2010 Professional Management Accounting Qualification With an emphasis on strategic management and business relevance, the CIMA 2010 Professional Management Accounting qualification comprises of ten papers across 4 levels. Go to our syllabus page for further information on the structure of the qualification. This qualification is highly regarded by employers around the world. The Certificate in Islamic Finance This is a certificate for finance professionals seeking accreditation in the fast growing world of Islamic finance. ATC International does not offer courses for this qualification - please visit the CIMA website for further information. The Diploma in Performance Management in Russian This is the first qualification offered by a global professional body with a focus on management accounting in the Russian language. Success in this standalone qualification also entitles you to the exemption from the equivalent papers of the CIMA Professional Qualification should you then decide to continue your studies in English to become a full CIMA member. There are two compulsory modules taken from the CIMA 2010 professional qualification syllabus: P1 - performance operations and P2 - performance management. 5 P a g e
The Certificate in Business Accounting The CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting is CIMA's own entry route to the CIMA professional qualification and is a standalone and well recognised qualification in its own right. This qualification covers the concept of management accounting and the fundamentals of business accounting and is ideal if you are new to the world of business qualifications. Subjects The certificate subjects are: Fundamentals of management accounting Fundamentals of financial accounting Fundamentals of business mathematics Fundamentals of business economics Fundamentals of ethics, corporate governance and business law Exemptions do apply for some or all of the certificate papers if you have completed a relevant qualification such as an accounting / business degree or another introductory accountancy qualification. Exemptions are granted by CIMA and you can check to see if you are eligible for any exemptions on CIMA s website: www.cimaglobal.com/exemptions You can sit the five certificate subjects in any order and in any combination to suit your requirements. CIMA have published a suggested study route and paper combination: http://www.cimaglobal.com/documents/importeddocuments/certificate2006_stud y_routes.pdf Registration Visit CIMA's website for further information: www.cimaglobal.com/register. Students must register with CIMA in order to be able to sit the Certificate Papers. Enrolling on an ATC International course does not register you as a student with CIMA. Assessment The Certificate Papers are examined by computer-based assessment (CBA). Although the exams are taken on computer, linked to CIMA's own testing system and question bank, they are undertaken in strict exam conditions and are administered by ATC International qualified staff. The most important advantage of CIMA's computer-based assessments is that they can be taken at any time throughout the year and so allow students to complete the certificate qualification at a time that may be more convenient than CIMA's major exam sessions in May and November each year. Candidates may also resit each paper as many times as they like. 6 P a g e
Candidates must score 50% in each CBA to pass. A further advantage is that candidates get their results immediately after the exam. All CIMA CBA info as well as a demonstration of the exam system can be found on CIMA s website at: http://www.cimaglobal.com/en-gb/students/entry-level-certificate-in-businessaccounting/exams/ ATC International s seminar programme ATC International offer Super Revision courses for the CIMA Certificate Papers these courses last between 3 and 6 days depending on the complexity and depth of the syllabus. ATC International s Super Revision courses ensure that the syllabus for each paper is covered through a combination of intensive tuition and question practice. Courses include a Monitoring Test to help students practice what they have learned and to confirm their level of knowledge and understanding. Students are provided with the relevant course materials in advance of the start date and pre-course self-study work is set. Course dates and fees can be found in our separate timetables. ATC International s CBA Programme ATC International is approved as a Assessment Centre by CIMA to run and administer the Computer Based Assessments for the Certificate. This facility is offered to corporate clients and individual students both those who attend our seminar programmes and those who have studied independently. CBAs can be sat in Moscow and in St.Petersburg in Russia and in Kiev in Ukraine. Fees can be found in our separate timetables Steps to register to sit a CBA at an ATC International centre 1) Choose the date and time from the schedule (available in our timetable) 2) Complete the send the CBA registration form to ATC International (details on page 2) 3) Make sure your registration form is successfully received. Please note: all CBA related administrative procedures (registration, cancellation, payment) must be completed not later than 7 working days before your chosen examination date. 7 P a g e
The Professional Qualification The CIMA Professional Qualification is comprised of four levels: Operational Management Strategic Test of professional competence in management accounting (T4). Exemptions are available from one or more of the CIMA Professional Qualification papers see www.cimaglobal.com/exemptions to check your particular qualification and whether you are eligible for any exemptions. The First three levels of the CIMA Professional Qualification will help students develop decision making and management skills as well as building their expertise in technical accounting and dealing with key strategic issues. The final stage is based on a case study set within a simulated business scenario. The structure of the qualification can be seen in the diagram above. 8 P a g e
The CIMA Professional Qualification is the only qualification with a sole focus on accountants in business and is globally recognised. The Professional Qualification syllabus comprises three learning pillars: Enterprise pillar Performance pillar Financial pillar Each of the above pillars is divided into three progressive levels. Each level has three papers and therefore three exams: Operational Management Strategic The Final Level is the Test of Professional Competence in Management Accounting. Further information on this, can be found on page 11 of this brochure. To qualify as a Chartered Management Accountant under the 2011 CIMA syllabus, an applicant must: meet the entry requirements for the Professional Chartered Management Accounting qualification; register as a student with CIMA; study for, sit and pass nine examinations, as defined within the syllabus achieve the requirements of the Test of Professional Competence in Management Accounting, including Part A Initial Professional Development - Work Based Practical Experience and Part B Case Study Examination, as defined within the syllabus. Subjects within each learning pillar of the qualification are designed to be sequential, from operational to strategic level. 9 P a g e
Operational and Management Level Students are advised to sit and pass the operational level subject within each learning pillar before sitting the management level subject. However, students are able to sit examinations from different learning pillars at either operational or management level concurrently. Students are recommended to sit no more than three examinations at a single sitting. The pass mark for papers in these levels is 50% and permanent credit is awarded. Students must pass all papers in the operational and management levels before moving on to the strategic level. On completion and passing of all operational level subjects, students will be awarded the CIMA Diploma in Management Accounting. On completion and passing of all management level subjects, students will be awarded the CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting. Strategic Level When attempting the strategic level subjects, students must sit all three examination papers together at the first sitting. The pass mark for each of the Strategic level papers is 50% and permanent credit is awarded. Students must pass all three strategic level subjects before attempting the Test of Professional Competence in Management Accounting. From May 2010, the exams at Strategic level will include a common pre-seen case study (worth 50% of the marks for each paper) that applies to all three papers. All three Strategic level papers before progressing to the Test of Professional Competence in Management Accounting. Assessment Exams take place in May and November each year and are paper based examinations to be sat at recognised CIMA Examination centre around the world. Exams are three hour written exams, plus 20 minutes of pre-exam reading time. 10 P a g e
Test of Professional Competence in Management Accounting (T4) This is the final stage of the CIMA Professional Qualification. This comprises two parts that must both be achieved in order to complete the test. Credits are used to measure success, rather than marks. To pass, students must achieve an aggregated minimum of 75 credits - comprising a minimum of 50 credits or Part A and a minimum of 25 credits for Part B. Students are advised to undertake Part A and Part B concurrently although either can be taken in any order once all strategic level examinations have been completed. Part A - Initial Professional Development - Work Based Practical Experience. Students must prepare and submit a "CIMA Career Profile" for assessment of their personal work based practical experience and skills development. An approved Career Profile is awarded 50 credits. Part B - Case Study Examination Students must sit and pass the Case Study Examination - a three hour assessment of competence, completed within a supervised examination environment. 25 credits must be awarded to meet the minimum requirements for this part of the test. On successful completion of the Test of Professional Competence in Management Accounting, students apply to be elected as members of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Assessment The T4 exam can be assessed either by paper based exam (May and November of each year) or via Computer based exam (March, May, September and November of each year). There is a written three-hour exam, including 20 minutes' pre-exam reading time, with a limited number of questions which will usually be answered using a report and/or presentation, with further supporting documents, to a variety of users. The questions will be based upon: the pre-seen case study material, which will be published online at least six weeks before the exam further un-seen material which will be given in the exam. This will allow further developments to be explained and additional issues to be raised 11 P a g e
Computer Based Examination Students wanting to sit the T4 exam via computer based exam can do so at ATC International. Students will receive their results within two weeks rather than 6-7 as with the paper based version. ATC International are an approved assessment centre and will therefore provide the facilities for conducting the examination which will be monitored and invigilated by CIMA. The cost of sitting the T4 exam on computer is 6500 RUR. This does not include VAT. All students who are attending ATC International seminars for the Test of Professional Competence in Management Accounting do not have to pay the examination fee in order to sit the computer based exam. It is important that students who choose to take the computer based exam, fill in their CIMA exam entry form correctly indicating that they wish to opt for the computer based (PC) exam rather than the paper based exam. The Diploma in Performance Management in Russian This is the first qualification offered by a global professional body with a focus on management accounting in the Russian language. Who is this Qualification aimed at? This tailored qualification is for management accounting specialists, finance professionals, accountants and non-financial managers who want skills in using finance information for management decision-making. Success in this standalone qualification also entitles you to the exemption from the equivalent papers of the CIMA Professional Qualification should you then decide to continue your studies in English to become a full CIMA member. Studying for this Diploma will provide you with two significant market advantages: professional recognition of a CIMA international qualification demonstrable expertise in performance related aspects of management accounting. 12 P a g e
Course modules There are two compulsory modules taken from the CIMA 2010 professional qualification syllabus: P1 - performance operations and P2 - performance management These modules will teach students how to decide whether a long term project is financially viable and how to prepare budget forecasts. Students will also learn methods of managing costs and how to evaluate and manage the performance of different units of an organisation. Exemptions Success in the Diploma will give students exemptions for the equivalent papers in English and all five papers in the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting. Exams Exams are the full equivalent of the P1 and P2 CIMA exams translated into Russian. They will be held twice a year, in May and November, at dedicated exam centres in Russia. Please see the ATC International separate brochure for further information on our courses and further information on this qualification. 13 P a g e
Face to face Training Courses with ATC International Super Revision Courses The key elements of ATC International's CIMA courses are as follows: A three to six day block of classroom study per paper depending on the complexity and depth of syllabus. Tutors introduce key topics and explain, illustrate and provide students with examples. Throughout the course, tutors concentrate on appropriate exam techniques for each subject. Tutors review key areas and reinforce the main exam issues through the use of past examination questions. During the final session of the course, tutors brief students on their final preparation and revision. Students are expected to take a mock exam for each paper. This could be invigilated either immediately following the end of the Super Revision course, or on an agreed date approximately four weeks before the CIMA examination. All mock exams are marked, and the results notified to participants, before the CIMA exam, within 8 days of completion. Seminar Programmes All ATC International seminar information can be found in the separate timetable brochure. Contact us if you have any questions regarding your studies. Enhanced Services Additional Tailored Consultancy In addition to the CIMA professional examination scheme, ATC International also design and deliver a range of seminars on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and International Standards on Auditing. We are at the forefront of providing finance professionals with the skills and knowledge required to work with IFRS. 14 P a g e