The CMA (Certified Management Accountant) is the advanced professional certification specifically designed to measure the accounting and financial management skills that drive business performance. Achieving the CMA credential demonstrates your mastery of financial planning, analysis, control, and decision support, as well as professional ethics.

According to the IMA global survey of its members in October 2014, there’s a direct correlation between a professional certification, career development, and compensation. An advanced certification, such as the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) certification, sets finance professionals on a faster track to middle and senior management positions.

The exam is structured into two parts:

PART ONE

• Planning, budgeting, and forecasting (30%)
• Performance management (25%)
• Cost management (25%)
• Internal controls (15%)
• Professional ethics (5%)

PART TWO

• Financial statement analysis (25%)
• Corporate finance (25%)
• Decision analysis and risk management (25%)
• Investment decisions (20%)
• Professional ethics (5%)

The exam parts can be taken in any order. Only one exam can be taken at a time. Candidates must register to take one exam part within the first 12 months of entering the program and must complete both exam parts within three years. An exam part cannot be taken more than one time during a testing window.

For more information about this prestigious credential, please visit the website http://www.imanet.org/cma_certification.aspx