1. Structure
The level is made up of three Objective Test subjects and one Case Study. You must pass all three Objective Tests before moving onto the Case Study, which tests what you’ve learned overall in the level. You need to pass all assessments to be able to progress to the Management level.
Entry requirements
You’ll need to have completed CIMA Certificate, AAT Professional (Level 4), or have an accountancy or finance degree.
Syllabus
The Objective Test subjects can be sat in any order. You must have passed all 3 Objective Tests before you can book your Case Study examination.
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CIMA syllabus update 2019
CIMA are updating their Professional Operational Level syllabus in November 2019. For more information and advice for your next steps, please visit our update page.
CIMA Operational Level update >
Objective Test subjects
Current (2015) syllabus -
E1 Organisational Management
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 4 days
Live Online: 8 sessions
OnDemand/Distance Learning: study at your own pace
- Subject assessment: OnDemand computer based exam (CBE)
You’ll learn about the structure and principles that underpin the operational functions of a business, and the efficient management and interaction needed to attain strategic goals.
- Course content:
Introduction to organisations
Managing the finance function
Managing technology
Operations Management
Marketing
Managing Human Resources
New (2019) syllabus -
E1 Managing Finance in a Digital World
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 4 days
Live Online: 8 sessions
OnDemand/Distance Learning: study at your own pace
- Subject assessment: OnDemand computer based exam (CBE)
You’ll learn about the role of finance in organisations, the structure and shape of the finance function, how the finance function interacts with the organisation to create and preserve value, data usage by the finance function and the technology landscape and its impact on organisations and the finance function.
- Course content:
Role of the finance function
Technology in a digital world
Data and information in a digital world
Shape and structure of the finance function
Finance interacting with the organisation
Current (2015) and New (2019) syllabus -
P1 Management Accounting
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 5 days
Live Online: 10 sessions
OnDemand/Distance Learning: study at your own pace
- Subject assessment: OnDemand computer based exam (CBE)
You’ll learn the importance of costs in the production, analysis and use of information for decision-making in companies. P1 covers short-term budgeting, and making short-term decisions on products and services, as well as digital issues in costing.
- Course content:
Cost accounting systems
Budget and budgetary control
Short term decision making
Dealing with uncertainty in the short term
Current (2015) syllabus -
F1 Financial Reporting and Taxation
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 6 days
Live Online: 12 sessions
OnDemand/Distance Learning: study at your own pace
- Subject assessment: OnDemand computer based exam (CBE)
You’ll learn about the regulation and preparation of financial statements, giving you the skills to produce financial statements for individuals and groups. You’ll also learn about working capital and business tax.
- Course content:
Regulatory Environment
Financial accounting and reporting
Working capital and cash management
Fundamentals of business taxation
New (2019) syllabus -
F1 Financial Reporting
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 5 days
Live Online: 10 sessions
OnDemand/Distance Learning: study at your own pace
- Subject assessment: OnDemand computer based exam (CBE)
You’ll learn about the regulation and preparation of financial statements, giving you the skills to produce basic financial statements for individuals. You’ll also learn about working capital and business tax.
- Course content:
Regulatory Environment
Financial Statements
Principles of taxation
Managing Working Capital
Case Study
Integrated Case Study
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 5 days
Live Online: 7 sessions
OnDemand/Distance Learning: study at your own pace
- Subject assessment: Integrated Case Study exam (CBE)
You’ll be tested on your overall knowledge of E1, P1, and F1. Using the skills gained during the level, you’ll resolve issues that a management accountant may come across at work.
2. Study methods
Do you prefer face-to-face learning or studying online in your own time? Do you have family or work commitments that you need to fit your studies around? With four different study methods, we have a course that will meet your needs.
Study methods available for this qualification
Whatever study method you choose, you’ll benefit from high quality learning materials, practical learning methods, hundreds of practice questions, marked mock exams and expert support even on evenings and weekends. You can be confident with Kaplan.
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Study method comparison table
Award-winning structured online course with the flexibility to start anytime and study anywhere.
- Topic focused learning modules, containing tutor-led bite-sized videos
- Engaging activities designed for effective online learning
- Integrated programme to guide you efficiently through the whole syllabus
View OnDemand demo
A traditional scheduled programme with face to face tutor-led classes.
- Classes with your peers at set times of day
- Centrally located in most major cities: View all classroom locations
- Access to our award winning OnDemand online learning resources
View Classroom demo
Live interactive online classes at a set time, which you can watch from anywhere.
- Live lectures delivered online by a tutor
- Re-watch and replay lessons through recordings
- Access to our award winning OnDemand online learning resources
View Live Online demo
Self-study online modules for you to work through at your own pace.
- Study remotely with printed and online materials
- Study guide to provide direction
View Distance Learning demo
Timetables - Classroom and Live Online
date_rangeView timetables
3. Exams and sittings
Timings and working towards an assessment
Each subject is assessed by an objective test, and the level as a whole is assessed by a final Case Study. Remember, you’ll have to book your exam as well as your course.
The Objective Tests are computer-based and are 90 minutes each, taken at a Kaplan centre or Pearson VUE test centre. The exams can be sat at any time of the year, and can be taken in any order. All assessments are marked by computer. Your results will be available with 48 hours.
In the Case Study, you’ll be expected to use what you learned in the Operational Level to work through a real life scenario, where your ‘role’ will be a Finance Officer. The Case Study exam is 3 hours long, is computer-based, and available to take in four windows throughout the year (February, May, August, November), at a Kaplan centre or Pearson VUE assessment centre. It is marked by a human, and results are available 5 weeks after the close of the exam window. It will test your research and analysis skills, how you present information, and your persuasion and communication skills.
How long does it take to pass?
Students usually take around one year to complete the level, but this depends entirely on your preferred way of learning and study method.
4. Study Materials and Delivery Costs
Study Materials
Classroom, Live Online and OnDemand students will receive printed and online study materials, while Distance Learning students have the option of printed and online, or online only. The CIMA materials are the only official CIMA study materials that cover the full syllabus, and are reviewed and approved by CIMA faculty, so you can be confident of their quality.
The following materials are included in each Objective Test course:
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Study text
Textbook covering the full subject syllabus with worked examples and activities.
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Integrated workbook (Classroom, Live Online, OnDemand only)
The integrated workbook helps you work through the syllabus, with room to write your notes. It helps you keep everything in one place to make it easy to study and revise from.
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Exam kit
The kit gives you plenty of exam style questions and answers to test your knowledge and practice.
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Revision cards
Pocket-sized, brief revision notes that highlight and prioritise the essential topics you need to understand to pass your CIMA exams.
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Study programme
Outlines the course structure, providing guidance on what to do, and when.
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eLearning modules (Classroom, Live Online and OnDemand only)
Interactive tutor-led video modules that teach the whole syllabus and extend learning via tricky topic tutorials.
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eLearning resources (Distance Learning only)
eLearning contains over 120 hours of CIMA approved content.
The following materials are included in each Case Study course:
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Study text
The official CIMA textbook covering Integrated Case Study Exam preparation with worked examples and activities.
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Familiarisation and Practice Workbook
An examination preparation tool, based on the case study, including ethical considerations, key issues, how to prioritise, and plan your answer. The workbook includes 10-12 case specific tasks including a familiarisation quiz and exercises.
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Case analysis videos
Watch a tutor walk you through the pre-seen, highlighting key facts, information and potentially examinable topics.
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MyKaplan videos (Classroom, Live Online, OnDemand only)
Technical recap recordings that will help you revise key syllabus areas from the underpinning subjects, and introduce you to how those topics could be examined in a case study examination.
To buy the materials separately...
You can buy CIMA approved books for each subject on this level from Kaplan Publishing.
Delivery costs
subscriptions
How much it costs to deliver your study materials and how long it takes depends on where in the world you live.
If you’re completing a classroom course, your materials are provided on the first day of your course.
Delivery fees are as follows:
UK and NI - £7 for the first package, £7 for subsequent packages
EU - £30 for the first package, £30 for subsequent packages
Rest of the World - £50 for the first package, £50 for subsequent packages
A package relates to all the materials for a specific subject, for example CIMA P1 Management Accounting. If purchasing a course for more than one subject, the additional package charges will apply.
Delivery fees are capped at 3 x the cost, per single order. So, if you buy 5 courses for UK delivery in a single order, it will be £7 x 3, rather than £7 x 5.
Our standard delivery times are:
UK – 3 to 5 working days
EU – 5 to 7 working days
Rest of the World – 7 to 10 working days*
*Subject to availability.
Delivery charges apply to all Distance Learning, OnDemand and Live Online courses which include printed materials, and selected Classroom courses. If delivery charges are applicable for your course, they will be shown during the online checkout process, before you complete your payment details.
5. MyKaplan: Online Learning Portal
Watch our video explaining MyKaplan (1:30)
MyKaplan is your online learning portal where you can access all of your online learning and testing resources, including online versions of your study materials. Accessible from your computer, tablet or via the dedicated mobile app, it’s the one stop shop for everything you need with practical resources to help you prepare for your exams.
Online Features
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View your detailed study programme and online materials in one place and access your content in a few clicks
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Contact a tutor directly using LiveChat. You can also email or request a call back
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Complete practice tests and get instant feedback (Objective Tests)
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Track your performance by topic and easily identify where you need to improve; you can even compare yourself with others in your class
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Take part in forum discussions with students and tutors and find answers to common questions
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See instantly when your assessments have been marked (Case Study)
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Use the mobile app to study on the move and access your study materials offline
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Access to VideoBank - hundreds of tutor-led videos to help you get the most out of your course.
Access duration
Your chosen study method determines how long you can access your online content for. For Objective Tests:
Classroom
3 months from last course date
Live Online
3 months from last course date
OnDemand
6 months from enrolment date
Distance Learning
12 months from enrolment date
There is also one free extension for 3 months, and a further 3-month extension for £50.
For the Case Study, access durations are all six months after the selected exam sitting.
computerMinimum system requirements for MyKaplan
6. Tutor support
We’ll support you every step of the way throughout your CIMA learning experience with us. You can contact a tutor and get the help you need quickly and easily.
Provided by our Academic Support team (our dedicated team of expert tutors):
- LiveChat (instant response via online messenger system)
- Email (we'll get back to you within 4 hrs)
- Discussion forum (we’ll get back to you within 4 hrs)
- Request a callback so you can speak to a tutor (we'll arrange a call with you within 24 hrs). Please note request a callback is not available to overseas students
Academic Support opening times
Academic Support:
Monday - Thursday: 8am - 9pm
Friday: 8am - 5:30pm
Weekends: 9am - 1pm
Ways to get support
If you think you'd benefit from additional tutor support while studying, we recommend the structured study methods such as Classroom and Live Online.
7. Testing and mocks
We have a wealth of materials to help you revise for and pass your exams.
Objective Test
For the Objective Test, all study options come with the following:
Knowledge checks
As you go along knowledge checks help assess your understanding of a topic before you move onto the next one.
Test yourself (Classroom, Live Online, OnDemand)/Test builder (Distance Learning)
There are a range of hundreds of questions to build your own tests, so you can target weak areas, or check your overall knowledge.
Four mock exams
Practice your exam technique with four mock exams (two for Distance Learning) so you can check your progress. The mock exams will have the same look and feel as the actual exam.
Case Study
The Case Study is a difficult exam, testing your overall knowledge across the level, and is tested by a written exam, based on a business scenario. We support you with resources that match the feel of the real Case Study:
Practice Mock / Past Case Resources and Mocks
All students will get access to a Practice Mock, based on the pilot case study.
Classroom, Live Online and OnDemand students will also get access to past case resources including a full exam standard mock exam will help you gain confidence in analysing a pre-seen and attempting an exam before you start work on the live case.
Mock exams with personal feedback
Practice your exam technique with three mock exams (two for Distance Learning) from the live case which simulate the exam environment. Exams are marked with personalised feedback and a detailed debrief.
8. Pricing structure
Subject prices can differ depending on your study method, location and the time you choose to study (if you’re choosing Classroom). Go to our study methods page to learn more about each option.
Subjects are all priced individually, so you can purchase them altogether (for a discount), or separately as you need them.
| Scheduled |
Flexible |
| Classroom |
Live Online |
OnDemand |
Distance Learning |
| from £949 |
from £889 |
from £649 |
from £329 |
Funding options
You may be eligible for an Apprenticeship through your employer, depending on your circumstances. Speak to your employer to find out more.
Your employer may fund the costs of your studies if you’re already working in a related field and want to develop your learning. You’ll need to speak to them to see if if they’re willing to provide this support.
CIMA Operational is covered in our interest-free payment plan. The plan lets you spread the cost of your studies over 12 months, with no extra costs. You’ll need to buy all subjects in the level to take out a payment plan.