It's always a good idea to plan ahead as early as possible, and especially so when studying for a challenging professional qualification like CIMA. However, the official CIMA exam dates can be a little tricky to find and navigate.

So we have created a simple guide for you here, where you can browse all the important CIMA exam dates and details over the coming 12 months.

A few provisional points before we get to the exam dates themselves:

• Note that there are only set exam dates for the CIMA Case Study exams. The Objective Test exams can be taken at any point throughout the year, contingent on opening dates and hours for official exam centres
• Since 2019, CIMA has changed slightly the structure of the Case Study exams. Previously there was a new pre-seen released for each exam window (i.e. one for February, one for May, one for August etc). Now, one pre-seen covers two exam windows. So the pre-seen released ahead of the November exam also covers the following February's exam. And the pre-seen released for the May exam also applies to the following August's exam.
• Don't forget to register for your CIMA Case Study exam! Be very aware of the deadlines for registering for each CIMA exam window (see below). Students often forget this one.

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1. CIMA Exam Dates 2022/2023

Below you can find a simple table with the exam dates for each window over the next 12 months or so. These are the dates when you can actually sit the exams. If you need to locate an official CIMA exam centre, you can find more information here.

Note that these date ranges are inclusive. So for example, it says "10-12 November", that means you can sit the exam on the 10th, on the 11th, or on the 12th.

Typically the dates fall on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. But be sure to double-check, taking into account your local time-zone and how this might affect you.

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2. Pre-seen Release Dates

Several weeks before each Case Study exam takes place, CIMA releases the pre-seen document to students. The pre-seen is the document that introduces you to the company and industry that is the focus of the case study. It includes lots of important information that you will be expected to use on the day of your exam to help write your answers.

Usually, you can find the pre-seen document available for download on CIMA's website on the official pre-seen release date (listed below). You can find the most recent pre-seen available for download here.

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3. Exam Entry Closing Dates

As mentioned above, this is one that students often forget, or forget to check ahead of time! Be sure to register as early as you can.

Of course, it's important to bear in mind that you cannot register for your Case Study exam until you have officially passed all of the corresponding Objective Test exams at that level (this doesn't necessarily apply to all students, as some students may have been granted exemptions from certain Objective Test exams, e.g. Gateway students for the MCS).

If you are sitting all of the Objective Test exams for that level, you need to factor this into your planning. "Can I realistically have all my Objective Test exams passed by the closing date for the Case Study exam?". An important question to consider!

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4. Dates when Exam Results are Released

Important to know the exam results dates, if only to ensure that you time set aside to distract yourself from the nerves/excitement/anticipation in the preceding hours!

Students often ask "but at what time does CIMA release the exam results!?" I'm afraid to say that this one is a bit unpredictable! Sometimes it's literally within seconds of the clock striking midnight (UK time) on the date in question. Other times, students need to wait until later in the morning or even early afternoon to get their results.

That's ultimately at CIMA's discretion, and unfortunately VIVA has no inside knowledge on that particular aspect of CIMA! (... although we're certain we have plenty of insight on others!).

You will typically find your CIMA exam results on your CIMA account, on the CIMA website. So make sure you have your log in credentials ready to go, and your finger hovering over the refresh button...

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5. Exam booked? Where to start studying

Now this is going to sound biased, but... VIVA is the place to start! But we say it with good reason. VIVA is an award-winning tuition provider, a certified CIMA learning partner, and a pioneer in terms of delivering premium online learning at a fraction of the cost of traditional institutions.

But don't worry, we're not trying to just sell, sell, sell! You can start learning for your Case Study exam entirely for free, immediately.

We have 2 hours of free pre-seen analysis for every case study exam/window. You can find these free lectures on our YouTube channel here.

We also have tonnes of useful free exam guides and articles in our Knowledge Centre. For example, this extensive guide on how to write a Case Study exam answer here.

If you're impressed by this and want to really nail your exam, then you can explore our award-winning online courses here.

We hope you found this guide useful. If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a message in our chatbox to the bottom right of your screen (or email us at info@vivatuition.com).

A huge good luck from the entire VIVA team!