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US-based, popular in the GulfManagement accounting

CMA — Certified Management Accountant (IMA)

Management accounting and corporate finance — strong in industry and the Gulf.

Who it's for

Accountants and finance staff working inside companies — FP&A, costing and strategy.

Structure

Two parts: Part 1 (Financial Planning, Performance & Analytics) and Part 2 (Strategic Financial Management), plus a degree and two years' experience.

Time & cost

Often under 1–1.5 years; IMA membership required.

Careers

FP&A, management accounting, cost & performance and finance business partnering.

The skills you'll build

Many of these serve more than one path.

Management accountingPlanning & budgetingCost managementFinancial analysisDecision analysisCorporate finance

Best free resources for this path

Curated and vetted, with how to start.

Sample questions, expert webinars and exam-topic guides from the IMA (who run the CMA).

How to start: Open the resources page; some items need a free IMA account.

Free prep for CFA, CPA and CMA — 36,000+ practice questions with solutions.

How to start: Free account at freefellow.org — no trial, no card.

Free practice questions and short trials for CPA, CMA, CIA and EA from the big review providers.

How to start: Open their 'free' / 'free trial' pages; download the practice questions.

Free, self-paced Excel and Power BI training — essential analyst skills for any finance path.

How to start: Free with a Microsoft account; the optional PL-300 exam is paid.

Free Accounting Fundamentals and finance courses you can audit free.

How to start: Create a free account and choose the free/audit option.

See the full free-resource library →

Continuing professional development (CPD)

30 CPE hours a year, including 2 hours of ethics.

Get these hours for free →
A Fileminder course

AI for Accountants

The free resources give you the theory; our course turns it into a paid, practical skill.

View the course

Information is a guide and may change; always confirm details and requirements on the body's official site. Resources are independent third parties not affiliated with Fileminder.