CMA (Certified Management Accountant) is an excellent qualification for accountants and other related career aspirants. It enhances their leadership credibility and management abilities, as well as potentially supports career mobility, by obtaining and retaining. If you’re an accountant who is passionate about financial and management accounting and wants to help businesses or other organizations understand the “why” behind their numbers, you should consider becoming a certified public accountant (CMA).

Similar to obtaining a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate, becoming certified as a CMA demonstrates your dedication to the field and gives clients and employers confidence that you are capable of handling highly specialized work. Additionally, just like CPAs, CMAs need to showcase their qualifications by passing an exam and meeting several initial and continuing CMA Exam requirements.

This guide is focused on US CMA Eligibility Criteria and discusses all the prerequisites for CMA certification, including qualifying for the CMA exam and a current license.. Here we go! 

US CMA Eligibility Criteria: Qualifications

  • Minimum Requirements for Education

Students must graduate from a recognized college or university, it is one of the essential requirements of the US CMA Eligibility Criteria.

  • Degree Equivalency

A degree from an institution approved by the AICTE or the UGC will be considered good by the IMA. However, the degree’s equivalency should be assessed if it came from an unaccredited institution.

  • Verify Academic Qualifications

Every student needs to inform the IMA and ask that an authentic transcript of their academic records be sent to them directly. This is so that the IMA can assure you meet the  US CMA minimal educational requirements. 

US CMA Eligibility Criteria: Required Work Experience 

  • The Need for Professional Experience

Besides the academic qualification, students seeking to become US Certified Public Accountants must have two consecutive years of practical experience in financial management or management accounting. 

  • Categories of Work Experience That Are Acceptable

Accounting, finance, auditing, budgeting, and related fields are examples of the right career types. Manufacturing, finance, public accounting, and government are examples of such industries.

  • When to Finish the Work Experience Requirement

You can finish the work experience requirement before, during, or following your successful CMA exam preparation. However, to obtain the CMA certification, you must fulfill both the education and experience requirements.

  • Process of Documentation and Verification

Candidates need to submit work experience documents to be verified and authenticated. To decide whether or not the experience will count toward IMA, IMA will review the supporting documentation.

Requirements for Passing the US CMA exam

To become a CMA, you need to pass the CMA Exam. There are two sections to the exam:

  • Part 1: Analytics, Performance, and Financial Planning (4 hours; two 30-minute essays and 100 multiple-choice questions)
  • Part 2: Strategic Financial Management (four hours, two 30-minute essays, and 100 multiple-choice questions)

To be eligible for the essay portions, you need to give the right answers to 50% of the multiple-choice questions. You need to respond to roughly ten to twelve written response or calculation questions concerning two scenarios, each of which depicts a general business setting, for the essay parts. You won’t receive your score immediately because the essays are graded offline; instead, they will be posted online and sent to you via email around six weeks following your exam. 

To qualify for the CMA exam, you need to score at least 360 out of the 500 possible points. 

You do not need to “pass” both sections to pass the exam; rather, your final score is the sum of your points from the two sections.

CMA US CPE Requirements

You should finish Continued Professional Education (CPE) courses after passing the CMA Exam and receive your credential to meet CMA eligibility requirements. This CMA requirement is continuous; if you want to become a CMA, you must complete CPE annually. Two hours of ethical courses are part of the 30 hours of CPE that CMAs must complete annually. 

It will require a great deal of preparation and effort to study to meet the US CMA Eligibility Criteria and qualify for the CMA Exam. You can create a successful study plan that fits into your schedule and equips you with the resources you need to ace the exam with the expert teaching team at Mirchawala. Contact us now to learn more about the course and study materials offered. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are the US CMA eligibility criteria?

Ans CMA US eligibility criteria include a bachelor’s degree from a university or college with accreditation, two years of consistent work experience in financial management or management accounting, and a CMA exam passing score.

Q: What are the passing criteria for the US CMA?

Ans: The minimum passing score for both exam sections is 360, and the CMA score range is 0-500. The essay questions account for 25% of the score, while the multiple-choice questions make up 75%.

Q: How difficult is the CMA exam in the US?

Ans: In the CMA US exam, you will be checked to the edge of your knowledge. Half of the applicants pass the exam, based on the industry average success rate of 45 percent for both sections of the CMA.

Q: How many attempts for US CMA?

Ans You can retake the CMA USA exam as many times as you like. But you have three years from the time you pay the entrance fee to finish both exam sections.

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