Support Forum

Talk amongst yourselves. Ask questions, discuss topics, solve problems

This is a public Discussion Area  publicRSS

Thread

    Passed all exams, what's next?
    Thread posted Feb 23 by Indrajana Moeljadi
    671 Views, 7 Comments
    Title:
    Passed all exams, what's next?
    Content:
    So I have passed all 4 exams. Now the big question, what's next? I know in order to get the certification I have to give my university credentials (which I have done already) and provide confirmation of experience (which I will do and should be of no issue as I have 10 years of experience in finance). My question is still, what's next? What can I do with my CMA and what should I be doing to keep my CMA? For the first question, sure I can put it behind my name to promote it (but I won't, otherwise I have to put all my degrees behind my name as well and I don't like it). I will put it on my CV and update my LinkedIn page accordingly. I'll tell people in my profession about CMA and share my experience in gaining the certification. But what about the second question? I have read that I have to do 30 hours of continuing education each year. What qualifies? Is it as simple as participating in the IMA Webinars? And what about the CPE received for the 4 exams? Will they be counted towards the yearly CPE requirements? Where I work there is an weekly hour long IFRS training, does that qualify? If so, how does it work? So for all of you who have been CMAs for quite some time, can you please give some guidance on this? All I read about on the forums is mostly how to pass the exams, but not much discussion on what to do after the exams are passed.

    Comments

    • posted Mar 9 by Christine Goldesberry-Curry

      Indrajana,

      You do receive CPE for the exams you take.  I believe it was 10 hours per exam on the old format.  You can carry up to 10 hours into the next year to count towards CPE for that year. 

      I finished the CMA/CFM in 2007 and began working on the CPA soon after.  All of my CPA exams also counted towards my CPE at 10 hours per exam hour.  This is the first year that I actually have to do general CPE since I finished all of my certification exams.

      I have subscribed through the PLC center on the IMA website to a CPE course package.  It only cost $289 for access to over 300 courses varying in the amount of CPE hours.  This is a great value.  You would pay at least that much money for an onsite CPE course consisting of usually only 8 hours. 

      Additionally, the webinars count.  Your IFRS training may count as well.

      Hope this helps,

      Chris

       

       

       

       

    • posted Mar 10 by Indrajana Moeljadi

      Thanks Christine!

      Does this mean that the CPEs obtained when doing the CMA exams count towards the yearly CPE requirements? For the 4 exams I have obtained 130 CPE hours, so does this mean that for the next 4 years I'm covered already?

    • posted Mar 10 by Christine Goldesberry-Curry

      Indrajana,

      The CPE only counts in the year you do it.  If you have done all four exams in 2009 and have 130 hours earned, you only need 40, and you can only carry over 10 to the next year, so the other 70 will be "lost", so to speak, as far as CPE is concerned for the exam.

      Your best scenario is if your testing period crossed years.  Then some of your testing would count for each year.

      I know it seems like it would not be fair, but the IMA does offer us many low cost or no cost options to obtain the CPE that we need.  Do not forget that now that you have passed the exam, you will need at least 2 CPE hours in ethics for your certification year, each year.  Part 4 of the exam covered ethics and would count towards that requirement in the year you passed the exam but you would need to take an ethics CPE course each year after that.  Again, those courses are available on the PLC, a la carte, to meet the ethics requirement.  Or you could buy a package which includes ethics along with many other courses. like I did. 

      At any rate, you may not have to worry about CPE except for the ethics requirement, depending on when you passed your part 4 exam. 

      If you passed part 4 in 2010, your 2010 requirements may already be met depending on how many CPE hours it counts as.

      Good luck,

      Chris

       

       

       

       

       

    • posted Mar 12 by Indrajana Moeljadi

      Thanks again Chris!

       

      I've taken Part 4 in Dec 09 and found out that I've passed it in 2010. Looking at my CPE report, the 30 hours from Part 4 seems to be valid until 12/31/2010.

       

      Which means I'm sorted for 2010, right?

       

      Additionally, I will look into the PLC center for the coming years.

       

      Cheers

      Indra

    • posted Mar 12 by Christine Goldesberry-Curry

      Indra,

      I would call the IMA to confirm that you are good.  I think that you probably are since you have 30 hours and it also covers the ethics requirement.  If ever in doubt you can call the IMA and they will confirm for you.

      Congrats on passing the tests, they were very rigorous.  I hope it brings you good things in your career path.

       

      Chris

    • posted Mar 19 by Abdel Rahman Abdelhadi

      hi , i have passed in all exams and I have sent a proof of my education and my experience and this is before one month and till now IMA didnt reply to me , how much time should I wait for ceritfication to be issued?plz anybody inform me

       

    • posted Mar 26 by Indrajana Moeljadi

      Abdel,

      I've passed P4 in Dec. I've given IMA my study transcript (directly from the university) and sent them proof of experience a week after I found out the results.

      I have received my certificate earlier this week.

      I don't know if it is the same for everyone....

    Share |

    © 2009, Institute of Management Accountants, Inc.
    10 Paragon Drive, Suite 1, Montvale, NJ 07645-1718
    1-800-638-4427 or +1-201-573-9000