CMA Entrance Exam

[bigdan]

I'm writing the entrance exam in October. I've found plenty of past exams but the vast majority of them are missing the soft topics which make up about 40% of the exam. Would anyone have access to paper which include them? Or even accelerated program students who still have their soft topic questions from the course (even online) ?

Would appreciate any help provided!

Cheers
Dan

[Redguard]

I wrote the exam today (in Mississauga).

How did you find it?

[bigdan]

I wrote the exam today (in Mississauga).

How did you find it?

i wrote it downtown at the metro toronto convention center.

was quite reasonable actually. tho i ran outta time at the end so chose c for the last 5 - 10 answers. that could hurt. it was actually quite a smart decision, 10 seconds after i did that we were told to put our pencils down. one straight line down, nice!

[joanna2008]

I found these mock exams were misleading, there were many soft topics not covered by mock, but appeared on the exam. I skipped some +) questions and guessed most soft topic questions, but managed to finish within the allowable time.

[Redguard]

I feel wierd saying this… but I found the exam surprisingly easy… which now has me wondering if I was temporarily in a state of insanity yesterday morning.

I focused so much on studying the tricky stuff that I was almost certain would appear on the exam. Make vs Buy, Uncertainty, RDTOH, Capital Gain Reserves, FIT, etc. And not only that, but the tricky rules behind easy topics that are easily forgotten (like no recapture or terminal loss in Class 10.1 or don’t depreciate below salvage when using DDB).

But contrary to my expecations, everything was kept at a pretty basic level.

Granted, I did the Prep Course prior to the exam (as well as the Accelerated Program) and I feel as though the two Mock Exams were waaaaay harder than the real thing and, thus, a better mental prep. The Mock Exams also had 120 questions whereas the exam (at least the one I wrote) only had 100.

Are we all given the same exam across Canada?

My only regret is taking too long ensuring that I nailed down the (+) questions. I left Internal Control and Strategic Management until the end and just burned through those. I didn’t spend too much time studying the soft topics. I’ve found, through experience, that when I study them… I get half of them. When I don’t study them… I get half of them.

I suppose one could use a probability analysis to determine to optimal course of action when it comes to studying for soft topics :).

[Redguard]

I swear I was robbed of 10 minutes though.

I was pretty sure my watch was synchronized to when the Invigilators said "begin".

I looked at my watch and saw 12:40 and though, "Okay... 20 minutes to go. Let me look over the ones that I skipped and then get to Internal Controls and Strategic Management".

At that same time, he yells out, "10 minutes remaining!"

When he said that, I felt like I'd just been blindsided.

There was this one girl sitting in front of me who continued to fill in circles even after they announced the end. They pretty much had to pry her away from her paper. LOL

[jimb]

how many of you guys took the Accelerated Program? and do you feel it prepared you well for the exam?

[Redguard]

I took it and I would caution anybody who plans to go straight to the exam without first taking the AP (which, from what I hear, is henceforth being referred to as the Bridging Program).

I met a few people during the Prep Course who hadn't taken the AP and felt that all they needed were the basic requirements to write the EE (even if it had been years since they'd done an accounting course... management accounting, especially).

Once they saw the way the questions were posed on our practice/sample sheets, they felt like they were learning something brand new... and so much stuff as well.

The AP at least gets you into the mode of writing 3-4 hr exams and learning how to utilize quick techniques and budgeting your time.

Even for the most astute accountant, it's a good refresher course. And Tax and Inventory rules are constantly changing, so you at least know what the most recent rules are according to the Income Tax Act.

[bk33]

I took it and I would caution anybody who plans to go straight to the exam without first taking the AP (which, from what I hear, is henceforth being referred to as the Bridging Program).

I met a few people during the Prep Course who hadn't taken the AP and felt that all they needed were the basic requirements to write the EE (even if it had been years since they'd done an accounting course... management accounting, especially).

Once they saw the way the questions were posed on our practice/sample sheets, they felt like they were learning something brand new... and so much stuff as well.

The AP at least gets you into the mode of writing 3-4 hr exams and learning how to utilize quick techniques and budgeting your time.

Even for the most astute accountant, it's a good refresher course. And Tax and Inventory rules are constantly changing, so you at least know what the most recent rules are according to the Income Tax Act.

Just curious, the people that didn't take AP, does that mean they take the required courses through CE? or is there ways to bypass the AP? (for non-accounting students)

[dandy2008]

Are the courses offered by AP (taxation) accepted by other institutions (CGA) ?

[MrBrown]

Just curious, the people that didn't take AP, does that mean they take the required courses through CE? or is there ways to bypass the AP? (for non-accounting students)

I didnt go through AP, however, I took all the required courses in university. Unless you already have a CA/CMA designation from another country, you need to take all the required courses through University or the AP.

[dandy2008]

Unless you already have a CA/CMA designation from another country, you need to take all the required courses through University or the AP.

The is no such thing as a CA/CMA designation from another country.

[MrBrown]

The is no such thing as a CA/CMA designation from another country.

I would suggest you do some research before you post ;)

[dandy2008]

I would suggest you do some research before you post ;)

In the UK, there is ACA, ACCA and CIMA
In the US, there is CPA/CMA
In Australia, there is CA, CPA, and ICMA.

They hardly get any credit/exemptions from CMA-Ontario.