Develop your professional career and join CIMA through the accelerated gateway route.
Passing one three hour examination (based on a combination of CIMA’s three management level papers) allows you to claim (at no extra cost) 11 exemptions from CIMA’s certificate, operational and management level papers.
Gateway exams are available at the main global May and November sittings.
You then only need to sit and pass three strategic level examinations, the case study, and fulfil the work based practical experience, before being eligible for full CIMA membership.
Accelerated route to CIMA diagram
Eligibility
The CIMA gateway programmes are open to members of recognised professional accounting bodies, and graduates of relevant master's degrees.
Recognised professional accounting bodies
If you are a member of a professional body that is a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and is also an examining body, then you may be eligible for the CIMA gateway.
Find out more on the professional gateway route page.
If you are an affiliate of one of the following professional bodies:
- ICWAI (Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India) – passed finalists and members
- ICMAP (Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan) – members
- ICMAB (Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh) – passed finalists and members
you can find out more on management accountant gateway route page.
Relevant master's degrees
CIMA offers relevant master's degree holders a place on the accelerated gateway route.
Relevant master's degrees include:
- master of business administration (MBA)
- master's in accounting
Find out more on master's gateway route page.
Gateway assessment
The gateway assessment is three hours long, and can be taken at any CIMA exam centre.
The exam can be sat twice a year; in May and in November.
The exam combines CIMA’s three management level papers.
You can see the management level syllabus coverage here.
The structure of the gateway assessment is:
Section A – 3 compulsory questions each worth 25 marks.
- 1. P2 – Performance management syllabus topic B – cost planning and analysis for competitive advantage
- 2. E2 – Enterprise management syllabus topic B – project management
- 3. F2 – Financial management syllabus topic A – group financial statements
Section B – compulsory objective test questions totalling 25 marks, from all other areas of the three management level papers not covered in section A.
If you feel that you need to familiarise yourself with some areas examinable in the gateway assessment, then we suggest that you consider a cimastudy.com package.
This official CIMA elearning package provides interactive, quality training, to help you pass exams.
Once you pass the gateway assessment, you will be awarded the CIMA advanced diploma in management accounting.
You will also be granted 11 exemptions (at no extra charge) from CIMA’s certificate, operational and management level exams.
You will then be able to enter the strategic level papers (E3 - Enterprise Strategy, P3 - Performance Strategy, and F3 - Financial Strategy).
If you feel uncomfortable sitting the gateway assessment, there may be other options.
Your professional body, or university you studied at, may have an accredited decision with CIMA, which might result in more appropriate exemptions being arranged.
Eligibility to the gateway programme does not necessitate you availing of this route.
Register for the gateway assessment
Student registration deadline:
You must register as a CIMA student, and submit relevant documentation, by 31 January to enter the May exam; or 31 July to enter the November exam.
Exam entry
Once you register as a CIMA student and your documents have been processed, you will receive an email instructing you to enter the CIMA exam via your mycima account. Find out more about exam entry.
Specimen exam paper
You can see a specimen paper here.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the gateway assessment, please call CIMA contact on: +44 (0)208 849 2251 (select option 1). See our complete contact details in the right hand menu.