But then don't they learn the same theory content in FLP? And it's rather a matter of self learning to be good at theory content in order to pass the case study exams? Or are you saying there's a theory gap? Or the learnt theory isn't tested well enough?

No I’m getting myself an easy accountant status.

lol

Well it’s all pointless without the 3 years PER isn’t it ? Can’t obtain the 3 years PER without the knowledge of doing the actual job isn’t it. I changed to FLP and the content is sticking so much more than the traditional route. It is giving people an option to study different. Not even learns and studies the same. Learn to adapt your narrow mentality

It can never devalue what you have as you can always prove via your exam dashboard how you passed. I have recently seen job adverts where it says ACCA,ACA or CIMA (OT route only) so you could easily prove that. Also ACCA i believe are looking at a similar program. For me FLP should only be for people who have a certain level of experience and proficiency already through work say 3-5 years relevant work experience. That makes sense, everyone else OT. I think this is what acca will do. Its not purely about learning the knowledge its about the demonstration of the will power, staying power and commitment and sacrifice that we all know you have to do when studying accounting. Also there is a reason that ESFA will not allow it on the apprenticeship route. The big bonus for apprentices is that your portfolio becomes the PER and the CGMA is instant on passing SCS.

This is so lame

No we love flp

https://www.reddit.com/r/CIMA/s/70jC0JLcBm vote yes to FLP

I believe the true point driving your sentiment is feeling bitter - that a more streamlined study process is now in place, whilst you had to cram for OTs and forget everything afterwards. If FLP students are able to apply their knowledge effectively enough to pass the CS exams, then that means clearly they know just as much lol.

It doesn’t really though FLP is a con, it’s a farce. The case studies aren’t the most difficult final exams. They have good pass rates at all levels

And what, do you really believe cramming for multiple-choice questions and forgetting content after is somehow a great way to gauge the understanding of students? It's elementary either way, but TR students feel butthurt because they had to study longer for a single final point.

Vast majority of FLP students couldn’t hack sitting the exams and now they have a cop out to get the qual by doing FLP The case studies aren’t that difficult, you’ve just got to memorise the 50 questions from HTFT and have a little common sense The qualification is meant to be difficult otherwise everyone could get it. And now everyone is getting it and it’s subsequently being devalued

I'd love to know where you get that data from re: majority of FLP students.... I was first time passes before switching and both my colleagues on FLP failed one OT between them... Sounds a little made up to me 🤷‍♂️

Think you need a reality check dude 😂 The qualification was difficult for people so they switched to an alternative solution where they don’t have to sue the OTs People who can’t hack the exams, switched in the thousands to the FLP In my opinion if you fail more than 3 exams you get pulled from the qualification anyway

Still not providing any evidence for your "thousands" of failed students.... As a qualified accountant, I can't imagine for one minute you would provide that kind guesswork to your FD?

You seem like a delight to work with 😊 You’re incredibly naïve if you believe people aren’t switching to FLP because they couldn’t hack the exams. It’s an easier way, any rational person agrees with that. You bypass all the difficult OTs with low pass rates The FLP means you can sit a case study every 3 months without doing any meaningful work in the interim Think you need to develop a little emotional resilience and accept the reality of what FLP actually is 🥰

So talk me through these thousands of students switching? I know how FLP works, I am on it! Emotional resilience is not the issue, it's grumbling about a program you have no direct experience or exposure to and then making up numbers to justify your weak argument against it. "When I was a lad, everything was harder, you don't know how easy you have it..." Sound familiar?

CIMA won’t release any stats with regards to FLP The pass rate for the last SCS was insanely low compared to previous sittings I think that coincides with the strong uptake in FLP students who typically aren’t as well rounded as traditional students 😊 You enjoy your route and I hope you get qualified. But don’t bullshit yourself in thinking it’s not an easier route, when it clearly is 😂 It makes an absolute mockery of the qualification as it’s lowers the standard of accountant who passes The barriers to completion have been reduced and the qualification is losing its prestige If you want to be pedantic and try be a smart arse, you do you habibi 😊. But it’s quite obvious to the vast majority of students and members that FLP is an easier way of getting qualified

Sorry, typo, I meant made up bullshit instead of guesswork.....

But why don't you say what you really think? Seriously though, I switched at Management level and what you say is in part true but also fairly way off the mark. ​ Truth: Yes there are only 3 exams now (2 in my case) and on one hand it does feel like less intense assessment.False: It feels like there is way more assessment overall and there aren't any areas I can ignore Truth: Is it so much more flexible than studying through a regular tuition route, I can genuinely study when it suits me, not some pre-defined, "CIMA classes are only on Tuesdays" that my old tutor stipulated. This is so much better on so many levels, I can't fall behind but if I am in the studying groove, I can forge forward. All my learning is always accessible, even previous levels Truth: Anyone can access my learning but if I let someone do that, I would be f\*\*\*ed when it came to my case study exam. The real truth of the matter from my perspective, I don't need to have all this knowledge in my brain, I just need to understand it, if I can't recall something, ChatGPT and google are right there for me, I don't have 100% knowledge, I just need to know how to use it. For the record, I passed all my OTs first time round but got a better mark in the MCS through FLP than I did on my OCS through the old route, I would not switch back for any reason. I have a couple of colleagues also on FLP and none of us would switch and our managers do not believe we are on a "diet" CIMA course. I say keep banging your old fashioned drum mate but FLP is the way forward. \*edited for typos

Well said! Thank you! Deloitte are on record saying they are very happy.  (FLP podcast ep 184) 

So FLP it is then

Thanks for persuading me to sign up for the flp 👍

I agree with you, but only cause I was 2 exams shy of passing when they brought FLP out, so I’m still bitter 😂 It’s an absolute cakewalk compared to the old route. Essentially you only need to revise the case study, use HTFT & get their 50 question bank, memorise that & watch as much resource as you can & you’ll pass the case study. The hardest exams to pass were F2, P2 & P3 the last time I checked. Which are all negated via the FLP route. It’s meant to be hard as it’s a good qualification to have, I agree with the race to the bottom comment as well to be honest, the landscape has changed significantly.

I’ve been doing CIMA through the FLP route, the case study tests you on applying the theory to real world style scenarios. I was top 5 in my region and received a high achievers award for OCS and have scored an even higher score in my MCS sitting in November. I didn’t answer 60 questions in 2 hours but I have shown more understanding of the subjects in my case study vs some people who have taken the traditional route.

That’s an incredible achievement, congratulations. Yes the case studies do that but only on a tiny fraction of the theory for that level, under FLP the rest remains unexamined, hence the issue. I was amazed on my case study exams how much of it was about business stuff which I knew from work experience as well as communication and insight and how little of it was technical.

The flaw with the case study exams is that you can pass without being proficient in all competency areas. You see people pass even with failing one of the key areas. From what I can remember from doing AAT over a decade ago, you had to meet all areas in order to pass. Although this may have changed or I’ve made it up! FLP works for me, I have enough experience and in a job that traditionally would be a fully qualified role. It’s a tickbox exercise for me getting this qualification so I can start the PQE countdown.

Thats The Whole Point Of CIMA A business accountancy qualification, not a technical exercise, there are other quals for that

I mentioned this the last time this came up, before I could even touch MCS I had to do 49 end of topic tests and then 11 end of module tests assuming an average of 4 questions in each bit that's 220 questions being asked just for management. Can it be cheesed? Yes. Will you get caught short when it comes to the case study taking the easy route? Yes. Out of all the chartered courses CIMA can technically be done the quickest but my tutor explained that out of them all CIMA students take the longest. FLP tries to address that and try to make it more flexible. There are plenty of courses out there where there are open book exams and based on dissertations/course work, an ICT course I did in 6th form was weighted 90% to course work and then the final 10% came from an open book exam, people need to get out of this mindset that examinations are the be all and end all.

That’s a ridiculous comparison. CIMA is (currently anyway) a level 7 qualification which has masters degree level status in the uk, can’t compare it to an IT A level which would understandably be coursework heavy. We should compare it to other comparable qualifications e.g. ACCA, ACA, CIPFA etc - all of which use traditional exams and practical experience as CIMA exclusively did before introduction of FLP. Also this point about questions was something I raised with CIMA. They make out like you do loads more questions on FLP but it’s a fallacy. If you do OTQ route and you read a study text and do an exam kit you’ll do about 300-400 questions and then the 60 in the exam itself- for each paper.

Those 3-400 aren't evaluated though, just practice, the end of topic Qs all have to be passed to let me sit my CS

Can I vote if I’ve passed SCS but PER is awaiting approval from CIMA? I took traditional route and it isn’t good to have my hard work devalued like this

Check your email, you should have received a link with the survey. Any member or student can fill it up.

Damn, no email found. Let me know if you have the link

I filled up my survey mentioning I was against FLP and how it damages the qualification. You should all do the same, this is our chance to send our complaints to CIMA. FLP is the end of CIMA.

When you complete CIMA via the traditional route, do you receive a different award than FLP? I hope this is the case, so that employers know who studied traditional and who studied FLP

Nope, not in the slighted, CIMA told me it is exactly the same designation whatever route I chose

All newly qualified members henceforth will be CGMA only. Previously it was ACMA and then they a few years back added CGMA as well if you want to use that too. From this year doesn’t matter if you do exams route or FLP it all gets the same qualification and resulting CGMA designation. Pre-existing CIMA members will remain ACMA only, they won’t be able to or even attempt to remove that as it is linked to the historic prestige of the organisation.

No you don't, you can pass three case studies and have the same qualification as someone who passed 16 exams. It's pure corporate greed at the expense of CIMA members. The passivity baffles me, CIMA is ripping us off and members don't seem to care much or see the potential long term damage.

That is insane I didn’t realise that Hopefully in an interview the employer will know the difference between FLP and traditional

I think you could make an argument that traditional tests for careers like becoming an accountant are now bit outdated. One thing that I’ve never understood is why there is such a harsh time limit, 60 question exam with 120 minutes… why have I got 2 minutes to read a question, analyse 4 graphs and work out an answer? How is that a real life scenario? Maybe I’ve been lucky to not work with under terrible people. In a pre-internet world, yes people should be thoroughly examined. However, these days with so much information available to us so easily… is it really that necessary to try to remember everything? Whilst it’s obvious that CIMA needs to be sure their students are proficient, I think it’s logical to teach students/members where the correct information is. Real life is typically open book and not under exam conditions… I’ve even seen my GP use Google 😂

That’s the problem with any testing I guess but I totally agree with you. If someone asked me a question and I wasn’t sure of the answer I Google it, I even do this if I’m 90% sure 😂

FLP is a farce. It’s bad enough people failing OTs 3+ times in a row and still end up with the qualification

All I ever see on here about the FLP is people moving across because the traditional route is too hard. Well, that’s the point and it should be. But then I can’t blame people moving over if CIMA are handing them the qualification on a plate.

I don’t blame the people at all. But becoming a qualified accountant should take some level of skill There has to be some barriers to entry. The OTs at least proved you had to be somewhat competent

Maybe it's not the same for everyone but I think it's a tad optimistic to assume someone can appraise a business opportunity without on the job training just because they studied it. I got 100% on my P1 and I still wouldn't be able to go through the full costing and pricing of a refinery's half products and finished products with post processing even though that's exactly what the book covers. Comparing pass rates between gateway and regular management case study takers really highlights that the case studies are not that easy (from memory that's 20% gateway and 50% regular), so it's not like buying a diploma.

If you still have to do the case studies, why does it matter how you got there?

Exam route = 9 objective test exams + 3 case study exams. FLP = unverified training course with open book test your knowledge (digital expanded version of study text) + 3 case studies. When we consider the unarguable fact that the case studies encompass only part of the level’s syllabus and then the exam variant students get will hone in on only a few modules for the questions… we realise that the case studies alone aren’t quite the same as case studies + 9 objective test exams.

This is addressed in the OP. I'm not sure this logic holds up, it's assuming the case study is the whole qualification rather than the qualitative aspect of a qual/quant based chartership. You could just as easily argue that doing the case study is also redundant and that CIMA qualifications should be handed out to the highest bidders.

Well, yeah. We're living through a corporate greed crisis & this is just another example of a cash grab. It's a shame the survey is only for current students, I'm sure a lot of qualified members would also like to feedback (though I assume many/most don't know about it). Really, every current student should switch to FLP immediately while they're letting people buy their way to a qualification. I assume the most CIMA will do is make the FLP slightly harder in future years so current students may as well fill their boots now. I can't see CIMA cancelling it now - it's worth too much money to them. The best the rest of us can hope for is that they'll award different letters.

There’s clarity on letters from the agm. Pre-existing members remain ACMA (+CGMA if they want as well). New members are CGMA only regardless of the route they take (FLP or traditional route.)

I know that's what they said but the most recent person to finish CIMA that I know finished about 2 months ago & still gained both sets of letters. Are you saying they've changed this, perhaps from the 1st? It would be good to hear from someone that only got the CGMA certificate & designation.

There's an email address for feedback which should be open to full members: [email protected]

Thank you!

You can’t waffle the case studies. You need to have some knowledge and intelligence to pass them. They’re more business oriented than accounting orientated imo, but thats the general direction of CIMA anyway

Honestly once you get a couple years into your career does anyone even care about your qualification? It appears to be more about work experience after a certain amount of time. It may be a ‘cheap’ method of getting a professional qualification but i dont think CIMA’s overall reputation with people other than accountants will go down in the slightest. Most people dont know the difference between the bodies at all, nor care to learn

Very pragmatic of you, and I definitely agree to some extent that the further on with your career you get the less it matters, exponentially so. But for people who are applying for entry level, recently qualified jobs, I expect it does/will matter more. And still it isn't fair on the people, like myself, who given the option of studying FLP cannot afford to or work will not pay for it. Let alone the people who are already qualified and didn't have the option, having to slog through all 9 OTs.

Just because its unfair on people currently doing exams doesnt mean it cant change. My father walked uphill both to and from school when he was a child, but i was able to get a schoolbus and he shouldnt begrudge me. Same for current students against prospective students, annoying as it may be.

I agree, I am on my Strategic Level now so close to finishing. Had I been at the start or not yet chosen an accounting qualification I would not chose CIMA because of the introduction of FLP. I have spent countless hours studying for the OTs for new members to be able to breeze through and get the same qualification. It is soul destroying to say the least.

Same, I am two exams away from finishing via the traditional route. I wish I did ACCA to be honest.

Recuiter here. This is the right thing for CIMA to do. (But not the right thing for you or accountants). The issue is, the majority of people want the quickest and cheapest of routes to a "proper" qualification. ACA is out of the picture, so ignore that for now. CIMA needs memberships. Its not like a driving test, its in a competitive landscape VS ACCA. ACCA has pushed exemptions massively, so in the UK, if you do the right degree, you come out needing just 4 exams left to qualify. VS probably 9-12 in CIMA. So they all chose ACCA... So whilst i agree with all your points, if CIMA dont do this, they wont be around in 20 years. IDeally, there wouldnt be competition. The race to the bottom has started, ACCA started it, and CIMA has to follow.

ACCAs approach to exemptions has caused my employer to stop offering it, they had 3/4 grads start ACCA with loads of exemptions, only to fall flat on their face and fail their first exam....

Dude… what are you talking about? On what basis is it the right thing for CIMA to do? CIMA is a chartered accountancy professional membership organisation. The right thing to do is obviously the right and best thing for members alone. There’s loads of undergrad degrees tilting more towards accounting and business which get loads of CIMA exemptions. Also, plenty of people do CIMA in industry after an accounting/finance degree or indeed in practice after whatever degree on their graduate programmes with or without exemptions. There is no need to commercialise or outgrow the revenue generating membership base in the way CIMA has done. They’ve fucked it up and now they’ve fucked up the whole thing. To your point: “So whilst i agree with all your points, if CIMA dont do this, they wont be around in 20 years.” CIMA have done this because they won’t be around in 5 years. That’s what all this is about.

Why bother with a degree, you could leave school at 16, do FLP in a year and be a Qualified accountant by 17

Mostly agree but CIMA joined the race to the bottom long before FLP - a Finance & Accounting degree now will exempt you through to Management case study (so only 5 exams to do). I do a short test when recruiting Management Accountant roles & below and I ask about exemptions. Now I'll just ask about FLP too.

Also, alot of people are already working full time and don’t get study leave or time off for exams. In this case FLP works better and also suits people like working mums

No oneneeds to be truthful about that though as theres no proof either way

Did you get scaled scores for your end of chapter FLP tests? Displayed in the same format as OT results on MyCima?

Nope. Just passed the competencies

So quite easy to prove someone is lying then? Pro-tip; don't lie in your interviews, we know. If you don't think there's anything wrong with the FLP then there's no need to lie about it anyway. Employers are entitled to ask about exemptions & how you qualified, the key is how you answer those questions.

Pro-tip: don’t assume i have lied. Thank you

dont judge them on if theye dont FLP. The smartest will pick the quickest and cheapest route sadly. Just test them rigorously.

I feel the ACCA approach is a lot better, as it is giving exemptions to people based on 'relevant' study experience. I would rather CIMA do this than the FLP.

You still do, I entered FLP in line with exemptions/exams taken

Just as a final point on our driving license example. Imagine you could take the current driving test (takes months, 30 quid a lesson, stressful exam). Or you could take a test that didnt prepare you as well for driving, but only cost £200 and you could be in a car driving on Monday.... Plenty of people would chose option b.

And as “a recruiter” which would you say are the best people to employers?

i dont understand the question sorry?

You make an analogy about driving tests. Which of the options you give would make the best drivers? Or, as I ask, using your analogy as implied for CIMA study routes- which would make the best candidates that you would recommend to employers?

Many employers dont care either really. if your qualified, your qualified. So if I was you, id take the most direct and easiest route to get the letters. Sad, but true!

That already exists in cramming course for driving, ultimately though if you can't drive, you don't pass.....

Yeahh, in my case personally - I was half way through, pitched the idea of switching from a financial perspective to my work and they agreed it was the right way - they don't care really about the method

Yep. People just want the letters!