CMA Part 1 study plan

Map the conceptual framework, qualitative characteristics, and financial statement elements into a one-page reference sheet you write from memory

Apply the five-step revenue recognition model to eight contract scenarios and record the journal entries for each

Distinguish accrual, deferral, and estimate adjustments and record the adjusting entries for a trial balance you construct yourself

Compute basic and diluted earnings per share for three capital structures, including convertible bonds and options using the treasury stock method

Classify and measure assets and liabilities: inventory cost flow methods, lower of cost or net realizable value, and PP&E capitalization, depreciation, and impairment

Explain in writing the accounting treatment for leases, bonds issued at a discount or premium, and pensions at a level sufficient to answer a computational question on each

Reconcile deferred tax balances to book income using a rate-reconciliation schedule you build yourself

Construct an indirect-method statement of cash flows from a comparative balance sheet and income statement you draft

Define the cost object, cost driver, product versus period cost, and cost behavior terminology for the cost management phase

Prepare a process cost report using both weighted-average and FIFO methods, including equivalent units and cost reconciliation

Allocate overhead using a plantwide rate, departmental rates, and activity-based costing, then compare the resulting product costs

Account for joint products and byproducts using physical units, relative sales value, and net realizable value methods

Analyze a supply chain scenario and recommend a sourcing or lean-inventory action with quantified cost impact

Compute the cost of scrap, rework, and spoilage and decide which costs are inventoriable

Build a full master budget cascade - sales, production, direct materials, direct labor, overhead, and cash - from one set of assumptions

Distinguish and apply the budgeting approaches: top-down, bottom-up, zero-based, activity-based, and rolling forecasts

Forecast using regression output, learning curves, and expected-value analysis, and state the limits of each technique

Identify and explain the behavioral and strategic pitfalls of budgetary slack and how to counter them

Compute and interpret direct material, direct labor, and overhead variances, and decompose each into price and quantity components

Separate variance causes into operational, purchasing, and planning factors and recommend a corrective action for two variances

Evaluate segment and manager performance using ROI, residual income, and EVA, and explain where each measure misleads

Apply transfer pricing rules - market price, cost-plus, negotiated, and dual rates - across a vertically integrated company

Select and critique operational and financial performance measures for a balanced scorecard across all four perspectives

Diagram the COSO internal control framework's five components and seventeen principles and match each to a concrete control activity

Design a segregation-of-duties structure for a purchasing-and-disbursement cycle and identify the fraud opportunity in a weakened version

Compare the COSO enterprise risk management framework to the internal control framework and classify five risks by likelihood and impact

Sequence the internal audit process from engagement planning through reporting, and distinguish assurance from consulting engagements

Detect red flags of financial statement fraud and asset misappropriation in a short case you write yourself

Match systems controls - input, processing, output, access, and change management - to the risk each mitigates

Distinguish data analytics types (descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, prescriptive) and select the right one for four business questions

Interpret correlation, regression, and data visualization output and flag three common analytical misinterpretations

Compare ERP, cloud, and legacy system architectures on control, cost, and continuity risk

Explain how data governance, data integrity, and cybersecurity controls interact to protect financial reporting

Diagnose weak areas from two full-length timed mock exams and rank topics by expected point gain per study hour

Re-solve every missed question from weeks 1 through 7 and write the underlying rule for each miss

Drill computational speed on the highest-frequency calculation types, targeting under 90 seconds each

Rehearse essay-question structure by outlining four prompts in written form with a clear answer-first format

Finalize a one-page formula and framework sheet you can reconstruct from memory on exam day