CMI (Other exams) study plan

Map the full Domain 1 syllabus into a one-page concept map covering motivation theories, team development stages, delegation, and conflict handling, and mark which areas you already know versus which are gaps

Explain in writing how situational leadership adjusts style across competence and commitment levels, using two examples from your own workplace

Draft a comparison table of at least four motivation approaches (for example Maslow, Herzberg, Vroom expectancy, and goal-setting) showing what each predicts a manager should do differently

List the main legal and ethical constraints on managing people in your jurisdiction (fair treatment, discrimination, health and safety, consultation) and note where you are uncertain

Practise structuring answers to people-management scenarios using a fixed format: identify the issue, apply a model, propose actions, state how success is measured

Build a performance-management cycle diagram linking objectives, standards, observation, feedback, review, and development action

Write out how you would handle two difficult performance conversations (persistent underperformance and a high performer at risk of leaving), including what you would say and what you would avoid

Identify the difference between development planning, coaching, and formal capability procedures, and note when each is appropriate

Create a personal development plan template that connects organisational needs, role requirements, and individual aspirations, then complete it for a real or hypothetical team member

Summarise at least three feedback models and state which you would use in which situation, with reasons

Draft a set of measurable performance objectives that meet the SMART or equivalent standard, including two for a role you know well

List the indicators that tell you a development plan is working and the signs it has stalled

Analyse at least three strategic analysis tools (for example SWOT, PESTLE, Porter's five forces, and stakeholder mapping) and state the decision each one best supports

Write a short environmental analysis of an organisation you know, drawing out two strategic opportunities and two threats with evidence

Explain how vision, mission, values, and strategy relate to one another, and critique a real published statement against that logic

Identify how strategic direction is translated into operational objectives and how misalignment shows up

Compare at least three project planning and control techniques (for example work breakdown, critical path, stage-gate, and agile iteration) and state when each fits

Draft a one-page project plan for a realistic initiative including scope, milestones, resources, risks, and a control mechanism

Explain the main elements of a budget and the difference between budget, forecast, and variance analysis, using a worked example with numbers

Identify the commercial factors a manager must weigh in a decision (cost, price, margin, cash flow, risk, contract terms) and apply them to one case

Map stakeholders for a real change initiative by influence and interest, and state an engagement approach for each quadrant

Explain at least two models of change (for example Lewin, Kotter, and the change curve) and identify the point at which each predicts resistance will peak

Draft a communication plan for a change that affects customers and staff, covering message, channel, timing, and handling objections

Describe how you would build a business case for an innovation and how you would test whether an idea is worth pursuing

Summarise the core governance duties of a manager: accountability, delegation with oversight, record-keeping, conflicts of interest, and whistleblowing routes

Work through three short ethical dilemmas and write a defensible decision for each using a stated ethical framework

Audit your own time and priorities for one week and identify two changes that would improve your effectiveness

Write a personal statement of professional conduct covering how you handle pressure, mistakes, and competing loyalties

Revisit your weakest areas from weeks 1 to 7 and rewrite two earlier answers to a higher standard

Complete a timed mock under exam conditions and mark it against the assessment criteria you have identified

Consolidate all nine domains into a single revision sheet of models, definitions, and trigger words

Identify the three question types you handle least well and write a short plan for each