CMA USA Certification

Begin by becoming an IMA member, then pay the one-time CMA entrance fee. Once enrolled, you can register for Part 1 and/or Part 2 of the CMA exam. The education and experience requirements can be completed before or after passing the exams.

To become a CMA you need: an active IMA membership, a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (or an approved professional certification such as CA or CPA), two continuous years of professional experience in management accounting or financial management, passing scores on both parts of the CMA exam, and ongoing adherence to the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice.

Most candidates complete both parts within 8–12 months of focused study. All certification requirements (exams, education, and experience) must be completed within seven years of entering the program.

The exam has two parts. Each part contains 100 multiple-choice questions (3 hours) followed by two 30-minute essay scenarios (1 hour) — for a total of 4 hours per part.

The CMA exam is offered in three testing windows each year: January–February, May–June, and September–October. Exams are administered at Prometric test centers worldwide and can also be taken online with remote proctoring where available.

You need a scaled score of 360 out of 500 to pass each part. Multiple-choice questions account for 75% of the total score, and the essay section accounts for the remaining 25%.

After registering and paying the exam fee, you'll receive an authorization number from IMA. Use that number to schedule your appointment on the Prometric website at prometric.com/ICMA.

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university — in any discipline, not just accounting or finance — qualifies. Approved professional certifications such as CA, CPA, ACCA, and CIMA also satisfy the education requirement.

Yes. Students pursuing their undergraduate degree are eligible to register for and attempt the CMA exam. You'll need to submit your degree credentials within seven years of passing the exam to be certified.

Submit official transcripts (or notarized copies) as PDFs to the IMA email address listed in the CMA Handbook, including your IMA membership number with the submission. International credentials may require evaluation by an approved agency.

Two continuous years of professional experience in management accounting or financial management. Qualifying roles include financial planning and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, cost accounting, internal auditing, financial reporting, treasury, and similar functions.

You have a 7-year window from the date you pass the CMA exam to complete your two years of qualifying full-time work experience. Part-time work counts proportionally — for example, 20 hours per week of qualifying work counts as half-time.

Qualifying work experience can be earned anywhere in the world, with any employer, as long as the role meets IMA's professional content criteria.

Maintain an active IMA membership, complete 30 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) each year — including 2 hours specifically in ethics — and continue to comply with the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice.

Failing to meet CPE or membership requirements puts your CMA status into inactive standing. You can typically reinstate it by completing the missed CPE and paying any applicable reinstatement fees.