astranti cima strategic case study

Strategic Case Study

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Resources to help you prepare for your case study exam.

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Case study performance descriptors, a walkthrough of real exam answers, calculator guidance, resitters guide - ot and cs exams, learning resources catalogue, free exam and question tutorial strategic case study, what do my exam results mean, further reading.

Exam Technique

Case Study support 1 – preparing for the Case Study exam

Case study support 2 – planning a good answer, case study support 3 – developing a fuller answer.

Study Support

How to use the CGMA Blueprints

Management Accounting Mastery

Master the skills needed to pass the cima exams and become a chartered global management accountant, cima strategic level case study – a winning study schedule, cima strategic level case study (scs) overview.

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that there’s a lot to do in preparation for your CIMA Strategic level case study exam.

As you will have seen from an earlier blog post I wrote, your approach needs to involve:

Careful analysis of the pre seen material
Familiarity with what is going on in that industry in the real world
Thorough revision of your technical knowledge from the three objective test papers
A good understanding of your “role” in the fictitious organisation
Practicing the many elements of exam technique needed to pass

Now you’re probably pretty scared of awaits you in the CIMA Strategic level case study, right?

And you’re wondering: is it even possible to be fully prepared in such a short space of time?

But don’t worry, I’ve broken down what you need to do in a step-by-step, week-by-week, structure for you to follow.

It’s based on the same blueprint that CIMA case study experts Astranti use on their CIMA SCS Exam Course .

And this schedule has been proven to work over and over again by students who have passed their CIMA Strategic level case study exam, despite working full time and having other commitments taking up their time.

Now it won’t be easy. Preparing for CIMA exams never is.

But if you follow the plan below over the coming weeks it will set you up for success…AND don’t worry if you feel you are falling behind. You will soon catch up if you are determined to pass.

Activity #1: CIMA Strategic Level Case Study Pre Seen Analysis

In particular you are looking to find out:

A clear picture of what the organisation does and the industry it operates in
How the business is performing and where it is currently heading
The potential threats and opportunities for the business
Who the stakeholders are and how you would advise they be managed
A list of the key issues facing the organisation that are likely to come up in your exam
How you would deal with such issues to provide practical business advice
The key topics from the E, P and F papers that are relevant to this particular case
Your own interpretation of the figures provided (what they mean for the business)
Any potential ethical issues that may arise
A list of key facts you can summarise onto one page and read over regularly

Activity #2: Start Learning More About the CIMA Strategic Level Case Study Exam

In particular you’ll want to discover:

The key ingredients to passing the CIMA Strategic Level Case Study
A general overview of the exam format
Your Role and how it will shape your exam answers
How to analyse the pre seen
How to Identify ALL the requirements
Why you must plan your answers
The 9 stages of exam planning
How you can practise your answer plans
The best approach to typing up your answers for a clear pass
How to practise your writing style
How the SCS exam is marked
How to master time management in your exam
The optimum approach to preparing for the SCS exam

Recommended resources:

Relevant SCS Pre Seen Material from CIMA Connect
Matt’s FREE guide to analysing the pre seen quickly and effectively
Astranti Detailed Video Guides walking you through the SCS pre seen
Astranti SCS Study Text no.1 covering in depth what is needed to pass the exam
Astranti SCS Tuition Videos on exam time management, writing style and answer planning
Recent SCS Examiner reports from CIMA Connect

Activity #1: Start Revising Theory from Papers E3, P3 and F3 (and how to apply it)

Your CIMA Strategic case study exam is not just testing your technical knowledge but also your application of this knowledge.

“Application” basically means knowing when and how to use a theoretical model appropriately in your exam so that you can provide the best advice possible to your boss in the case.

Here you’ll want to learn:

Which theories are most applicable to the CIMA Strategic level case study exam
The underlying concepts of those theories so you can explain them
The pros and cons of using them in different business scenarios
What the examiner is really after when it comes to earning marks for technical skills
How to interpret and analyse key financials to help the decision making process
How to apply different theoretical models to the pre seen
How to use theory as a useful tool for providing sound business advice in the exam

Activity #2: Start revising the different aspects of Ethics (an area often examined)

Ethical issues can come up in any CIMA Strategic level case study exam. Such as the ethics of suppressing the facts in a report to stakeholders (Variant 1, May 2017), the ethical issues relating to a product placement decision (Variant 2, May 2017), and ethical risks associated with analysing the competitor’s product in order to copy it (Variant 4, May 2017).

The CIMA Strategic level case study examiner has also made a point of saying that Ethics needs to be dealt with better by students. Here’s just one example from a recent examiner’s report:

“Candidates are not usually very proficient at questions on ethics and unfortunately this question was no different.”

So if you want to score well in your exam you need to be prepared to deal with the different aspects of ethics should they come up.

In particular you want to learn:

Why ethics is so important at case study
Ethics – the theory and how to apply to the exam
Corporate Social responsibility – the theory and how to apply it
How to use CIMA’s ethical code – which the examiner for the CIMA SCS exam said could come up at any time
Controlling ethics – a checklist on how to deal with ethical problems faced in the exam
Why students ethical sections are typically so poor
A checklist of ethical headings to consider to analyse ethical issues in depth and maximise marks
How to write ethical recommendations in depth
What the examiners say about ethics and the exam
A standard structure to use in the exam to maximise marks on ethics questions

Activity #3 (Optional): Watch a live/recorded webinar on the keys to passing the CIMA SCS exam.

Here you’ll by taught by an expert tutor where you’ll learn:

What it takes to prepare fully for this exam, and what YOU will have to do between now and your exam date
What the examiner says you must do to pass AND what you must avoid
The skills of effective planning with a live demonstration of answer planning
A good understanding of the key points from the current pre-seen
How to use your knowledge of the pre-seen to score marks in the exam
The 10 theoretical models most likely to be examined, based on the current pre-seen
The writing style that maximises your marks in the exam
How to master your time management – often the biggest roadblock to passing this exam

Activity #4: Attempt Your First CIMA Strategic Level Case Study Mock (and submit for marking)

Without doubt the difference between passing and failing the CIMA Strategic level case study exam comes down to one thing: How well you have practiced your exam technique under exam conditions.

Mock exams help you with just that.

But also, mock exams help you determine whether the hours you have already spent revising have worked in terms of committing the vital information to your long term memory. After all, in the heat of your exam, you need to be able to quickly and easily recall how to approach the answers.

As each exam window is based on a different case, you’ll want to make sure that the mock exams you are attempting are on the latest pre-seen and contain realistic scenarios which could occur in the real exam.

Once you have attempted your mock, you’ll want to get your mock marked by an experienced tutor.

It’s really hard to tell by yourself whether you would have picked up marks or not throughout your script and also it’s hard not to be biased.

Your marker will give you a good outside perspective as to the level of knowledge and exam technique you have displayed in your script. And also point out which areas of improvement you need to focus on most and how to go about making those adjustments.

Activity #5: Review First Mock solution

Here you want to review what a high quality answer looks like as well as the best way to structure your exam answer to the different requirements you are faced with.

It’s important that you don’t simply copy out the solution. Instead as you read through, think about and note down any key insights you learn. In particular ask yourself:

Did I spot ALL of the same requirements?
Did I format my answer in a similar way?
Did I apply the same or similar theory to each requirement?
Did I make roughly the same number of points in each section?
Did each of my points have a similar amount of depth to them?
Was my overall advice in each section in line with the solution?

It’s also important to remember that mock exam practice is all part of the learning process. You’re not expected to be writing a strong answer just yet. And it’s also better to find out where your strengths and weaknesses lye right now rather than on your actual exam day

Astranti SCS study text no.2 which covers all the key areas of the syllabus from E3, P3 and F3
Astranti’s S CS Ethics pack which goes into detail about how to deal with Ethics confidently
Astranti Masterclass 1 where you’ll be taught the keys to passing the SCS exam
Astranti S CS Mock Exam 1 and Solution
Marking and feedback from experienced Astranti tutor

Activity #1: Review First Mock Feedback When Returned by Marker

Your experienced marker will review your script in detail, paragraph by paragraph.

They will give specific feedback for each paragraph and determine your areas for improvement. This will enable you to identify weaknesses in your answers and how you can improve on them to get those vital marks.

Specifically they will give you feedback on:

How well you applied the case to the unseen scenario – are you scoring enough application marks?
Your application to the pre seen – are you using pre seen information enough?
The balance of your points under technical, people, business and leadership skills
Your exam technique – focusing on what you need to do to score more marks
Your writing style – is the way you make your points scoring good marks?
Whether you are writing enough to pass – do you need to make more points and in which sections?
Any key areas of technical weakness that you need to revise.
Whether your point’s long enough and your explanation’s detailed enough.
Your overall performance with your final mark – and whether you are on track to pass

Activity #2: Attempt Your Second Mock (and submit for marking)

Use what you learned from your first mock to your advantage. Particularly look to put into place those improvements identified by your marker.

Submit your mock for marking to confirm how well you scored and put those improvements into place

Activity #3: Review Second Mock Solution

Follow the same process as for your first mock solution

Activity #4: Keep Revising Theory from Papers E3, P3 and F3

Keep testing yourself on how well you explain the theories you cover and your ability to apply them to potential scenarios affecting the case.

Activity #5 (Optional): Keep Revising Ethics

Keep working on how to deal with ethical issues successfully in your exam

Recommended Resources;

Astranti SCS Mock Exam 2 and Solution
Astranti SCS Text Books

Activity #1: Review Second Mock feedback when returned by marker:

Follow the same process as when you got the feedback for your first mock. Take comfort from where your strengths are and don’t get too down about your weaknesses. You’ll never produce a perfect answer. Simply commit to work on those specific areas of improvement in isolation before your next mock.

Activity #2: Attempt Your Third Mock

Use what you learned from previous mock attempts to your advantage. Particularly look to put into place those improvements identified by your marker.

Activity #3: Review Third Mock Solution

Follow the same process as per previous mock solutions.

Activity #4: Keep Revising Theory from Papers E3, P3 and F3

As in previous weeks

Recommended Resources;

Astranti SCS Mock Exam 3 and Solution

Activity #1: Review Third Mock feedback when returned by marker

Activity #2: Attempt Your Fourth Mock

Activity #3: Review Fourth Mock Solution

Astranti SCS Mock Exam 4 and Solution

Activity #1: Review Fourth Mock feedback when returned by marker

Activity #2: Attempt Your Fifth Mock

This will typically be your final mock before your actual exam.

As such, it needs to be very challenging and probably more difficult than real exam. That way your actual exam will feel like just another mock.

This final mock will cover some of the major topics (ones likely to be tested in the real thing) from E3, F3 and P3.

Submit this mock for marking to see where you really stand a week before your exam date.

Activity #3: Review Fifth Mock Solution

Activity #5 (Optional): Final Revision Webinar Ahead of Your CIMA Strategic Level Case Study Exam

Here you’ll learn:

The common mistakes made in the exam according to the examiner
Which errors you are still making that you’ll want to eradicate
The top 10 most likely issues in your exam based on the current pre-seen
Whether you are using the pre-seen information as you should be – the examiner says you must!
A reminder of the key elements of passing the SCS exam
Four key areas of improvement for YOU to score more marks on exam day (based on a script you have written)
Pre-prepared paragraphs based on your pre-seen which you can memorise that are guaranteed to score you extra marks in the exam
What the markers are saying about SCS scripts they are marking and what they say you should do to improve
The key time saving tips for the exam to ensure you complete every section on the day
A number of top industry examples which you can use to score marks in your exam
What other students are saying which can be of use to you in your exam
Astranti SCS Mock Exam 5 and Solution
Astranti Masterclass 2

This is your CIMA Strategic level case study exam week!!!

Exams are held between Tuesday and Saturday.

Activity #1: Review Fifth Mock feedback when returned by marker

Hopefully be now you’ll marker will be reporting that you’ve ironed out most of your weaknesses and you are well on track for passing your exam.

Activity #2: Final Tweeks

Work on any remaining areas of exam technique and technical knowledge that need improving.

Other activities to perform on pre exam days:

Re read the pre seen & the one page summary of your analysis
Create a list of key points you want to use in your exam
Review all the key lessons from your mocks
Re read the key theories just to refresh your mind
Try to visit your chosen exam centre
Make sure you have your admission slip and ID ready
Take it easy the day before your exam – no last minute cramming
Sleep well and relax the night before the exam
Practice thinking positively ahead of your exam – visualise success

Activities to perform during Your exam:

Go into exam with confidence – even if you don’t feel like it, try and act like it (trust me this works)
Work quickly through your exam and aim to make lots of points
Keep going right to the end and try to maximise your marks
Keep an eye on the time throughout and stick to your timings
Stick to what has worked in your mock exam practice
Your revision notes
Your admission slip and ID

Final thoughts

This schedule is not meant to intimidate you. It looks long and involved but it is manageable even with a full time job and other commitments . Plus you can always use it as a template to create your own schedule.

I can’t guarantee you a pass if you stick to this plan. I wish I could.

But if you follow ALL the steps outlined in the schedule, you are gearing yourself up for the best chance of passing first time. After all, it means you are following a proven framework that has been used by many successful students on Astranti’s CIMA SCS course

And if your exam is fast approaching, you can still catch up and complete all these activities in time. It just means you’ll have to put in the extra effort in the time remaining. But what you can’t do is skip ahead or miss a couple of these steps out …as this virtually guarantees you will fail.

Just be prepared to put in the hard work now so that you can reap the benefits come results time.

P.S. Have any questions? Drop me a note in the comments section below.

P.P.S. If you know someone who is also taking their CIMA Strategic level case study exam, please share this plan to help them, too.

Free CIMA Resources

Finding free CIMA resources, exam tips and study texts could be the difference between passing and failing your next exam. These resources are also a good way of complementing your existing CIMA materials.

The guys at Astranti financial training offer FREE study texts for every paper and level of the CIMA qualification. See the links below to access their free study texts – invaluable if you want to get a head start on your next exam.

Free Astranti Study Text – CIMA Certificate Level

Free Astranti Study Text – CIMA Operational Level

Free Astranti Study Text – CIMA Management Level

Free Astranti Study Text – CIMA Strategic Level

I’ve used the study texts for my operational and management level exams and found them very good indeed.

You can view the text chapter by chapter and even access some of the sample questions for free as well (see screenshot below)

Practice Tests Academy

Mock exams are key to passing any CIMA exam first time and I find the mock exams from the Practice Tests Academy are the best around if you want to simulate real exam conditions.

What’s more, they have over 500 unique questions for each CIMA exam you take, this means you can practice mock exam questions until your heart is content!

They offer you the chance to try their materials for free before signing up for their full question bank – they also offer materials for the case study exams – so be sure to keep this site as one of your favourites.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Cima strategic case study (scs) frequently asked questions and answers with astranti peter stiff.

CIMA Strategic Case Study (SCS) frequently asked questions and answers with Astranti Peter Stiff

Text Version of the video below

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CIMA Strategic Case Study

Theory revision series

In our post-exam surveys after almost every strategic case study exam, students tell us they wish they’d spent MORE time revising the theory from their E3, F3 and P3 exams.

For many students, it’s been months (if not years) between them passing their objective test exams and attempting the case study – a lot of time for their knowledge to slip!

And yet, to revise all three subjects in full is nigh on impossible when you also have to understand the pre-seen and master your case study technique too.

Our aim is to save you time and make your life easier! We have examined the last 8 years of case studies to work out what theory tends to come up regularly and what rarely comes up at all, and summarised all the key examinable topics in a clear and simple way in our revision texts and videos.

Our SCS theory revision series: + Covers all the most important theory that you need to know for the case study exams + Converts the key content from over 1,100 pages of syllabus study texts into just 552 pages + Condenses the theory into manageable chunks, with around 33 hours of video to watch + Gives you the platform to successfully apply the syllabus theory to the pre-seen company and the un-seen exam scenarios

Find out exactly what’s covered and take a look at our samples from the theory revision series below.

“I couldn’t recommend Astranti enough. I used them throughout my case study preparations and found their materials prepared me so well for the exams, meaning I was confident in all aspects from exam technique to theory to case study analysis.”

CIMA Case Study Student , January 2024

“I have completed CIMA’s MCS and SCS with Astranti and have passed them both at first attempt. Great Customer Service, Course Structure is Excellent. Mocks and Theory Revision Kits are the best feature of the course.”

CIMA Qualified , April 2022

Learn what it takes to pass

Focus on the key topics you’re most likely to be tested on

Refresh your syllabus knowledge with help from our tutors

Clear and simple examples bring each topic to life

Reduce revision time

Avoid rereading the full E3, F3 and P3 study texts

Save yourself time and focus on the most important topics

Revise from one place, using our study texts or videos

Switch up your learning

Watch the videos, download the audio or print the study texts

Cement your knowledge in the way that suits you

Content is split into manageable chunks to make things easier

Take a look for yourself…

Part 1 – Key theory from CIMA E3

Part 1 - What's covered?

Chapter 1: Mission and Objectives
Chapter 2: External Analysis
Chapter 3: Scenario Analysis
Chapter 4: Internal Analysis
Chapter 5: Product and Corporate Appraisal
Chapter 6: Developing Strategic Options
Chapter 7: Strategy Evaluation
Chapter 8: Supply Chain Management
Chapter 9: Digital Technologies

Total video running time: 10 hours

Part 2 – Key theory from CIMA F3

Part 2 - What's covered?

Chapter 1: Finance Strategy
Chapter 2 : Dividend Policy
Chapter 3: Equity Finance
Chapter 4 : Debt Finance
Chapter 5: Financial Risk
Chapter 6: Currency Risk
Chapter 7: Mergers and Acquisitions
Chapter 8: Business Valuation I
Chapter 9: Business Valuation II

Total video running time: 13 hours

Part 3 – Key theory from CIMA P3

Part 3 - What's covered?

Chapter 1: Risk
Chapter 2: Further Risk Management
Chapter 3: Governance and Reporting
Chapter 4: Internal Controls
Chapter 5: Management Control Systems
Chapter 6: The Role of Internal Audit
Chapter 7: Cyber Threats
Chapter 8: Cybersecurity Objectives
Chapter 9: Cybersecurity Processes

What our students have to say…

Please see our testimonials page for our latest student reviews. Here are a couple of examples:

“I passed my SCS exam in November 2023. As I came through the CFO pathway, I knew I needed to fill knowledge gaps before tackling the CIMA Strategic Case Study.

Astranti’s Strategic level theory summaries proved invaluable for this. This streamlined approach saved me precious time and helped me confidently navigate the pre-seen material.”

CIMA Qualified , November 2023

“I have purchased the theory revision series for Management Case Study and now Strategic. Very informative and provides useful scenarios you can expect to see in the exams as well as gaining an understanding of how to build application marks in case studies.

I passed MCS first time with the help of this, so I’ve purchased in again for SCS. Fingers crossed! Would highly recommend this revision series. Thank you!”

Passed CIMA MCS , October 2021

Purchase the theory revision series

The Theory Revision Series is also part of our SCS Premium Course. Head to the course page to find out more.

SCS Theory Revision Series £165

To qualify for the pass guarantee you need to ensure you complete ALL of the following steps. Failure to complete all of these steps will mean you will not qualify.

You must complete both practice exams and one of the mock exams and send them to your allocated marker by the deadlines set out in the course schedule.

You must not copy the mock exam solutions. If you do so this will invalidate your pass guarantee.

You must achieve an average mark of at least 30% in your submitted practice and mock exams. This is to ensure you are putting in enough effort.

You must attend or watch the recorded versions of the masterclasses and make notes on the pass guarantee form.

Use the pass guarantee form to document your key learning points throughout your studies, submit within 1 week of the final exam.

You must confirm that you have read and understood the pass guarantee terms.

View & Print:

1. Click the “View + Print” link to view the study text.

2. Wait for all of the pages to load , this can sometimes take a couple of minutes depending on the size of the document (scroll to the last page to ensure that every page loads).

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4. Follow the steps to print.

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You must complete mock exams 1 to 3 and send them to your allocated marker by the deadlines set out in the course schedule.