CIMA for SAICA Members: From CA(SA) to CGMA in One Exam

Do SAICA members only sit the SCS?

Yes, if you meet the agreement's terms. Under the CIMA and SAICA agreement signed on 31 May 2022, SAICA members with at least 3 years' verified relevant practical experience are exempt from 15 of CIMA's 16 exams.

CIMA has 16 exams in total. Under the agreement you sit 1 of them. That is the Strategic Case Study, the final exam of the qualification. The SCS is never exempt for anyone, so every route ends with it.

Exemptions are free. CIMA's own wording: "There is no charge for exemption fees."

Under the agreement you also take a Strategic Case Study preparation course with a registered provider before you sit the exam.

What does the Strategic Case Study involve?

The SCS is a 3 hour exam. It is based on a pre-seen: case material CIMA releases ahead of the exam for you to study in advance.

• When: four times a year, in February, May, August and November, over three days (Wednesday to Friday).
• Pass mark: 80 out of 150.
• Latest pass rate: 64% in May 2026. About two in three candidates passed.
• Syllabus: CIMA's new syllabus added sustainability and AI, and case studies switched to it from May 2026. A further update for IFRS 18 reaches case studies in May 2027.

The SCS sits at the Strategic level, alongside the E3, P3 and F3 objective tests. Under the agreement, those three tests are among your exemptions.

How much does CIMA cost for a SAICA member?

South Africa is in CIMA's Band 3 (e.g. African countries). Here is what you pay on this route, in pounds:

Fees rise 2 to 4% on 1 January 2027, so a 2027 SCS will cost a little more than £303.

The October offer. CIMA's site says that if you register in October 2026, you pay no subscription until January 2028. That is 15 months for the price of 12. November registrations get 14 months and December 13. Only the £99 registration is paid. The offer runs until 31 December 2026, per CIMA's site; check CIMA's terms.

When can I sit the SCS?

These are the SCS dates from CIMA's official timetable (updated 2 Sep 2026):

February 2027 reuses the November 2026 pre-seen. May and August 2027 share a pre-seen, released in March or April 2027.

Allow time for CIMA to review your documents and confirm your exemptions before you aim at a booking deadline.

How do I register?

1. Check your start point in CIMA's free exemption calculator at aicpa-cima.com/exemption-calculator.
2. Apply at aicpa-cima.com/register.
3. Upload your documents. For a professional body, that is your membership or final certificate. Send copies only. Any document not in English needs a certified translation.
4. Pay the £99 registration. CIMA then reviews your documents and confirms your exemptions. Do not buy a course for an exempt paper before that.
5. Book the SCS in MyCIMA, through Pearson VUE.

Three rules to know. Exemptions are confirmed only after you register and upload documents. There is no appeal. An exemption you turn down cannot be claimed back later.

One more rule. A membership gained through a mutual recognition deal with another body cannot be used to claim CIMA exemptions. Apply on the basis of your SAICA membership itself.

Does passing the SCS make me a CGMA?

Passing the SCS completes the exams. To become a member, you also need 3 years' verified work experience, called PER, and the application costs £199. Membership gives you two titles: ACMA (CIMA associate member) and CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant). Ask your local CIMA office how your existing experience applies to PER.

What if the agreement does not apply to me?

Without the agreement, for example before you have 3 years' experience, CIMA's calculator shows a SAICA member with 8 exams left. So the agreement saves you 7 exams.

If you are an accounting graduate and not yet a member, check your South African degree in CIMA's free exemption calculator, which lists courses university by university. Two rules apply to degrees. A degree needs 50% overall to count. A degree that is 7 or more years old gets Cert BA exemptions only.

Are there similar routes for ICAZ and ICAN members?

Yes. CIMA has agreements with these bodies too, where members sit only the SCS:

• ICAZ (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe) members;
• ICAN (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Namibia) members, under an agreement from February 2023. They also take the SCS preparation course.

Ask your local CIMA office for the conditions that apply to your body. CIMA confirms your route when you register.