Relevant Experience
Your quick guide to what counts, how much you need and how to prepare your CIMA application
What work experience counts?
| Management accounting |
Financial planning and analysis |
Risk management |
| Finance business partnering |
Financial management |
Taxation |
| Financial accounting |
Performance management |
Professional services and consulting |
| Financial and management reporting |
Business intelligence and data analysis |
Audit and assurance |
| Banking and treasury |
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Good to know: This list is not exhaustive. Experience gained in other areas may also be relevant, provided finance-related activities formed part of your role.
How far back can my experience go?
You must provide examples of employment covering three years of relevant work experience, verified by a manager/supervisor. Experience can be from one role, multiple roles, recent and past roles (No time limit). However, recent experience is often easier to verify and more likely to align with current assessment requirements.
Can I use experience from previous roles or employers?
Yes. You can use relevant experience from current or previous roles, including experience gained before becoming a CIMA student. The key requirement is that the experience is relevant and can be verified by an appropriate PER supervisor.
Can I use the same example for more than one professional achievement?
Yes, if the example genuinely demonstrates multiple professional achievements. However, each STAR response must focus on the specific achievement being claimed, and responses should not be duplicated. For example, you may be working on a project where you can talk about leadership, communication and ethics and integrity, so write about the project from the perspective of each behaviour.
Different examples are recommended where possible to demonstrate a broader range of experience.
I have less than three years of relevant experience. When should I start?
You can begin preparing notes and drafting examples at any time. However, you can only submit your full application once you have completed at least three years of relevant experience and passed the Management Case Study Exam.
Does part-time experience count?
Yes, it does. When you select part time on the PER dashboard, the system will calculate what the full-time equivalent would be.
Can lecturing or academic experience count?
Please contact CIMA for information on the academic route to membership application.
I'm an apprentice. How do I record my experience?
Apprentices have a separate route to CIMA membership. Please refer to the apprenticeship guidance for details.
Quick guide: what counts as relevant experience?
| Relevant experience |
Not relevant experience |
| Current finance role |
Non-finance-related work |
| Previous finance role experience |
Training courses or studying |
| Finance-related experience before becoming a CIMA student |
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| Secondment, if finance-related |
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| Internship, if relevant |
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| Part-time finance role, pro-rated |
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| Voluntary finance role |
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| Graduate programme |
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| Finance role outside a finance department |
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| Experience from 10+ years ago |
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Remember: You can build relevant experience before becoming a CIMA student and across different organisations, sectors and industries, as long as your responsibilities include finance-related activities.