CIMA Strategic Case Study Overview

Exam Success Workshop

18 Nov 2015

Samuel Li, ACMA CGMA

Learning Support Manager

2015 Syllabus and Assessment –

Strategic Case Study

• 2015 Syllabus and Assessment – the rationale

• Case study passing criteria

• Exam techniques – question walkthrough

• Be exam ready!

Agenda

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The 2015 CIMA Qualification

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Case studies(Long and short answer essay questions)

Objective tests

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4

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CGMA competency framework

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Approach to Case Study

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• 3 hours

• Preseen available to download 7 weeks before exam

• 3 – 5 tasks in each exam

• Each tasks will have a specific time assigned to

• Students will be forced to ‘move on’ when time is up

• Not possible to return to previous task once moved on

• Human marked

• Result given in 4 – 5 weeks

• Available 4 times a year. Each sitting has a window of 5 days

• Total of 5 variants, randomly selected by the system

• Possible to reschedule up to 14 days before examination

Exam logistics

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• 80 out of 150

• Meeting the minimum threshold (approx. 1/3) against each competency

• You will be issued one of three categories indicating your performance for

each competency

– Fail: Below the minimum threshold

– Moderate: Between the minimum threshold and just above the

performance of a minimally competent candidate for the specific

competency.

– Strong: Demonstrating a high level of competency

Passing case study exam

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Competency Mix at strategic level Minimum threshold

Technical 23% 8%

Business 23% 8%

People 22% 7%

Leadership 23% 8%

Integration 9% 3%

Competency mix at different level

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• Overall fail (less than 80 out of 150)

• Student should review ALL competencies before re-take

• Special attention should be pay to the People and Leadership

skills

Example 1

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Competency Weight Threshold Student score Result display

Technical 23% 8% 10% Moderate

Business 23% 8% 10% Moderate

People 22% 7% 5% Fail

Leadership 23% 8% 3% Fail

Integration 9% 3% 3% Moderate

Total 100% - 31% FAIL50/150

• Overall fail (less than 80 out of 150)

• Student should review ALL competencies before re-take

• The scale score (out of 150) will show how close the student is

from passing

Example 2

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Competency Weight Threshold Student score Result display

Technical 23% 8% 10% Moderate

Business 23% 8% 10% Moderate

People 22% 7% 10% Moderate

Leadership 23% 8% 10% Moderate

Integration 9% 3% 4% Moderate

Total 100% - 44% FAIL70/150

• At least one competency not reaching threshold, so fail

• Focus on Leadership before re-take

Example 3

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Competency Weight Threshold Student score Result display

Technical 23% 8% 20% Strong

Business 23% 8% 20% Strong

People 22% 7% 20% Strong

Leadership 23% 8% 5% Fail

Integration 9% 3% 3% Moderate

Total 100% - 68% FAIL90/150

Example 4

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Competency Weight Threshold Student score Result display

Technical 23% 8% 20% Strong

Business 23% 8% 20% Strong

People 22% 7% 20% Strong

Leadership 23% 8% 10% Moderate

Integration 9% 3% 5% Moderate

Total 100% - 75% Pass

• Above 80/150 and all competencies meeting minimum threshold

• In order to pass, student must develop an all rounded approach

100/150

• Requirement(s) correctly interpreted

• Answered the question set / all requirements

• Logical and coherent answer

• Demonstration of understanding of theory / principles

(appropriately)

• Theory / principles applied well to specific problem / issue

• Conforms to the format required

• Short concise sentences with less punctuation

• Headings and sub-headings

• Short paragraphs, and make a separate paragraph for each point

• Selective underlining

• Answered within time

What will a ‘good answer’ looks like?

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• There is no difference in what would earn marks in Case Study

Exams, because it is always about answering the question!

• It is extremely unlikely that a well-prepared student who answers

what is asked would fail to meet the threshold for all the

competencies.

• Need not worry about competencies as a ‘good answer’ will hit the

competencies.

• A strategic level question will ask for a different approach from an

operational level question (e.g. more complex)

‘Good answer’ earns marks

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Summary of pre-seen

• Look is similar to Google: listed with high P/E ratio

• 3 founders have 10% of shares but majority votes due to two tier

share structure

• 9 business units:

– Look Search: search engine giving 90%+ of profit but mature

– Look Space: maps giving 9.4% of profit

– Look OS: free smartphone operating system (loss making)

– Look Apps: downloads of Look’s and 3rd party apps 0.3% of profit

– Look Phones: premium smartphones 2.7% of profit

– Look Lens: in-eye display units (loss making)

– Look Media: streamed content 5.9% of profit

– Look Cloud: pay for storage (loss making)

LOOK (March 2015 SCS)

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Summary of pre-seen (con’t)

• CSR commitments in areas of energy use and staff welfare

• Questionable corporate governance due to dominance of founders

• Rumours that one founder thinking of leaving

• Data on Friendtime, a listed social media site (like Facebook)

LOOK (March 2015 SCS)

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SCS March 2015 – v4

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SCS March 2015 – v4: Task 1

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Time given: 60 mins (33%)

SCS March 2015 – v4: Task 1

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Time given: 60 mins (33%)

• Is LOOK Payment a good strategic fit for LOOK

• What are the risk to LOOK’s reputation from this venture

SCS March 2015 – v4: Task 1 Requirements

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E3 P3

• Strategic fit?

• E3 – (B) evaluate the process of strategy formulation

– LOOK is already a well known and trusted brand

– Build critical mass of business with existing advertisers

– Build data and gain insight

– Technically capable though lacking finance experience

– Synergy with mobile products

SCS March 2015 – v4: Task 1 Answer

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E3

• Reputational risk

• P3 – (B) evaluate the tools and processes required for strategy

implementation

– Commercial failure – bad publicity

– Target of fraud and hacking

– Customers may receive fraudulent e-mails using LOOK’s logo

– Careless overspending on internet

– Disputes between consumers and suppliers

– Concerns about person privacy

SCS March 2015 – v4: Task Answer

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P3

Marking guidance

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Competency mix by subjects

• Two answers may earn same marks –students need to believe in

their intuition and ‘business common sense’

• Students need to identify ‘what the company could / should do’,

and of course justify

• Elaborate your answer with ‘why’ – avoid bullet points

• Magic words in the answer

– … because …

– However, …

– Alternatively, ….

• Students need to think within the ‘Job Role’ in the pre-seen

• No specific marks for calculations, and marks are for interpretation

Insights

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• Markers will NOT be making decisions or applying marks against

competencies

Insights

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• Reasonably well attempted, although some candidates produced

quite repetitive answers.

• Most candidates used the Suitability/Feasibility/Acceptance model

which whilst not inappropriate did lead to the same points being

raised several times.

• Relatively few explored the Big Data issues effectively.

• Identification of risks was generally sound, with many candidates

expanding on the personal privacy issues arising from data

gathering.

Examiner’s report – v4 Task 1

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• The main problems were candidates failing to answer what was

asked and writing everything they knew

• Using completely irrelevant models.

• No marks available for random models and candidates sometimes

had long lists of models in their answers.

• There was little evidence of knowledge of the preseen material

• In most of the questions it was hoped candidates would be able to

use industry knowledge and knowledge of the company to help

formulate answers, there was little evidence of this.

Examiner’s report – overall comment

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SCS March 2015 – v1: Task 1

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Time given: 60 mins (33%)

SCS March 2015 – v1: Task 1

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Time given: 60 mins (33%)

SCS March 2015 – v1: Task 1

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Time given: 60 mins (33%)

Examiner’s report

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Retained earning (from pre-seen p.14-15)

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Retained earnings closing balance =

Retained earnings open balance + Profit after tax -

Dividend paid out

54,976 = 45,839 + 18,074 - Dividend paid out

Dividend paid out = $8,937 million

LOOK paid almost 9 billion, 50% of its profit as

dividend

F3

• Fully absorb and analyse the pre-seen information in order to step

into the assigned role in that organisation on exam day (story of

the organisation and its environment / stakeholders) - exam tasks

draw on pre-seen materials.

• Understand the requirements / question set, and answer the

question(s)

• Answer planning is very important (1/3 of the allocated time): think

more-write less!

• Relate the answer to the pre-seen information all the time (to

ensure students demonstrate the four skills and ability to

integrate)

• Time management – do not run out of time for well known topics

Be exam ready!

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• CIMAconnect – The study support platform

• 2015 Professional Qualification syllabus

• Practice exams

• Guide to writing a report in the case study exams (login needed)

• Guide to writing an email in the case study exams (login needed)

• FM article by By Helen Crofts and the Case Study Exam writers

(login required)

Useful links

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Samuel Li ACMA CGMA

Learning Support Manager

[email protected]