The CIMA Objective Test (OT exam) is 60 questions under timed conditions — and sitting it well is a different skill to knowing the content. You can be fully prepared on the material and still leave marks on the table if your exam strategy isn’t right.
This is the CIMA OT exam strategy we recommend to all our students. It’s a three-round method designed to get you scoring quickly, building confidence, and giving yourself the best possible shot at every question on the paper.
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When you arrive at an exam centre, you’re in unfamiliar territory. You’re nervous, you’re adjusting, and your brain hasn’t quite shifted into exam gear yet. The worst thing you can do is dive straight into a difficult question and lose five minutes before you’ve even settled in.
The goal of Round 1 is simple: pick up the easy marks quickly and get yourself into the zone.
CIMA designs OT questions on a difficulty scale of 1 to 5. Not all questions are grade 5 monsters — and your job in Round 1 is to identify and answer the grade 1–2 questions, the ones you can tackle in around 30 seconds.
Work through questions 1 to 60. Every time you see something straightforward — a calculation or a theory you know — answer it. If a question is going to take more than 30 seconds, flag it and move on. Don’t get stuck. Don’t let a tricky question drag you into a spiral before you’ve warmed up.
One thing worth knowing: students often report that questions 50–60 tend to be quicker and easier. That’s all the more reason to do a first pass of all 60, so you’re not arriving at those fresh marks when you’re already mentally worn out.
By the end of Round 1, everything you haven’t answered should be flagged. You’re now warmed up, settled, and in the game.
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Head back to the navigation screen and look at your flagged questions. These are the ones that need a bit more time and thought — and now you’re ready to give them that.
In Round 2, you’re committing to each question. Work through your flagged list properly. But here’s the key: stay aware of yourself. If you find you’re spending too long on something, or you’re circling without confidence, keep it flagged and move on. There’s no prize for wrestling with a grade 5 question when there are easier wins still waiting.
The aim is to leave Round 2 with fewer than 5 questions still unanswered. The ones remaining will almost certainly be the hardest questions on the paper. That’s fine. That’s what Round 3 is for.
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You’ve got a handful of flagged questions left. This is your moment to give them one final go.
By now you’ve answered 55+ questions. Something you worked through earlier may have triggered a lightbulb moment — ideas connect, and memory works in funny ways during exams. A second look at a hard question often lands differently than the first.
**For calculation questions:** keep it simple. Work with what you have, make a decision, and put something down.
**For theory questions:** go with your gut. You’ve studied this material; your instinct is more informed than it feels in the moment.
And remember — if it’s multiple choice, you’ve always got a chance. A blank is a guaranteed zero. An educated guess is not.
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The “Select All That Apply” Question: A Different Approach
These are arguably the most stressful question type in the CIMA OT exam. With no single correct answer and the risk of losing marks for being half-right, it’s easy to overthink them.
Our tip: read the question stem first, then select all answers before you read the options properly.
Yes, really. Start with everything selected. Then, as you read through the options, deselect the ones you know are wrong. It’s psychologically easier to discount the obvious nonsense than to build from zero — and it helps you avoid talking yourself out of answers that your instincts know are right.
The golden rule: unless you’re certain an answer is wrong, don’t deselect it. When in doubt, go with your gut and leave it in.
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| ROUND | GOAL | MINDSET |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – Warm Up | Answer the quick wins | Fast, light, keep moving |
| 2 – Pass The Exam | Work through flagged questions | Committed, but know when to move on |
| 3 – Toughies | Final attempt at the toughies | Lightbulb moments, gut instinct |
The CIMA OT exam rewards knowledge — but it also rewards strategy. Go in with a plan, trust the process, and remember: something is always better than nothing.
Supporting CIMA students through every stage of their studies — get in touch to find out how we can help: [email protected]
