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CIMA MCS · Management Case Study

Built for the November 2026 window.

An integrated 3-hour assessment combining E2, P2, and F2 knowledge in a realistic management-level business context. Included in the Management Level Pass Pack, £369, with lifetime access. The pre-seen is released on 25 September.

Get the Management Level Pass Pack · £369See how the window works
Modern tuition Real mock exams Feedback on every mock

The November 2026 window

Work back from exam day.

A case study is a timetable as much as a syllabus. Here is how the MCS course lines up against CIMA's dates for this sitting.

  1. 01

    Before the pre-seen

    Pre-seen released 25 September
    You
    If E2, P2 and F2 are not all passed yet, that comes first. Then the exam technique lessons: the exam format, and how a task is marked.
    The course
    Exam technique video lessons, with an AI Tutor in every lesson.
  2. 02

    The pre-seen

    Now to 10 November
    You
    Register by 27 October. Read the pre-seen with your tutor, then start writing to a brief under time.
    The course
    Pre-seen video lessons. Core Activity Mini-mocks, one task at a time, marked by AI against the grid.
  3. 03

    The window

    11 November to 13 November
    You
    Full timed mocks in the weeks before your slot, then the exam.
    The course
    Full mock exams, marked by AI against the grid, with feedback on every task and a model answer after each attempt.

Dates are CIMA's for the November 2026 sitting. Registration closes on 27 October.

The next MCS sittings

The next two windows.

The timetable above works back from the next window. Here are the next two side by side, with every date CIMA has published for them.

  • November 2026

    Exam window
    11 to 13 November 2026
    Registration closes
    27 October 2026
    Pre-seen released
    25 September 2026

  • February 2027

    Exam window
    10 to 12 February 2027
    Registration closes
    26 January 2027
    Pre-seen released
    25 September 2026

The November 2026 and February 2027 sittings share one pre-seen, and the MCS course is built around that pre-seen, so one course covers both. Sitting in February 2027? You buy the same course.

Dates are CIMA's published dates. Each window is a three-day sitting.

A word from your tutor

Louise Setton, VIVA’s Management Case Study specialist

Louise Setton, VIVA tutor
Management Case Study

The Management Case Study puts you in a finance manager's chair for three hours. The technical content is behind you - what is being assessed is whether you can apply it to a real situation and write something a manager would actually act on.

We read the pre-seen together section by section, practise exam-standard scenarios until the format feels ordinary, and mark every mock against the marking grid, with feedback on every task.

Work backwards from the window when you plan. The pre-seen lands about seven weeks out, and the students who do well are the ones who have finished F2 before it arrives.

Louise Setton Management Case Study tutor

The exam

What MCS asks of you.

The Management Case Study integrates your E2, P2, and F2 knowledge into a mid-level management scenario at a fictional company. You'll respond to tasks from senior management, drawing on pre-seen material about the company and its industry. It tests strategic application, professional judgement, and communication.

What it draws on

The course, section by section

11 sections · 63 lessons · 25h 54m of video

  1. 01 The exam and this course 4 modules12 lessons27m of video
    1. The exam and marking 4 lessons 9m
      1. Welcome to the MCS 1m
      2. The exam at a glance 3m
      3. How the marking works 2m
      4. The five core activities 3m
    2. The Pre-seen: Wuudbreak 3 lessons 7m
      1. This sitting and the pre-seen 2m
      2. Wuudbreak in brief 2m
      3. Your role at Wuudbreak 3m
    3. The Examiner Reports 2 lessons 3m
      1. What separates a pass from a fail 1m
      2. Six points to take away 2m
    4. How to Use this Course 3 lessons 8m
      1. Your route through the course 2m
      2. The importance of practice 5m
      3. Before you move on 1m
  2. 02 The pre-seen: Understand Wuudbreak 2 modules10 lessons5h 51m of video
    1. How to use the pre-seen 11m
    2. Financial statements and ratios 47m
    3. The holiday park industry 74m
    1. Read the pre-seen 1 lesson
      1. Pre-seen documents
    2. Pre-seen analysis 6 lessons 3h 39m
      1. Wuudbreak pre-seen analysis - Part 1 25m
      2. Wuudbreak pre-seen analysis - Part 2 25m
      3. Wuudbreak pre-seen analysis - Part 3 53m
      4. Wuudbreak pre-seen analysis - Part 4 52m
      5. Wuudbreak pre-seen analysis - Part 5 38m
      6. Wuudbreak pre-seen analysis - Part 6 26m
  3. 03 Writing an effective MCS answer 3 lessons36m of video
    1. Planning your answer 16m
    2. Structuring a clear answer 7m
    3. Covering every requirement 13m
  4. 04 Core Activity A 1 module4 lessons1h 52m of video
    1. Theory refresher - business models and value chains 35m
    2. Theory refresher - pricing strategies 41m
    1. Core Activity Testing 2 lessons 36m
      1. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 1 24m
      2. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 2 12m
    • Mock Core Activity A Mini-mock 1 Marked against the grid
    • Mock Core Activity A Mini-mock 2 Marked against the grid
  5. 05 Core Activity B 1 module4 lessons1h 28m of video
    1. Theory refresher - sources of funding 28m
    2. Theory refresher - project management 34m
    1. Core Activity Testing 2 lessons 26m
      1. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 1 15m
      2. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 2 11m
    • Mock Core Activity B Mini-mock 1 Marked against the grid
    • Mock Core Activity B Mini-mock 2 Marked against the grid
  6. 06 Core Activity C 1 module4 lessons1h 23m of video
    1. Theory refresher - responsibility centres 27m
    2. Theory refresher - quality and value management 30m
    1. Core Activity Testing 2 lessons 26m
      1. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 1 15m
      2. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 2 11m
    • Mock Core Activity C Mini-mock 1 Marked against the grid
    • Mock Core Activity C Mini-mock 2 Marked against the grid
  7. 07 Core Activity D 1 module4 lessons1h 20m of video
    1. Theory refresher - ratios and interpretation 26m
    2. Theory refresher - accounting standards 26m
    1. Core Activity Testing 2 lessons 28m
      1. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 1 14m
      2. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 2 14m
    • Mock Core Activity D Mini-mock 1 Marked against the grid
    • Mock Core Activity D Mini-mock 2 Marked against the grid
  8. 08 Core Activity E 1 module4 lessons1h 35m of video
    1. Theory refresher - negotiation 35m
    2. Theory refresher - integrated and sustainability reporting 34m
    1. Core Activity Testing 2 lessons 26m
      1. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 1 15m
      2. Mini-mock 1 walkthrough - Part 2 11m
    • Mock Core Activity E Mini-mock 1 Marked against the grid
    • Mock Core Activity E Mini-mock 2 Marked against the grid
  9. 09 Mock preparation and technique 3 lessons1h 51m of video
    1. Exam technique introduction - Part 1 33m
    2. Exam technique introduction - Part 2 62m
    3. Exam technique introduction - Part 3 16m
  10. 10 Mock debriefs 15 lessons9h 31m of video
    1. Mock 1 debrief - Section 1 47m
    2. Mock 1 debrief - Section 2 37m
    3. Mock 1 debrief - Section 3 33m
    4. Mock 1 debrief - Section 4 36m
    5. Mock 2 debrief - Section 1 49m
    6. Mock 2 debrief - Section 2 31m
    7. Mock 2 debrief - Section 3 40m
    8. Mock 2 debrief - Section 4 38m
    9. Mock 3 debrief - Section 1 43m
    10. Mock 3 debrief - Section 2 43m
    11. Mock 3 debrief - Section 3 33m
    12. Mock 3 debrief - Section 4 44m
    13. Mock 4 debrief - Section 1 55m
    14. Mock 4 debrief - Section 2 42m
    15. Mock 5 debrief Coming soon
  11. 11 Mock exams 5 full mocks
    • Mock Full mock exam 1 180 minutes, marked by AI against our marking grid
    • Mock Full mock exam 2 180 minutes, marked by AI against our marking grid
    • Mock Full mock exam 3 180 minutes, marked by AI against our marking grid
    • Mock Full mock exam 4 180 minutes, marked by AI against our marking grid
    • Mock Full mock exam 5 180 minutes, marked by AI against our marking grid

Four tasks of about 45 minutes, each with multiple requirements. Pre-seen material released about seven weeks before the exam.

Modern tuition

Exam technique first, then the pre-seen together.

Short lessons on the exam itself before the pre-seen lands, then lessons on the pre-seen once it does, with an AI Tutor in every lesson and a real tutor a question away.

  • Exam technique lessons The format, the marking grid and how a task is answered, before there is a company to talk about.
  • Pre-seen lessons We read it with you rather than leaving you to it.
  • Ask a tutor On the case studies you can ask a tutor a question on any lesson.

Real mock exams

Write it before you write it.

Core Activity Mini-mocks to practise one task under time, and full mocks in an exam-style interface, so the format is familiar long before your slot.

  • Core Activity Mini-mocks One timed task on a single core activity, for practising without sitting a whole paper.
  • Full mocks Every task, on the clock, written online as you will on the day.
  • In the exam interface Same layout, same clock.

Feedback on every mock

Marked against the grid, not against a feeling.

Every full mock and Core Activity Mini-mock comes back marked by AI against our marking grid, with feedback on every task and the model answer once you have finished.

  • The marking grid Marks per task, so you see which requirement cost you.
  • Feedback on every task What was missing, and what a stronger answer does.
  • Model answers Opens after your attempt, never before.

Personalised CIMA pack

Finish CIMA from £349 a level, with lifetime access as standard.

Tell us which CIMA subjects you have already passed, or are exempt from taking. We have pre-ticked everything CIMA requires before MCS - adjust it if that is not you.

Step 1 of 2

First, what have you already passed?

Tick what you've passed or been exempted from - we'll only show what's left.

Operational Level
Management Level
Strategic Level

Exempt from a whole level through your degree? Use Tick all on that level.

Questions

The things students ask before buying.

What does the MCS course include?

Exam technique and pre-seen video lessons with an AI Tutor in every lesson, and full mock exams and Core Activity Mini-mocks written online in an exam-style interface, marked by AI against our marking grid, with feedback on every task and a model answer after your attempt. You can also ask a tutor a question on any lesson. Included in the Management Level Pass Pack, £369, lifetime access.

When is the next MCS sitting?

November 2026. The pre-seen is released on 25 September and registration closes on 27 October.

I am sitting MCS in February 2027. Which course do I buy?

The November 2026 and February 2027 sittings share one pre-seen, and the MCS course is built around that pre-seen, so one course covers both. Sitting in February 2027? You buy the same course.

Do I need E2, P2 and F2 first?

Yes. CIMA only lets you sit the case study once all three Management Objective Tests are passed, or exempt.

How is MCS examined?

3 hours. Four tasks of about 45 minutes, each with multiple requirements. Pre-seen material released about seven weeks before the exam.

Are the mock exams marked?

Yes, by AI against our marking grid. We write a grid for each mock, modelled on CIMA's published guidance and post-exam reports. Every task gets feedback, and the model answer opens once you have finished.

Can I buy MCS on its own?

No. The case study comes with the Management Level Pass Pack. If you already own E2, P2 and F2, or some of them, the price you paid comes off the pack.

How long do I have access?

Lifetime access, on every course. There is no subscription and no renewal - if you need to resit, or come back to the material years later, it is still there.

November 2026 is closer than it looks.

Get through your exams.
Get on with your life.

Take the Management Level Pass Pack, or add the case study to the subjects you already own.

Get the Management Level Pass Pack · £369