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CIMA E3 · Strategic Management

Everything you need to pass CIMA E3.

Covers strategic analysis, competitive strategy, strategic options and implementation, digital strategy, and change leadership. £149 on its own, or all four Strategic subjects for £399, with lifetime access. E3 is on demand, so you book it when you are ready.

Buy E3 · £149See the Strategic Level Pass Pack
Modern tuition Real mock exams Feedback on every mock
  • 60 questions
  • 90 minutes
  • On demand book it when you are ready
  • £149 on its own, lifetime access

A word from your tutor

Ben Wilson, VIVA’s Strategic Management specialist

Ben Wilson, VIVA tutor
Strategic Management

E3 sets the frame the whole Strategic level argues inside. It is less about calculation and more about being able to take a position and support it, which is a genuine change of gear from the Operational and Management levels.

The course leans into that: the lessons work through how to take a position and support it, and the explanation behind every mock question shows why one answer beats another.

Get comfortable here and the Strategic Case Study becomes a much shorter journey.

Ben Wilson Strategic Management tutor

The syllabus

What E3 covers.

E3 Strategic Management develops your ability to think at board level. You'll study competitive strategy, strategic options, change management, and digital strategy - learning to advise on where an organisation should go and how to get there. It's the most strategic of all CIMA subjects.

  • External environment analysis (PESTEL, Porter's Five Forces)
  • Competitive and generic strategy
  • Strategic options: Ansoff, BCG portfolio models
  • Digital strategy and innovation
  • Strategic change and transformational leadership
  • Corporate governance and ethics at board level

The course, section by section

9 sections · 107 lessons · 15h 58m of video

  1. 01 Preparing for Objective Test exams 1 module5 lessons44m of video
    1. Objective Test Success 5 lessons 44m
      1. Introduction 2m
      2. Background of Objective Tests 10m
      3. Format of Objective Test exams 9m
      4. Exam preparation 9m
      5. Exam day approach 14m
  2. 02 E3 Subject overview 1 module7 lessons1h 4m of video
    1. E3 Overview Videos 7 lessons 1h 4m
      1. E3 overview - introduction 13m
      2. E3 overview - strategy process 7m
      3. E3 overview - organisational ecosystem 10m
      4. E3 overview - strategic options 9m
      5. E3 overview - strategic choices 7m
      6. E3 overview - strategic control 9m
      7. E3 overview - digital strategy 9m
  3. 03 A. The strategy process 1 module4 lessons30m of video
    1. The strategy process 4 lessons 30m
      1. The strategy process - introduction 4m
      2. What is strategy? 4m
      3. Types of strategy 9m
      4. Strategy lenses and levels of strategy 13m
  4. 04 B. Analysing the organisational ecosystem 3 modules26 lessons4h 7m of video
    1. Stakeholders, governance and ethics 8 lessons 1h 11m
      1. Stakeholders, governance and ethics - introduction 4m
      2. Purpose, vision and values - part 1 8m
      3. Purpose, vision and values - part 2 7m
      4. Stakeholders and corporate governance - part 1 9m
      5. Stakeholders and corporate governance - part 2 9m
      6. Corporate social responsibility - part 1 8m
      7. Corporate social responsibility - part 2 8m
      8. Ethics 18m
    2. Analysing the organisational ecosystem (*with 2026 updates) 10 lessons 1h 50m
      1. Analysing the organisational ecosystem - introduction 5m
      2. PESTEL analysis - part 1 9m
      3. PESTEL analysis - part 2 9m
      4. Porter's national diamond - part 1 10m
      5. Porter's national diamond - part 2 4m
      6. Porter's five forces 16m
      7. Competitor analysis 13m
      8. SWOT analysis 11m
      9. Generative AI as a strategic force (2026 syllabus) - part 1 13m
      10. Generative AI as a strategic force (2026 syllabus) - part 2 20m
    3. Impact of the ecosystem on organisations and strategy 8 lessons 1h 6m
      1. Impact of ecosystems - introduction 7m
      2. Drivers for change - part 1 8m
      3. Drivers for change - part 2 11m
      4. Business ecosystems - part 1 10m
      5. Business ecosystems - part 2 9m
      6. Mutuality and orchestration 7m
      7. Networks and platforms - part 1 6m
      8. Networks and platforms - part 2 8m
  5. 05 C. Generating strategic options 2 modules16 lessons2h 44m of video
    1. Generating strategic options 10 lessons 1h 49m
      1. Generating strategic options - introduction 5m
      2. Porter's generic strategies 15m
      3. Bowman's strategic clock 9m
      4. Ansoff's matrix 13m
      5. Lynch's expansion matrix 20m
      6. Joint ventures 10m
      7. Strategic alliances 10m
      8. Franchises 9m
      9. International expansion 10m
      10. Divestment 8m
    2. Forecasting and scenarios 6 lessons 55m
      1. Forecasting and scenarios - introduction 6m
      2. Drivers for change 12m
      3. Forecasting 5m
      4. Real options 11m
      5. Game theory 12m
      6. Scenario planning 9m
  6. 06 D. Making strategic choices 2 modules14 lessons2h 16m of video
    1. Resources and capabilities 10 lessons 1h 47m
      1. Resources and capabilities - introduction 5m
      2. Resource audit (9 Ms) 9m
      3. Creating value 13m
      4. Value drivers 9m
      5. Porter's value chain - part 1 9m
      6. Porter's value chain - part 2 10m
      7. Supply chain management 14m
      8. Product life cycle 7m
      9. BCG matrix 12m
      10. Benchmarking 19m
    2. Evaluating strategic choices 4 lessons 29m
      1. Evaluating strategic choices - introduction 4m
      2. Suitability 10m
      3. Acceptability 9m
      4. Feasibility 6m
  7. 07 E. Strategic control 2 modules17 lessons2h 10m of video
    1. Performance management systems 7 lessons 1h 1m
      1. Performance management systems - introduction 3m
      2. Performance measurement and control 6m
      3. CSFs and KPIs 11m
      4. Balanced scorecard 17m
      5. Performance pyramid 8m
      6. Integrated reporting 10m
      7. Targets and rewards 6m
    2. Change management 10 lessons 1h 9m
      1. Change management - introduction 4m
      2. Change management process 5m
      3. Types of change 7m
      4. Context for change 12m
      5. Designing change 5m
      6. Styles of change management 6m
      7. Resisting change 7m
      8. Leading change 7m
      9. Change adept organisations 7m
      10. Change agents and groups 9m
  8. 08 F. Digital strategy 2 modules18 lessons2h 23m of video
    1. Building and implementing digital strategy 7 lessons 51m
      1. Building and implementing digital strategy - introduction 4m
      2. Digital strategy 10m
      3. Digital leadership 9m
      4. Digital transformation 8m
      5. Digital consumption 6m
      6. Measuring success in a digital world 8m
      7. Digital talent and skills 6m
    2. Digital technologies (*with 2026 updates) 11 lessons 1h 32m
      1. Digital technologies - introduction 4m
      2. Cloud computing 7m
      3. Big data 10m
      4. Internet of things (IoT) 6m
      5. Process automation and AI 9m
      6. 3D printing 6m
      7. Blockchain 10m
      8. Digital business models 8m
      9. Digital operations 8m
      10. The finance function in the age of intelligence (2026 syllabus) - part 1 12m
      11. The finance function in the age of intelligence (2026 syllabus) - part 2 12m
  9. 09 Mock exams 3 full mocks, then more on demand
    • Mock Mock 1 60 questions in 90 minutes, marked instantly
    • Mock Mock 2 60 questions in 90 minutes, marked instantly
    • Mock Mock 3 60 questions in 90 minutes, marked instantly
    • Mock More mocks on demand A new paper from the question bank whenever you want one, up to 5 a day

Modern tuition

Expert video, with a tutor in every lesson.

Built and taught by people who have lectured this material for years, with an AI Tutor sitting inside each lesson to answer the question you have right now.

  • Experts Former Kaplan and BPP lecturers and academics from major UK universities.
  • AI Tutor Ask a question inside the lesson and get an answer grounded in that lesson.
  • Pick up where you left off Your progress is saved lesson by lesson, so you always come back to the right place.

Real mock exams

Sit E3 before you sit E3.

Full timed mocks in the real format: 60 questions in 90 minutes, drawn from a large question bank, in an exam-style interface.

  • The real format Same question count, same clock, same kind of interface.
  • From a bank, not a booklet Three mocks to start, then a new one whenever you want it, each assembled from a large question bank rather than a fixed paper.
  • Timed The clock runs. Pacing is half the exam.

Feedback on every mock

Know which topics have landed.

A mock does not stop at a percentage. Every question comes back with an explanation, grouped by syllabus section, so you can see what to go back to.

  • Marked instantly No waiting, no tutor queue.
  • An explanation for every question Right or wrong, you see why.
  • Grouped by section So a weak section is obvious, not buried in a score.

The Strategic Level

E3 is one of the three Objective Tests on the CIMA Strategic Level, with P3 and F3. CIMA lets you sit them in any order, and the SCS once all three are passed.

See the full Strategic route →
  1. E3 Strategic Management You are here
  2. P3 Risk Management
  3. F3 Financial Strategy
  4. SCS Strategic Case Study

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 E3 - 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 E3 course include?

Expert-led video lessons across the whole syllabus with an AI Tutor in every lesson, and full timed mock exams online (60 questions, 90 minutes, drawn from a large question bank): 3 to start and a new one whenever you want it, each marked instantly with an explanation for every question. £149, lifetime access.

How is E3 examined?

60 objective test questions in 90 minutes. It is on demand, so you book it when you are ready rather than waiting for a window.

Do I need to pass E3 before the other Strategic Objective Tests?

No. CIMA lets the three Strategic Objective Tests be sat in any order. All three must be passed before the SCS.

What if I buy one subject and want more later?

You only ever pay the difference. Add subjects at any time and the price you already paid comes off the bigger pack, so you never pay twice for the same course.

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.

Ready for a clearer route to your E3 exam day?

Get through your exams.
Get on with your life.

Take E3 on its own, or add it to the subjects you have left.

Buy E3 · £149