Mock exams and marking
Sit the exam before you sit the exam.
Every CIMA course includes full mock exams, sat online in an exam-style interface and marked with feedback. This page explains what you sit, how it is marked, and what comes back.
Sitting a mock
The real format, on the clock.
Mocks open in an interface laid out like the exam itself, so the screen, the timer and the tools are familiar long before exam day.
- Objective Tests 60 questions in 90 minutes, with Previous and Next, a flag for review, and the tables and formulae CIMA provides.
- Case studies Every task written online, with a timer for each section and the pre-seen open in its own tab.
- Core Activity Mini-mocks One timed task on a single core activity, for practising without sitting a whole paper.
Which of the following best describes terminal value?
Feedback
Know what cost you marks, and why.
A mock does not stop at a percentage. Every attempt comes back marked, with feedback that shows you what to work on next.
- Objective Tests: marked instantly A question-by-question review, grouped by syllabus section, with an explanation for every question.
- Case studies: marked against our grid A mark for every task and trait, and written feedback on what a stronger answer does.
- Model answers On the case studies, the model answer opens once you have finished your attempt.
Weakest sections
- Section B 48%
- Section D 55%
- Section A 61%
Question review
- 1 Q 14 · Section B Explanation: Terminal value
- 2 Q 17 · Section B Explanation: WACC and gearing
- 3 Q 41 · Section D Explanation: Sensitivity analysis
Case study marking
From submit to a marked script.
Case study mocks are marked by AI against a marking grid we write for each mock. The grids are modelled on CIMA's published guidance and post-exam reports.
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You submit
Your answers are saved as you type. When you submit, the script goes for marking.
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Each task is marked twice
Two independent AI marking runs read every task against our marking grid for that mock. The two are then reconciled into one mark.
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Marks and feedback come back
You get a mark for every task and every trait in the grid, with written feedback on what earned marks and what was missing.
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The model answer opens
Once your attempt is finished, the model answer unlocks so you can read it beside your own. Never before.
Marks and feedback are released as soon as they are produced, without a tutor reviewing them first. They are study feedback, not an official mark, and AI feedback can be wrong. We review a sample of marked mocks to check how the marking is performing.
The two exam types
Objective Tests and case studies, side by side.
| Aspect | Objective Tests E1 to F3 | Case studies OCS, MCS, SCS |
|---|---|---|
| What you sit | A full mock: 60 questions in 90 minutes, drawn from a large question bank. | A full mock on the current pre-seen, or a Core Activity Mini-mock: one timed task on a single core activity. |
| How many | Three mocks to start, then a new one generated from the bank whenever you want another. | The full mocks and Core Activity Mini-mocks written for your exam window. |
| The clock | One timer for the whole exam. | A timer for each section, as in the real exam. |
| How it is marked | Instantly. A question is right or wrong, with no part marks, as CIMA marks it. | By AI against our marking grid, task by task. |
| What comes back | Your score, and an explanation for every question, grouped by syllabus section. | A mark for every task and trait, written feedback, and the model answer. |
| Guide pass mark | 70% | 60% |
Pass marks are our guide marks. CIMA reports real results as a scaled score out of 150, so read a mock result as a guide to where you stand.
Studying ACCA? ACCA courses are taught courses: video lessons with an AI Tutor in every lesson. Online mock exams with marking are part of our CIMA courses. How VIVA works for ACCA
Questions
Mock exams and marking, answered.
Which courses include mock exams?
Every CIMA course. The nine Objective Test courses include full timed mocks and section tests. The three case study courses include full mocks and Core Activity Mini-mocks. ACCA courses are taught courses and do not include mock exams.
Are case study mocks marked by a tutor?
No. They are marked by AI against a marking grid we write for each mock, and the marks and feedback are released to you without a tutor reviewing them first. We review a sample of marked mocks to check how the marking is performing.
Is the marking grid CIMA's?
No. The grids are ours. We write one for each mock, modelled on CIMA's published guidance and post-exam reports, together with our tutors' experience of what earns marks in the real exam.
What do the pass marks mean?
They are our guide marks: 70% on an Objective Test mock and 60% on a case study mock. CIMA reports real results as a scaled score out of 150 and does not publish how raw marks convert, so a mock result is a guide to where you stand, not a prediction of your result.
How accurate is the AI marking?
It is study feedback, not an official mark, and AI feedback can be wrong. Only CIMA's own result counts as your exam result. If a mark looks wrong to you, tell us through the Support tab in your account.
What is a section test?
On an Objective Test course, each syllabus section has a test of 20 questions you can take as often as you like. It is marked instantly, with an explanation for every question, and every attempt is kept so you can go back to it.
Where do I find my results?
In the Mock Exams tab of each course. Every attempt is listed with its mark, and opens to the full question review or task feedback.
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