1. Apply for CIMA Membership - Existing Practical Experience Requirements
Take the most straightforward path to CIMA membership using our paper-based application form

2. Before you progress to CIMA membership
You must
Have completed the strategic level.*
Have at least three years’ relevant practical experience.
Students who have successfully completed their strategic case study, have four years to complete their membership application.
However we recommend you apply as soon as you are eligible!
*You can apply as soon as you complete your strategic level OT exams.

3. Practical Experience Requirements
Area 1: Basic Experience
Basic experience should be hands-on
Area 2: Core Experience
Core experience should be as hands-on as possible. You may be contributing to activities without having direct responsibility
Demonstrate a minimum of 18 months experience in this area
Area 3: Supplementary Evidence
Supplementary evidence might include responsibility for research, analysis and evaluation of activities, assisting with activities or contributing as part of a team.
Demonstrate a minimum of three years’ experience

4. Practical Experience Requirement Areas
BASIC
CORE
SUPPLEMENTARY
Preparing and maintaining accounting records
Preparation of management accounts
Financial strategy
Statutory and regulatory reporting
Planning, budgeting and forecasting
Corporate finance
IT desktop skills
Management reporting for decision making
Treasury management
Systems and procedure development
Product and service costing
Taxation
Information management
Business evaluation and appraisal
Project appraisal
Business strategy
Project management
External relationships
Working capital control
Risk management and business assurance
You should show evidence of all these areas in your application.
For more detail, read the PER brochure available here. /

5. Completing your CIMA membership application
Section A – Paper-based application form
Section B – Employment summary
Section C – Detailed record of experience
Section D – Record of skills development*
Forms and templates are available on the website for the hyperlinked items.

6. Section A – Application form
Personal details
Proposer and Seconder declarations
Current employment details
Remittance advice
Checklist

7. Section A – Personal details
Complete your personal details.
You will need to provide your student ID number.
You will need to provide the dates when you completed your exams or the strategic level.*
Reminder: If you haven’t completed your strategic case study exam, you can still apply for membership if you have completed all your strategic level OT exams.

8. Section A – Proposer and Seconder declarations
The form must be signed by at least two people (a proposer and seconder).
They must be able to verify a minimum of 36 months’ relevant practical experience between them, including 18 months in your core experience.
If your proposer and seconder don’t cover the full 36 months, you will need to get additional signatures.
Please note, if you are gaining practical experience within your current role, you must include verification for this role*
*Please reuse page three of the application form, if you need provide additional verifier.

9. Section A – Current employment, remittance, checklist
Complete details of your current employment
Remittance - Enclose the appropriate fee*
Check the membership application fee
Checklist - Review the checklist at the end of the form to ensure you have included all the necessary items in your application.
*You can pay online via credit or debit card by logging into your MY CIMA and pre-paying via ‘settle my account’
Alternatively you can enclose a cheque, or money order with your form.

10. Section B – Employment summary
Enter your full employment history starting with the earliest first.
Periods of unemployment and breaks in employment must be included and explained.
Each separate position must be recorded.
Enter the number of months’ experience gained in each area.*
*Make sure your experience is written as months.

11. Section C – Detailed record of experience (part one)
Provide for each position held:
Name of your employer.
Your job title.
Period of employment.
Who you reported to.
Brief description of the organisation.
Details of the work you carried out.
Students write this part of the application themselves. There is no template.

12. Section C – Detailed record of experience (part two)
For all relevant experience you need to explain:
Who did you report to?
How did you actually approach the task?
How often did you do it?
Why did it need to be done?
Who was the end-user/customer?
What software/IT did you use?
How many people helped you or were you part of a team?
What was the outcome?

13. Section C – Detailed record of experience (part three)
Key points:
Use a format that looks neat and tidy.
Avoid an employment CV – no bullet points.
Use ‘I’ throughout.
Include employment not verified.
It should be between 5-15 pages of A4.

14. Section D – Record of skills development
Describe how you have developed the following skills:
Personal (self management).
Interpersonal (interacting with/managing others).
Organisational (managing organisational resources).
Make sure you cover all three parts in your record of skills.
A downloadable template is available on the website.

15. How to apply By email By post In person
Scan in and send your full completed application in full colour to
By post
Post your full, completed application to CIMA, The Helicon, One South Place, London, EC2M 2RB.
In person
Attend one of our face-to-face membership assessment for a same day decision.
Check the CIMA global website for details.
*Make sure your scanned copies are high quality, clear and legible.

16. Receiving a decision
You will receive an acknowledgement of your application
There are two possible decisions:
Accept – 99% of applications are successful first time
Defer – individual feedback will be provided to help you re-submit
Applicants typically receive a decision within four to six weeks from receiving your acknowledgement s.
Attendees at the face-to-face event receive a same-day decision.

17. Further information
CIMA The Helicon, One South Place, London, EC2M 2RB
CIMA Contact E:
T: (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)