Become a Certified Management Accountant with the help of our best CMA review courses listed below.
It can be hard to decide on which study materials to use for your CMA exam. Our team took a look at some of the best providers to help narrow it down for you.
A CMA prep course should be viewed as an investment in your future - spend a little money up front, and reap the rewards down the road.
Summary: Find the best CMA study material for you below with our comparison tables and reviews.
Table of Contents
Our Picks for Best CMA Review Courses
-
- Most Comprehensive
- Bottom Line: One of the best CMA prep courses available. A little expensive but definitely worth the investment. Great for anyone looking to pass the exam the first time around.
-
- Rating:
- Visit Becker
-
- Best Value
- Bottom Line: If you are looking to study on a budget, Surgent should be your go to. Tons of options at different price points. Even have options for individual portions of the CMA exam.
-
- Rating:
- Visit Surgent
Best CMA Study Material (2023)
scroll right on mobile to see entire table
| CMA Prep Courses | Becker | Surgent | Gleim |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Rating | T-G Recommended |
T-G Recommended |
|
| Pricing | Starting at $1,399 | Starting at $699 | Starting at $1,349 |
| Learning Method | Lecture Videos + Virtual Classroom | Lecture Videos + Textbooks | Lecture Videos + Textbooks |
| Subscription Length | 24 Months | 18 Months - Unlimited | Until Your Pass |
| Free Trial | |||
| Guarantee | |||
| Practice Questions | 3,000+ | 3,945+ | 4,500+ |
| Practice Exams | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Answer Explanations | |||
| Lecture Videos | |||
| Flashcards | |||
| Essay Problems | 70 Problems | 65 Problems | 160 Problems |
| Textbooks | |||
| Summary | Review | Review | Review |
| Learn More | GO! | GO! | GO! |
Who Needs CMA Exam Prep?
Becoming a Certified Management Accountant takes a lot of dedication and hard work. Candidates must pass both parts of their CMA exam – with part one having a pass rate of about 36%.
CMA study material should be looked at as an investment in your future. It will cost some money up-front, but the benefits down the road will outweigh the costs of these prep courses.
To put it simply, candidates who do not prepare for this exam, will most likely not pass. The CMA exam is one of the harder exams out there. CMA prep courses will help you save time and make your studying more efficient.
Factors to Consider
- Study discipline – if you routinely have trouble maintaining a study schedule, you’ll find that CMA exam prep is worth it.
- Improvement needed – take a free CMA exam practice test to see where you stand. If your score needs improvement, a CMA review course will be just what you need.
- Need for motivation – if you need motivation, feedback and encouragement, a prep course with an instructor or online lectures is a great option.
- Budget – These courses are not cheap. Think of it as an investment in your future. Check out our best value option or some of the “lower end” options these providers offer.
- Learning style – Every person learns best in different ways. Some courses may focus on practice questions and exams, while others may focus on lecture videos or textbooks.
Benefits of CMA Study Material
- Simulates actual test – the online exams included in most CMA review courses will simulate the actual test and help you become more familiar with the actual exam before you take it.
- Comprehensive study plans – CMA exam prep courses will help you craft, and stick to, a customized study schedule that works for you.
- Identify strengths and weaknesses – the best CMA courses offer advanced diagnostics to identify the topics you need to focus on.
Why CMA Exam Prep May Not Be Your Only Option
- Expensive – the best CMA review courses may be over $700.
- Time-consuming – prep courses often require significant study/prep time.
- DIY alternative - self-study using prep books may be a cost-effective alternative.
Bottom Line - If you want to become a Certified Management Accountant and pass the CMA exam the first time around, you should consider investing in a CMA exam prep course.
CMA Exam Prep Reviews
Becker CMA Study Material Review
- Test-Guide Rating: T-G Recommended
- Price: Starting at $1,399
Becker CMA Course Feature Summary
-
Price
- A little expensive but for what your get, it is worth it.
-
Content
- Textbooks, lecture videos, and online classrooms. Plenty of ways to learn.
-
Questions
- 3,000+ practice questions. Unlimited practice tests. 500+ flashcards.
Becker Pros and Cons
-
Pros
- Number of practice questions
- Unlimited practice tests
- Different ways to learn
-
Cons
- Little expensive
- -
- -
Becker offers their CMA review courses at two different price points - $1,399 and $1,799. Some core features of both of these courses include 3,000+ multiple-choice questions, 500+ flashcards, and lecture videos.
These courses all include unlimited practice exams to help you prepare for the exam. The practice exams do a great job of simulating the actual exam and are a great way to prepare. The questions have answer explanations to help you understand why an answer was right or wrong.
Some features that are exclusive to the “Pro” course include unlimited access, a printed textbook along with your digital textbook, 1-on-1 tutoring, LiveOnline virtual classrooms, and 1-year CPE subscription.
Becker offers one of the best CMA prep courses available on the market. Candidates will find success with either of these two courses offered – it just depends on what you are looking for.
If you are able to learn via textbooks, lecture videos, and practice questions, the $1,399 course will be perfect for you.
If you like to learn in a classroom setting, and like the idea of being able to have a tutor and unlimited access, the $1,799 course may be your best option.
Best features of Becker – Number of practice questions, unlimited practice tests, and different ways to learn material.
Rating:
T-G Recommended
Bottom Line
One of the best CMA prep courses available. A little expensive but definitely worth the investment. Great for anyone looking to pass the exam the first time around.
Surgent CMA Study Material Review
- Test-Guide Rating: T-G Recommended
- Price: Starting at $699
Surgent CMA Course Feature Summary
-
Price
- Great value. Different price points for everyone. Can find something that fits you.
-
Content
- PDF textbooks, lecture videos, and flashcards. Need to purchase the $999 or higher option to get lecture videos.
-
Questions
- 3,945+ practice questions. Unlimited practice tests. Great feature.
Surgent Pros and Cons
-
Pros
- Great value
- Pass guarantee
- Unlimited practice tests
-
Cons
- Need to purchase $999 version for lecture videos
- -
- -
Surgent has 3 main options for their CMA exam review courses - $699, $999, and $1,699. These courses share the same core features of 3,945+ practice questions, 65 essay problems, unlimited practice exams, PDF textbooks, and a pass guarantee.
As you go up in price to the $999 course, users will gain access to the course for 24 months and have access to 60+ lecture videos.
Users who want the most complete CMA prep course should look at the $1,699 option. This course includes all the features of the other two courses as well as 1-on-1 tutoring, printed flashcards and textbooks, and unlimited access until you pass.
On top of all of those options, Surgent also offers individuals prep courses for part 1 and part 2 of the CMA exam. Each of these individual prep courses is $499. This is great for students who only want to focus on one part of the CMA exam.
If you are looking to study on a budget, the $699 course will be the perfect choice for you. If you have some extra money in your study budget, the $999 course may be worth it due to the addition of the 60+ lecture videos.
Best features of Surgent – Availability of different pricing options. There is a price point for everyone. Great value.
Rating:
T-G Recommended
Bottom Line
If you are looking to study on a budget, Surgent should be your go to. Tons of options at different price points.
Gleim CMA Study Material Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Starting at $1,349
Gleim CMA Course Feature Summary
-
Price
- Pretty expensive, but premium course includes a ton of great features and content.
-
Content
- Textbooks, lecture videos, and guided review. 45+ lecture hours is a plus.
-
Questions
- 4,500 practice questions. Unlimited practice tests. 2 full-length practice exams.
Gleim Pros and Cons
-
Pros
- Tons of features
- Access untill you pass
- Personal counselors
-
Cons
- The traditional course is expensive
- -
- -
Gleim offers two main CMA prep courses – a course for $1,349 and a course for $1,599. For our purposes, we will be looking at the $1,599 course.
The premium prep course includes 4,500 multiple choice questions, 45+ hours of lecture videos, unlimited practice exams, and various textbooks. This course is very in-depth and covers everything you will need to know for the CMA exam.
As well as those features, this course also includes access to personal counselors who can help you create a study plan and answer any questions you may have. Students will also be able to listen to audio lectures and have access to digital flashcards.
Gleim uses this awesome software to emulate the actual exam – they help students become more comfortable with the actual layout of the CMA exam before test day.
Students can create their own practice exams for more practice and will also have access to two full-length practice exams to test their knowledge at the end of the course before the final exam.
Gleim’s premium CMA review course is top notch. With that being said, we must mention that it is definitely worth purchasing the premium prep course. The traditional prep course ($1349) does not have nearly has many features and is still very expensive.
Best feature of Gleim – Combination of practice questions and practice exams.
Rating:
Bottom Line
If you have the money, and want to go with Gleim, definitely purchase the premium prep course. The traditional prep course is expensive and does not include many features.
CMA Exam Prep FAQS
