The US CMA exam is offered in January-February, May-June and September-October. Register for an exam part with IMA, receive your authorization, then book an available date and test center separately with Prometric. Your appointment must fit the testing window and your authorization dates.
Buying an exam registration does not reserve a seat. Below are the upcoming windows, booking steps and current rules for changing an appointment. This guide covers IMA’s US Certified Management Accountant qualification.
Window source: IMA’s current testing-window guidance. Official registration and appointment links are below.
CMA Exam Windows in 2027
The standard English CMA windows are January-February, May-June and September-October. Part 1 and Part 2 use the same window pattern. Your exact appointment depends on your eligibility dates and the seats available at your chosen center.
| Window | Testing months |
|---|---|
| First window | January-February 2027 |
| Second window | May-June 2027 |
| Third window | September-October 2027 |
These are testing periods, not a list of available seats. A center may offer only some dates within a window. Check the appointment search before arranging leave or travel. For Japanese or Chinese examination arrangements, follow IMA’s regional handbook.
Official links open IMA or Prometric. No EduDelphi enquiry is required to use them.
Registration, Authorization and Booking Are Different
Track your program deadline and individual exam authorization separately. The three-year CMA program period does not make one examination registration valid for three years.
| Item | What it means |
|---|---|
| CMA program period | You have three years from entering the program to pass both parts. If you miss that deadline, a passed part expires and you must re-enter the program. |
| Individual exam authorization | Current English case-based Part 1 and Part 2 products state eight months from the invoice purchase date to sit. Check the actual start and end dates issued to you. |
| Testing window | The offered testing months within which you can use a valid authorization. |
| Prometric appointment | Your confirmed exam part, test center, date and time. This requires a separate booking. |
Sources: CMA program period and current English case-based registrations for Part 1 and Part 2. The eight-month rule describes those current products. Older registrations or regional products may have different terms.
What Is the CMA Exam Registration Deadline?
For a current English case-based registration, use the eligibility dates in your IMA authorization when selecting your appointment. Testing still takes place within the offered windows. An eight-month authorization does not allow a March or April examination.
Older window-based instructions and guides may show February 15, June 15 and October 15 cutoffs. Check the product you purchase and the authorization you receive rather than applying those dates to every registration. If your authorization specifies a particular window, follow it or ask IMA about a window switch before making changes.
Choose a Window You Can Prepare For
Work back from a realistic examination date. Allow time to learn the topics, complete mixed practice and review a timed mock before the appointment. Check work deadlines, university examinations and planned travel against that schedule.
If you are still choosing a part, compare your background with CMA Part 1 and Part 2. You can take them in either order. Use the CMA study-hours guide to build a timetable around the weekly time you can protect.
Leave room to adjust before the change deadline. A plan that depends on securing the last available day of a window gives you few alternatives if preparation or availability changes.
How to Register and Book Your CMA Exam
IMA handles program enrollment and exam registration. Prometric handles the test-center appointment. Complete both stages and keep both records.
Confirm Your Part, Language and Exam Format
Choose the correct Part 1 or Part 2 registration. Check whether case-based questions or the regional essay format applies to your appointment. Our CMA syllabus and format guide explains the current differences.
Complete IMA Membership and CMA Enrollment
You need active IMA membership and CMA program enrollment before taking the exam. The entrance fee and the exam-part registration are separate payments. Review the CMA membership and examination costs before checkout.
Students can sit before completing all education and experience requirements. The CMA eligibility guide separates taking the exams from earning the designation.
Purchase the Exam Part and Save Your Authorization
IMA emails your authorization information after purchase. Verify the exam part, name and eligibility dates. Keep the authorization code available for scheduling. If the email is missing, check spam and the email address in your IMA profile, then contact IMA.
Select Your Prometric Center, Date and Time
Open the official Prometric ICMA page and choose Schedule under Test Center Exam. Read the policies and privacy notice, then enter the authorization number and surname characters requested.
Confirm that the exam displayed matches your registration. Search for a location and select an available appointment within your eligibility dates. A center’s appearance in a general directory does not establish that it has a seat for your exam.
Save and Check the Appointment Confirmation
Check the confirmation for the correct part, center address, date, time and name. Save the Prometric confirmation number separately from the IMA authorization number. You need the appropriate record when confirming or changing a booking.
Official instructions: IMA’s appointment-booking steps and the CMA Handbook’s examination-administration section.
Rescheduling, Cancellation and Moving to Another Window
A date change within the same window and a move to another window use different processes. Prometric manages appointment changes. IMA handles a request to switch the examination window.
| When or what changes | Action and cost |
|---|---|
| 46 or more days before the appointment | Change or cancel within the same window without the Prometric change fee. Review the policy displayed during the transaction. |
| 5-45 days before the appointment | Prometric’s current published fee is $70 for rescheduling or cancellation within this band. |
| Fewer than 5 days before the appointment | The published rule does not permit rescheduling or cancellation. You risk forfeiting the examination fee and needing a new registration. |
| Move to the next testing window | Use IMA’s separate switch process. The current form lists US$150, one switch per exam part, and any applicable exam-fee or tax difference. |
Sources: IMA’s current rescheduling guidance, Prometric’s ICMA change policy and IMA’s Exam Switch Form.
Changing a Date Within the Same Window
Choose Reschedule / Cancel on the Prometric ICMA page. Have your confirmation number ready and finish the full process. Check the updated confirmation afterward. Cancellation alone does not generate a refund or an approved move to another testing window.
Requesting the Next Testing Window
IMA’s handbook requires the switch request no later than five days before the scheduled appointment. An existing Prometric appointment must be cancelled before IMA can process the transfer. Cancel within the permitted period, then follow the switch form and IMA’s instructions.
A paid switch is separate from the ordinary Prometric rescheduling service. Check the authorization dates IMA issues after processing before choosing a replacement appointment. See the handbook’s window-transfer instructions.
What If You Cannot Find a Suitable Appointment?
Check other dates and nearby centers within your valid eligibility period. If the available appointments still do not work, contact the organization responsible for the problem before your deadline.
- No authorization or incorrect exam details
- Contact IMA. Check your purchase record, profile email, name and exam part first.
- Appointment, confirmation or center problem
- Use the contact information on the Prometric ICMA page for your region. Keep the relevant booking details ready.
- Authorization expiry or a different testing window
- Contact IMA about your registration and available options. A cancelled appointment does not extend the authorization.
IMA’s handbook warns that delaying a booking can leave no appointments within your authorization period. A preparation provider can help you check options and reach the correct support team, but IMA and Prometric control official authorizations and appointments.
When Are CMA Exam Results Released?
Results timing depends on the question format, and the waiting period runs from the end of the month you tested. The current CMA Handbook gives these approximate timelines:
- Case-based examinations: approximately two weeks after month-end.
- Essay-based examinations: approximately six weeks after month-end.
For example, a January case-based examination points to results around mid-February, rather than two weeks after your individual appointment. This is an illustration of the published timing, not a guaranteed release date.
Results are emailed and posted to your IMA profile. You do not receive an immediate pass/fail result at the testing center. See the current examination and scoring guidance.
CMA Exam Dates and Registration FAQs
Can I take CMA Part 2 before Part 1?
Yes. IMA permits either order. Choose the part that fits your preparation plan, then book that specific examination using its authorization. Registering for Part 1 does not create a Part 2 appointment.
Can I start studying before enrolling in the CMA program?
Yes. You can prepare before paying the program entrance fee. Plan when to enroll carefully because the three-year period begins at program entry. Complete the official membership, enrollment and exam-registration steps before sitting.
Can I take the US CMA exam online from home?
Plan for an in-person Prometric test-center appointment. IMA’s published notice suspends remote CMA testing until further notice, and its current English registrations specify test-center delivery. See IMA’s remote-testing notice.
Are CMA exam windows different in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the US or the UK?
The standard English examination windows follow the same January-February, May-June and September-October pattern. Local appointment availability and center arrangements differ. Check your authorization and Prometric search for the country where you intend to test. Regional language examinations can have separate instructions.
Can I get a refund if I have not booked with Prometric?
The current handbook permits an examination-fee refund within 30 days of purchase if no appointment has been set with Prometric, less a processing fee. The CMA entrance fee is nonrefundable. Follow IMA’s current refund policy for your request.
What should I check before travelling to the test center?
Recheck the appointment confirmation, center address, reporting time and identification requirements. Your ID name must match the authorization. Use the current test-day handbook for arrival, ID and calculator rules.
Plan Your CMA Preparation Around a Valid Exam Date
EduDelphi’s team can review your authorization start and end dates, intended window and weekly study time before suggesting a preparation schedule. If suitable appointments are difficult to find, we can guide you through checking alternative dates or centers and contacting the correct official team.
Faculty feedback on timed mocks can identify syllabus areas to revisit before the appointment. Share the dates and constraints you need help with. Keep passwords and authorization codes private.
EduDelphi / Delphi Training Center is an IMA Silver Approved CMA Course Provider. Training and preparation support are separate from IMA’s official registration and Prometric’s appointment services.
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About the Author
The three editorial photographs are AI-generated illustrations. They do not depict actual learners, faculty or Prometric test centers.
