Kevin Gormley speaks with three standout students from India who are currently pursuing their undergraduate degrees alongside the CGMA Finance Leadership Program (FLP). Each has successfully passed the Operational Case Study (OCS), and in some cases achieved top All‑India ranks.

Each shares their unique experiences balancing university studies with FLP, insights from their OCS preparation, the challenges they encountered, and the strategies that led them to exam success.

GUESTS

• Nandini Maheshwari. Bachelor of Commerce student, Symbiosis College of Arts & Commerce, Passed both Operational and management level Case Study.
• Pranav Bhat. BBA student, St. Joseph's College of Commerce. Passed OCS, preparing for Management Case Study.
• Prerana Rao. BBA student, St. Joseph's College of Commerce. Achieved All‑India Rank in OCS. Recently completed MCS and preparing for SCS

HIGHLIGHTS 1. What it's like to sit the OCS while still an Undergraduate. Each student reflects on their first exposure to a case‑based professional exam. 2. Study strategies that worked. Details of how they structured (and sometimes didn't structure) their study plans: 3. The power of mock exams. How these graded exercises help to gain vital insights, get feedback, and understand examiners' expectations. 4. Their best advice for future OCS candidates. Practical perspectives, including this important takeaway: "Don't treat it like the end of the world. Relax. Enjoy the learning process."

ABOUT US.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/ and at https://aicpa-cima.com.

Get in touch with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Email the podcast team at [email protected]

Thanks for listening. It takes just a couple of minutes to share your feedback here.

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Kevin is joined by Nasheen Wuisman from the CIMA Study Support & Progression Team to discuss the challenges of exam resits and the wealth of support resources available for students, especially those preparing for the upcoming February exam window.

Nasheen explains the emotional and practical difficulties students face when re‑sitting a Case Study exam, and highlights key support tools such as the Revitalise Resit Guide, the Resit Program, the Proficiency Guide, coaching services, and community learning spaces. She also describes how these resources help candidates understand examiner expectations, improve answer proficiency, and rebuild confidence for the next exam attempt.

TOPICS COVERED

• Understanding the Emotional Side of Exam Resits. Students often struggle with motivation, confidence, focus, and disappointment after narrowly failing. The support team acknowledges the emotional impact and provides structured and empathetic resources.
• Overview of CIMA Support Resources 1. Revitalise — The Resit Guide. A self‑study resource designed to help students reassess, re‑focus, and re‑plan for their next exam attempt. 2. The Resit Program. A structured, flexible program run between results release and the next sitting. Hosted on the CIMA community platform to help students learn, network, and feel less isolated. Includes guidance, weekly resources, and informal live sessions for open discussion and emotional support. 3. The Proficiency Guide. Built using real candidate scripts from an actual exam sitting. Shows examiner annotations on how responses were marked and how to turn "red arrows" into "green arrows." Includes scripts from a fail, marginal pass, and pass for comparison. Particularly powerful for resit candidates who need clarity on how to improve performance. 4. One‑to‑One Coaching Support. FLP 1‑to‑1 coaching sessions for tailored advice, confidence‑building, and personalised study strategy. 5. CGMA Case Study Structured Success Program. A free 8‑week program for first‑time Case Study takers, run twice yearly. Supplements the FLP platform with added skills support (time management, motivation, exam skills). 6. Communities — Engage 365. Includes dedicated spaces for Case Study students, Resit students, and (soon) level learners. Allows global peer‑to‑peer learning, networking, and sharing.

TAKEAWAYS

• Students should fully utilise the variety of free, high‑quality resources available through CIMA and FLP.
• Understanding examiner expectations is essential, and real scripts in the Proficiency Guide make this far more accessible.
• Resit success often depends on emotional readiness as much as technical readiness. Community support helps reduce isolation and allows students to learn from peers.
• Structured programs, coaching, and targeted guides can significantly improve exam performance.

USEFUL LINKS

• FLP & CIMA Study Hub: Accessible via the FLP LMS - https://hub.cimaglobal.com/
• Exam Support & Resources: aicpa‑cima.com https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/exams
• FLP Registration - enroll.cgma.org
• Community Platform (Engage 365): Accessible through the FLP environment - https://connect.aicpa-cima.com/home

Thanks for listening. It takes just a couple of minutes to share your feedback here.

ABOUT US.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification.

Get in touch with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Contact the podcast team at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Host Kevin Gormley talks to special guest Alex Whelan, a CIMA‑qualified tutor with extensive industry experience, who provides deep insights into the Sumtrix pre‑seen case for February OCS resit candidates. Alex breaks down Sumtrix's business model, financial structure, sustainability themes, costing methods, budgeting issues, and potential exam‑relevant risks. The conversation also includes a full walkthrough of all six CIMA Core Activities (A–F) and expert exam‑technique guidance, including planning, subheadings, KPIs, and referencing attachments. Kevin also introduces the updated 2026 direction of the Finance Leadership Podcast, which will now focus heavily on supporting Operational Case Study (OCS) candidates.

KEY POINTS

• Overview of our podcast direction for 2026
• Deep case analysis of Sumtrix (ski manufacturer: freestyle, touring, custom)
• Financial highlights, revenue channels, and operational structure
• Sustainability misalignment (importing North American materials)
• Key red flags: seasonality, inventory buildup, rising overheads
• Detailed breakdown of Core Activities A–F
• Exam techniques: planning time, subheadings, KPI construction, use of attachments
• Resources on the CGMA Hub for resit candidates

Thanks for listening. It takes just a couple of minutes to share your feedback.

ABOUT US.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/

Get in touch with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Your comments welcomed at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Guest Richard Stanfield from Kaplan joins us to outline some key aspects of modern learning. He sits down with show host Kevin Gormley to discuss:

• learning via FLP
• using AI during the pursuit of CGMA
• preparing for Case Study exams
• common study mistakes.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/ or https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/the-cgma-r-finance-leadership-program.

CONNECT

Get in touch with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening. It takes just a couple of minutes to share your feedback. You can also contact us directly at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Guests Matthew Payze and Stewardt Cornelissen join us from South Africa. Together we discuss their experiences in studying for CGMA, and share their advice and views on studying for the qualification via the FLP pathway.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/ or https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/the-cgma-r-finance-leadership-program.

CONNECT

• If you're on LinkedIn, feel free to connect with show host Kevin Gormley
• Connect with Matthew at www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-payze-347195198 or find out more about Collivery at https://collivery.net/
• Connect with Stewardt at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewardt-cornelissen-0b664ab3/

Your feedback and comments welcomed at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Our guest is Jason Nye, CIMA's Senior Manager in Operations for the UK. Together we take a look at the UK market for Finance & Accounting and provide useful insights for anyone considering this sector as a career.

Jason talks about his background, the market for jobs in the UK, what careers are open to CIMA students, where people can find roles, and how to start studying CIMA. We also discuss what types of companies have CIMA opportunities and how are they structured. Finally we share some employability tips.

Find out more on the UK market at https://www.tiktok.com/@cimaearlycareersuk and https://www.instagram.com/cimaearlycareersuk/

ABOUT US.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/

CONNECT.

Get in touch with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Connect with Jason Nye at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cimajason/

Your feedback and comments welcomed at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Andi Lonnen, founder and CEO of FBP Academy, joins us to discuss Finance business partnering: what it is, why it's important, and how to build the mindset of a Finance Business Partner.

Alongside many insights in this conversation with podcast host Kevin Gormley (AICPA & CIMA, UK), Andi highlights that Finance Business Partners (FBPs) are not just traditional accountants who "add up" numbers, but professionals who "add value". ABOUT US.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/

Get in touch with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Connect with Andi Lonnen at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andilonnen

Your feedback and comments welcomed at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Kevin Gormley welcomes Hugh Martin from Procountancy back to the podcast to hear his views on preparing for this month's Strategic Case Study exam.

Returning podcast guest Hugh is a CGMA and has lots of experience with the SCS. Connect with him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughmartincgma/

ABOUT US.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/

Get in touch with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Your feedback and comments welcomed at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Kevin Gormley is joined by John Bannon, Director at First Intuition who are a Training Partner of AICPA & CIMA.

John outlines the First Intuition FLP offer and also gives his thoughts on the upcoming Strategic Case Study (SCS) exam. As a tutor himself, he has lots of experience in teaching for the SCS and students who are preparing for this exam may find his insights useful.

CONNECT

• If you're on LinkedIn, feel free to connect with show host Kevin Gormley.
• Connect with John Bannon at First Intuition https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bannon-a5b2543b/
• Find out more about First Intuition's FLP offer at https://www.firstintuition.co.uk/study-cimas-cgma-flp/

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/.

Your feedback and comments are welcomed at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

We're joined by CIMA member and former FLP student Shirley Henrick, who switched to the Finance Leadership Programme and attained CGMA after the opportunity arose during the Pandemic to complete her studies. She talks about her career, her route to CGMA, and gives some invaluable advice based on her experiences.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) , is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/

Connect with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Your feedback and comments welcomed at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

We're joined by Chris Roberts and Kim Hanson from our FLP Product team to talk about the new class onboarding feature that has been released as part of the Skills Plus subscription.

Chris and Kim discuss how it works, the benefits to students, and how this will help guide them through the process of preparing to take a Case Study exam.

The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) , is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/

Contact show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn.

Your feedback and comments welcomed at [email protected]

This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.