The FMAA is a foundational certification designed to equip early-career professionals with essential accounting and finance knowledge and skills. FMAA was introduced by IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) and marks a significant addition to the accounting and finance sector.

The FMAA certification is an excellent starting point for individuals beginning their careers in accounting and finance. It provides a straightforward and effective way for those looking to demonstrate their business knowledge and make a strong impression on potential or current employers. Individuals who have management positions outside of accounting or finance may find that the skills covered in FMAA will help them gain the needed accounting and finance skills to take the next step in their career into higher levels of management.

The total cost to become an FMAA includes both 1) exam registration fees and 2) exam prep materials.

1) Exam Registration Fees

The FMAA exam registration fee is $299, but through our relationship with IMA, all HOCK students are able to take advantage of a $50 discount, making the cost only $249.

There is no IMA membership requirement for the FMAA exam.

2) Exam Prep Materials

HOCK offers an FMAA subscription for only $49 per month, or $149 for 6 months of access.

The FMAA certification stands out for its openness, requiring no prior qualifications from applicants. This welcoming policy enables a wide variety of business professionals to pursue the certification and start their careers in accounting and finance, regardless of their educational history and work experience, or learn foundational accounting and finance skills to help them advance in their career.

Candidates will be evaluated on five key areas in the FMAA exam, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of crucial accounting and finance concepts:

• 25% General Accounting and Financial Management
• 25% Financial Statement Preparation and Analysis
• 20% Planning and Budgeting
• 20% Cost Management and Performance Metrics
• 10% Professional Ethics

Click here to download the Learning Outcome Statements (LOS) for the FMAA Exam.

The two-hour exam consists of 80 multiple-choice questions.

The examination structure is designed to assess a candidate's proficiency in the core areas of accounting and finance.

Exams are taken in-person at Prometric Testing Centers located in major cities worldwide. You can search for a testing location on the Prometric web site.

The FMAA exam in English is offered on a continuous basis subject only to seat availability at your local Prometric testing center.

The FMAA exam in Arabic is offered during specific weeks in 2025: May 11–19 and September 14–22.

HOCK students can register for the exam through HOCK for a $50 discount ($249 instead of $299). Otherwise, registration is done through the IMA.

Based on the difficulty of the questions randomly selected for your exam and the number of questions that you got correct you are given a “scaled score” between 0 and 300. A 200 score is required to pass the exam.

Note: 200 does NOT translate to 67%. It is simply a score and not a percentage of anything.

Once you have your FMAA certification, you must maintain your FMAA status ($49 annual fee) and complete 15 hours of CPE per year. You can earn CPE by attending webinars, many of which are free. Failure to maintain your status and CPE will result in your removal from the IMA's records of certified members.

While every student will study at a different pace, it usually takes about 2-3 months of study depending on your knowledge and experience. Our PassMap Learning Management System lets you customize your learning experience. By simply entering your target exam date into PassMap, you will have a weekly study schedule to stay on track for your target exam date.

For even more in-depth articles about choosing a certification, preparing for exams, and professional development, visit the free HOCK Resource Library. If you have any other questions about the exam or study for the exam, please get in touch and we will be glad to help.