What Makes the Best CMA Review Course?
Your CMA review course should be comprehensive and engaging so you can prepare for success on exam day without feeling overwhelmed. The UWorld Accounting team’s mission is to help you do your best while making challenging concepts easy to understand.
As an IMA Strategic Partner, we are dedicated to bringing you courses that support your CMA certification journey with leading learning technology. See how we compare with other providers.
Comparison of Top CMA Review Courses
| High-Quality CMA Review Program Features |
Becker |
Surgent |
Gleim |
UWorld CMA (Formerly Wiley CMA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Most Comprehensive Bank of CMA Practice QuestionsChallenging CMA practice questions featuring detailed answer explanations — including past ICMA questions |
4,000+ |
4,000+ |
4,500+ |
6,000+ |
Video LecturesShort, easily digestible videos led by CMA subject matter experts who talk you through the material you’re most likely to encounter on the exam |
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11th Hour Final Review CourseBonus video lectures designed to reinforce the most critical CMA topics in your final study sessions |
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Instruction That Makes a DifferenceDynamic instructors with decades of university teaching and practical industry experience, including Monte Swain, CMA, CPA, CGMA, Ph.D. |
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Boot Camps (Live Virtual Classes)Virtual classroom series with live, online instruction and support |
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Print and Digital Study GuidesStudy guides that break down tough topics using easy-to-understand language and visuals |
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Dynamic Study Planners with 3 Customizable OptionsFrom a comprehensive plan to a customized schedule, gain control over your study strategy with a customizable planner. |
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Expert ReadyDecks - Digital FlashcardsPre-made digital flashcards written and reviewed by CMA experts |
500+ |
700+ |
750+ |
|
Flashcard Builder and Digital NotebookFlashcards and personalized notes that can be created directly within your course for the ultimate customizable learning experience |
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Mobile AppFully featured mobile app for studying your CMA review materials on the go |
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Unlimited Access Until You PassUnlimited access until you pass with StudyPass™ |
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Fair and Transparent PricingAffordable payment options for today’s candidate |
Pro $2,199 | Ultimate $1,299 | Premium $1,799 | Elite Unlimited $1,499 |
Hear From Real UWorld CMA Review Students
“This course has up-to-date materials that cover the exam perfectly. Easy to follow your progress—a lot of options help to get back to any note you have, and very helpful and fast customer service.”- Mohamed Z., UWorld CMA Review Student
“User-friendly and super convenient when it comes to note taking and recall (flashcards). This course really facilitates my learning style (I love how summarized everything is. They make it easy to grasp and comprehend concepts). It is nice to practice being time-pressured. Everything here is within reach, plus you can have it on your phone.”- Karen B., UWorld CMA Review Student
Gleim CMA Review
Gleim combines traditional self-study with adaptive technology through SmartAdapt™. Its biggest strengths are its vast question bank and expert-authored textbooks. Candidates get strong support through personal counselors, but key features such as full video access are locked behind the Premium plan.
Pros:
- Gleim has thousands of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and essays.
- SmartAdapt™ technology targets weak areas.
- Personal counselors are available for support and planning.
Limitations:
- There is only one CMA instructor providing video lectures.
- Content is text-heavy and lacking in engaging visuals.
- There are no live classes or boot camps.
Becker CMA Review
Becker’s CMA Review course includes structured video lessons, unlimited practice tests, and options for 1-on-1 academic support, especially in the Pro package. Its streamlined interface and ICMA coverage make it user-friendly and exam-focused.
Pros:
- Video lectures are taught by a team of CMA certified instructors.
- The Pro plan includes 5 tutoring sessions and success coaching.
- Becker’s CMA SkillBuilder videos provide guidance on essay questions.
Limitations:
- Users have a high price point, especially for full-featured access.
- Instructors rely heavily on slides, leading to a less engaging experience.
- AI-assistant occasionally hallucinates.
Surgent CMA Review
Surgent is positioned as an affordable CMA review option focusing on adaptive learning. Its ReadySCORE™ algorithm estimates exam readiness and helps learners target weak areas. While it’s mobile-friendly and priced competitively, it lacks live instruction. Some users report that its materials can feel dry or impersonal.
Pros:
- ReadySCORE™ estimates pass readiness and adjusts your study path.
- Study schedules are personalized and mobile-friendly, with access across devices.
- Two private coaching sessions are included in the top-tier plan.
Limitations:
- There are no live classes or boot camp-style support.
- Instruction style may feel flat to some learners.
- Coaching and printed materials are only available in the Ultimate tier.
Why UWorld Is the Best CMA Review Course
Comprehensive Practice Questions
Quality and Quantity In One Package
To succeed on the CMA exam, you must practice with challenging multiple-choice and essay questions. Our active learning methodology helps you retain 70% or more of the information needed to pass both parts of the CMA exam.
How? By focusing on both quality and quantity for practice.
- Quantity of Questions: With over 6,000 questions in your CMA QBank, you’ll have more than enough to get comfortable with even the toughest concepts you’ll encounter on exam day.
- Quality of Questions: This is the most critical aspect of the best CMA courses. If you do not understand the why behind your correct or incorrect answers, you could practice 10,000 questions and fail your exam.
Difficulty At or Above Exam Level
Our CMA practice questions are designed to reflect the actual exam's difficulty, content, and question styles. They test your understanding of key concepts and help you avoid common pitfalls on exam day. Our experts dedicate their time to developing high-quality questions that test your knowledge and challenge your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities — preparing you for the rigors of the actual CMA exam.
Market-Leading Answer Explanations
Our questions are paired with concise answer explanations that include breakdowns of why each answer option is correct or incorrect. They ensure that the what, why, and how behind each question directly align with something you will need to know on the CMA exam.
UWorld
Other Providers
Instruction That Makes a Difference
Our CMA instructors, authors, and subject matter experts share an extensive background in accounting, experience teaching accredited university classes, and a passion for helping you advance your career.
Trusted University Professors
You need instructors who have the designation you’re pursuing, understand your career goals, and have decades of experience teaching management accounting concepts.
Monte Swain (Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CGMA), Kip Holderness (Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CFE), Kari Olsen (Ph.D., CPA, CMA), Cassy Budd (MAcc, B.S.), and the rest of the UWorld Accounting team are excited to guide you to success along your CMA journey.
Leading Video Lectures
We understand that rote memorization and passive learning are inadequate for a challenging professional exam such as the CMA. Our engaging video lectures emphasize active learning and skill development.
UWorld’s CMA instructors provide insightful explanations, real-world examples, and practical applications to help you truly comprehend each topic.
Boot Camps (Live Virtual Classes)
CMA Boot Camps are your opportunity to hear your peers’ common struggles, discover more effective ways to tackle problems, get moral support from your instructors, and boost your understanding of complicated topics in an online classroom environment.
11th Hour Final Review Course
In the final 2 weeks before your CMA exam, you need a concise refresher course. The 11th Hour Final Review Course provides essential review lectures on key topics. Led by Dr. Steve Smith, CMA, a seasoned professor from Brigham Young University, this course is designed to help you focus and succeed.
Technology For Today’s CMA Candidate
UWorld has 100+ world-class software engineers whose focus is supporting our digital learning platform. Our team is dedicated to building a modern online learning environment that emphasizes customization and each candidate’s unique study needs.
Our accounting certification exam candidates succeed because they learn by doing. Whether you are creating digital flashcards while reviewing a lecture, building custom practice tests, or reading your study guide side by side with your online notebook, your materials help you remember core concepts, connect them to real-world needs or scenarios, and apply them with challenging, exam-level practice.
Create a fully customized study plan in seconds. Set your exam date, start date, and weekly study hours — then let the Dynamic Study Planner take over. It organizes your tasks, adjusts automatically if you fall behind, and keeps you on track.
Most review courses include pre-built flashcards, but you may already know much of the content included!
That’s why we empower you to create customized flashcards from our materials in addition to an expansive library of Expert ReadyDecks™. Building and practicing with flashcards supports long-term learning and memory that will serve you on exam day.
Copy any written or visual content from our CMA review course into My Notebook, then personalize it by bolding, highlighting, and making bullet points to help you keep your thoughts organized. Notebook pages can be created, deleted, and dragged between sections.
Our mobile app brings the power of UWorld's CMA exam preparation to your fingertips. This app seamlessly syncs with the desktop version of your course, allowing you to easily continue your studies from one device to the next.
Create a fully customized study plan in seconds. Set your exam date, start date, and weekly study hours — then let the Dynamic Study Planner take over. It organizes your tasks, adjusts automatically if you fall behind, and keeps you on track.
Most review courses include pre-built flashcards, but you may already know much of the content included!
That’s why we empower you to create customized flashcards from our materials in addition to an expansive library of Expert ReadyDecks™. Building and practicing with flashcards supports long-term learning and memory that will serve you on exam day.
Copy any written or visual content from our CMA review course into My Notebook, then personalize it by bolding, highlighting, and making bullet points to help you keep your thoughts organized. Notebook pages can be created, deleted, and dragged between sections.
Our mobile app brings the power of UWorld's CMA exam preparation to your fingertips. This app seamlessly syncs with the desktop version of your course, allowing you to easily continue your studies from one device to the next.
Dedicated Support Team
The CMA exam is tough, and you’ll need support along your journey to certification. We offer easy access to exceptional customer support. Our friendly team is just a click or call away, ready to assist with technical issues, CMA exam guidance, and more.
Pricing, Access, and Expiration
We prioritize affordability and flexibility. By serving candidates across various high-stakes exams, we reduce costs on technology and support, allowing us to offer quality materials at lower prices. We also provide discounts through firm and university partnerships, as well as flexible payment plans over 3, 6, or 12 months through Affirm.
Conclusion
When it comes to preparing for the CMA exam, it is important to consider:
- Quality and relevance of practice questions
- Style and engagement level of the lectures
- Platform usability
- Instructor approach and reputation
- Cost and access period
UWorld Accounting team members are ready to help you succeed. With in-house instructors who have a shared passion for management accountancy, partnerships with firms and training providers around the globe, content experts dedicated to keeping courses up-to-date, and proven learning technology, you will have the support and the material that will ensure you reach your goals.
