Management level · MCS

MCS past questions

Every sub-task set in the last 3 Management Case Study pre-seens CIMA has published materials for, summarised in our own words and sorted by core activity.

Topic map · Filter the questions · See how we'd mark three of them · All levels

Topic map

How often each topic came up across all 144 MCS sub-tasks in the 3 sittings we cover. These are patterns from past exams, not a forecast: CIMA can test any part of the syllabus.

Topics by sitting

Sub-tasks on each MCS topic in each sitting, oldest sitting first. The number is in every cell; darker cells mean more sub-tasks.
Topic	May & Aug 2025Trimayr	Nov 2025 & Feb 2026Ressett	May & Aug 2026Cartn	Total
Business models and value	3	3	2	8
Disruptive technology and business intelligence	3	1	0	4
Pricing strategy	3	2	3	8
Investment appraisal and real options	2	3	3	8
Projects and project teams	3	4	5	12
Leadership, teams and engagement	3	3	1	7
Financing and cost of capital	3	3	2	8
TQM, target and life-cycle costing	3	2	4	9
Responsibility centres and performance measures	7	4	3	14
Transfer pricing	2	3	4	9
Business risks	5	5	7	17
Accounting treatments	3	4	4	11
Groups, goodwill and joint ventures	2	2	3	7
Interpreting financial performance	2	1	0	3
Integrated and sustainability reporting	2	5	4	11
Stakeholders, negotiation and conflict	2	3	3	8

Key (sub-tasks per cell):

0
1
2–3
4–5
6–7

Topics, most tested first

1
Business risksOften tested
17 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 15 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
2
Responsibility centres and performance measuresOften tested
14 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 11 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
3
Projects and project teamsOften tested
12 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 11 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
4
Accounting treatmentsOften tested
11 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 11 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
5
Integrated and sustainability reportingOften tested
11 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 11 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
6
TQM, target and life-cycle costingOften tested
9 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 9 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
7
Transfer pricingOften tested
9 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 9 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
8
Pricing strategySometimes tested
8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 8 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
9
Stakeholders, negotiation and conflictSometimes tested
8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 8 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
10
Business models and valueSometimes tested
8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 8 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
11
Financing and cost of capitalSometimes tested
8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 8 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
12
Investment appraisal and real optionsSometimes tested
8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 7 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
13
Groups, goodwill and joint venturesSometimes tested
7 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 7 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
14
Leadership, teams and engagementSometimes tested
7 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 5 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026
15
Disruptive technology and business intelligenceRarely tested
4 sub-tasks · 2 of 3 sittings · 4 of 18 variants · last seen Nov 2025 & Feb 2026
16
Interpreting financial performanceRarely tested
3 sub-tasks · 2 of 3 sittings · 3 of 18 variants · last seen Nov 2025 & Feb 2026

How we band topics

Sittings: 2 points if the topic came up in every sitting we cover, 1 point if it came up in more than one.
Variants: 2 points if it came up in at least half of the exam variants, 1 point if in at least a quarter.
Blueprint: 1 point if its core activity has the top time weighting at the level. Where every core activity has the same weighting, nobody gets this point.
4 or more points is "Often tested", 2 or 3 is "Sometimes tested", and fewer is "Rarely tested".
"Fits this pre-seen" is separate: it shows when the pre-seen's industry or key themes use words linked to the topic (our summary stands in until key themes are written).

It is a count of what CIMA has asked before, not a forecast. Any part of the syllabus can come up.

Core activities against the blueprint

Each core activity's share of the 144 sub-tasks, next to its blueprint weighting. The blueprint weights exam time and sub-tasks vary in length, so treat this as a rough check.

A Adding valueWithin range
19% of sub-tasks (28) · blueprint 15–25% of exam time
B Implementing decisionsWithin range
19% of sub-tasks (27) · blueprint 15–25% of exam time
C Performance and costsWithin range
21% of sub-tasks (30) · blueprint 15–25% of exam time
D Measuring performanceWithin range
21% of sub-tasks (30) · blueprint 15–25% of exam time
E StakeholdersWithin range
20% of sub-tasks (29) · blueprint 15–25% of exam time

Filter the questions

Showing 30 of 144 sub-tasks. Clear filters

May & Aug 2026 · Cartn

CIMA's post-exam materials for May & Aug 2026

Packaging · 9 sub-tasks

MCS past questions, May & Aug 2026 (Cartn): task, core activity, topic and our summary
Task	Core activity	Topic	What was asked (our summary)
V1 · Task 2(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Business risks	Mitigating commodity price, product and contractual inadequacy risks on the new product.
V2 · Task 2(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	Whether the company can claim to have followed TQM on a problem order.
V2 · Task 4(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	Indicators that push R&D to build sustainability into new products and processes.
V3 · Task 3(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Leadership, teams and engagement	Keeping seconded factory staff motivated and engaged on an installation contract.
V3 · Task 4(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	Bringing TQM ideas into work on a customer's equipment.
V4 · Task 3(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	Re-engineering the production process to make a new product for a customer.
V5 · Task 2(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	Using target costing when deciding on the recycling investment.
V6 · Task 2(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Business risks	Evaluating a director's view that the product is likely to fail and hurt the company.
V6 · Task 4(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Business risks	Reducing product reputation and contractual inadequacy risks at a product launch.

V1 · Task 2(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Mitigating commodity price, product and contractual inadequacy risks on the new product.
Business risks
V2 · Task 2(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Whether the company can claim to have followed TQM on a problem order.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing
V2 · Task 4(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Indicators that push R&D to build sustainability into new products and processes.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V3 · Task 3(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Keeping seconded factory staff motivated and engaged on an installation contract.
Leadership, teams and engagement
V3 · Task 4(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Bringing TQM ideas into work on a customer's equipment.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing
V4 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Re-engineering the production process to make a new product for a customer.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing
V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Using target costing when deciding on the recycling investment.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing
V6 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Evaluating a director's view that the product is likely to fail and hurt the company.
Business risks
V6 · Task 4(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Reducing product reputation and contractual inadequacy risks at a product launch.
Business risks

Nov 2025 & Feb 2026 · Ressett

CIMA's post-exam materials for Nov 2025 & Feb 2026

Refurbished computers · 9 sub-tasks

MCS past questions, Nov 2025 & Feb 2026 (Ressett): task, core activity, topic and our summary
Task	Core activity	Topic	What was asked (our summary)
V1 · Task 1(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Leadership, teams and engagement	How far a new team leader should be held responsible for the problem.
V1 · Task 3(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	Applying TQM ideas to computer refurbishment.
V2 · Task 2(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	Whether the consultancy should be a cost, profit or investment centre.
V3 · Task 3(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	Cost centre or profit centre for a new recycling unit.
V3 · Task 4(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Business risks	Product reputation and contractual risks arising from feedback on a recycling scheme.
V4 · Task 4(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	A life-cycle costing view of selling printers and their cartridges.
V5 · Task 1(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	Three KPIs for the board to track call centre performance.
V5 · Task 2(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Leadership, teams and engagement	Keeping call centre advisers engaged while they train a chatbot.
V6 · Task 3(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Business risks	Product, reputation and contractual risks raised by customer complaints.

V1 · Task 1(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
How far a new team leader should be held responsible for the problem.
Leadership, teams and engagement
V1 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Applying TQM ideas to computer refurbishment.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing
V2 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Whether the consultancy should be a cost, profit or investment centre.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V3 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Cost centre or profit centre for a new recycling unit.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V3 · Task 4(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Product reputation and contractual risks arising from feedback on a recycling scheme.
Business risks
V4 · Task 4(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
A life-cycle costing view of selling printers and their cartridges.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing
V5 · Task 1(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Three KPIs for the board to track call centre performance.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Keeping call centre advisers engaged while they train a chatbot.
Leadership, teams and engagement
V6 · Task 3(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Product, reputation and contractual risks raised by customer complaints.
Business risks

May & Aug 2025 · Trimayr

CIMA's post-exam materials for May & Aug 2025

Hair salons · 12 sub-tasks

MCS past questions, May & Aug 2025 (Trimayr): task, core activity, topic and our summary
Task	Core activity	Topic	What was asked (our summary)
V1 · Task 3(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	Bringing TQM ideas into apprentice training and induction.
V1 · Task 4(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Business risks	Product, reputation and operational risks of an online induction course, with responses.
V2 · Task 1(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	What it means that owned salons often improve once they are franchised.
V2 · Task 4(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Business risks	Reputation and contractual risks of selling salons as going concerns.
V3 · Task 1(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Leadership, teams and engagement	Leadership challenges for a new head of training, and the best leadership styles.
V3 · Task 3(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	For and against running the academy as an investment centre.
V4 · Task 1(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	How an acquired overseas subsidiary should be set up as a responsibility centre.
V4 · Task 3(a)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	Difficulties applying target costing to design issues when setting a selling price.
V5 · Task 2(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Leadership, teams and engagement	Challenges for franchisees in empowering and engaging staff to improve customer feedback.
V5 · Task 3(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	For and against running the new owned salons as an investment centre.
V6 · Task 2(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	Responsibility centres and performance measures	Monthly performance measures the board could ask of the acquired business.
V6 · Task 4(b)	Core activity C: Performance and costs	TQM, target and life-cycle costing	Challenges of a value analysis of the acquired business's costs.

V1 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Bringing TQM ideas into apprentice training and induction.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing
V1 · Task 4(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Product, reputation and operational risks of an online induction course, with responses.
Business risks
V2 · Task 1(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
What it means that owned salons often improve once they are franchised.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V2 · Task 4(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Reputation and contractual risks of selling salons as going concerns.
Business risks
V3 · Task 1(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Leadership challenges for a new head of training, and the best leadership styles.
Leadership, teams and engagement
V3 · Task 3(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
For and against running the academy as an investment centre.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V4 · Task 1(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
How an acquired overseas subsidiary should be set up as a responsibility centre.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V4 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Difficulties applying target costing to design issues when setting a selling price.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing
V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Challenges for franchisees in empowering and engaging staff to improve customer feedback.
Leadership, teams and engagement
V5 · Task 3(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
For and against running the new owned salons as an investment centre.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V6 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Monthly performance measures the board could ask of the acquired business.
Responsibility centres and performance measures
V6 · Task 4(b)Core activity C: Performance and costs
Challenges of a value analysis of the acquired business's costs.
TQM, target and life-cycle costing

How Eighty Marks works on it

Three past MCS tasks, each matched to a practice task on the same topic in our question bank, with an illustrative marked answer: a score out of 150 against the pass line of 80, the four competencies, and the one thing to fix first.

The past task

Transfer pricing between two departments

MCS · Nov 2025 & Feb 2026 · Ressett · V2 · Task 3(a) · Core activity E (Stakeholders)

A transfer pricing strategy between two departments that suits the company as a whole.

Practise it in Eighty Marks

Pricing dishes from the central kitchen · Transfer pricing · set in Wuudbreak

Try a free MCS task

Illustrative example

84 / 150

PASS LINE 80 · ABOVE

TechnicalStrong: market and cost-based options compared
BusinessGood: applied to the two departments
PeopleNeeds work: managers' behaviour missing
LeadershipFair: one clear recommendation

Fix first: Explain how each department's manager would react to your price, because that is what decides whether trade happens.

Sample: an invented mark to show the shape of our feedback, not a real student's. AI marks are a guide to help you improve. They are not CIMA marks and not a prediction of your result.

The past task

Real options in an investment decision

MCS · May & Aug 2026 · Cartn · V2 · Task 3(b) · Core activity B (Implementing decisions)

Real options the board should weigh when evaluating the investment.

Practise it in Eighty Marks

Appraising a lakeside spa · Investment appraisal · set in Wuudbreak

Try a free MCS task

Illustrative example

77 / 150

PASS LINE 80 · BELOW

TechnicalGood: options to delay, expand and abandon
BusinessNeeds work: not linked to the new product
PeopleFair: board's view considered
LeadershipFair: recommendation given

Fix first: Tie each real option to a decision the board actually faces on this product, with the point at which it would act.

Sample: an invented mark to show the shape of our feedback, not a real student's. AI marks are a guide to help you improve. They are not CIMA marks and not a prediction of your result.

The past task

Integrated report disclosures

MCS · May & Aug 2025 · Trimayr · V3 · Task 4(b) · Core activity E (Stakeholders)

Integrated report disclosures on the academy's intellectual, human and social capital.

Practise it in Eighty Marks

Climate disclosures and a 'carbon neutral' claim · Sustainability reporting · set in Wuudbreak

Try a free MCS task

Illustrative example

90 / 150

PASS LINE 80 · ABOVE

TechnicalGood: each capital covered
BusinessGood: uses the academy's facts
PeopleGood: readers' needs considered
LeadershipNeeds work: no view on what to leave out

Fix first: Recommend which disclosure matters most to investors and say why, rather than listing all three equally.

Sample: an invented mark to show the shape of our feedback, not a real student's. AI marks are a guide to help you improve. They are not CIMA marks and not a prediction of your result.

Practise these skills in your own pre-seen

Timed MCS tasks in the current pre-seen, marked in about a minute. Try one task free, no card needed.

Try a task free Management Case Study practice

MCS past questions

Topic map

Topics by sitting

Topics, most tested first

Core activities against the blueprint

Filter the questions

May & Aug 2026 · Cartn

Nov 2025 & Feb 2026 · Ressett

May & Aug 2025 · Trimayr

How Eighty Marks works on it.

Transfer pricing between two departments

Real options in an investment decision

Integrated report disclosures

Practise these skills in your own pre-seen.

How Eighty Marks works on it

Practise these skills in your own pre-seen