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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.
TopicMay & Aug 2025TrimayrNov 2025 & Feb 2026RessettMay & Aug 2026CartnTotal
Business models and value3328
Disruptive technology and business intelligence3104
Pricing strategy3238
Investment appraisal and real options2338
Projects and project teams34512
Leadership, teams and engagement3317
Financing and cost of capital3328
TQM, target and life-cycle costing3249
Responsibility centres and performance measures74314
Transfer pricing2349
Business risks55717
Accounting treatments34411
Groups, goodwill and joint ventures2237
Interpreting financial performance2103
Integrated and sustainability reporting25411
Stakeholders, negotiation and conflict2338
Key (sub-tasks per cell):
  • 0
  • 1
  • 2–3
  • 4–5
  • 6–7

Topics, most tested first

  1. 1
    Business risksOften tested

    17 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 15 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  2. 2
    Responsibility centres and performance measuresOften tested

    14 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 11 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  3. 3
    Projects and project teamsOften tested

    12 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 11 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  4. 4
    Accounting treatmentsOften tested

    11 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 11 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  5. 5
    Integrated and sustainability reportingOften tested

    11 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 11 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  6. 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. 7
    Transfer pricingOften tested

    9 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 9 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  8. 8
    Pricing strategySometimes tested

    8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 8 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  9. 9
    Stakeholders, negotiation and conflictSometimes tested

    8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 8 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  10. 10
    Business models and valueSometimes tested

    8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 8 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  11. 11
    Financing and cost of capitalSometimes tested

    8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 8 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  12. 12
    Investment appraisal and real optionsSometimes tested

    8 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 7 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  13. 13
    Groups, goodwill and joint venturesSometimes tested

    7 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 7 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  14. 14
    Leadership, teams and engagementSometimes tested

    7 sub-tasks · 3 of 3 sittings · 5 of 18 variants · last seen May & Aug 2026

  15. 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. 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 5 of 144 sub-tasks. Clear filters

May & Aug 2026 · Cartn

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

Packaging · 2 sub-tasks

  • V4 · Task 2(a)Core activity E: Stakeholders

    Difficulties measuring goodwill on a planned acquisition.

    Groups, goodwill and joint ventures

  • V5 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Stakeholders

    Accounting for an investment in a joint venture and its first months of trading.

    Groups, goodwill and joint ventures

Nov 2025 & Feb 2026 · Ressett

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

Refurbished computers · 1 sub-task

  • V6 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Stakeholders

    Difficulties accounting for goodwill if a planned acquisition goes ahead.

    Groups, goodwill and joint ventures

May & Aug 2025 · Trimayr

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

Hair salons · 2 sub-tasks

  • V4 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Stakeholders

    How acquiring a foreign subsidiary affects the group's reported performance.

    Groups, goodwill and joint ventures

  • V6 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Stakeholders

    Challenges in measuring and accounting for goodwill on an acquisition.

    Groups, goodwill and joint ventures

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 freeManagement Case Study practice