Gleim vs Hock vs Becker for the CMA exam

Gleim is practice-heavy, Hock is explanation-led and CMA-only, and Becker is lecture-led with live classes on higher tiers. Pick by learning style, then test the essay practice in a free trial, because that is where CMA courses differ most.

Key takeaways

  • A large question bank.
  • A CMA specialist with thorough explanations and a guarantee-style offer.
  • Lecture-led, with live classes on higher tiers and an official IMA partnership.
  • Essay practice with rubric feedback, step-by-step answer building and multi-language explanations.
  • Do the same costing lesson and one essay in each trial, then compare how much you understood.
  • How often is the content updated?

Gleim

A large question bank. Suits self-driven candidates with an accounting background.

Hock

A CMA specialist with thorough explanations and a guarantee-style offer. Often recommended for value.

Becker

Lecture-led, with live classes on higher tiers and an official IMA partnership.

Where HiPrep fits

Essay practice with rubric feedback, step-by-step answer building and multi-language explanations.

How to trial them

Do the same costing lesson and one essay in each trial, then compare how much you understood.

What to ask before buying

How often is the content updated? Is there essay feedback? What does the guarantee require?

Exam facts at a glance

CMA (US) (Certified Management Accountant), overseen by IMA. 2: Exam parts. 4 hrs: Per part: 100 MCQs + 2 essays. 360: Passing score (0–500 scale). 3 yrs: To complete both parts from your first.

Part 1, Financial Planning, Performance and Analytics: Budgeting, performance management, cost management and controls. Main topics: External financial reporting decisions, Planning, budgeting and forecasting, Performance management, Cost management, Internal controls, Technology and analytics.

Part 2, Strategic Financial Management: Corporate finance, investment decisions, risk and ethics. Main topics: Financial statement analysis, Corporate finance, Decision analysis and risk, Investment decisions, Professional ethics.

The path from eligibility to certification

CMA (US): 1. Join IMA. IMA membership is part of registration. 2. Check entrance requirements. A bachelor’s degree, plus two years of relevant experience (before or within a window after passing). 3. Register and pay fees. Register for the exam through the IMA. 4. Book at Prometric. Schedule each part at a test centre near you. 5. Pass both parts. Within three years of passing your first part. 6. Complete the experience requirement. Then apply for your CMA certification.

Who it suits: Management accountants and cost accountants; FP&A, MIS and controllership professionals; Chartered and cost accountants adding a global credential; Finance graduates aiming for business-partnering roles. Careers it opens: FP&A and business finance; Controller and finance manager; Cost and management accounting; Strategy and corporate finance; CFO track.

Key terms explained

CMA: Certified Management Accountant: the IMA credential for management accounting, planning and financial strategy. The exam has two parts and the passing score is 360 out of 500.

IMA: The Institute of Management Accountants: the US body that grants the CMA and runs its entrance requirements and fees.

Question bank: A large set of practice questions with explanations, usually sorted by topic and difficulty. Doing questions and reviewing every explanation is the core of exam preparation.

More questions candidates ask

Which should I pick: CPA, CMA or EA? CPA suits audit, reporting and global accounting careers. CMA suits management accounting, FP&A and finance leadership. EA suits US tax and IRS representation, and is the quickest to complete. Our counsellors will map one to your background and goals for free.

Can I take these exams from outside the US? Yes. The CPA, CMA and EA exams are available at Prometric test centres in many countries, including India, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Eligibility and registration run through the relevant body: a US state board for CPA, IMA for CMA and the IRS for EA.

Do I need a commerce degree? It depends on the exam. CPA requires a degree plus accounting and business credit hours, which vary by state. CMA requires a bachelor’s degree plus experience. EA has no degree requirement. Book a free eligibility check and we will tell you exactly where you stand.

What are the passing scores? CPA: 75 on a 0–99 scale. CMA: 360 on a 0–500 scale. EA: 105 on a 40–130 scale. All are scaled scores, not percentages.

How HiPrep can help

HiPrep is an exam-prep provider for the CPA (US), CMA (US) and Enrolled Agent exams. Every answer is built step by step, cell by cell, so you see how a result is reached and not only what it is. Explanations are available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, and a mentor is behind the platform for doubts.

You get a Prometric-style simulator with tutor and exam modes, full-length mock exams with a scaled-score estimate and topic breakdown, layered books, one-page revision notes built from your mistakes, flashcards, an AI tutor that hints before it tells, and a study plan that adapts to your exam date and weekly hours.

Start with the free diagnostic: 45 minutes and a topic-by-topic report that shows where you stand before you spend anything.

Frequently asked questions

Which is best for the essays?

Check each trial for essay practice with feedback. A provider that grades against a rubric helps most.

Is a CMA-only provider better?

Specialists can go deep. A multi-exam provider helps if you plan to add the CPA or EA.

Sources and official references

About the author

Haresh Ratnagrahi, Founder, HiPrep (CPA, FCA, CMA (US), CISA, CRISC). Haresh has spent 30+ years in corporate finance, M&A and teaching, including as a professor at Sydenham College of Commerce and as founder of the Finance & Accounts Learning Academy at EXL, where he trained more than 6,000 employees. He founded HiPrep to give CPA, CMA and EA candidates clear teaching, a real exam simulator and mentoring.

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