The CMA exam (or Certified management accountant exam) is extremely important; it is the culmination of a four year degree, two years experience and it is the ultimate way to legitimize yourself as an accountant, particularly if you are interested in working in corporations and doing big accounting business. However, the CMA exam is far from easy; it requires a lot of preparation to pass and CMA study guides are the best way to do this. There are many different kinds of CMA study guides to choose from, so choose well.

Ye Old Fashioned CMA Study Guides

There are countless books which you can purchase online or through bookstores which are solid study guides for the CMA exams. If you go through a publisher which considers accounting a speciality (such as Wiley), you will get updated study guides every year which will ensure that everything you study is relevant.

The main benefit of the textbooks for CMA study guides is that you get something tangible which you can read whenever you want and which won’t disappear if your computer crashes and burns. You can carry your book wherever you want and many people find them more comfortable to work with. You can also get deals on textbooks or sets and comparison shop to get the lowest prices possible by shopping online. The downside is that you don’t get as many resources as you would with an online source guide and you will have to wait while your books reach you, but for those who vastly prefer books to study from, this is no problem.

Electronic CMA Study Guides

There is a growing supply of electronic CMA study guides on the market today. These guides come in the form of e-books which are downloaded to your computer and/or e-reader, online resources and study databases, and simulation exams.  These study guides are also updated regularly so that you can get the most out of your study guide and stay abreast of any changes to the exam.

Electronic CMA study guides are beneficial because you can study anywhere you have a computer and there is a vast array of information literally at your fingertips. Mock exams and marking guides as well as more interactive study guides are more useful to many people and the ability to jam more information into less space generally means you get more bang for your buck. However, if your computer crashes, you lose your study guides, if only temporarily, and many people feel uncomfortable with doing things entirely online.

For many people, the best idea is a combination attack, with online study guides being mainly used for interactive mock exams and marking and then books used for study purposes. However you decide to use your CMA study guides, it is important to choose wisely. You can read reviews on various study guides to choose the best one; look for well established companies like Wiley and ones which specialize in accounting. Whatever you choose, make sure to use your CMA study guide well so that you can get the very chance possible at passing your exam.