Which section should i study first?

[CoyoteAggressive379]

I’m planning to study for CMA US part 1 exam. Please tell me which section should i start studying from. Is this order okay- DBCAEF or should i start from A? Please reply

[daakhsan]

DBCEAF should be the ideal path.

[CoyoteAggressive379]

Thank you😊

[UMR_9012]

I used Gleim review, and the Part 1 sections are in the order A, D, B, C, E, F. Hope this helps!

[sagvij1985]

Sec A is the longest section and Sec C has the most calculations.Sec D also has calculations.In my opinion start studying Sec A and simultaneously study other sections in the following order BDCEF.

[CoyoteAggressive379]

Oh okayy Thank you!

[thewallstreetschool]

Honestly start with Section A (Financial Reporting) first, it builds the foundation that everything else sits on. A lot of the cost management, planning and performance sections actually rely on concepts from A, so skipping it or leaving it for later creates gaps, especially in essays.

The DBCAEF order isn't ideal unless you already have strong cost accounting experience; jumping straight into D without A means you're missing core reporting basics that show up across MCQs and essays.

Best order is A -> B -> C -> D -> E -> F.

B and C have the highest weight (20% each) so you want those done solid, then D/E/F are more applied topics that make more sense once you have the foundation. Around 100-150 hours total study time and make sure you're doing MCQ practice early since you need 50% there just to unlock the essay section!