CIMA Unveils CGMA 2026 Upgrade

CIMA is increasing the emphasis on Finance Business Partnering and applied problem solving (particularly for the operational level), as part of its upgrade of the CGMA qualification.

The changes, which take place in 2026, place greater attention on simulating finance roles across the operational, management, and strategy levels, to meet the growing expectations of modern finance professionals to be high-performance business partners capable of utilising technology and applying critical thinking skills.

CIMA has also expanded its sustainability (green financing, IFRS S1 & S2) and digital technology (GenAI) topic coverage, but the real shift and change is focused on applied learning, critical thinking, and business case simulation needed for today’s business partners.

In short, CIMA is preparing its students for future finance jobs, areas that require the combination of human cognitive skills and technology to create value, so they won’t be replaced by machine automation.

CIMA informed PQs of the changes on 7 May as part of a soft launch, with the main launch taking place a week later, at the CIMA President’s Future of Finance Conference.

Tuition provides have also been briefed, and CIMA is rolling out events around the world explaining the changes. These are open to students. employers, tuition providers, universities, and members.

A CIMA spokesperson told PQ magazine:

“The important thing has been to make sure all students got the heads up on the new 2026 syllabus coming in before reading about things elsewhere first, so we messaged them as part of our ‘soft launch’. The main point of that message was to relay that there will be changes that come into effect next year, however there is no impact on any 2025 examinations - so keep studying.”

The CIMA PQ syllabus is updated annually, which means no new or disruptive transitional arrangements, no changes in exam formats or requirements for top-up knowledge. The spokesperson said:

“It is more on upgrade, than a wholesale root and branch overhaul, to make sure students are future ready and fit for the future of finance.”

To find out more go to:  https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/cgma-candidate-faqs.