CIMA OCS · May & Aug 2025
Halfpenny past exam tasks: CIMA OCS May & Aug 2025
Halfpenny (bakery) was the Operational Case Study pre-seen for May & Aug 2025. Here is every sub-task CIMA set on it, across 6 exam variants, summarised in our own words.
CIMA's post-exam materials for May & Aug 2025 (the real variants, suggested answers, marking guidance and examiner's report)
- Exam variants
- 6
- Sub-tasks
- 66
- Topics tested
- 17
- Industry
- Bakery
Core activity mix
Sub-tasks across all variants, under the core activity CIMA's marking guidance gives each one.
- ADiscuss costing information to support differing needs of the businessBlueprint weighting 12–18%9
- BDiscuss budget information for the purposes of planning and controlBlueprint weighting 17–25%13
- CAnalyse financial and non-financial information to communicate insights about organisational performanceBlueprint weighting 17–25%12
- DApply relevant financial reporting standards and corporate governance, ethical and tax principlesBlueprint weighting 7–13%11
- EAnalyse information to support short-term decision makingBlueprint weighting 17–25%14
- FDiscuss the management of working capitalBlueprint weighting 12–18%7
Topics tested
- Budgets and budgetary control8
- Property, plant and equipment7
- KPIs and performance6
- Variance analysis6
- Costing methods5
- Decisions under risk5
- Forecasting and big data5
- Relevant costs and short-term decisions5
- Digital costing and app costs4
- Break-even analysis2
- Credit control2
- Inventory and EOQ2
- Inventory, events and other IFRS2
- Leases2
- Limiting factors and production plans2
- Short-term finance and investment2
- Working capital policy1
The tasks, variant by variant
Each candidate sat one variant. Every variant covers every core activity, but on different topics and new information.
- V1 · Task 1(a)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Initial and later measurement of a lease liability and right-of-use asset for the year.
- V1 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Explaining decision data and the option a risk-neutral approach would choose.
- V1 · Task 1(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Limitations of the data and of a risk-neutral approach.
- V1 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Budgeting
What a what-if analysis shows about changes in volume, price and fixed cost on budgeted profit.
- V1 · Task 2(b)Core activity B: Budgeting
Limitations of the what-if analysis.
- V1 · Task 2(c)Core activity B: Budgeting
How rolling budgets would work for production, with benefits and drawbacks.
- V1 · Task 3(a)Core activity A: Costing
Costs and cost drivers for a set of activities, and using the drivers to control cost.
- V1 · Task 3(b)Core activity F: Working capital
Setting credit terms for new direct customers and managing their balances afterwards.
- V1 · Task 4(a)Core activity C: Performance
Meaning and likely causes of a set of variances.
- V1 · Task 4(b)Core activity C: Performance
Three KPIs for an individual delivery driver, and points to weigh when reviewing them.
- V1 · Task 4(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Relevant and irrelevant costs for accepting a one-off contract.
- V2 · Task 1(a)Core activity B: Budgeting
What a sales chart shows and how to find a trend line and seasonal variations.
- V2 · Task 1(b)Core activity B: Budgeting
How far a forecast for a new range can rely on that trend and seasonality.
- V2 · Task 1(c)Core activity F: Working capital
Factors in investing surplus funds short term, with possible types of investment.
- V2 · Task 2(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Reading a break-even chart for fixed cost, profit, unit variable cost and break-even under each option.
- V2 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Benefits and limitations of the break-even analysis.
- V2 · Task 2(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Other factors in deciding whether to outsource some or all production of a new range.
- V2 · Task 3(a)Core activity A: Costing
Nature and cost behaviour of an app's future costs.
- V2 · Task 3(b)Core activity A: Costing
Setting a cost per app subscriber, and the difficulties.
- V2 · Task 3(c)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Recognising and measuring property expenditure in the accounts.
- V2 · Task 4(a)Core activity C: Performance
Sales variances: meaning, causes and what they say about a product's overall sales.
- V2 · Task 4(b)Core activity C: Performance
Three KPIs to monitor use of a subscription app.
- V2 · Task 4(c)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
How events after the year end and an inventory issue affect the accounts.
- V3 · Task 1(a)Core activity B: Budgeting
Sensitivity of budgeted contribution and profit to separate adverse changes in price, material cost and volume.
- V3 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Explaining points on a production planning graph and what each means for output, resources and profit.
- V3 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Budgeting
Using big data and AI to plan and control a key material cost in the budget.
- V3 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Performance
Three KPIs for production cost and volumes.
- V3 · Task 2(c)Core activity F: Working capital
What moving to a more aggressive working capital policy would mean.
- V3 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Performance
Production variances: meaning, causes and what they say about a department's performance.
- V3 · Task 3(b)Core activity A: Costing
Applying the CGMA cost transformation model to protect profitability.
- V3 · Task 4(a)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Accounting for an impaired oven and a new oven in the year-end accounts.
- V3 · Task 4(b)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
How events after the reporting period affect receivables and inventory.
- V3 · Task 4(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Choosing an extra production level with maximax, maximin and minimax regret, and where they conflict.
- V4 · Task 1(a)Core activity F: Working capital
Granting credit to a new customer: issues, extra information needed and the value of its documents.
- V4 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Identifying relevant costs for subcontracting a promotional campaign.
- V4 · Task 1(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Two non-financial factors in the subcontracting decision.
- V4 · Task 2(a)Core activity A: Costing
Throughput accounting ratios to set production priorities during an equipment problem.
- V4 · Task 2(b)Core activity A: Costing
How well throughput accounting suits production planning.
- V4 · Task 2(c)Core activity B: Budgeting
Benefits of big data and AI when setting sales budgets.
- V4 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Performance
Production variances: meaning, causes and what they say about a department's performance.
- V4 · Task 3(b)Core activity B: Budgeting
Feedback versus feedforward control, and how feedforward reports could help.
- V4 · Task 4(a)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Accounting for damaged assets in the year-end financial statements.
- V4 · Task 4(b)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Which costs of a new freezer unit to capitalise under IAS 16.
- V4 · Task 4(c)Core activity C: Performance
Four performance measures for individual sales staff.
- V5 · Task 1(a)Core activity C: Performance
Meaning and possible causes of a set of variances.
- V5 · Task 1(b)Core activity A: Costing
Three areas of the CGMA cost transformation model and how they apply now and later.
- V5 · Task 2(a)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Recognising and measuring a wind turbine, and its effect on profit.
- V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Classifying and measuring old ovens that are to be sold next year.
- V5 · Task 2(c)Core activity C: Performance
Three KPIs for the sustainability of the production process.
- V5 · Task 3(a)Core activity B: Budgeting
Using ZBB and decision packages for a staff training budget.
- V5 · Task 3(b)Core activity B: Budgeting
Benefits and challenges of ZBB for support activity costs.
- V5 · Task 3(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Whether paying for perfect information was worthwhile under each market outcome.
- V5 · Task 4(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Using a graph to find the optimal production plan, and factors to weigh before acting on it.
- V5 · Task 4(b)Core activity F: Working capital
The EOQ model and the data needed for each raw material.
- V5 · Task 4(c)Core activity F: Working capital
Problems with the EOQ assumptions and how to adapt the model.
- V6 · Task 1(a)Core activity B: Budgeting
Benefits of beyond budgeting when demand varies and margins are thin.
- V6 · Task 1(b)Core activity A: Costing
Types of cost in developing an ordering app.
- V6 · Task 1(c)Core activity A: Costing
Future issues and ongoing costs of the ordering app.
- V6 · Task 2(a)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Recording the costs of a new oven.
- V6 · Task 2(b)Core activity D: Reporting, ethics and tax
Initial measurement of a lease liability and right-of-use asset for equipment.
- V6 · Task 2(c)Core activity F: Working capital
Differences between invoice discounting, factoring and an overdraft.
- V6 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Performance
Two KPIs for waste and two for a new app's effectiveness.
- V6 · Task 3(b)Core activity B: Budgeting
Using big data and analytics for planning and control in sales budgets.
- V6 · Task 4(a)Core activity C: Performance
Sales variances: meaning, causes and how well they suit reviewing one customer's sales.
- V6 · Task 4(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Why a director chose a medium output level, and the effect of that choice.
- V6 · Task 4(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Relevant and irrelevant items for accepting an event contract, and information still needed.
Practise the same skills in Tendra Tents
Halfpenny won't be set again, but the core activities will. Timed OCS tasks in the current pre-seen, marked in about a minute. Try one task free, no card needed.