Operational level · OCS

CIMA OCS past questions by sitting

Every sub-task from recent Operational Case Study pre-seens, summarised in our own words and sorted by core activity. One sitting at a time, with the number of matching sub-tasks on each.

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All sittings: showing 45 of 45 sub-tasks that match your filters (200 in all OCS sittings). Clear filters

May & Aug 2026 · SoPa

CIMA's post-exam materials for May & Aug 2026

Restaurants · 17 sub-tasks shown

OCS past questions, May & Aug 2026 (SoPa): task, core activity, topic and our summary
Task	Core activity	Topic	What was asked (our summary)
V1 · Task 1(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Break-even analysis	Making in-house or outsourcing: read a break-even chart for profit, fixed and variable cost, break-even point and margin of safety.
V1 · Task 1(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Break-even analysis	Benefits and limitations of the break-even analysis behind the make-or-outsource choice.
V1 · Task 1(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Using weighted benefit scoring to support the in-house or outsource production decision.
V2 · Task 2(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Choosing restaurant capacity under maximax, maximin and minimax regret.
V2 · Task 2(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	How probability estimates and decision makers' attitudes to risk affect the capacity decision.
V3 · Task 2(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Break-even analysis	Reading a chart to compare two suppliers' cost structures.
V3 · Task 2(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Choosing a supplier on expected purchase volume, and two limits of doing so.
V3 · Task 4(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Which costs are relevant to deciding whether to back a community project.
V4 · Task 2(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Interpreting a payoff table and its statistics for a marketing campaign choice.
V4 · Task 2(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Which campaign risk-neutral, risk-seeking and risk-averse managers would choose.
V4 · Task 4(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Non-financial factors in buying a maintenance contract or training own IT staff.
V5 · Task 2(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Interpreting a payoff table and its statistics for a supplier choice.
V5 · Task 2(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Which supplier risk-neutral, risk-seeking and risk-averse decision makers would choose.
V5 · Task 4(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Relevant and irrelevant costs in evaluating a supermarket supply contract.
V6 · Task 1(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	What a decision tree shows for a set of linked options.
V6 · Task 1(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Using the decision tree on a risk-neutral basis to pick the best combination.
V6 · Task 1(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Two limitations of the approach and two other factors to weigh before deciding.

V1 · Task 1(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Making in-house or outsourcing: read a break-even chart for profit, fixed and variable cost, break-even point and margin of safety.
Break-even analysis
V1 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Benefits and limitations of the break-even analysis behind the make-or-outsource choice.
Break-even analysis
V1 · Task 1(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Using weighted benefit scoring to support the in-house or outsource production decision.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V2 · Task 2(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Choosing restaurant capacity under maximax, maximin and minimax regret.
Decisions under risk
V2 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
How probability estimates and decision makers' attitudes to risk affect the capacity decision.
Decisions under risk
V3 · Task 2(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Reading a chart to compare two suppliers' cost structures.
Break-even analysis
V3 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Choosing a supplier on expected purchase volume, and two limits of doing so.
Decisions under risk
V3 · Task 4(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Which costs are relevant to deciding whether to back a community project.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V4 · Task 2(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Interpreting a payoff table and its statistics for a marketing campaign choice.
Decisions under risk
V4 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Which campaign risk-neutral, risk-seeking and risk-averse managers would choose.
Decisions under risk
V4 · Task 4(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Non-financial factors in buying a maintenance contract or training own IT staff.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V5 · Task 2(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Interpreting a payoff table and its statistics for a supplier choice.
Decisions under risk
V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Which supplier risk-neutral, risk-seeking and risk-averse decision makers would choose.
Decisions under risk
V5 · Task 4(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Relevant and irrelevant costs in evaluating a supermarket supply contract.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V6 · Task 1(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
What a decision tree shows for a set of linked options.
Decisions under risk
V6 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Using the decision tree on a risk-neutral basis to pick the best combination.
Decisions under risk
V6 · Task 1(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Two limitations of the approach and two other factors to weigh before deciding.
Decisions under risk

Nov 2025 & Feb 2026 · SumTrix

CIMA's post-exam materials for Nov 2025 & Feb 2026

Ski manufacturing · 14 sub-tasks shown

OCS past questions, Nov 2025 & Feb 2026 (SumTrix): task, core activity, topic and our summary
Task	Core activity	Topic	What was asked (our summary)
V1 · Task 1(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Limiting factors and production plans	Explaining a limiting-factor production plan and two factors to consider before adopting it.
V1 · Task 1(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Limiting factors and production plans	How much it is worth paying for extra machine hours to meet full demand.
V1 · Task 2(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Expected values, standard deviations and coefficients of variation for an order-size choice, risk-averse and risk-seeking.
V2 · Task 1(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Three statistical measures and the discount level each attitude to risk would choose.
V2 · Task 1(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Limitations of the what-if figures and of using expected value for the decision.
V3 · Task 2(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Using a decision tree, on a risk-neutral basis, to choose a sales agent.
V3 · Task 2(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Limitations of the decision tree approach for choosing the agent.
V4 · Task 2(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Choosing which bought-in part to buy on short-term decision principles, plus two implications.
V4 · Task 4(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Why a minimum price differs from total cost, and which costs belong in a bid.
V5 · Task 2(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Choosing a contract under risk-neutral, risk-seeking and risk-averse approaches.
V5 · Task 2(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Limitations of those approaches and of the data behind them.
V5 · Task 2(d)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Factors in deciding whether to pay for perfect information.
V6 · Task 2(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Applying relevant costing to the costs of a live event, and the extra information needed.
V6 · Task 4(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Maximax, maximin and minimax regret for choosing a promotional campaign.

V1 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Explaining a limiting-factor production plan and two factors to consider before adopting it.
Limiting factors and production plans
V1 · Task 1(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
How much it is worth paying for extra machine hours to meet full demand.
Limiting factors and production plans
V1 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Expected values, standard deviations and coefficients of variation for an order-size choice, risk-averse and risk-seeking.
Decisions under risk
V2 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Three statistical measures and the discount level each attitude to risk would choose.
Decisions under risk
V2 · Task 1(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Limitations of the what-if figures and of using expected value for the decision.
Decisions under risk
V3 · Task 2(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Using a decision tree, on a risk-neutral basis, to choose a sales agent.
Decisions under risk
V3 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Limitations of the decision tree approach for choosing the agent.
Decisions under risk
V4 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Choosing which bought-in part to buy on short-term decision principles, plus two implications.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V4 · Task 4(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Why a minimum price differs from total cost, and which costs belong in a bid.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Choosing a contract under risk-neutral, risk-seeking and risk-averse approaches.
Decisions under risk
V5 · Task 2(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Limitations of those approaches and of the data behind them.
Decisions under risk
V5 · Task 2(d)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Factors in deciding whether to pay for perfect information.
Decisions under risk
V6 · Task 2(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Applying relevant costing to the costs of a live event, and the extra information needed.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V6 · Task 4(a)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Maximax, maximin and minimax regret for choosing a promotional campaign.
Decisions under risk

May & Aug 2025 · Halfpenny

CIMA's post-exam materials for May & Aug 2025

Bakery · 14 sub-tasks shown

OCS past questions, May & Aug 2025 (Halfpenny): task, core activity, topic and our summary
Task	Core activity	Topic	What was asked (our summary)
V1 · Task 1(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Explaining decision data and the option a risk-neutral approach would choose.
V1 · Task 1(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Limitations of the data and of a risk-neutral approach.
V1 · Task 4(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Relevant and irrelevant costs for accepting a one-off contract.
V2 · Task 2(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Break-even analysis	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	Break-even analysis	Benefits and limitations of the break-even analysis.
V2 · Task 2(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Other factors in deciding whether to outsource some or all production of a new range.
V3 · Task 1(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Limiting factors and production plans	Explaining points on a production planning graph and what each means for output, resources and profit.
V3 · Task 4(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Choosing an extra production level with maximax, maximin and minimax regret, and where they conflict.
V4 · Task 1(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Identifying relevant costs for subcontracting a promotional campaign.
V4 · Task 1(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Relevant costs and short-term decisions	Two non-financial factors in the subcontracting decision.
V5 · Task 3(c)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	Whether paying for perfect information was worthwhile under each market outcome.
V5 · Task 4(a)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Limiting factors and production plans	Using a graph to find the optimal production plan, and factors to weigh before acting on it.
V6 · Task 4(b)	Core activity E: Short-term decisions	Decisions under risk	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 costs and short-term decisions	Relevant and irrelevant items for accepting an event contract, and information still needed.

V1 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Explaining decision data and the option a risk-neutral approach would choose.
Decisions under risk
V1 · Task 1(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Limitations of the data and of a risk-neutral approach.
Decisions under risk
V1 · Task 4(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Relevant and irrelevant costs for accepting a one-off contract.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
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.
Break-even analysis
V2 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Benefits and limitations of the break-even analysis.
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.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
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.
Limiting factors and production plans
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.
Decisions under risk
V4 · Task 1(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Identifying relevant costs for subcontracting a promotional campaign.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V4 · Task 1(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Two non-financial factors in the subcontracting decision.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions
V5 · Task 3(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Whether paying for perfect information was worthwhile under each market outcome.
Decisions under risk
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.
Limiting factors and production plans
V6 · Task 4(b)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Why a director chose a medium output level, and the effect of that choice.
Decisions under risk
V6 · Task 4(c)Core activity E: Short-term decisions
Relevant and irrelevant items for accepting an event contract, and information still needed.
Relevant costs and short-term decisions

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