Strategic level · SCS
CIMA SCS past questions by sitting
Every sub-task from recent Strategic 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 105 of 108 sub-tasks.
Nov 2025 & Feb 2026 · Cewmlator
CIMA's post-exam materials for Nov 2025 & Feb 2026Electric vehicles · 36 sub-tasks shown
- V1 · Task 1(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Political, economic and legal implications of requiring dealers to offer battery repairs.
- V1 · Task 1(b)Core activity D: Risk
Ethics of asking dealer technicians to dismantle high-voltage batteries.
- V1 · Task 2(a)Core activity C: Financing
What an unusual share price movement suggests about committing to, and publicising, a repair service.
- V1 · Task 2(b)Core activity D: Risk
Risk register treatment for sharing confidential strategy with dealerships.
- V1 · Task 3(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Pros and cons of buying a company by share exchange rather than for cash.
- V1 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Internal audit tests to check that dealers carry out battery repairs safely and well.
- V2 · Task 1(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
What a competitor analysis should cover on how rivals are affected by the company's charging points.
- V2 · Task 1(b)Core activity A: Strategy
Effect of building charging points on the company's non-financial capitals.
- V2 · Task 2(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Whether the company's vision justifies a proposal to install charging points.
- V2 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Financing
How to raise debt for buying and installing charging points.
- V2 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Extra internal controls to stop charging point customers being defrauded.
- V2 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
The audit committee's role in reviewing payment systems and ongoing events.
- V3 · Task 1(a)Core activity D: Risk
Controls to prevent tampering with vehicle control software.
- V3 · Task 1(b)Core activity A: Strategy
Effect of software tampering on the company's non-financial capitals.
- V3 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Evaluating a new battery proposal for suitability, acceptability and feasibility.
- V3 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Financing
Issues in evaluating a loan offered by a commercial bank.
- V3 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Financing
Whether withdrawing a car model will push the share price up or down.
- V3 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
For and against protecting directors' bonuses from the effect of a model withdrawal.
- V4 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
ESG implications of helping to develop an outside inventor's new process.
- V4 · Task 1(b)Core activity C: Financing
Difficulties predicting how backing the process will affect the share price.
- V4 · Task 2(a)Core activity D: Risk
Ethics of buying sole rights to a process and shutting rivals out.
- V4 · Task 2(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Political risks of adopting the process given links to another country, with responses.
- V4 · Task 3(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Whether a partner's proposal meets suitability, acceptability and feasibility.
- V4 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
For and against appointing an executive director responsible for ESG.
- V5 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Using scenario planning to manage several possible future events.
- V5 · Task 1(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Effect of a strengthening foreign currency on the company's ability to trade.
- V5 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Whether the board should have foreseen a new sales tax from political and economic analysis.
- V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Financing
Implications of a fall in the share price and how the board should respond.
- V5 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Internal controls to prevent bribery.
- V5 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Evaluating the head of internal audit's views on preventing bribery.
- V6 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Key resources needed to make an acquisition succeed.
- V6 · Task 1(b)Core activity C: Financing
Challenges in negotiating a share exchange to buy all of a target's equity.
- V6 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Political risks of where to build a new factory, with a response.
- V6 · Task 2(b)Core activity D: Risk
Ethics of delaying R&D to gain leverage with governments over the factory site.
- V6 · Task 3(a)Core activity E: Control environment
Whether the remuneration committee should reflect a recent share price rise in bonuses.
- V6 · Task 3(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Whether further R&D spending is justified given past experience with a new battery type.
May & Aug 2025 · Leothayre
CIMA's post-exam materials for May & Aug 2025Satellites · 36 sub-tasks shown
- V1 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Whether campaigners' use of social media is a serious threat to the company.
- V1 · Task 1(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Managing political risk from a protest campaign in the countries where launches take place.
- V1 · Task 2(a)Core activity C: Financing
Whether a fall in market value is a sound basis for predicting lost business.
- V1 · Task 2(b)Core activity D: Risk
Whether the campaign should have been in the risk register with a mitigation plan.
- V1 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Whether the company's environmental impact can be justified by its mission and vision.
- V1 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
For and against an extra executive director for sustainability.
- V2 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
How far two managers should be made to own the risks of signing a contract.
- V2 · Task 1(b)Core activity D: Risk
Ethical conflicts for a manager and a client negotiating a contract.
- V2 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Difficulties analysing the technological, environmental and legal issues in a large bid.
- V2 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Financing
Relevance of rising sector share prices to a bid decision.
- V2 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Arguments for introducing a whistleblowing policy.
- V2 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Internal audit work to make sure a whistleblowing policy works.
- V3 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Scenario planning for possible outcomes of a major contract.
- V3 · Task 1(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Responses to currency transaction risks on launch costs, receipts and monthly fees.
- V3 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Power and interest of two customers in the choice between their contracts.
- V3 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Financing
Managing a two-year dividend suspension if a large contract goes ahead.
- V3 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Risks of staff working remotely at a client's site and updating software over its network.
- V3 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Controls to reduce those remote working and network risks.
- V4 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Whether accepting a proposal means following an emergent strategy, and whether that suits the company.
- V4 · Task 1(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Political risks of a partner's proposal and how to manage them.
- V4 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Evaluating a counter-proposal for suitability, acceptability and feasibility.
- V4 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Financing
Best way to finance a large development, build and launch programme.
- V4 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Ethics of offering staff more pay to accept a dangerous assignment.
- V4 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Controls to reduce safety risks for staff on a dangerous assignment.
- V5 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Whether the company has the key resources to make an acquisition work.
- V5 · Task 1(b)Core activity C: Financing
Difficulties negotiating share exchange terms for an acquisition.
- V5 · Task 2(a)Core activity C: Financing
Suitability, acceptability and feasibility of an acquisition whose key product has no full prototype.
- V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Scenario planning for possible events after an acquisition by share exchange.
- V5 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Whether to mention a prototype launch in intellectual, human and social capital disclosures.
- V5 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Whether, and how, the acquired company's directors should be represented on the board.
- V6 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Scenario planning for a supplier's proposal, with recommended responses.
- V6 · Task 1(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Customers' power and interest on the sustainability of a supplier's product.
- V6 · Task 2(a)Core activity D: Risk
Ethics of a director choosing not to follow up a conversation with a client's finance director.
- V6 · Task 2(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Two ways to manage currency risk on a payment to an overseas supplier.
- V6 · Task 3(a)Core activity E: Control environment
Governance implications of a director committing the company to a contract.
- V6 · Task 3(b)Core activity C: Financing
Managing the risks of funding a large payment to a supplier.
Nov 2024 & Feb 2025 · Rotomyne
CIMA's post-exam materials for Nov 2024 & Feb 2025Lithium mining · 33 sub-tasks shown
- V1 · Task 1(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Difficulties in understanding and managing the company's business ecosystem.
- V1 · Task 1(b)Core activity A: Strategy
Benefits of scenario planning for customers continuing to cut use of the main product.
- V1 · Task 2(a)Core activity D: Risk
Evaluating the risk register's mitigation of demand volatility.
- V1 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Whether the whole board should own the demand volatility risk.
- V1 · Task 3(a)Core activity C: Financing
Whether to keep paying the dividend next year.
- V1 · Task 3(b)Core activity A: Strategy
Challenges in designing an exit strategy for selling mines.
- V2 · Task 1(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Using stakeholder analysis to help identify likely culprits of a cyber-attack.
- V2 · Task 1(b)Core activity C: Financing
How the board can limit the attack's effect on the share price.
- V2 · Task 2(a)Core activity A: Strategy
The board's approach to managing digital security.
- V2 · Task 2(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Managing political risk in a host country after the cyber-attack.
- V2 · Task 3(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Controls to stop the cyber-attack happening again.
- V2 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Internal audit work to check compliance with new controls.
- V3 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
How a perceived lack of climate transparency could change stakeholders' behaviour.
- V3 · Task 1(b)Core activity C: Financing
Possible share price effect of the perceived lack of transparency.
- V3 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
How relevant suitability, acceptability and feasibility are to deciding on new climate disclosures.
- V3 · Task 2(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Implications of linking board pay to climate performance.
- V3 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Factors in keeping the licence to operate in host countries.
- V3 · Task 3(b)Core activity A: Strategy
For and against selling the most polluting mines to a rival's customer.
- V4 · Task 1(a)Core activity D: Risk
Risks of continuing with traditional mining methods.
- V4 · Task 1(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Evaluating a proposal for suitability, acceptability and feasibility.
- V4 · Task 2(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Factors in deciding whether to acquire a target company.
- V4 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Financing
Likely reaction of the target's shareholders to the dividend policy.
- V4 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Ethical issues raised in an employee's email.
- V4 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
What the nomination committee should look for in executive and non-executive directors.
- V5 · Task 1(a)Core activity A: Strategy
Whether building a factory abroad fits the mission, vision and values.
- V5 · Task 1(b)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Effect of the factory on political risks in the host country.
- V5 · Task 2(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Power and interest of three stakeholder groups affected by the factory's location and design.
- V5 · Task 2(b)Core activity C: Financing
For and against funding the factory by borrowing locally in local currency.
- V5 · Task 3(a)Core activity D: Risk
Ethics of agreeing to build a hospital in the host country.
- V5 · Task 3(b)Core activity E: Control environment
Internal audit work to find out whether bribes are being paid on the factory project.
- V6 · Task 1(a)Core activity B: Ecosystem and environment
Challenges in understanding economic currency risk.
- V6 · Task 1(b)Core activity D: Risk
For and against accepting economic currency risk rather than mitigating it.
- V6 · Task 2(a)Core activity C: Financing
Whether currency exposure is likely to affect the company's beta.