Hello Sanvi,

The ACCA in comparison tends to be more focused on financial accounting and technical practices of accountancy. Industry evidence suggests that the ACCA will give you a stronger grounding in accounting principles than CIMA but at the cost of management reporting and corporate strategy.

In comparison to ACCA, CIMA combines business acumen with financial management, cost management, and financial management. There is a strong focus on performance management and strategy. CIMA qualification covers more management accounting, more business strategy and more financial strategy material than the ACCA syllabus.

CIMA focuses on the management and strategic aspects of a business, whereas ACCA focuses more on the technical side, such as auditing and tax accounting.
CIMA works together with the company’s management, whereas ACCA usually deals with external parties, such as shareholders and potential investors.