One of the key requirements for obtaining the CMA certificate or designation is passing a qualifying examination. The exam consists of two parts: (1) Financial Plan- ning, Performance, and Control; and (2) Financial Decision Making. Each part has a four-hour examination and consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, as well as two 30-minute essays. The exam is offered during three two-month windows each year: (1) January and February, (2) May and June, and (3) September and October One of the main purposes of creating the CMA program was to establish manage- ment accounting as a recognized, professional discipline, separate from the profession of public accounting. Since its inception, the CMA program has been very successful Many firms now sponsor and pay for classes that prepare their management account ants for the qualifying examination, as well as provide other financial incentives to encourage acquisition of the CMA certificate