Finally passed my TMA exam after two attempts — here's what worked

by Carlos B. 517 views3 replies
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Carlos B.OP
May 27, 2026

So I passed the TMA certification last week and I honestly can't believe it. Failed my first attempt back in March by just 4 points — got a 71 when I needed a 75 — and it was crushing. I'd been using a random study guide I found online and clearly it wasn't cutting it.

Second time around I completely changed my approach. I spent about 6 weeks this time instead of 3, and I found a solid TMA practice test site that actually matched the question style on the real exam. The treasury management concepts and cash flow forecasting questions were where I kept losing points, so I drilled those specifically. Did timed practice sessions every other day for the last two weeks.

My biggest exam tip: don't just memorize definitions. The TMA exam loves scenario-based questions where you have to apply concepts to a real business situation. I probably did 300+ practice questions total before I felt confident. Scored an 82 on the real thing. Happy to answer questions if anyone's preparing right now.

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Samantha C.
May 28, 2026
Failed once here too, so I feel you on that 4-point miss. What helped me on my second attempt was building a formula sheet from scratch rather than using a pre-made one. Writing it out myself forced me to actually understand the relationships between the numbers. Also the working capital management section had way more questions than I expected — probably 20% of my exam. Worth focusing there.
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Nicole F.
May 28, 2026
Congrats! I'm sitting mine in July and the cash flow stuff is killing me too. Can I ask which practice test resource you used? I've been through the AFP study guide cover to cover but I feel like I'm not retaining it. The scenario questions especially — I get them wrong even when I think I understand the concept. Any tips on how you structured your daily study sessions?
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Mike_T
May 28, 2026
The scenario-based advice is spot on. I took it last fall and people underestimate how application-heavy it is. Pure memorization gets you maybe halfway there. Good luck to everyone else grinding through this — it's worth it once you have it.

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