Everything You Need To Know About CIM Assignments

One area that students often have questions about when embarking on a Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification is how they will be assessed.

We understand that exams can be daunting, but the CIM’s practical assessment framework is designed for the needs of professionals balancing work and study. The majority of assessments are now online multiple-choice examinations, with one written assignment for the Strategy & Planning module for the CIM Diploma and three written assessments for the Marketing Leadership Programme.

In this post, we look at some of the most frequently asked questions relating to CIM assessments.

How CIM Qualifications Are Assessed

The way in which CIM qualifications are assessed depends on which level of qualification you are working towards. The CIM Foundation Certificate in Professional & Digital Marketing and CIM Certificate in Professional & Digital Marketing qualifications are assessed by online multiple-choice exam only. While CIM Diploma in Professional and Digital Marketing and the Marketing Leadership Programme are all or partly assessed by written assignments. For the latter, you will produce a written assignment for each module you undertake as part of the qualification.

The CIM offers up to six online examination windows per year for Level 3, 4 and 6 qualifications, meaning you have plenty of opportunity to sit exams – and these exams can be sat at a time of your choosing, within an online examination window. There are also three opportunities per year to submit assignments for Marketing Leadership Programme.

How Do CIM Exams Work?

The majority of modules across the CIM Foundation Certificate in Professional & Digital Marketing, Certificate in Professional & Digital Marketing and CIM Diploma in Professional and Digital Marketing are assessed through a 90-minute online multiple-choice exam containing 50 questions.

The exception is the Strategy & Planning Module (CIM Diploma in Professional & Digital Marketing), which requires a pre-prepared marketing plan (assignment, see below) plus a 120-minute online test with short and extended answers.

How Do CIM Assignments Work?

CIM Assignments are practical-based assessments which are based on an organisation of your choice, usually a current or past employer. Don’t worry, assignments have been developed so the tasks can be applied to organisations of all sizes and sectors, so it doesn’t matter whether you work for a small not-for-profit or a large multi-national corporation!

For the Strategy & Planning module as part of the CIM Diploma, the assignment element will follow an overarching theme based on some options provided by the CIM. Each option relates to broader marketing approaches that an organisation might adopt; we recommend selecting the theme that best fits with your chosen organisation and their marketing activities.

All CIM assignments are designed for you to apply the knowledge you have learnt within your module. You will be required to address a range of tasks that cover elements of the module syllabus.

How Long Do CIM Assignments Take?

Each CIM module that is assessed by written assignment has guided learning hours allocated to it, which includes the recommended time you should spend writing up and completing your assignment. This is usually 30 hours per module assignment. It might sound like a lot, but you will probably only spend about 2-3 hours per week at first on your assignment, then a little more once the deadline gets closer.

Each CIM written assignment will have a maximum word count or page count allocated to it, with the Strategy & Planning Module for the CIM Diploma capped at 12 A4 pages and the Marketing Leadership Programme capped at 5,000 words.

What Does A CIM Assignment Look Like?

A common request from those that enquire about CIM qualifications is to see an example of the assignment paper.

You can find some examples of assignments below for the Strategy & Planning module (Level 6) and Marketing Leadership Programme qualifications and modules. The assessment options and tasks can change between assessment boards, so just ensure you work on the assessment provided to you by your study centre.

Diploma in Professional and Digital Marketing: Strategy and Planning Assignment

Marketing Leadership Programme: Consultancy Assignment

How Are CIM Qualifications Graded?

Each CIM assessment, whether it is an online exam or written assignment, is issued a percentage mark along with a corresponding grade. Grades are applied to each module as well as to the overall qualification.

For CIM Foundation Certificate in Professional & Digital Marketing, CIM Certificate in Professional & Digital Marketing and CIM Diploma in Professional and Digital Marketing Grading is as follows:

Distinction 80-100%
Merit 70-79%
Pass 60-69%

Grading for Marketing Leadership Programme is as follows:

Distinction 70-100%
Merit 60-69%
Pass 50-59%

Your overall qualification grade will be calculated by aggregating the score of all modules. Don’t forget your qualification certificate will contain your overall grade only and not a percentage mark.

When Do I Receive My Results?

For all CIM assessments at Levels 3, 4 and 6, you will receive your results approximately 2 months after the closure of the online examination window.

For Marketing Leadership Programme assessments, you will receive your results approximately 3 months after your final submission deadline.

CIM provide a full timetable of dates for examination windows and final submission deadlines, publication of results and certificates annually.

Can I Resit a CIM Exam or Assignment If I Don’t Pass?

Yes. If you do not achieve a Pass for your chosen module, you can resit an exam, subject to an additional assessment fee.
If you achieve 55-59% for the Strategy & Planning module (CIM Diploma), you are eligible for a resubmission. This means you can resubmit a reworked version of your assignment and resit the exam upon payment of a resit fee. Your final mark will then be capped at 60%.

If you are unsuccessful with any Marketing Leadership Programme assignment, you can resubmit a reworked assignment at the next assessment board. Your final result then capped at 50%.