CIMA offers a business qualification with a finance focus, aiming to produce members with accounting prowess who are skilled in strategic decision-making. 98% of its members work in business, the highest proportion of any worldwide accountancy body. Paper P1 looks at how information is obtained, evaluated and used to control and predict business performance.The syllabus is split into the following five areas: * Cost accounting systems * Forecasting and budgeting techniques * Project appraisal * Dealing with uncertainty in analysis * Managing short-term financeP1 requires a good understanding of the underlying concepts and techniques in all five areas.P1 also needs you to be able to apply these concepts to practical situations, evaluate them critically and interpret the results. The P1 Study Text contains all you need to know for P1, featuring step-by-step guides to techniques such as investment decision making and budget preparation. There are also reminder sections of knowledge brought forward from earlier studies such as costing terminology. Key terms are identified throughout the Text to help you to get to grips with the new material.