I’m writing this blog just before I receive the results of the exams I took in December. After months of forgetting all about the exams and settling into studying my new subjects, the experience of the exams suddenly is very vivid in my mind again. With only a week to go it’s very hard to think about anything else. In the past I have been reasonably confident that I have done well and have not felt this anxiety before. This is an extra pressure of exams I hadn’t even considered before.
I took paper F4 Corporate & Business Law and F6 Taxation at the December exams. Due to the late printing of the distance learning books and the children’s school holiday, my time to study the subjects was reduced to three months. By the time the exams arrived I did not feel as ready as I would have liked to have been. Five weeks before the exams I suddenly realised I had no choice but to spend every evening revising and practising questions. Plus every other hour I could find in the day. My 9 year old daughter even referred to me as an 'accountantoholic'. At least it made me laugh.
After such an intense revision period I was actually pleased when the day of the first exam arrived. I turned over my tax paper and used the 15 minutes reading time to read all the questions. My heart sank when I saw some of the questions and was very tempted to turn over the paper to check they hadn’t given me the advanced taxation paper! At this point I would have loved to just walk out of the exam and accept that I hadn’t given myself enough time to study the subject. The tax exam was the hardest exam I have ever taken.
To be successful at tax you need to not just to know the rules but to have practiced lots of questions. I did well in my Part 1 exams by doing lots of questions and redoing the questions until I got them right and completed them in the allotted time. I’m a very logical person and taxation is not a very logical subject with the tax rules often having very little logic. It helps therefore to learn the rules well.
It’s certainly my intention to give myself more time to study my present subjects to avoid the last minute panic. It’s also useful to recognise that some subjects will take longer to learn than others. When I saw my postman staggering down the path with a very large parcel, which contained the huge taxation book, I should have realised then that this subject would take more time than the average.
And the result...
I passed getting a good mark. The cramming approach therefore certainly paid off. If you can cope with the stress maybe intense revision is a valid approach to success with exams.
to mwaura:
I visited the site www.opentuition.com very helpful only need to know how to get answer to the example questions
Thank you all so much for your useful infomation
Posted by: Sabrina | 29 September 2008 at 16:19
Hey there,
Presently I am awaiting results for F2 and F3. The next subjects I am attempting are F4. F6 and F7. It's the first time that I am attempting 3 subjects so no social life for me for the next 6 months.
Sometimes I feel that ACCA is so overwhelming. But I try to think positive and think of how much this program will help me at the workplace. Oh! and don't forget the increased salary that I would receive once I complete the ACCA program. That's the main motivator.
So to all ACCA students out there I wish you the best of luck in your exams.. Don't forget to prayer, excercise and eat right otherwise you might end up with a nerverous breakdown...
Take care of yourself... Bye
Posted by: Sherene | 23 June 2008 at 01:09
Hi,
I would like to wish all of you best of luck for the next Exam session & specially Mini as I am also taking the same sequence of papers F1, F4, F5, F6 this session & I can understand how difficult it is to take four papers at a time & more so when she has to fulfill her duties as a full time Mom as well. Once again best of luck & I hope you would do well in the next exam session.
Posted by: Ali | 11 April 2008 at 17:06
I can understand what you are going through - as the days are approaching I am getting more gittry. This is my first attempt and I am registering for F6,F8,F9 this June. I am a full time worker that hardly close work by 5pm and married. I have applied for a 30 working day annual leave and pray that with God on my side I will pass.. I will check the www.opentuittion.com website, but I have been told that it is better to concentrate on the ACCA packs alone. What do you all think?
Posted by: bi | 06 April 2008 at 17:32
Actually I find F6 tax very interesting unlike F5 performance management although I disagree with the cramming approach. If I may sell you a little of my experience - the read to understand approach is always best for future understanding and empowerment in accountancy. Please comment on this whether you agree or think it impractical?
Posted by: mwaura | 26 March 2008 at 16:56
hi,
If you are studying long distance, did you visit this site www.opentuition.com - it contains free course notes and podcasts, I don't know which papers you will choose next, but maybe you will find it useful!
br.
Posted by: Chris K | 18 March 2008 at 19:07
Hi,
I can identify with your problems. I too am studying long distance and have opted to take F1,f4,f5,f6 along with being a full time mom to two kids. I sure need all the best wishes and support.
mini
Posted by: MINI | 13 March 2008 at 12:20