Cracking the ACCA exams: Managing your Marks

It is not uncommon for students to often ask tutors and other senior students for a 'success formula' or method to study for an examination. I remember myself in the days I started my ACCA studies having asked my tutor what was needed to pass. Ultimately at the lag end of my stint as an ACCA student and doing the final papers in the curriculum, I have come to understand and appreciate more, the fact that there is no single 'magic success formula' to crack the exam. If there were, why wouldn't every ACCA student adopt it?

However, there was something that all my teachers and seniors advised me on and something that I understood better and better as I moved ahead passing one paper after other- the vitality of managing one's marks or rather one's time in an examination.

Personally I have always believed the ACCA board has been doing an excellent job in ensuring that the difficulty and standard of papers and students passing the examinations remain approximately the same every year. I am sure that the post-exam review and appraisal processes make sure that tougher papers are marked better and easier ones are marked tougher. In such a situation, coincidentally or not the pass rates for almost all papers except auditing and tax have remained at around 50% over the last couple of sittings. Therefore, if one is well prepared and does better than half of those appearing in the exam, one can be certain to pass.

But to do better than the other half, mere knowledge and skill will not suffice. The most critical aspect in any examination is to manage one's time and give sufficient time to get the easier marks.

It is vital to note that the initial marks are easier to get than the later ones in any question. In other words even if you attempt all the questions and do fairly well in each of them you will pass but if you fail to attempt all the questions your chances of passing are poor. It is only wise to allocate the time available uniformly over the number of marks. Say in a 90 marks exam for 2 hours(120 mins.) you would devote approx 1.34 minutes per mark.

Often students get bogged down by a question and fail to proceed to the next question even after the time allocated to the question is over. In the end they fail to complete the paper and thus fail the examination. The examiners, as I have learnt from my experience, are not looking for perfectionists. They test the understanding and ability to apply knowledge and hence it is only prudent to proceed to the next question after the time allocated irrespective of whether you have completed the question or not.

As long as you do all the questions required in the time allocated moderately you are certain to pass the exam.

It is the dream of every student to one day qualify as a professional accountant and become a member of the association and I am certain students would do very well in the exams if they managed their marks and time allocation. Managing one's time in the exam goes a long way not just to pass your exams but also in building a professional accountant who respects the value of time and appreciates its prudent and efficient utilization.

Comments

[A Ravi Chandra]

Hi There,

i am planning to enroll in this course. how tough it will be to get passed in ACCA exams. I hope you are from India. Is it as difficult as CA in india? and I would like to have your valuable suggestion and guidance....

Thanks

Ravi Chandra

[kehinde]

this is indeed an eye opener. you are absolutely right. thanks alot.

[marxwell]

thanks for the note as I'm quite nervous.

[Damilola Huthman]

I totally agree with you on allocation of marks to questions because its you a better grisp of exam situations.

Kudos!

[Barley]

I agree, very good advice about allocating your time uniformly to each exam question.
Thanks

[Mohan]

thx for the note there..it will help me for sure..thx a lot..