This is my first blog after the Dec'08 exams so I hope all my readers who have taken exams this session have recovered from exam fever and wish all of them best of luck for their results. I reckon that this might also be my first blog of the year 2009, so I wish all my readers a very Happy and a Prosperous New Year and a great life ahead.
Now coming over to the topic of my blog, as part of your progress towards the qualification, some of you might be in the Fundamental Level while some in the Professional Stage. For some, these Dec'08 exams might be their final step towards ACCA Affiliation or Membership, while some might be in the transition phase of stepping into the Professional Level from the Fundamental one. How to deal with this transition is tricky and requires effort.
The ACCA qualification structure is organized in such a way that it takes account of the relative difficulty of the papers and the content therein. The Professional Stage can be rightly termed as the 'advanced stage' of the qualification as it mostly builds up on the knowledge gained in the Fundamental Level and incorporates the level of information required to become a professionally qualified accountant. Therefore, this stage requires students to study differently than in the Fundamental Level and necessitates them to put in more effort in order to succeed. The Professional Stage brings with it some changes to the exam paper structure as compared to the Fundamental Level, and also the introduction of professional marks. One shall not dread these professional marks because they present an opportunity to gain some lost marks elsewhere in the paper. The professional marks available are mentioned at the end of a part question and are awarded for professionalism in an answer either in presenting the answer in a specific format or for quality discussion about a topic. Such bases are also often mentioned in the paper. An article was published in the Oct'07 issue of Student Accountant that fully explained the concept of professional marks, (visit the ACCA website). As far as the exam paper structure is concerned, the papers at this stage have a compulsory Section A, which has one or two questions at the most, while mostly two questions need to be attempted in Section B. This structure is almost consistent within all Professional Level papers.
It is worth noting that though the knowledge gained in the Fundamental Level forms the basis of the Professional Stage papers apart from some of the advanced aspects, this level of the qualification requires a display of professionalism in candidates' answers and ensures that they are proficient in acting professionally in the workplace. Therefore, the effort needed to clear the Professional Level would not be of the same extent as that required going through the Fundamental Level. More hard work and conviction needs to be put in, and also a professional attitude from within, to be successful. The level of aptitude of a candidate shall be of a much higher quality to write the Professional Stage exams. One should stay focused and organized to prepare for these exams as they, apart from presenting an opportunity to qualify for ACCA membership, can also cause a setback to candidates' determination and motivation in case of failure.
As a matter of personal experience, I urge those who are going to take these Professional Stage exams, to take them seriously with a professional aptitude and attitude, with a passion and will to make it. I had taken papers P2 and P3 this session and I wish that with the help of all your prayers, my results will be brilliant. Then in the next session, I intend to attempt the last two Option Papers of the qualification. Therefore, I am quite able to figure out how to make the transition from the Fundamental Level to the Professional Level and I suppose I have done pretty well up to now and hope that those who are going to make this changeover or already made it, benefit from my experiences.
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