Need help on optional papers

While the experts may respond to you with more authenticated stuff, I will provide you with my experience and suggestion.

First and foremost identify the reason for becoming a member of ACCA. According to me the following can be some among plenty.

1. To do public practice
2. To work in industry
3. To enhance knowledge in a particular area
4. Personal accomplishment
5. Experienced in the relevant field but do not possess a professional qualification
6. pursuing ACCA due to family pressure
7. Member of local body but do not have a global qualification thinking to get exposed to
international reporting standards and auditing standards.
so on and so forth…. you name it, any thing can be a reason. No force in this world can refuse to buy it as a reason.

I belong to the 5th category from the above list. So what I did was to choose the optional papers that can help me develop the knowledge and skills relevant to the normal course of performance of my duties. I belong to a different country and not in UK and also have no plans to do public practice ( in fact I am not authorised to do public practice with ACCA qualification in my country) So I chose P4 and P5 which is a perfect fit for CAs working in the industry as VP,CFO, finance manager etc.

The question arises in most cases as to which optional paper to choose is due to either pursuing ACCA not as a choice but obligation or there is lack of guidance based on the orientation of a student.

In my opinion, when the objective is only to pass the qualification, you may have to look for such advises. If I was to choose the easier paper based on my performance at F level then I should have chosen P6 (only UK variant is available to me). I scored 65% in F6. But what’s the use I have with a pass in P6. So I went for P4 and P5 was my obvious choice.

I wish you good luck