• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free ACCA & CIMA online courses from OpenTuition

Free ACCA & CIMA online courses from OpenTuition

Free Notes, Lectures, Tests and Forums for ACCA and CIMA exams

  • ACCA
  • CIMA
  • FIA
  • OBU
  • Books
  • Forums
  • Ask AI
  • Search
  • Register
  • Login
  • ACCA Forums
  • Ask ACCA Tutor
  • CIMA Forums
  • Ask CIMA Tutor
  • FIA
  • OBU
  • Buy/Sell Books
  • All Forums
  • Latest Topics

June 2025 ACCA Exams

How was your exam? Comments & Instant poll >>

20% off ACCA & CIMA Books

OpenTuition recommends the new interactive BPP books for September 2025 exams.
Get your discount code >>

*** P3 December 2014 Exam was.. Instant Poll and comments ***

Forums › ACCA Forums › ACCA SBL Strategic Business Leader Forums › *** P3 December 2014 Exam was.. Instant Poll and comments ***

  • This topic has 112 replies, 58 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by Pirate.
Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 113 total)
1 2 3 4 5 →
  • Author
    Posts
  • December 8, 2014 at 10:09 am #219311
    opentuition_team
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 1391
    • Replies: 1405
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    Please vote in our Instant Polls about the ACCA P3 December 2014 Exam.




    Please note, the ACCA have asked us to allow posting comments only after 5pm UK time.

    December 8, 2014 at 3:51 pm #219430
    macca
    Member
    • Topics: 1
    • Replies: 5
    • ☆

    Lengthy …
    Fingers crossed

    December 8, 2014 at 4:00 pm #219432
    umerkhayam
    Member
    • Topics: 22
    • Replies: 117
    • ☆☆

    Found it okay, couldn’t complete left 10 marks un attempted and attempted 15 marks okayish other than that exam was fair.

    December 8, 2014 at 4:03 pm #219434
    osamajunaid85
    Member
    • Topics: 1
    • Replies: 20
    • ☆

    Question 1 was very lenghty spend almost 2 hours in completing it
    Attempted Q2 and Q4 but didnt write much as i was running out of time.

    December 8, 2014 at 4:07 pm #219435
    Anonymous
    Inactive
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 13
    • ☆

    Q1 was too long , it made doing the rest of the paper very tough. Nothing like the mock exams I’ve done. 🙁

    December 8, 2014 at 4:13 pm #219438
    ali
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 11
    • ☆

    Paper was easy but lengthy although i completed 100% but wrote not much for all question just relevant.
    Q 3 and Q5 were very easy

    December 8, 2014 at 4:32 pm #219442
    Kate
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 2
    • ☆

    Question one was very long. Did not manage to read though all questions in reading time, which left for poor answers at the end. Only managed to write minimal amount for last question.

    December 8, 2014 at 4:39 pm #219444
    cris kyp
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 1
    • ☆

    Indeed Q1 was easy but too long, there were so many points to write down on part a ( part b not attempted). No time enough to properly spend on other two questions. I did only part b question 2 and part a question 4. Half hour more I needed 🙁

    December 8, 2014 at 4:41 pm #219445
    Anonymous
    Inactive
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 1
    • ☆

    Very lengthy paper. I hope the marker understand what have been written. Attempted q1,2 &4.

    December 8, 2014 at 4:44 pm #219446
    Lola
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 3
    • ☆

    Yeah, I agree with the above. Q1 was long and not entirely sure I was barking up the right tree. I used BCG matrix. I answered Q1, Q3 and Q4. I was really strict on time and answered all parts of all questions. Not sure if I wrote what they were after though. Liked the regression. Wasn’t a massive fan of the value chain. Felt like I wasn’t giving enough detail.

    P2 tomorrow… Oh joy -_-

    December 8, 2014 at 4:50 pm #219447
    Baljit
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 9
    • ☆

    Q1 – quite long here’s what I did:

    Part A

    I) applied SWOT, BCG matrix and ashridge model

    Ii) used JSW’s SAF criteria, gearing of the airport seemed extremely high

    Part B

    Defined bowmans strategy clock and talked about hybrid criteria, was struggling for time so I didn’t get to apply it to the scenario, but I drew the clock lol.

    Q2

    Part A
    quite easy involved straight forward evaluation of what they were doing good and bad and recommended improvements. I talked about Process Redesign Methodology

    Part B

    Talked about harmons process matrix and applied 3 types of issues to it, I think I did:

    Service contract – automate
    Refunds – outsource
    Technical support – improve

    Q3

    So bloody hard!! Probably because I only had 30 minutes left. Defined the triple constraint but found it very hard to apply to the scenario. The BPP syllabus didn’t have anything for effective risk management to my knowledge. So I just said all risks have to be disclosed and either accepted, avoided, mitigated or transferred

    Overall I think I failed!!

    December 8, 2014 at 5:02 pm #219451
    Kate
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 2
    • ☆

    Well, Baljit… My paper sounds identical to yours pretty much, but on Q3 I was all out of time so I just wrote down what practices in good risk management they had, and for B I just drew a triangle and wrote a couple of sentences to say that you can’t have the best of everything (time, scope, cost)… Fail!

    December 8, 2014 at 5:03 pm #219452
    Me..
    Member
    • Topics: 23
    • Replies: 37
    • ☆☆

    Too time pressured. Didn’t have time to do the 15 mark question on the Swim lane diagram!

    Also, the 5 mark question on the regression was just impossible.

    Q1 (b) on price and differentiation was impossible too. Too much too write for 10 marks but not enough points in the scenario. The scenario for question one was just too lengthy!

    The swim lane diagram story didn’t make much sense and there were too many marks for the process advice! Too bad ! I’m not happy!

    The paper was fair overall however the Q1 (b) put me off. There were 40 marks for Q1 (a) too much too write for a very big scenario. Too time pressured, the examiner needs to consider this when writing his questions. Not everyone has a computer to type answers like he does!

    December 8, 2014 at 5:06 pm #219453
    Me..
    Member
    • Topics: 23
    • Replies: 37
    • ☆☆

    I don’t think q2 (b) required a discussion of Harmon but rather just a discussion of whether the process should be outsourced or not! It wasn’t so much about Harmon but rather an in shoring vs off shoring issue

    Using calculations here was the key

    December 8, 2014 at 5:10 pm #219454
    wajiman
    Participant
    • Topics: 6
    • Replies: 46
    • ☆☆

    @Baljit i wrote exactly the same stuff except Q2 part b, a bit different. Q3 you did right it was about mitigation and other things. i wrote P1 Tara and effective risk management plus a contingency plan, Part b of Q3 wrote only 3 lines, BAM, there goes my paper! Times up honey

    December 8, 2014 at 5:10 pm #219455
    Baljit
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 9
    • ☆

    Why would you not talk about harmons matrix? The question said would you continue to outsource or bring in house, that is pretty much what the model does.

    December 8, 2014 at 5:11 pm #219456
    Baljit
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 9
    • ☆

    Kate did you mention harmons process matrix for q2?

    December 8, 2014 at 5:12 pm #219457
    Anonymous
    Inactive
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 20
    • ☆

    can anyone remember what they put down for q1 i got cashcow for the road, question mark for the warehouses, and dog for the trains.

    and what roce did you calculate? i started to panic and im sure i came out with something stupid like 2.2%

    i also mentioned they were relying on suppliers for short term finance. they mentioned invoice paying in the first bit so i used that in the evaluation of godiva but not sure i was just writing anything down!!

    i skipped the pricing.

    with question two did you recommend outsourcing or in house?

    i attempted a of q4 ran out of time.

    doubt ive done enough to pass, thought it was an ok paper but q1 was so lengthy i wasted a lot of time reading over and over and over.

    December 8, 2014 at 5:13 pm #219458
    wajiman
    Participant
    • Topics: 6
    • Replies: 46
    • ☆☆

    road was star and yes it was 2.2%

    December 8, 2014 at 5:15 pm #219459
    Anonymous
    Inactive
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 20
    • ☆

    noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 🙁

    December 8, 2014 at 5:16 pm #219460
    Anonymous
    Inactive
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 20
    • ☆

    ive deffo failed i think ive made a right mess of everything. its horrible that all studying comes dowwn to a three hour exam.

    December 8, 2014 at 5:19 pm #219462
    marija1507
    Member
    • Topics: 2
    • Replies: 6
    • ☆

    this is what I did…
    Q1) Group is synergy manager
    used SWOT, first company is cash cow, last one question mark.
    second acq.(vertical integration) was successful due to synergies used – turnover of business. here I didn’t identify bcg type.
    last acq.was not, no exp.managment in different transport, cuture clash. however due to innovations and green tech.and overall market growth (attractive market) could be pushed to become a star. especially if fuel prices rise this would become alternative transport.
    I was so nervous and sloppy that I will not gain all 4 prof.marks for sure.

    b) Godiva – horisontal integration

    acceptability: all fin.KPIs lower than sector (except CR which is in line) accept.or not, depends on family’s desires (family owned comp majority)
    feasibility: enough RE to acqure but i sufficent manag.expertise in-house, could be problems with culture clash…
    suitability: questionable, diff.industry type, no exper.managers, but synergies could be exploited in using land and warehouses (which become expensive) and good geo.position.
    But overall, acq.is risky.

    Q4 a) inbound, operations(old machinery) and outbond act. are weaknesses…poor location and expensive transport.
    marketing – the most valuable activity…
    post sale – valuable

    trend – dry and moist changing positions, change in customers taste…

    Q2… oh God help me 🙂
    a) wrote without head and tail everything that came to my mind, such as make identification process more flexible and convenient (avoid 35% calls being terminated imm.) by using name, date of bitrh or similar. Train staff to have better accent…
    b) Harmon’s matrix
    contracrs – depend on complexity (automate or improve) sourc of revenue so strat.important for sure
    refunds – in house- try to retain customers by offering sth.else, reingeener process,
    technical – outsource to expert comp.

    also consider costs (in house is 2,5 times more expensive) but goid corporate image in tines of high unemployment…

    God help me, I hope it will make 50…

    What do you think…advise me please

    Good luck to all!

    December 8, 2014 at 5:19 pm #219463
    snowia
    Member
    • Topics: 4
    • Replies: 24
    • ☆

    very very lengthy paper which made it hard for me to read properly the scenario and give answers relevant to scenario
    overall paper became disaster at the end.
    i think i will fail 🙁

    December 8, 2014 at 5:20 pm #219464
    Baljit
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 9
    • ☆

    Sublime you won’t have failed, stay positive I did p2 last June and thought I definitely failed but some how passed!! Chin up

    December 8, 2014 at 5:22 pm #219466
    Baljit
    Member
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 9
    • ☆

    marija1507 sounds like you did really well, I think you’ll pass easily

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 113 total)
1 2 3 4 5 →
  • The topic ‘*** P3 December 2014 Exam was.. Instant Poll and comments ***’ is closed to new replies.

Primary Sidebar

Donate
If you have benefited from our materials, please donate

ACCA News:

ACCA My Exam Performance for non-variant

Applied Skills exams is available NOW

ACCA Options:  “Read the Mind of the Marker” articles

Subscribe to ACCA’s Student Accountant Direct

ACCA CBE 2025 Exams

How was your exam, and what was the exam result?

BT CBE exam was.. | MA CBE exam was..
FA CBE exam was.. | LW CBE exam was..

Donate

If you have benefited from OpenTuition please donate.

PQ Magazine

Latest Comments

  • mm3677 on IAS 16 Accounting for a revaluation – CIMA F1 Financial Reporting
  • Anastesia123 on MA Chapter 1 Questions Accounting for Management
  • John Moffat on MA Chapter 26 Questions Variance Analysis
  • acowtant on Changes in group structure – examples – ACCA SBR lectures
  • Samantha96 on The Statement of Financial Position and Income Statement (part a) – ACCA Financial Accounting (FA) lectures

Copyright © 2025 · Support · Contact · Advertising · OpenLicense · About · Sitemap · Comments · Log in