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(Note: It’s a lengthy post and therefore am posting it bit by bit)
Hi Mike,I appreciate your wonderful advice regarding practising to write 1 MARK = 3 SENTENCES in 1 minute and 18 seconds. I’ve practised it a bit and I’m confident about my speed.
I also STOP writing unnecessary details which don’t let me gain marks and waste time.
Sharp time management which results in splendid words/sentences management.
The issue now is KNOWING what stuff to write. Forget writing detailed answers, I can’t even come up with an answer plan. Do I have a knowledge issue?
I can’t say that I’ve read the textbook or the OpenTuition Notes completely but I’ve attempted P7 twice and got 34 & 36.The textbook at a certain website is really colorful, fun and simple to read. I did cover some areas of it. Although when I leave reading, I come back and re-read the areas I’ve already read.
I start panicking when I can’t recall any of the stuff which I felt I had learnt. This panic and anxiety stops me from being smart enough to choose the challenging areas and focus on them, while just glancing over the not-so important areas.
It feels more satisfying to read the textbook in an order, which never gets completed. At the same time reading the textbook feels burdensome as you put effort into it but nothing really gets stored in memory plus they don’t actually prepare you for the questions.
Finally I resort to reading the answers. Is it a good idea? Won’t I be just recalling the answers next time I answer the question instead of really thinking it out ?
The answers are excessive when compared with the marks. Which part of the answer should be taken and which part ignored? Should we try to make notes in our words to make it easier?
Some of the points in the answer themselves raise questions, as I have no idea what they are talking about. Some of the points don’t seem to have any connection with the scenario or I didn’t get the same ideas when I read the scenario/case study.I feel very dissatisfied as it takes a lot of time to read the questions, have no clue about the answer, take time to read the answer , still not understand it. Should I just read the questions and the answers, move on, cover a lot of them and come back?
Or it’s better to focus on one part of a question at a time, make notes, try to write the answer without looking? Time consuming indeed.
I do listen to the lectures but sometimes they get a bit boring. I take the OT notes, put on a lecture and follow along. Sometimes I pause when I don’t understand something but apart from that I don’t know whether the stuff really goes into my head. Any suggestion to make effective use of the lecture? Recalling the lecture and making short notes or something?
Please guide me. I have lot of time on my hands but can’t really make effective use of it as I’m just perplexed looking at the questions and the answers. I don’t seem to making measurable progress which can motivate me to further delve into the questions.
Question practice not only sharpens exam technique but also provides knowledge. How do we identify an area needs to be revisited at the textbook/OT notes/lecture to build up the knowledge? Do we need to keep looking for every little thing which doesn’t make sense in the past paper answer? When is reading/studying of the notes enough?
Although I won’t give up and will keep on trying until I clear this paper, it depresses me when I’m just stuck with a question. Too worried to move on as I’ve not understood and learnt the first question. It leaves me shaky, disoriented and hollow. The frustration turns into despondence and gloominess which affects my mood and relationship with others.
I’ll be posting enquiries related to specific questions, more precisely specific parts, stating my issues and how to deal with them.
You have instructed to read 10 technical articles. Again same issue. Overwhelming load of new information, which just puts me into panic mode.
Examiners reports: Make no sense when you have not read the questions.
Your article and P3 examiner article are awesome. I really appreciate them.
Sorry for the confused, muddled up post above. You really do have a wonderful way of making things simple and clear and this post is a shout for help.
Thanks in Advance,
YJ(Due to technical error I wasn’t able to post it one go. I guess I’ve identified the issue which I’ll mention in the technical forum)
“Finally I resort to reading the answers. Is it a good idea? Won’t I be just recalling the answers next time I answer the question instead of really thinking it out ?”
Is that a bad thing? Surely that’s exactly where you want to be – not memorising, but at least having your thought processes stimulated so that you can apply those thoughts to the new scenario
“The answers are excessive when compared with the marks. ”
Yes, they always have been and they most likely always will be. Those printed answers are ‘comprehensive’ in that they try to include every single possible relevant point – they’re a learning aid rather than any sort of indication of what even the best prepared student (or tutor!) could achieve within the time allocation
Those answers are initially written by the examiner and the examiner knows exactly what is being looked for at the time the question is being designed. It may even be the case that, having drafted a question and a draft answer to that question, the examiner then looks again at the two elements combined and realises that the draft answer has wandered away from being totally relevant
What is there to stop the examiner from adjusting the question now to fit the draft answer?
The answers in revision kits are written by tutors (using the examiner’s own answers as a start point) but those tutors are under a different type of time pressure. They’re not faced with just 90 minutes to read, think, plan and write their answer to a 50 mark question! They have maybe a week or 10 days to get their answer prepared
Not only much less time pressure but they also have the availability of open books and the opportunity to discuss with colleagues and collect together the aggregation of thoughts from a team of P7 tutors
Don’t even begin to think about emulating the length, style nor content of the printed solutions!
“Should we try to make notes in our words to make it easier?”
Try this … read a paragraph in a printed solution and then try in one or two words to identify the KEY thoughts in that paragraph – and remember that not every paragraph has such key thoughts … some have none and some have more than one
But you’re trying to condense, say, 100 words down to 2 or 3
“Some of the points in the answer themselves raise questions, as I have no idea what they are talking about”
Isn’t that brilliant! The tutors love to demonstrate their lexicographic athleticism 🙂
There was an article in Student Accountant (4? years ago). It was 4+ pages long and I got a class of 10 students in one of the Baltic states to read that article to themselves in class one day. I asked them to make a note of any word or expression that they failed to understand
The BEST result was only 6 words or expressions that was not understood. The worst was 15. But none of them understood the expression that internal control and risk management are “inextricably intertwined”
All 10 of those students are now fully qualified associates, so don’t give up hope
“Some of the points don’t seem to have any connection with the scenario or I didn’t get the same ideas when I read the scenario/case study”
This could be a bit of a problem – have you re-read the question and the disputed point to see whether your conclusion about irrelevancy is correct or was it you that has mis-interpreted the question / scenario?
“Should I just read the questions and the answers, move on, cover a lot of them and come back?”
This is exactly what I recommended to those students that wrote on this forum after the March results came out in April. Immerse yourself in the language and the repetitive nature of the points that are repeatedly raised in answers where questions are relatively similar to previous examination questions
Too late now to take that advice because I’m expecting on 22 May multiple forum questions asking for the second and final part of the pre-examination preparation schedule
“I do listen to the lectures but sometimes they get a bit boring”
That’s not the nicest compliment that I’ve ever received! 🙂
” I don’t know whether the stuff really goes into my head”
Stuff goes into your head as a result of constant and frequent repetition. How do you think actors learn their lines? Or tutors are able to lecture for 1.5 hours with no lecture notes to read from?
“Please guide me. I have lot of time on my hands but can’t really make effective use of it as I’m just perplexed looking at the questions and the answers. I don’t seem to making measurable progress which can motivate me to further delve into the questions.”
Watch this forum during the next 3 or 4 days to find the second part of the advice. Meanwhile, spend the next 96 hours reading questions and answers
In the revision kit that I have in front of me there are 86 questions and answers (including 15 in 3 mock exams)
That represents 21 questions per day for 4 days (19, 20, 21 and 22 May) – just reading. Not learning. Not memorising. Just reading … like you would read a novel or a magazine article
“Do we need to keep looking for every little thing which doesn’t make sense in the past paper answer?”
I’ve already answered this but I’ll say again, No!
“When is reading/studying of the notes enough?”
After the next 4 days!
” … it depresses me when I’m just stuck with a question”
And of course, you’re alone in the World with this problem aren’t you. All those thousands of P7 students that are just 1 step away from becoming affiliates are all totally on top of all elements of the syllabus, all the IASs, IFRSs and ISAs. They all have unbeatable self-control when it comes to sticking to strict time allocation, not only per question but also down to time allocation for individual sub-questions
And you alone out of thousands has a problem with getting stuck on questions!
Er, no!
And getting depressed about it is no help either! What’s that going to achieve? It’s a self-fulfilling prophetic attitude. I can’t do it, I get depressed, I lose concentration because I’m too busy getting depressed, so I can’t do it, so I get more depressed, I lose concen ……………………….”
I presume that, with an initial “Y” you are female – there aren’t many English males whose name begins with a “Y”
Without being nastily sexist, over many years I have come to a conclusion that females are rather more intense and serious about their studies than their male counterparts
Women will score 95% and are upset about losing 5 marks whereas men score 55% and are upset about that wasted effort in scoring more than necessary
Women can’t work out why they lost those 5 marks because they thought they knew the subject well
Men don’t know how they scored 50% let alone those extra 5
Women are not satisfied with anything less than perfection
Men are just so happy to have passed and often have no idea of the extent of relevant stuff that they should have known so, as we say, ignorance is bliss
Before I get a stream of angry reactions to these last few comments, yes, there are exceptions – not all members of each gender are the same. My comments are very much generalisations
Back to your post …
“it depresses me when I’m just stuck with a question. Too worried to move on as I’ve not understood and learnt the first question. It leaves me shaky, disoriented and hollow. The frustration turns into despondence and gloominess which affects my mood and relationship with others.”
I’m no psychologist but none of this is helping your cause!
“I’ll be posting enquiries related to specific questions, more precisely specific parts, stating my issues and how to deal with them.”
That’s fine – I’m looking forward to receiving them
“You have instructed to read 10 technical articles. Again same issue. Overwhelming load of new information, which just puts me into panic mode”
Read them as you would read a magazine
“Examiners reports: Make no sense when you have not read the questions.”
Not strictly true! There’s a lot to be learned from the examiner’s comments without any knowledge of the underlying scenaria
“Sorry for the confused, muddled up post above”
Nothing at all to apologise for (and thanks for the compliment … even though I am boring!)
🙂
“Is that a bad thing? Surely that’s exactly where you want to be – not memorising, but at least having your thought processes stimulated so that you can apply those thoughts to the new scenario”
Fantastic point!
“Don’t even begin to think about emulating the length, style nor content of the printed solutions!”
Thanks for the reminder. Puts a smile on my face.
“Try this … read a paragraph in a printed solution and then try in one or two words to identify the KEY thoughts in that paragraph – and remember that not every paragraph has such key thoughts … some have none and some have more than one
But you’re trying to condense, say, 100 words down to 2 or 3”
Excellent piece of advise. Simple but effective.
“Isn’t that brilliant! The tutors love to demonstrate their lexicographic athleticism ?”
Lexicographic athleticism. Nice words although I can’t understand what it means.
🙂“But none of them understood the expression that internal control and risk management are “inextricably intertwined”
All 10 of those students are now fully qualified associates, so don’t give up hope”
Wow. It does give me hope as I do thankfully understand that expression, although pronunciation is a challenge.
“This could be a bit of a problem – have you re-read the question and the disputed point to see whether your conclusion about irrelevancy is correct or was it you that has mis-interpreted the question / scenario?
Yes. I don’t seem to be interpreting requirements accurately. I feel that the answer for one requirement can apply for another as well. I guess as I practice more I’ll notice the subtle differences. Although I appreciate the difference between ‘evidence’ which is more of nouns, while ‘procedures’ are verbs.
” Immerse yourself in the language and the repetitive nature of the points that are repeatedly raised in answers where questions are relatively similar to previous examination questions.”
I didn’t know studies could be so simple and enjoyable. I just read now ,without fretting about learning, memorizing or whether the stuff goes into my head or not. Just enjoying the process without worrying excessively about the results. Effective and fantastic tip!
“That’s not the nicest compliment that I’ve ever received! ?”
Thanks for receiving my immature comment gracefully, sir!
It’s just that there is nothing on the video for the eyes to lock on, so they get a bit distracted. Maybe if we see your smiling face, it’ll change the experience. 🙂
Calculation/numbers papers like P4 etc, have a lot going on the screen and you have to concentrate. Of course, we can’t expect the same for theory paper.
To be fair, you include anecdotes, jokes and statements which make us smile at your wit and sense of humor . Some of them even stick in the memory even after weeks. Heartily appreciate them.
“Stuff goes into your head as a result of constant and frequent repetition. How do you think actors learn their lines? Or tutors are able to lecture for 1.5 hours with no lecture notes to read from?”
So true. The end result makes it all look so simple and easy but we don’t see the endless hours of toil and practice.
“Er, no!”
Nothing like a healthy dose of sarcasm to knock some sense into my head!! (grinning widely)
“I presume that, with an initial “Y” you are female – there aren’t many English males whose name begins with a “Y”
You assumed wrong. I’m a male. It’s an Arabic name so that explains the ‘Y’.
‘Y’ is the Arabic equivalent of ‘J’ in Hebrew.“Before I get a stream of angry reactions to these last few comments, yes, there are exceptions – not all members of each gender are the same. My comments are very much generalisations”
I guess I prove the exception. Nice observations!
Noted your instructions regarding technical articles and examiners reports. Will read them casually instead of taking them as a burden.
Thank you sir! Your words have inspired me and encouraged me a lot!
Well that’s good news
However …
… I’m still waiting for these long-ago promised questions – I quote “I’ll be posting enquiries related to specific questions, more precisely specific parts, stating my issues and how to deal with them.”
That’s a more healthy attitude altogether – much more positive and optimistic
Keep that up for another 3 weeks and P7 worries will seem like a bad dream
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