Can I give up?

Hi @ainasyafira,

Yes ACCA is exhausting, tiring and a complete struggle but it’s all worth it in the end once you get qualified.

Let me be honest, ACCA is very challenging unlike University courses and the reason for that is, it is a professional qualification. The professional bodies (in our case ACCA) ensures that its members are professionals. They have the skills and quality of being called a professional. Hence, they do take this really seriously. So getting qualified won’t be a cakewalk.

Now all that said, it does not mean completing ACCA is impossible. No it isn’t! Each year countless number of students get affiliated or become members.

But it requires a lot of dedication, focus and yes, tons of hardwork.

I know, being an ACCA student myself, getting the motivation to study for the paper when it seems the entire world is collapsing on our heads can be difficult.

I don’t know whether it is just me but I always find it really difficult to begin studying for the next paper. I believe, the thought of going through the same exhaustion again with another subject is just so tiring and frustrating to be frank.

Also, there are a lot of things that will “help” you get demotivated…
The difficult syllabus of the subjects, the demanding exam techniques, low pass rates and complaining fellow ACCA students…and that’s just to name a few.

However, the key is to set a driving factor. What is it that will motivate you to reach your goal ( i.e being ACCA qualified)? Try to find that.
It could be a passion for the subject, interest to work in a particular field ( for example as an auditor), the repute of this qualification or may be the money that you can earn after becoming qualified!

Look, you have come this far that means you can reach the end of the race too.
If you can pass the F papers then P papers shouldn’t be much of a problem.

P papers are indeed a step up from F papers but content wise a lot is basically carried forward from the F papers. Much of the course of P papers are already covered in F papers.

The simple key to passing the P papers (now called as Strategic Level papers) is question practice!

Even if you learn the entire textbook word by word but don’t practice enough questions, that pass is out of anyone’s reach because P papers are about application; about how you can apply your skills and knowledge developed in F papers in an actual business scenario. So it’s not about rote learning!

Here are my quick tips for securing that pass:
– Question Practice (can’t stress that enough!). Grab a revision kit from an ACCA Approved Content Provider and practise as many questions as you can.
Do a question. Complete it. Check it. Read the answer key and see where have you gone wrong and why. Make a note of your mistakes. Read the examiner’s response to see what are the common errors so that you can avoid them.
– Have a good time management
All P papers are time pressured(extremely!).
This will only be good with question practise.
Time yourself when you solve them. And do them under exam conditions.
– Practice the same question more than once. This will help you to identify something you missed out in an earlier attempt and also with your time management.
– Read financial news and articles.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s all about practicality. So keep yourself informed about what’s going on in the Corporate world. Try to link what you learn from the syllabus of the paper you are preparing for to a real time event.
– Plan your studies and stick to that plan so that you are organised and know what you have to do and when.
– Use the ACCA resources provided on their website(technical articles, examiner’s report etc)

Personally, I won’t advise you to give up now because for me the Strategic Level is the final lap of the race.

But obviously, the decision is for you to make.

I wish you all the very best!

Hope this helps.