[Jamie]

First attempt- 69%.

For those guys that failed please don’t give up. The exam itself is not particularly difficult, but it is very time pressured! The best advice I can give is this:

1. Read the Question requirement correctly. Time and time again the examiner says in his report that this is the biggest reason people failed. For example a common mistake is assessing performance when the examiner asks to assess the report that is used to assess performance!

2. Read all the examiner articles and examiner reports.

3. Attempt as many past papers as possible.

4. Revise the whole syllabus.

I have one exam left now but I have had the same exam technique throughout ACCA, with all first time passes. Lowest mark I achieved was 62% on F9 and highest was 85% on F5. I understand people learn in different ways but for those that may find it helpful this is what I do:

1. Read the chapter in the textbook.
2. Re-read, this time writing your OWN notes in your OWN words.
3. Once you have finished all the chapters, you will then have a full set of revision notes in your own words. For P5, I had 90 A4 pages, just to give you an idea of the dedication needed.
4. I usually try and complete this at least 2 weeks before exam, and then I read these notes every night before I go to sleep (I read a study somewhere that this is the best way to retain information).
5. I then attempt usually last 3-4 years past papers, referring to examiners report when marking my own answer.
6. Read all the examiner articles, these can give you tips on how the examiner likes to discuss the topic and any particular problems he sees with the issue at hand.

I understand this will not work for everyone, but for those who have failed a few times, it may be worth a try to use a different approach? It does require a lot of dedication and hard work to follow the above revision schedule, but I usually start the process 5/6/7 weeks before the exam. I work full time doing very long hours so no excuses people!

Good luck for next time! I hope the above helps, even if it is just one person it helps!

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