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After countless attempts in APM, finally an affiliate now. Passed with 58% and I’m feeling over the moon now.
It took me the whole day to absorb that I’ve actually failed this paper with 47% after my 6th attempt.
I have done so well in my last two sittings (both failed with 47%) having drastically improved my exam technique and timing. Moreover,I know the whole syllabus in and out, and I actually find the syllabus interesting.
As result, I have requested an administrative review to have an idea on where did I go wrong.
Meanwhile, I’ll be looking at ATX and AFM as alternative options. Would love to hear your recommendations on which subject should I consider taking in December.
Its very frustrating not receiving the congratulatory email. Even though its not professional having the results leaked two days prior the official release date, I wish I had received this email instead of being in grief mode for the last 48 Hrs.
Well, in approximately 12 hours we shall know our results, and I really hope I wont be re-sitting APM in December again.
Oh shoot! I’ve wrote so many points under strategy and systems. I wrote 4 S’s in total. I only covered styles and staff or skills from the soft S’s.
I think spotted soft S being mentioned below the diagram but why wouldn’t they mention it in the question though ?????
Question 1 was fair. Usual performance report evaluation with calculations of ROCE, dividends per share, residual income, and Inventory turnover days. Brief Comment on inventory management system was required.
Assessment of measures proposed using BSC And affect on employees behavior was also asked.
I made some silly mistakes in ROCE and Residual income calculations. Hopefully I did well on other areas.
Question 2. A) Asses the integration of two footwear companies using McKinney’s 7(15 marks)
B) evaluate the introduction of ERPS (10 marks)Question 3.
A) performance management and measurement issues in joint venture of two universities. (16 marks)
B) suggest performance measures for the stakeholders Identified. (9 marks)
Question 3 was tricky and of course time doesn’t help.
Praying this will be my last attempt.
Thank you for the answer, Kim.
I guess I’ll re-do APM again as I find it interesting. Will also make sure I read the recommended articles carefully.
Hopefully, in my 5th attempt I will nail it.Yes this my 5th time as finalist. This has become really frustrating to a point where I hope these theories fail for once. But it seems like, here we go again in December.
I can’t log in my e-business now. Earlier I could log in to the Ebusiness website but could not see affiliate anywhere.
And I always have seen error when I clicked on the other link.
Anyone experiencing the same ?
I know I did well in this exam. I cannot fail again.
Exam was okay to some extent. My aim was to attempt on time and I was partly successful in that since I didn’t not attempt 3(c). Here’s how I approach each question
1a- broke down the objective to secondary aim and CSFs. Commented on whether the measures used addressed the CSFS and objective. Also commented on Presentation of the report, which was okay.
1b- I had a negative EVA figure (-62). DdI not comment on the EVA figure though. Discussed the benefits of EVA and that includes avoids distortion of accounting policies, encourage long term investments etc as opposed to ROCE which is short term measure and does not encourage value-adding investments such as R&D.
1c- broke my answer Into three parts strategic, operational, and tactical. Approach it as I was solving performance pyramid question. Mention whether nature of information is external or internal, reflected on measures used and how they help to achieve the overall objective.
1d- my answer here was brief as I didn’t have time. Just ensured that the analyst comments had an impact on the company’s achieving its CSFs.
2a- non financial indicator is difficult to measure as it subjective. Highlighted fashion industry is subject to many opinions and taste. There are many assumptions used in quantifying satisfaction. Satisfaction could related quality of product, service, packaging and therefore different weightings should be assigned.
2b – conflict of measures, information overload, commitment of managers not to revert back to financial indicators.
3a- Board have less power since there’s risk of losing their jobs but they are interested in turning around the company. Should be informed of measures used.
Employees are have low
Level of power since high skilled laboir are it required and there’s high unemployment and but they may be employees in other departments may be interested in training and qualification. Suggested percentage of qualified employees as an alternative measure.
Government are key players as they have the power to impose fines or discontinue the company’s operations and they are interested in how the company addresses these issues.3b- board may have been just looking to reduce opportunity cost due to last losses but after performance elated pay they may adopt maximal approach and therefore selected the price with highest contribution.
3c- did not have enough time, and it was relatively the most difficult part of the exam as I didn’t know how to use the information given. Just stated some few liners about NPV lol.
Overall the Exam was the okay, not completely satisfied with the content I wrote especially in question 1 since it was rushed, but really hoping for pass as this is my 4th attempt. Somehow,I feel optimistic about this sitting.
@riverstixx said:
I’m attempting this exam for the first time in June. Is anyone else regretting the decision to do this module? Never has the subject of tax, of all things, seemed more appealing!The syllabus itself is nothing difficult or particularly ground breaking in my humble opinion. It feels a little like the old P3 exam in which its very much applying common sense with theory to help structure answers.
The thing that irritates me so much is the open ended, woolly requirements that are often badly phrased and so similar to another requirement in the very same question. It seems to be more a skill of determining what the examiner actually wants than a focus on performance management.
Time is another factor that is insane! How you are supposed to organise any kind of structured calculation and comment effectively is beyond me. Hell, i have been told by one lecturer don’t bother to calculate anything right, just “make it up!”. A great ethos for any good accountant!!!
I jest in a light-hearted manor of course, but I seriously do think ACCA exams are going down hill every time they adapt. Multi choice in F papers (cost saving mechanism), new 4 hour exams (reports of student answers deteriorating rapidly in the last 45mins – Oh really what a surprise! ) along with ever more bizarre answering formats (power point presentation on hand written paper anyone?!!), hidden marking structures to ensure you can’t get full marks unless you are indeed a psychic.
Anyway rant over, just wanted to reach out see if anyone else feels like ripping their hair out.
This has summed up why I keep on failing this paper. This September will be my 4th attempt and I honestly ran out of ideas and motivation on how to prepare for this paper considering the syllabus are relatively easy.I don’t know how it can be different this time.
When you expect to fail you pass, and when you expect to pass you fail. Really gutted because I felt I did good enough to pass this paper and become an affiliate.
And yes the e business theory works, it’s good that I had my heads up before results day.
I think I’ll do more practice this time for P5.
Damn my e-business haven’t changed a bit. I’m very disappointed because i thought I did well in P5 in my first attempt. Well, I’m very used to preparing for exams, but the anticipation before the exam and results is unbearable.
@supermesiah said:
My mates, please check this for me. go to myacca,click on experience records link. When you get to the page,Click on the address bar, you will realised the address include memberqueryid.as finalist I think we can check and compare with non finalist to see if their experiences records address also includes members (memberqueryid).When I click on experience records, my page says “Sorry, an error has occurred”. I’m a finalist too.I haven’t even got that WCOA 18 email. I’m so stressed now aghhh !!
When does the link theory usually works, like how many days prior to the actual results?
@helinalara said:
does everyone (finalist) seeing this message on ebusiness?Students should note that, in order to maintain confidentiality of examination results, ACCA’s eBusiness website will be available for viewing/amending limited personal details only, until after the results have been distributed. You will therefore be unable to make payments by credit or debit card on-line until after the results have been distributed.
I’m a finalist and this message also appears on my ebusiness, But it seems like a general message. Lets wait for others to confirm.
Good Luck !
Open your last ACCA Examination Results and then at the top right of the email you’ll find “view in browser” click on it and boom you get ur results.
This is the first time I follow these theories and I wanted to believe they aren’t true, but now after checking the March results email and viewed it in the browser it was confirmed that I have failed P4 in my first attempt.
I’m not mad though, because I prepared for and attempted my exam terribly. I’m just bit annoyed because I passed all my previous papers from the first attempt, but not with this final paper. However, I feel excited to wrap up this ACCA journey and I’m going for P5 this time, as I feel P4 is very technical, even though it is still a subject of interest for me.
To Sum Up, I think the theories are true but I’m not going to check them next time haha
Good luck for everyone else awaiting for their results !
@jwanyu said:
Maybe check the legitimacy of the email.
I had 68 in P7 during my sitting and didn’t even think that such a mark is anything close to the highest mark?
I must be missing something!
HeheI also had 73 in P3 sometime ago and all on first attempt.
Congratulations @jwanyu on passing P7 and P3 !
I still find it odd that 56 is the highest mark even on country level (Saudi Arabia), but 68 marks for P7 could be a prize winner or at least for Pakistan https://www.accaglobal.com/pk/en/student/support-for-students-in-pakistan/pakistan-place-winners/acca-place-winners-march2018.html
@kim2311 said:
Congratulations on passing P7!
You could certainly be a regional prize winner – unless it was not your first attempt in March there is no reason to suppose that the invitation is bogus – I suggest you contact them!You may find place winners on ACCA www shortly but for now I can only find for Pakistan where the highest mark for P7 was 68% https://www.accaglobal.com/pk/en/student/support-for-students-in-pakistan/pakistan-place-winners/acca-place-winners-march2018.html
Thank you @Kim2311
That was indeed my first attempt but I have contacted them and I’m waiting for a reply.
Thanks again for your insight.Congratulations for being an affiliate !
Your comment grabbed my attention because I’m going for the same optional papers. I just passed P7 with 56% and I’m sitting my final paper P4 next June.
Do you mind sharing how to prepare for P4 ? Is the preparation for P4 any different than the other P-level papers ?
Thanks!
Passed with 56% from the first attempt! Alhamduallah I have been on passing from the first attempt streak P1, P2, P3, P7 and hopefully P4 in my next sitting.
Congratulations to all who passed, and for the ones who didn’t, please don’t give up. If I could do it anyone can do it as well.
After practicing the past papers and attempting the exam, I don’t think auditing standards are ‘massively’ important. Its good to know them, but not essential to pass.
Accounting Standards are the ones which are ‘massively’ important.
Some of the audit risks that I have mentioned in Q1:
Foreign transactions – IAS 21
Intangible Assets – Purchase of $5 million
Intangible Assets – Internally produced software $10 million
Royalties – IFRS 15 (explained it poorly)
Software revaluation
Intragroup transactionsI missed on goodwill, operating segments etc..
Overall the paper was fair, spent too much time in section A, while there was easier marks in section B (Q3 &Q4). I did not prepare for due diligence so i missed some marks there as well.
Hope I can pass from the first attempt.
