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Yes, only the Study text. There is not need to have too many books or to go too “wide”. I focused on the essentials. I felt comfortable with the structure. I did not use the full kit.
Wow, this exam is tricky and the examiner’s expectations unclear. You should share tips and methods here. I managed to pass but I felt the heat (53%)
Sap1w, you did well so far and you got a strong grade in P3. How many exams have you passed and how many left? Enjoy August and do some cycling, swimming or other sport. Maybe skip September as it is the worst time for exams
Hello Sa1pw! I remember reading your comments on F8 in December, it seems such a long time. And I read your comments on P5. Despite my issue, I believed I would have had a much better score. Questions seemed easy, I found the ROCE computation straightforward and it plugged well with “ROCE is too short term, myopia leading to dysfunctional behaviour”. In addition I managed to complete the paper, there are the extra 10 points I had. It was an unusual exam as you pointed out. F8 and P5 are the exams I liked least, easy to understand, difficult to score.
I am French, “why do you think I have this outrageouuuus accent?”
Regarding books, you can buy them used on ebay or gumtree. Alternatively you can find 20% voucher for Kaplan books on Google (legally).I think London is quite dead with the Brexit. this in every sector (4 flats in my block are on the market, out of …5). I try to relocate to Luxembourg and I study German now, aiming for B2. Poles are going home as well.
Lastly I would read the book a last time backward, starting with the last chapter. As we tend to rush towards the end of the book and skipping topics. I also looked at the glossary at the end to check I understand all of it.(e.g Burn and Scapens was there for example in P5)
I usually took 3 to 4 exams (maximum) per session. I would read the Kaplan book twice, first time without stopping on difficult topics to get an overview of the programme. Then second time doing some of the exercises of the book. This would take 3 days per book. Then I would take the most recent past exam and really focus on it, and do it maybe 3-4 times. I would nearly learn this exam. Then I came back to the book to things I did not master. Then I looked at older exams.I had a notebook to write definitions or usual traps. Overall I spent one full week per exam (I was not working, though I had one job interview with a case study for which I spent a whole week just before the December session), and the last week I would focus on the most difficult exam (e.g. F6 or P2). Sometimes when I was sick with a topic, I would just switch to another one.
How do you feel regarding the job market in the UK? I have sent hundreds of CVs and got only one interview this year.
I finished the CFA eight years ago and was overconfident, neglecting F9. Regarding P4, I panicked on a swap of currencies. I have always had a problem with FX. However I found P4 the most interesting exam.
Trying to reply to a previous post, swapping P5 for P4. These exams are very different. P4 is highly numerical, focused on investments.
I am glad I passed it. I really did not like this exam. Link theory worked for me. On Thursday I had an error, then later in the day I had the white and grey page. Exams are over for me, it was nice to read you all!
I don’t have any secret sauce. I used Kaplan books and did all past exams of the past three years available on the ACCA website. My scores in the P exams are average (53%-60%). I had a strict discipline regarding time during the exam and I have always completed 100% of the exams, always keeping 15 minutes at the end to come back on some questions. I also paired and scheduled the exams nicely (numerical with wordy ones). Having gone through the classes preparatoires in France and the CFA, I am used to this kind of exams and time pressure. I initially aimed to do it in six months! (three sessions) however P1 and P5 occur the same day and I would probably have failed P5. Some people may prefer classes, however I get bored and daydream usually. Opentuition forum is excellent to motivate each other and tutors answer all your question in a timely manner, even one week before the exam!
I kept incremental for Basic suggesting quickly some Kaizen to shake up a bit the managers, ABC for Healthy as rolling proved its limits, ZBB for KIDS (I can’t figure why I did it) and ZBB for PD. It was not obvious honestly. ROCE was fine although I did minor mistakes. The bonus scheme of question 4 was tricky and I elaborated two sets of KPIs per S.
I truly think this exam is doomed, there is a sort of malediction. I sat at my desk at the ExCel centre,thought “oh new, comfy, chairs” and pinched a nerve. I fainted, it happened twice in the past, it is a fuse for my body when there is intense pain. Paramedic came and I started the exam 30 minutes later. It was complete chaos, I only read the questions, hardly the texts, only appendixes, and I attempted all of them. I am really curious about the result. It is unfortunate as I took and passed 10 exams in three sittings and this was the only one remaining. That is why, as many of you, I truly believe in some kind of malediction. I may even switch to P6, not trying a second attempt.