Answer plan

The danger of repetition is addressed by the planning process

It’s a conscious decision where to put your planned points – identification, explanation or evaluation – and your planning exercise has to be triple-targeted “I haven’t got anything for evaluation, yet” will make you focus more effectively

In Grissom I don’t see any “identify and explain” – I just see “evaluate”

The version I’m looking at is the UK variant so maybe the International variant has all three elements?

Does that help?

You’re welcome

‘If the question has three parts (a) for 8 marks, (b) for 7 marks and (c) for 5 marks, do I split the 10 minutes answer plan time into 4, 3.5 and 2.5 minutes respectively?’

YES

‘Another question, would marks be deducted for using the old terms – balance sheet and income statement?’

Why would you? Easy enough for you to write ‘Statement of Financial Position (SoFP)’ and the equivalent of the statement of profit or loss (SoPL)

‘Please go over with me the method of writing out answer plans.’

Don’t write sentences in answer plans – the idea of the plan is so that you cacumulate enough different valid relevant markable points and that you don’t forget to include something that came into your head when you read the question but now you can’t remember what it was

Bullet points is what you need – the plan does not need to make sense to ANYONE except you

DO NOT WASTE TIME writing sentences

What more do you need me to say?

Oh yes. Learn to tell the time and learn that, when time allocation is ended, YOU STOP and move on to the next part / next question

OK?

So don’t go deeper! You’re already running out of time so why are you even considering expanding or deepening your answers?

Do you really believe that the suggested solutions – whether these solutions are from a learning provider or the ACCA’s own answers – were actually read, planned and written within the time allocation? Without reference books? Without conferring with colleagues?

Do you honestly believe that?

Let me tell you the reality of this situation

The examiner sets the exam and knows exactly what the markers should look for in an answer. But that won’t do as a suggested solution for printing and uploading. So the examiner will put in all the ISA references and the full titles of any and all IFRS / IAS / ISA that are relevant for a full answer sufficient for a motivated student to look up these references in order to read exactly what these documents say

The examiner will also put into proper sentences and paragraphs, properly headed and professionally presented, those thoughts that were on his mind when that question was being formulated

All of this takes place months before the actual exam when the students will finally see the paper

After the examination the learning providers get hold of the questions and it’s likely that a team of audit tutors from each provider will separately prepare their own thoughts about the question. No time pressure, open books, maybe spread over a week

Then the team will meet and discuss their efforts and select the various points that have been collectively raised and one team member will be assigned the task of drawing all these ideas together

Once finished, it will be submitted to the other team members for feedback, amendment and/or improvement

And then it’s ready to put into a revision kit

And students like you will read that and say “Oh my Lord! I only got half the points that are in this solution and my effort lacks length, breadth and depth. Oh my! What am I to do? I shall never be able to emulate this in just 3 hours and 15 minutes”

Yes, that’s all you have to try to get an answer something similar to the examiner’s own answer and the collective efforts of a team of audit tutors none of whom are under time pressure, none of whom needs to remember the titles and references of professional documents (and nor do you need to try to remember them either) and none of whom are affected in any way by floods of adrenalin typically faced by students when taking an examination

OK. Now accept this!

THERE IS NO WAY ON THIS EARTH THAT YOU ARE EVER GOING TO GET AN ANSWER WITH SIMILAR LENGTH, NOR BREADTH, NOR DEPTH … so give that idea up right now

Stick to what you’re doing … but just do it better! And planning / application of sensible examination technique should get you through

OK?

You’re welcome