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Dear Friends,
I have failed paper P5 for two times . I have been getting feedback from lecturers that with a marginal fail is due to your “Exam Technique” ,especially in P5.
Could i get a sharing what “Exam technique” are we referring here ? Could we get some sharing here before we going to the exam hall next wednesday ?
Appreciate your help!
Please share, thanks.
I Believe its the way you structure your answer in addition to the presentation.
E:G having to write a report for Q1 use the correct format with relevant heading.
In addition to this focus on what the model is asking in relevance to the scenario.
if the question is asking for lets say porters forces don’t just explain the model apply the model to the scenario and answer the question
Exam technique is so vague – could mean a number of thinks imo and could be specific to P5.
General exam technique:
1. Apportion your time exactly according to marks per question. There are diminishing returns on marks gained the longer you spend you a question. We are taught that there is 1.8 minutes per mark, however if you attempt a 10 mark question it is likely the first 2 marks will be easy and less than a minute and the final 2 marks could take 5-10 minutes each. If you run out of time you will fail to pick up the easy marks on later questions.2. Break down your answers to each requirement into subheadings. This helps to structure your answer which will both give you professional marks and makes your points more clear. This will mean less change of the examiner missing a mark worthy point in a wall of text.
3. Read the question carefully and make sure you understand exactly what the examiner wants before you start writing. This is perhaps more important for P5 than any other paper and I’m led to believe one of the main reasons the pass rate is so low.
P5 specific exam technique:
There are good technical articles about this – you should read them. Also look at sample answers.
1. I think one key point is never to describe models at all unless specifically asked to or if it adds weight to your answer.
For example a question asking what strategies a company should use:
Good: According to the BCG matrix xxx business area is a dog as it has a low market share (xx%) in a stagnant market (x% growth). Given the business is no longer making a profit, the company should look to divest the business in the most cost effective way possible.
Bad: The BCG matrix was developed to help companies classify their different businesses according to their market share and market growth, bla bla bla etc before getting to the point.
2. There are types of question which come up often. You should nail down effective ways to answer these.
For example: assess a performance report – remember you are assessing the report rather than the company performance – use the PAIL mnemonic. Look for whether there is a good balance of financial and non-financial KPI’s. Ensure the KPIs relate to the companies CSFs etc.
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