How do I know if my answer is correct (self-study)?

The answers in the BPP Revision Kit (and for past exam questions in the kit they are reprints of the examiners own answers) certainly are meant to be ‘perfect’.

For calculations you can obviously check the workings with the answers, and usually there will be a note in the answer if alternatives are acceptable. This particularly applies to questions where the answer states assumptions – you should always write your assumptions because if you assume differently than the answer then (assuming it is a sensible assumption) you will still get marks even though the final figures will be different from the model answer.

Also do remember that each part of your workings is marked and so even if you do something wrong in the middle of a calculation you can still get all the rest of the marks if the working before and after the mistake are done correctly.

As far as written parts of questions are concerned, the model answers always write more than you are expected to write in the exam. Certainly the examiners own answers always make more points than are required (if you look at the marking plans at the end of the answers on the ACCA website you will usually see things such as “2 marks per valid point up to a maximum of 8 marks”. That would obviously mean you were expected to have 4 points but the examiners answer will have listed more than 4 points – any 4 of them would get the 8 marks 🙂 )

If you do check an answer and find it to be different to your own attempt then if it is not clear to you what is wrong with your answer then ask in the Ask the Tutor Forum and I will try to help.