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I think the issue here is that the marker could not trace the in text citation to the reference in the list behind.
@hieund, Trephena is on her break, so we are stepping in to help…
1. I think moving SWOT and PESTEL up front would be a much better idea.
2. You don’t have to resubmit your SLS. Please see the infopack on this.
3. You should check the report very carefully to ensure that there are no other possible reasons for failure. I know of a student who failed his second submission even though he had earlier corrected his project for the comments given to him in his first mark sheet.
4. In order for ratios to be comparable, the companies should be as close as possible. I would recommend using a milk company.
5. There is no need to update your financial statements if you are submitting within 4 periods of your initial submission. Again, please see the infopack on this.
Remember to link SWOT and PESTEL to the impacts on the company, and how the company reacted. If you can quantify the impacts, that would help a great deal. For example, a recent initiative to use only energy saving bulbs has saved the company $Xm a year.
Hope this helps!
I believe I uploaded the incorrect file with regards to the reference list. A very silly mistake on my behalf. Could you please advise me on which files I would have to resubmit and whether three meetings with a mentor is necessary. Thanks!
Please see the resubmission guide here: https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/Students/bsc/Resubmission%20guide%202017_18.pdf
In your case, you have failed your RR and passed your SLS. Please see page 2 for your submission requirements.
Also, “If you passed your Skills and Learning Statement you do not have to meet your
mentor again.” Please see page 5 of the resubmission guide regarding mentors.OBU has clearly stated that we only need to work on areas that received a FAIL grade.
As such, you can keep the report as it is and only make changes that effect:
1) the showing of IT Skills
– a spreadsheet has to be done. As you are tackling Topic 20, it is understandable that there isn’t a lot of opportunities to use a spreadsheet.
– However, for this topic, you can still use the spreadsheet to show changes in profits, stock price, % of CSR expenditure / Sales etc
– do remember to use excel formulas as you do the spreadsheet. Do not calculate them manually in a calculator and then key it into the spreadsheet.
– creating graphs based on numbers in your spreadsheet also is counted as IT skills.
– finally, if you have to add more numbers/ratios so as to better show your IT skills, you then have to make the corresponding changes/analysis in the RAP as well.2) the showing of Communication skills
– this is simpler. Based on your research findings, you would have had conclusions within your RAP.
– place the conclusions in your RAP, in your presentation as well.We hope this answers your questions!
Your friendly mentors,
Irwin
The Learning Luminarium@learningluminarium said:
@hieund, Trephena is on her break, so we are stepping in to help…3. You should check the report very carefully to ensure that there are no other possible reasons for failure. I know of a student who failed his second submission even though he had earlier corrected his project for the comments given to him in his first mark sheet.
4. In order for ratios to be comparable, the companies should be as close as possible. I would recommend using a milk company.
Thanks @LearningLuminarium for your replies.
3. As I understand that the marker want me to correct the mistake I have made on the first submit, so is it right that I could fail although if I use what I have wrote on the first submission because Turnitin state that copy from another sources?
4. Until now, there is only company I analyse have issues public FS, another companies is not, so the pass rate could be reduced if I only use a food company to benchmark. And dairy industry on my country was combined in food industry so I cannot separate them.
Thank you.
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Hi, first time poster here. I finished my ACCA studies some time ago and thought I would finally attempt the degree programme.
Today I received the news I failed my first attempt and as you can guess disappointed with the news.
The trouble is despite reading the markers comments I am unsure where I went wrong. My mentor is great but has not done anything like this before so we are a little unsure what is being asked.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
DaveHi Dave,
Sorry to hear the bad news. I do hope that your next attempt is successful!
Actually, this extensive thread has a lot of information based on the experiences of others. We would suggest that you look through it, it will be helpful for sure.
If an issue isn’t addressed in this thread, feel free to raise it up, just like how the others did!
We will then do our best to give an answer!
Irwin
The Learning Luminarium3. No, the portions that you leave unchanged, it will not be penalized by OBU. In fact, if the examiner did not criticize them, it means that they generally are fine and can be left as such. Of course, as earlier mentioned, after you made the needed changes based on the examiners comments, you would want to read through the report again and see that it is still consistent in logic. Any big flaws in earlier writings should also be addressed.
4. To use an unlisted firm as a competitor is not encouraged. A milk company will work best as it has the same business model and margins. If one really can’t be found, then a food company (which sells some milk) will have to be a substitute.
Cheers,
Irwin
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Hello, I only got fail on Information Technology(IT).
The comment from marker–“It was a requirement from Period 35 onwards that you must upload the actual spreadsheet file with its original xls format extension. Although you have produced graphs in your work these are not supported by the appropriate Excel file in accordance with the latest Information Pack (to which you are referred). The spreadsheet must demonstrate the use of formulae.”
The comment from moderator–“Moderator agrees with marker comments. You have worked hard and have produced a competent project – well done. A pass cannot, however, be awarded because you have not uploaded a spreadsheet. This is a project requirement. On re-submission you must upload the following files: a spreadsheet, your project, your reference list. You are not required to resubmit your presentation slides or skills and learning statement.”
I am just curious that most part of their comment is talking about submitting of spreadsheet(even moderator said, i have not uploaded a spreadsheet). But the thing is, I submitted a spreadsheet as appendix.
So, here, do you think the reason I failed is because only one sentence which is “The spreadsheet must demonstrate the use of formulae”(which i did not use)……. or do you think there is some problem on administrative procedure in which I might try to appeal, because i submitted spreadsheet.I am just bit confused, because mostly what comments say about is submitting of spreadsheet which i submitted.Thanks!
**In the comment from marker “actual spreadsheet file with its original xls format extension”. what is the meaning of “original xls”??
Hello Irwin
I did not manage to get a pass, I chose topic 6.These are the comments i received from the examiner.1.To do a successful RAP on this topic you need to tie your results more strongly to the theories you have discussed in Part 2.
2.There is some good work in your report. However, there is insufficient application of the models to the questionnaire results. From pages 14-18, there is some interesting material regarding the working conditions, etc of the workers in the company. None of this is referenced to sources. It might be a better idea to combine this material (but referenced to sources) with the results of your questionnaire in some way. It is not necessary to repeat the results of each question, the reader will see the results when looking at your graphs. Please make it clear in the questionnaire and results whether you mean ‘salary’, or ‘salary increments’, which I take to mean ‘pay RISES’, as a motivator. Please consider: do motivational factors change between roles and grades, do motivation factors change by gender? You state, on numbered page 32, “Most employees fall under the category of theory X. They claim that they disliked their job, had no aspirations and the only incentive that was keeping them from going was salaries they were getting.” How do you know this, where is this in your survey? The first two paragraphs of the conclusion are too general, and tend to repeat what has already been said at the beginning of the work. The rest of the conclusion, one paragraph, is too brief, and does not adequately sum up the results of your work.
3.There is no need for an ‘Abstract’ or ‘Literature Review’; these are a waste of word count.
4.There is a lack of referencing, as mentioned in section 3 of the feedback. Information taken from interviews should be referenced as such. A list of questions asked in the interview should be submitted as an appendix. Referencing is an important academic skill. Please apply Harvard referencing to your work – web addresses are not references. You also have a tendency to patch write and paraphrase others. Any direct or near direct quote should be referenced as such. You should avoid writing like this as it is poor academic practice and instead read around a topic and write in your own words.
5. A spreadsheet must be submitted, demonstrating the formulae used.
6.The results of the work should be shown on the slides: please summarize your findings more effectively. The process of completing the report is not required.
Am stuck,i dont know the way forward.
kindly helpHi @00kingduem
If you have not used any formulae in your spreadsheet, that is a reason for failure. That means that you have not shown that you are capable of using the basic functions of a spreadsheet.
You could seek a clarification on why the mark sheet refers to your “lack of a spreadsheet” by emailing them. I don’t think your result would be overturned on appeal due to the reason I have mentioned earlier though. Hope this helps!
Adrian
The Learning LuminariumHi @Hieund
Trephena is on her break, and we are helping her answer as many queries as we can:
1. Yes, the non-financial analysis should generally come first before the financial analysis. That would mean moving SWOT and PESTEL up front before your ratio analysis.
2. There is no need to make any changes to your SLS. Please see 5.b of the infopack.
3. Even though other areas are not explicitly stated, you should look through to see if you can improve. We know of a student who failed his second submission after adjusting his project only for the problems pointed out in his first mark sheet.
4. A close benchmark is usually good practice. The ratios of a milk company would compare best with another company that makes only milk.
5. If you are submitting within 4 periods of your original submission, there is no need to update your financial statements. Please see 5.b of the infopack.
I would consult the infopack and the resubmission information package before working on your project. These are essential readings. Remember to diversify your sources of information – relying largely on the financial statements of the company is a very common reason for failure. For SWOT and PESTLE, showing how the company reacted to the different factors you have identified, and quantifying the impact (wherever possible) would help a lot. For example, if you could show that environmental concerns have led to the company using a larger proportion of renewable energy, which saved them $Xm dollars a year in operating expenses, that would be an attempt for you to link PESTLE with your financial analysis.
All the best!
Hi @sonimaina
1.Use the models discussed in Part 2 to analyse your results in Part 3
2. From the quote given, I can deduce at least two possible problems:
1) Your claims are not backed up by any information collected
2) You failed to analyse sufficiently the problems you have presented. Ask yourself: does this apply to ALL employees? Are there differences in motivation for different groups of employees?3.There is no need for an ‘Abstract’ or ‘Literature Review’; these are a waste of word count. – I think this is fairly self-explanatory.
4. Avoid direct quotations as far as possible. All interviews conducted should be presented in the appendix and cited in your RR as you make reference to them.
5. A spreadsheet must be submitted, demonstrating the formulae used. (to collect your findings. Please read the latest infopack)
6.The results of the work should be shown on the slides: please summarize your findings more effectively. The process of completing the report is not required. (You are only required to present your analysis found in Part 3. Again, please read the infopack. This would have been avoided if you had referred carefully to the latest infopack. Do also read the resubmission guide released by OBU).
I hope this helps!
Adrian
The Learning LuminariumHi all.
My question relates to the resubmission statement…if I pass my RR and failed the SLS am I required to also write the resubmit statement?
Hi mygenoa,
That is a rare situation indeed.
To my understanding, as long as you resubmit, a resub statement is needed. The reason is that for the SLS, the examiner would have given reasons for failure. The statement would explain how you addressed the critical points the examiner raised.
All the best,
Irwin
The Learning LuminariumHi,
Can anyone please assist me on the feedback?’2. Application of Accountancy/Business Models Fail
Very little of your analysis and application is referenced. For the RAP application means
researching how for your company it interacts with its commercial environment and how it
is shaped by its commercial environment using the models that you have chosen. This
research should be evidenced by consistent referencing of the sources that you are using
and you are not doing this.* I do not understand this sentence: “For the RAP application means
researching how for your company it interacts with its commercial environment and how it
is shaped by its commercial environment using the models that you have chosen.” On part B, I though I should only illustrate the business model and accounting technique used for the organization and its limitation. The application of these are written in part C?*3. Evaluation of Information, Analysis And Conclusions Fail
You have not understood what is required for analysis. If we look at an example of what
you say about gross profit “The gross profit margin of IHH from the financial year 2015 to 2017 remained at a steady level of 73% to 74%, implying decent management of IHH towards its cost of sales, despite of the uprising of inflation and high bargaining power of supplier.
Staff cost has been the highest operating cost throughout the financial years. However,
staff cost has remained consistent in par of revenue with the range of 0.385:1 to 0.406:1 in the course of 2015 to 2017 which was not the main cause of significant decrease in net
profit margin in financial year 2016.”
All you are doing here is describing movement in the accounts and using another aspect
of the accounts to explain this movement. Much more is required for the RAP. You should
be exploring the business decisions and strategies of the company and use these to
explain the change in results referencing your findings.*I fully understood this feedback as I read through previous threads.*
4. Presentation of Project Findings Fail
Account extracts are also required for your comparator*I think the account extracts refer to my competitor analysis in part C, which I only included the graphs. I have included account extracts in the financial ratio analysis in part C though*
Overall Technical and Professional Skills Fail
Graduate Skills
6. Information Gathering and Referencing Fail
You have not understood what is required for referencing. Referencing is evidence of the
research that you have done and is a necessary skill that you must demonstrate on a
regular and consistent basis. Although you have done some referencing you are making
too many unreferenced statements , especially in your business analysis, which begs the
question where did you get the information from? You also need more sources to
strengthen your financial analysis*fully understood*
7. Information Technology Fail
You have produced a spreadsheet but you now need to go further and use excel to
calculate the ratios and also produce a formula sheet showing the cells you have used for your calculations*I truly do not understand this, what does it mean to use excel to calculate the ratios? I have calculated the ratio eg “=(‘APPENDIX I – IHH SoPF’!B8/’APPENDIX I – IHH SoPF’!B5)” in the excel on every ratios respectively. What about formula sheet? the formulas are visible in the formula bar when clicked onto. Do I need to create another new sheet, copy paste the entire ratio sheet, and click “show ratio” to show as formula instead of calculated ratio?*
Please help. Thank you
OK I will attempt -my take on Part 2 (what you call B): The environment a company operates in is key to understanding its operations. You should start Part 3 with an application of the models (usually PEST and SWOT ) but as the marker says you must reference your sources (See the Open Tuition Ultimate Guide to Referencing your RAP which is on the homepage opentuition.com/obu to help you). However as you progress to the financial analysis you need to tie some of the results you find with the business environment conditions i.e. the SWOT and PEST factors -these are linkages the marker is looking for.
These linkages can often make a huge difference to the quality of the work. When students come to me for resubmission for Topic 8 the first thing we work on are addressing any issues with the SWOT and PEST and I stress the importance of how management decisions and strategies will have been based on these and how they need to bring this In when looking at performance. For example the marker has informed you that most of your comments described the trend – but they want you to ‘get under’ the figures researching what pressures and decisions lie behind them.
With your IT it does look that although you used formulae to bring in figures from different worksheets the marker was expecting to see some basic numerical formulae e.g. (C21-B21) /B21. I don’t see anything wrong with what you have done and had this been the only thing ‘wrong’ I would have suggested grounds for appeal (it has not been assessed in accordance with the assessment criteria)
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