SBL*** P3 December 2013 Exam was.. Post your comments ***

Don't know what I did :( Didn't get to use any models learnt so much.

P3 was a very General Paper, except for the most unpredictable Question no 2, which was based on Linear Regression i guess. never bothered to even look at it Overall the paper was good, but TIME was a major issue, took 2 hours only to get Question 1 right Attempted almost 95% Hoping to Pass

Q2 was so really surprising..but Q1 3 4 were manageable. Hoping to pass!!

I took one glance at q2 and moved swiftly on! Looked horrific and nothing like anything that has come up before or that we spent any sort of time on at college. Q1 was ok apart from I forgot one part of porters diamond....q4 was prob my strongest. Good luck to all! Gonna try and forget about them til results got a baby on the way more important!!

Not understand q 3 and q 4 fully and also forget some issues in q1 , but attempt 100%, 50/50 chances....

Q1 unsure of part a) guessing I should have used PESTEL perhaps but applied this to suitability in part b? Time pressured overall but could have been worse.

Didn't manage my time well, as a result i was struggling to catch up the whole time. Praying for a miracle.

I had attempted the pilot paper so got the Q2 right but then could not link the budgeting part to the scenerio Q1 was easy and Q 4 was also easy but less points for the 4I's were there but more on part b for me

Can anyone remember part a's requirement? Could a SWOT analysis have been used?

Which model did you use in Q3, I was not able to identify any appropriate and just made best logic comments.

I was struggling in general with this paper I just can't seem to relate to it. I thought it was a very demanding paper, very time pressuring and I get the general idea everyone everyone leaving my hall felt the same. I couldn't seem to relate any business models to the questions, it felt to me like a complete "mish mash" of all different areas rolled and compressed into the questions. As a member mentioned above, I couldn't remember all of the elements of porters diamond, and I could not believe question 2 - I never even bothered to read it!! Maybe I just hate this subject, but I thought it was a very strangely unfair exam. I did as much study, prep and revision as I possibly could so nothing more i can do. Hopefully I will have scraped a pass, but I am fully expecting to resit in June. Very best of luck to all of us and enjoy the Christmas break.

I didn't use a model in q3 I used some elements of 7ps to give me some ideas but didn't specifically say I was using a model, eg promotion - change the website / make it more visible / improve the brochures etc

Just a quick mention to @sazmaz1 above - congratulations on the baby - I had a baby on the way in the June sessions and now we have a beautiful girl - it all adds pressure to the studying but I wouldn't change things for the world!

to: brian8820 Q1 a) Internal Growth; Acqusuition and Strategic alliance approach for the Company in question.

to: brian8820 Q1 a was purely portfolio management, SWOT could probably work, because all the three methods had stenths and weaknesses

To marky123 - thanks so much! I'm due in June so definitely won't be doing any exams in that session (resits or otherwise!), will have to see how I go as to when I do the next lot!

Time management may have cost me here I think. Started off on Q4 and tried to get 3 points for each of the I's, took me far too long! Did Q3 mentioned coupled of price changes, promotions relocating the shop. Had only 3 points for long term as I struggled for time. Q1 was a nice question, part b was tough, taught 5 forces but couldnt see enough to back it up so just made a few points, Feasibility used financial information while acceptability focused on shareholders view. Porters diamond was nice, although answer as limited due to time. Expecting the worse!

Time pressured paper. Question 2 looked more difficult at a glance. The time scale was the issue hear. Not a lot of time to think. Hopefully enough common sense marks.

Thank you Nevyana, which model(s) do you think are applicable in this part?

Definitely agree. Very time pressured and didn't manage to use models. Have mentioned push and pull with the website and advertising, but nothing in great details. Ignored Q2. Think Q1 was reasonable, but time pressure was too much.. Also I have straggled to have a logical approach...Although lots of logical points in the scenarios, when try to explain them all lead to same result. I was all over the place..... I hope I have done enough Did anybody discuss the two subs(the logistic and the other) as part of the internal development and calculated some ratios as GP margins etc?

@Brian, no models. You needed to apply the factors of each type of growth to the case study, e.g Internal growth is small growth and risk adverse while acquisition is the opposite but has high expenditure etc

No be small thing oooo!

Thanks Pendlebury, Applied this acceptability in part b and risk, all over the place oh well!

The only models that were applicable in this exam were 1-SAF 2- Porters diamond 3- 4 of the 6 I's any other relevant model could had been applied, but it was not really necessary. Good Logical answers and hopefully you will pass

This was an extremely time pressured exam ! The option questions were not nice at all especially compared to June 2013 ! Fingers crossed for all ! Completely skipped Q2 as it looked awful so had no choice ! Did Q3 then 4 but run out of time on Q4 ! I hope P1 is better than todays !

I guess PEST could be used as well as there were a few political aspects with government influences and technological implications (internet) and economically there was more disposal income.

Very time pressured. Completely messed up my time keeping and only got around to attempting 75% of paper. Thought Q1 was very fair. A = brief description, advantages & disadvantages of the three approaches plus some suggestions for future growth in home market and abroad. Suggested franchising under strategic alliances as it is arguably a form! B. = Nice SFA analysis with plenty of points about cost control (GP/NP %), profitability of acq target (Reserves = Profits for year... Loss making in recent times?), competence of org to manage acq and change (revenue increasing in acqs but costs increasing more and initial difficulties in both), changes to processes/systems needed (org specialised in small electrical goods acq target = large goods) and acceptable to trade union shareholder C. = Lovely little question on Porters diamond. Two points to each heading Q4 was a lovely question as well. Plenty to discuss in A under the 6 I areas and B was pretty common sense. Very easy to relate the q to Acca's own student ezine. Looked at Q2 which looked extremely nasty so just skipped. Q3 looked do-able but just hadn't the time. Hoping I have enough done in the two qs for 50.

I only managed to do Q1 and Q4, as I spent a bit too much time on Q1, I think Q1 was a lucky break for me, I am hoping to score at least 45 points on it. Q4 was also relatively easy and pretty much common sense. I am 99% certain I have passed. Thank you very much, OpenTuition, I have only used your resources for study (I read two chapters in the Kaplan study text, but they were so boring, and never even opened the exam kit :) But then again, I got lucky with the questions :).

Re: Q2 there was little calculation in June suppose they have rectified that now but 25 marks obscure.

I thought this was a very fair paper: Q1 a) Internal Growth, Acquisition, Strategic Alliance - i wrote a bit about each one and the advantages and disadvantages linked back to the scenario b) SFA Test - did in report format. Intro, S,F,A Conclusion c) Porter's Diamond - wrote about the model and tried to link it back to the scenario Q2 a)Explain the Regression and Time Series Analysis, and evaluate - I had seen this in a past paper. Didn't know much on regression so wrote the basics, what it was, and the advantages and disadvantages. Time series, I pretty much copied the answer work for word for the past paper about how they did the process, and advantages and disadvantages b)How a formal budget process would help - blagged this, think i made 4-5 points on why it would be a good idea! Q3 (was running out of time when i got to this) a)Explain why they are losing money and what immediate - ST changes could be made - for some reason i started doing porters 5 forces, then just when through the problems in the scenario and made a few ST suggestions b)Suggest long term marketing strategies -10 mins to go just bullet pointed this Really not sure how well I've done but happy i could answer all the questions! Just worried about my handwriting!!!