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Planning time in exam

Forums › ACCA Forums › ACCA SBL Strategic Business Leader Forums › Planning time in exam

  • This topic has 1 reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by Kim Smith.
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  • March 3, 2019 at 3:13 pm #507285
    adutchie
    Member
    • Topics: 1
    • Replies: 2
    • ☆

    Hi,

    I am sitting SBL this Tuesday and have been practices the past and specimen exams. However, I find it very hard to read the requirements, plan my answers and read all the exhibits in just 40-60 minutes.

    Just did the specimen 3 in exactly 4 hours and had only time in the first hour to write role/format etc. down for each requirement and read through the exhibits. I did not manage to start writing point per answer in my plan by this stage, so just had to start doing all of this and write in the last 3 hours. Does anybody else have this problem?

    Specimen 3 had lots of different questions with lots of requirements and it is impossible to have them all in mind whilst reading the exhibits. Just hoping for a few long questions in the actual exam.

    March 3, 2019 at 3:54 pm #507289
    Kim Smith
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 135
    • Replies: 8309
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    I recommend that students spend 35-55 minutes reading and planning for AAA – which is only 3 hours 15 mins – so I think you should expect to spend at least an hour in reading and planning the casestudy for SBL. Consider this also – if an answer can be written for AAA in 2 1/2 hours – an answer for SBL can be written in 2 1/2 hours. The more planning you do – the easier the writing will be and the more naturally the professional skills marks will flow from your answer. Remember that you don’t have to write more to earn the professional skills marks – they will be earned by the quality of your answer – not quantity.
    I suggest you review your answer to Specimen 3 and consider whether anything you wrote was superfluous/a digression/repetition. It may be that you need to be more effective in your writing of the answer – making every point count – and saving time there – rather than stint on the time needed for adequate planning

    You also say “write role/format etc” – surely you don’t mean that you actually wrote these out rather than highlight them (e.g. with a highlighter or colour pen).

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