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Ok for starter my study background. I have never failed any acca exam 4 times. but I keep failing P7. Everytime I work hard and expect good marks in it.
I got 27,44,37 and 43 I just cant even cross 44 marks barrior no matter how hard I study and try. I have almost done every past exam question to date.
I need to know what am I doing wrong? And I am working in Practice here in Ireland since last 5 years so I have to pass P7 (Irish or UK) it is almost 90% – 95% similar to International.
Hi
What a sorry tale of woe! What is your exam success record in the previous exams? You say you have never failed an ACCA exam 4 times – does this mean you have failed others – maybe 3 times?
It sounds to me that your problem is one of exam technique. Have you read the exam technique articles on this site for P7 and for “General”?
Do you identify where the marks are in a question and tailor your answer to target the marks available? Do you answer 100% worth of questions in every exam? Do you highlight important elements in the exam questions? Do you plan an answer BEFORE you start writing out your attempt? Is your hand-writing legible? Have you ever submitted your attempts at mock exams to a senior at work for critical ( honest ) appraisal?
Can I assume that you walked into P7 the first time totally unprepared for the exam? And that your 37% was not thoroughly prepared for?
When you see a 4 mark part question, do you plan 4 ( ideally 5 ) relevant points to be included in your answer?
When you finish the planning exercise for each question, do you then re-read the question requirements to ensure that your planned response will answer the precise question which Lisa has asked? Do you pay GREAT attention to the verb which Lisa uses and avoid the trap of answering what you hoped had been asked rather than the exact question?
Do you write an “email” answer in the form of an email, or a “letter” / “report” answer in the appropriate style?
Do you think “out of the box”? Are you creative / imaginative / realistic?
Are you able to put points across in a clear, unambiguous way?
Do you explain when a question asks you to “Identify and explain ….”?
From today onwards until December exam date – just about 9 weeks – set yourself a target of planning – just planning, not writing in full – 100 marks worth of questions EVERY DAY!. Make a list of points ( one word per point is sufficient ) of those matters which you believe you could relevantly include within an answer. This planning process for 100 marks should take you 50 minutes ( number of marks per question divided by 2 = number of minutes’ planning time )
Then self assess! And pay articular attention to the style and format of the printed solution. Grouping like items together, using headings for sub-divisions, planning to write points in short sharp sentences no more that say 2.5 lines long and planning to leave a line between these points.
Of course, all the above is dependent upon you having the basic knowledge. If you come across something in an exam question which you cannot attempt because you maybe have never heard of the matter, look it up and then test yourself on that matter again next week – see how much you have remembered.
Are you a faithful reader of relevant articles in Student Accountant? Not just the P7 articles but also P1 ( Amanda Williams’ recent article on Internal Auditors ) and two articles from last year by two of the P3 marking team?
Are you already doing all this? If so, I’m sorry to have wasted your time with this response, but I’m also at my own limit as to what other advice I could give you!
Hope this helps
Yes Mike,
Indeed a great help and response from you. I have been doing most of these things that you mentioned above but I think the idea of making points each day and leaning them is brilliant. This is what I was planning to do my self. I have taken study leave from 20th october (just after 18 days) and would work harder.
My Pass history is as follows:
F1-first attempt (studied from platinum tuition provider in Dublin)
F2-first attempt (studied from platinum tuition provider in Dublin)
F3-First attempt (studied from platinum tuition provider in Dublin)
F4-3rd attempt (studied from platinum tuition provider in Dublin but passed 3rd attempt by self study 54marks)
F5-first attempt (studied from platinum tuition provider in Dublin 59marks)
F6-first attempt (studied from platinum tuition provider in Dublin 51marks)
F7-3rd attempt (studied from platinum tuition provider in Dublin but passed 3rd attempt by self study 62marks)
F8-3rd attempt (studied from platinum tuition provider in Dublin but passed 3rd attempt by self study 58marks)
F9-2nd attempt (self study and open tuition notes no video lectures taken 59marks)
P1-first attempt (self study only 55marks)
P2-first attempt (self study only 56 marks)
P3-first attempt ( self study and open tuition notes only no video lectures taken 58marks)
P6-first attempt (studying from platinum tuition provider in Dublin currently)
P7-4th attempt ((studied from two different platinum tuition provider in Dublin) currently self studying)I am stuck with P7 since last 2 years and my qualification is pending. I have gone throw the study text already last month. I will start doing Past Exams by the end of next week because I have to cover P6 first I feel much confident with P6. P6 will be first attempt but again I had same problem with P5 could not get it 4 times and I scored ( 49, 49, 35, 33 i was really annoyed in the last two sittings) . I changed P5 as my employer wanted me to do P6 instead of P5 that is why they agreed to give me 40 days study leave this term as they want me to qualify or im fired. So I took the risk and changed P5 with P6. Hope I will qualify now.
If you have any other suggestions on how to tackle P6 & P7 please give me. i will be more than happy to hear more from you.
Thanks once again!
Hi, I WAS going to post again and float the idea that you might be better changing to P4 or P5 …… but you’ve apparently already been there 🙁
yes. last two years have been real nuisance for me. I have tried self study, different tuition providers, different study techniques etc. nothing is working for me. But one thing changed in last two years which is my job position I became Audit Senior from Audit Junior due to experience and I have got more stress at work too. In the last three sittings I only got 5-8 days of study leave and used to work from mornings 8am to 7pm or even 9pm most of the days and partners expected me to work on saturdays and sundays as well which I did, so I hardly used to get time to study, which could be the reason but 4 attempts is more than serious. I still think I had way better knowledge of auditing than most of my friends who got 50 marks and passed
Then it’s your technique! Work on that and we’ll keep our fingers crossed.
It’s a bit extreme to be faced with losing your job just because you cannot satisfy a marker by getting 50 ticks in an exam. My own Audit Manager when I was a trainee, loads of practical experience, decided he wanted to qualify. Took the last 5 exams in 2.5 days ( as was required back in the “good old days” and passed 4 of them. Failed Auditing!
And in those days, if you failed any one of the 5, you had to retake all 5!
Personally, I disliked him intensely – and the feeling was reciprocated! So, to be honest, I was not too upset to hear that he had failed!
Thanks Mike, I will be in touch with you in next couple of weeks.
And can you please tell me what are the new accounting standards from P2(Int) cause they will be examined in P7 as well. This is another problem that has bothered me a lot and is unfair.
I passed P2 Uk/Irl(2yrs ago) and scored well in first attempt but soon in the next sitting when I was giving P7 it had changed to International Financial Reporting Standards, which technically meant that what every I did in P2 Uk/Irl variant was waste of time, money and future head aches, cause I had to learn new techniques, accounting term and names..Jeez I am so annoyed.
IFRS numbers are up to 13. The UK / Irish Standards cannot be so radically different from the IFRS and the markers will be familiar with both IFRS AND UK / Irish Standards.
That in itself is not going to make or break you
Hi Mike, Thanks for all the good work. Please are you saying IAS will not be relevant for the P7 exams? I am familiar with few IFRS i.e. 2, 3, 5, 10, 11, 12
I have done my P2 about 2yrs ago and this will be my 3rd time writing P7. Do you think going for revision class on IFRS will be okay considering I still have about 7 weeks to the exams.?“are you saying IAS will not be relevant for the P7”? No, I’m not saying that at all. IAS and IFRS will likely feature quite heavily in any P7 exam. The examiner has a favourite question “Comment on the matters you should consider and explain the evidence you should expect to find on the audit file” is begging for demonstration of knowledge of accounting standards and treatment
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