T4B 'revision'

CAUTION - THIS POST RELATES TO THE CIMA 2010 SYLLABUS, SO IS NO LONGER VALID


Thanks to Kugesh for his comment on the 'last minute revision' post, regarding preparation for the T4B Case Study.

By far the best preparation for the Case Study is to practise lots of mock exams. The problem is, you really need feedback in order to improve. It's very difficult to see how to improve your answers if all you can do is compare your answer to a suggested answer. This is just one of those exams where you need help from a (good) tutor.

I know that many of you don't have access to a college, but there are several websites where you can get feedback on your mock exams. I know they charge you, but getting feedback is much more effective than just ploughing on doing your own thing (and, maybe, not really improving).

Kugesh asked for advice on some specific aspects of Case Study:

Answer planning: Having a good plan is the key to producing a good report. Your planning (including doing your calculations, as you need them in order to complete your planning process) should take you about an hour in total. This is the stage at which you decide the issues to deal with, prioritise, identify options to resolve each issue, evaluate the options, and decide on your recommendations. All this should be done in note form, of course, so you don't spend too long on the planning.

Discussion: You shouldn't spend too long discussing the issues - the emphasis of your report should be on the recommendations (and justifying them), as this gets 40% of the marks.

Prioritisation: Look at the urgency of resolving each issue. In the unseen material it often says when a decision needs to be made. Use this as the basis for your prioritisation.

Recommendation: This is key, as it gets so many marks. Say, very clearly, WHAT you think they should do. Your justification should also be good, so explain (in detail) WHY you think they should do this. Then clarify WHO should do exactly what, and BY WHEN. The recommendations section should be at least 1/3 of your report.

I hope this helps, Kugesh (and the rest of you).

Last minute revision

Anonymous wrote:

Only 2 weeks to the exam, running out of time, doing 4 subjects, what is your advice?

Well, at this late stage all you can really do is concentrate on the exams themselves - lots of question practice and review. Even if you think you have gaps in your knowledge, you shouldn't be spending hours reading the textbooks. Use question practice as a way to identify those gaps, then just use the textbook as a 'reference book', to find out what you need to know for that question.

Good luck!

Back in Africa

This week the Guru is in Johannesburg. Next week, Harare and Lusaka. Contact your local CIMA office for details.

CIMAStudy.com questions

Stephen asked:

I'm using the online CIMAStudy. Is CIMAStudy and past exam papers sufficient material to enable me pass the exam in November 2011? Do I need the revision kit for F2 and E2?

By the way I got the Pass First Time book from Amazon, very helpful, thank you very much. But it contains no subject on CIMAStudy.com
 
Well, Stephen, I try not to make comments on specific learning products. I can, however, talk about online learning products in general terms.
 
Some online learning systems (such as CIMAStudy.com) are designed to be 'stand-alone' products. That means that they should give you all that you need. Others suggest supplementing the use of the online package with other learning materials, or are designed as a supplement (or 'add-on') to other study methods, such as distance learning or classroom courses. Whether this is true, however, very much depends on the learning style of the user. Some students simply can't function without a 'hard copy' textbook in front of them. Others find that they need to practise more questions than are covered by the online package they are using. It's really a personal matter, so only you can judge. My Learning Burst on studying online may help you to decide whether this method is for you.
 
A 'revision kit' is simply lots of questions, so you can practise answering them in the later stages of your studies (the 'revision' period). You can actually build your own revision kit, using the past exam questions (and answers) available on the CIMA website. The added value in a typical revision kit is that the questions are sequenced in line with the syllabus, so the kit gives guidance on which questions cover which Learning Outcomes. Some kits also have a 'commentary' about each question (and/or answer), giving you clues and pointers. Again, it very much depends how much time and effort you can put in - do you want someone (the publisher) to do some of the work for you, or do you have the time to sort through the questions yourself? I have a couple of learning bursts about choosing and using past exam questions which you may find useful.
 
Why was CIMAStudy.com not mentioned in Pass First Time? Because it's a specific example of an online learning system. It's not appropriate for me to comment, as I said, on individual products. In general terms, online learning systems work well for some students, and not so well for others. Online learning systems are slightly better than old-fashioned home study or distance learning, but not as good as having a lecturer in front of you to explain and teach.
 
I hope that helps. If you have more questions, please post a comment.

How many papers...

CAUTION - THIS POST RELATES TO THE CIMA 2010 SYLLABUS, SO IS NO LONGER VALID


Taim wrote:

How many papers are there in CIMA? I'm a school leaving student and want to join CIMA, can you please tell me how many papers are there for me?

Well, that's a very BIG question, Taim. As a school leaver, I assume you will need to start with the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting, then move on to the Professional Qualification. CIMA has lots of information on its website, but the simple answer is fifteen.