4 Weeks Till Exam Week

Lets Prepare To Pass!

Paul Kirkwood
Head of Learning (ACCA)

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Agenda

Welcome & The challenge Lets Prepare Top exam guidance

introduction ahead to pass!

4 weeks to go
Where are you now?

3 weeks to go
Bridging your learning gaps

2 weeks to go
Improving your core skills

1 week to go
Prepare to pass!

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Welcome & Introduction

Paul Kirkwood

At the start of his accounting career, Paul spent four years as an auditor
before moving in accountancy tuition.

With over fifteen years teaching experience, Paul’s passion is to help all
students reach their goals.

Paul is currently ‘Head of Learning – ACCA’ at AVADO.

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The Challenge Ahead

What ACCA exam(s) are you

planning to take in the
June sitting?

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The Challenge Ahead

The ACCA exams are not easy

Passing each exam is a fantastic achievement

“
Success is no accident. It is
hard work, perseverance,
learning, studying, sacrifice
“ Success is the sum of small
efforts – repeated day in and
day out
“
Your positive action
combined with positive
thinking results in success
and most of all, love of what
you are doing or learning to
do

“
Some people dream of
success, while other people
get up in the morning and
“ There are no secrets to
success. It is the result of
preparation, hard work and
make it happen learning from failure

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The Challenge Ahead

Theme for today

Keep it simple

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 The Challenge Ahead

Accept the challenge

PERFORMANCE

STRESS LEVEL
Too little stress Optimum Too much Burn-out
(underload) stress stress
(overload)

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Lets Prepare to Pass

4 weeks to go
Where are you now?

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4 Weeks to go – Where are you now?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

What are my strengths and weaknesses?

What are the key examinable areas?

What resources are available to help me?

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4 weeks to go – Where are you now?

Do you know your strengths

& weaknesses for your
next exam(s)?

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4 Weeks to go – Where are you now?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

What are my strengths and weaknesses?

Marked practice questions?

•  Past exam papers
•  Specimen papers
•  Approved publisher exam kits

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4 Weeks to go – Where are you now?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

What are my the key examinable areas?

•  Ask…
•  Past papers
•  ACCA examining team guidance
o  Examiner’s approach article
o  Examiner’s report

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4 Weeks to go – Where are you now?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

What resources are available to me?

•  Hunt them down – start with ACCA website
o  Specimen exam
o  Technical articles
o  Past papers (paper & CBE)

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3 weeks to go – Bridging your learning gaps

Do you plan to attend a

structured revision course?

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3 Weeks to go – Bridging your learning gaps?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

Build knowledge and embed through

question practice

Should I go back to my learning materials?

Use the resources available to you

•  Study support videos
•  Technical articles

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2 Weeks to go – Improving your core skills?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

The value of doing question practice to time

Focus on weaker areas – don’t ignore your strengths

Missing link 1
I don’t know where to start when I see a question

Missing link 2
I do practice questions but don’t seem to be getting better

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2 Weeks to go – Improving your core skills?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

Missing link 1
I don’t know where to start when I see a question
•  Have (quick peak) at the answer
•  Ask…

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2 Weeks to go – Improving your core skills?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

Missing link 2
I do practice questions but don’t seem to be getting better
•  The power of proper debriefing

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1 week to go – Prepare to Pass

Are you planning on

attempting a full timed
mock exam?

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1 Weeks to go – Prepare to Pass?

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

Bringing it all together

•  At least one full timed mock exam
o  Marked and thoroughly debriefed
o  Using same exam environment – CBE or paper

Maximum question practice

•  Write / plan
•  Go back to learning material if absolutely necessary

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Exam week

4 weeks to go 3 weeks to go 2 weeks to go 1 week to go Exam week Exam success

7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May 4th June 16th July

Don’t expect too much of yourself in the day(s) before

Look after yourself – eat well, sleep well

Everyone feels the pressure!

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Top Exam Guidance

Exam day!

Don’t be afraid to take a Know your route to the exam Make sure you know your
break. If you are feeling hall – I used to do a dry run timings and keep to your
stressed, stop. Close your in the week before if it was a timings (as much as
eyes and breathe. Those few new venue. possible).
seconds to compose yourself
are better than trying to
plough on through.

Read the questions slowly Do it your way! Do the Answer everything, even if
and carefully – misreading questions in the order you you think you are wrong.
questions is a key cause of want to, not the order they
low scores. are given.

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Thank you

Any questions?

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