Tips to help you pass the ACCA exams

Are you studying to remember the material, or are you simply studying to pass the time? Of course, you want to place the concepts when it comes time to use them. Most candidates don’t know how to learn. As a college/CA student, you might have studied for the moment. The person who studied for a day or all night and then dumped the material out on the exam the next day has far less retention than the person who learned the material over time and then reviewed it the day before the exam.

Here are some proven study strategies that not only help you assimilate the material but also help improve your long-term memory. Not all study techniques work for everyone. Review the suggested methods and select the study strategies that will help you.
 

1. Break the topics into modules – read our blog for the detailed explanation
2. STUDY OVER SHORT TIME INTERVALS – read our blog on how to plan the weekly time plan
3. WRITE IT DOWN : The age-old image of schoolchildren writing each spelling word ten times is an excellent model to follow when you are struggling to absorb and remember a problematic technical concept. Have trouble grasping a topic? Draw two columns. In one column, write down what you know. In the other, write down the question areas—in other words, what you don’t know. Ask your review instructor, a friend, or accounting professor for tips on the question areas, but be sure the person you ask is technically competent and up-to-date on the topic.
4. LINK THE CONCEPTS TO REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS:  Build on what you know. Link what you are learning to your real-life experiences. Once a year, you file your tax return. Look at the tax form when you study the tax area. Think about the schedules you prepare for the external auditors. These schedules are what the auditors audit and include in their documentation as audit evidence. You are a professional, so think professionally. Some candidates tend to regress to the old college model where they study massive amounts of information over a short period, using only the information from class notes and textbooks. Now you are a professional. The DIPIFR exam is a professional exam. Use what you have learned from real-world experience to help you visualize and recall information. The linkage allows you to digest the information in bite-size chunks. Build examples using your real-life experience.
5. BOND WITH A STUDY BUDDY : Try studying with a coworker, college friend, or coaching course acquaintance. A study buddy can help you stick to your study plan. A study buddy works, however, only if you study. When you meet your buddy at the library only to spend the evening gabbing about the latest office gossip, the strategy is not working for you. Study partners help to keep you on schedule, motivated, and encouraged. Two heads can solve a problem quicker than one. Dump your study buddy if he or she doesn’t keep the schedule, isn’t supportive, isn’t serious, or won’t share information that helps you. Don’t continue a relationship with a lazy person. The exchange of information should be rich and equal. Limit the number of people in your study group to three.
6. TAKE THE TIME TO SLEEP : You can’t study, read, write, or retain information when tired. Sleep is essential throughout the study and exam process. If you wake up in the middle of the night with exam anxiety, simply switch on your nightlight, grab the study sheets that are conveniently sitting on your nightstand, and study yourself to sleep. The best cure for insomnia is reading GROUP CONSOLIDATION OR FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT materials. They will put you to sleep more quickly than anything sold on the market today.
7. TRY KEEPING IT QUIET: You like noise. You study in the middle of the family room while the television blares, your teenagers or roommates talk on the phone, and the dog barks. Try studying in a quiet place. Studies show you will learn the information more quickly and retain it longer. There won’t be much background noise at the test centre. It’s a good idea to get used to a similar environment now. Try to simulate the actual test atmosphere.
8. JUST KEEP GOING Don’t give up. Expect ups and downs in the study process. You may think the road to the exam is linear. In actuality, it is full of bumps, hurdles, and ups and downs. The quickest method to dig out of a rut is to sit down and study. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Don’t tackle the difficult areas if you are down. Recognize that after every downturn there also can be an upswing.

To summarize

Our biggest challenge is to motivate our DIPIFR candidates to never give up. Accountants are a unique group of people. We are dynamic, fun-loving, and highly detailed. We can absorb significant amounts of technical information, and numbers have never bothered us. We are anything but bean counters. We are often overly critical of ourselves. It’s time to give ourselves a break. Understand the problems you might encounter. Accept the ups and downs.