E-assessments: Top tips for success when taking ICAEW examinations

Exam Surgery
Practice makes perfect Practice makes perfect: the old adage remains true. From revising and practising past exams to the logistics related to exams, preparation is key. 98% of students surveyed about the ICAEWs e-assessments in March 2009 found that the admission email contained all the information that they needed to take part in the exam. But you must make time to read this information in advance if you are to feel prepared and relaxed. ACA student Polina Zopiatis, an auditor at BDO Philippides Ltd in Cyprus, is also a firm believer in a dress rehearsal: Even if this is not your first ACA knowledge module, make sure that you attempt the sample assessment on the ICAEWs exam resources area of the website the day before the exam. Try to time yourself accurately to get a feel of how time-pressured the real exam might be. It will help you familiarise yourself with the actual conditions on the day. Tried and tested When going through his exam revision question banks, ACA student Ricky Thomas of the Corporate Performance team at the Department for Work and Pensions in London, notes that using samples of questions from each chapter worked best for him: I found it more helpful to do five questions from one chapter and review them while they were still fresh in my mind before moving onto a different chapter. Polina agrees: Attempt all of the questions in the question bank. For all questions answered incorrectly in the practice questions make sure you understand how to reach the correct answer. Similar questions do tend to reappear and if you are lucky, you may get something like that in the real exam. Students and examiners also emphasise that it is important to make sure you are confident in performing calculations when
VITAL issue 42 October 2009 www.icaew.com/acastudents

Getting a good nights sleep is essential and will leave you feeling much better on the morning of the exam.

preparing for numerical subjects such as Accounting or Management Information. Similarly, the advice is to make the most of the sample e-assessments, examiners feedback notes and library articles, all of which can be found on the exam resources area of the ACA student website. Watch the clock It is essential to read all questions thoroughly. Examiners have found that students can get confused with questions that require more than one answer. If you dont complete the answers fully, you wont get any credit at all for that question, even if the part answer you gave is correct. Examiners advise students to look carefully at the questions: Read the requirement carefully to see how many answers are needed. Polina adds: The good thing about an e-assessment is that you are given the opportunity to answer almost every single question. Check your timer, if there are only two minutes or less left, go back to your main screen and answer all questions you didnt have a chance to attempt. Other ACA students agree that it is often the basics of time management and question prioritisation that are key. Angela Molloy, consultant at Navigant Consulting reiterates: Read each question carefully and make sure you attempt each one. If you do get stuck on a question, rule out the answers you know are definitely wrong as this will reduce the choice of options. All or nothing It is essential to study all areas of the syllabus. ACA examiners are keen to remind students that all topics, including those that have had limited coverage in the learning materials, may be included. As Ricky justifies, You need to cover all areas but should spend the most time on key topics as smaller areas may only be worth one mark if they come up. Though the examiners agree,

they reinforce that all areas of the syllabus are important and small errors or omissions will impact on final exam marks. Polina recommends that fellow students Study their notes well and ensure that they go through the ICAEW study manual at least once, as more detailed questions may come up in the exam. She continues, Try to avoid skipping sections of the material. It is more important to understand information rather than memorise it. But if you are still having trouble remembering, Chrissie Elliott, ACA student and audit trainee at Grant Thornton, recommends making up a rhyme or a lyric. For example, she says, I kept forgetting not to depreciate land, so I came up with 2-4-6-8, land does not depreciate. Sounds silly, but it sticks. Memory experts around the world agree with Chrissie and say that you can help improve your memory by associating things you need to remember with rhymes, visual images, funny sentences or acronyms. Rest up Finally, never underestimate the power of a good nights sleep! A good work / life balance and an early night before an exam cannot be beaten. As Angela concludes, Remember not to study too much on the night before the exam. Cramming into the early morning is unlikely to be beneficial if you arrive tired and worried for the exam. The advice of getting a good nights sleep is essential and will leave you feeling much better on the morning of the exam. More information Guidance, sample assessments and information are available at www.icaew.com/examresources or you can call the student support team on +44 (0)1908 248 040. You can also discuss and share ideas with other students at the same stage in their studies on the online community visit www.icaew.com/ studentcommunity

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