PEV Chief Assessor Report

Poppy

Having read the Chief Assessors report has anyone else noticed that he observed that on question 2.2a and b that weaker candidates weren't able to answer it but managed to answer 2.2c. 2.2a and 2.2b relied on you being able to understand the question where as 2.2c was a judgment call, does this not back up our point that we weren't able to show our competence because the question was so poorly wriiten that none of us were able to understand it. Having not been able to work out the figures I assumed that it was logical that if you produced 14,000 the cost would be less as there was more units to spread the cost over.

What does every one else think?

:thumbup:

James

I agree, have you started to reivse for PEV yet?

Poppy

I have decided to wait till October to prepare as I will have the results from my appeal which should give me an idea where I went wrong and if I start too soon it's going to drag on for three plus months. I will make a schedule soon of what I will cover and look out all the papers I'd printed off last time.

:001_smile:

James

What do you think will happen with the appeal, I think ill miss my chance to do ACCA now, so ill have to interview for it all over again, im really disspointed

Lizy

PEV Answers 2.2a

The question is not as straight forward as the answer aat provided 2.2a. The question we were given says use your answer provided in 2.1a, here we go aat answers has no figure from 2.1a. So why are we asked to use figure that has no relevant to 2.2a This is what throws me of. That was how confused June 2008 exam was. I do hope December exam would be free from ambiguities.

SandyHood

Interpretation

Poppy
Thank you for inviting responses.
I have also gone through the Chief Assessor's report for PEV and have annotated my answer to take account of what has said, both in relation to the June 08 paper and to future exams.

In my opinion the examiner's answer is poor. (He know's how to contact me and I would welcome it if he did.)
I think the question is valid and is sufficiently clear. See below:

PEV section 2 q 2.2

Task 2.2
(a) Calculate the following information for the demand level of 10,000 turbines per annum:
(i) full production cost per turbine manufactured by Voltair, using your relevant answers from task 2.1 (a)
(ii) Voltair’s unavoidable fixed production cost per turbine if contracted out
(iii) Voltair’s avoidable production cost per turbine if contracted out

(b) Calculate the following information for the demand level of 14,000 turbines per annum:
(i) full production cost per turbine manufactured by Voltair, using your relevant answers from task 2.1 (a)
(ii) Voltair’s unavoidable fixed production cost per turbine if contracted out
(iii) Voltair’s avoidable production cost per turbine if contracted out

(c) Using your calculations in 2.2 (a) and (b) above, draft a report for the Managing Director covering the following:
(i) a recommendation on whether or not to contract out, based upon demand of 10,000 turbines
(ii) a recommendation on whether or not to contract out, based upon demand of 14,000 turbines
(iii) THREE other considerations which need to be taken into account

This topic was tested for the first time by the current examiner but if you look at the unit standards
Knowledge and Understanding
Accounting techniques 6
http://www.aat.org.uk/servlet/file/Technician_Student_Record.pdf?ITEM_ENT_ID=69684&COLLSPEC_ENT_ID=34
page 24
You will find that scenario planning is most definitely a topic that the exam can address.

SandyHood

I will try to help with the interpretation, so that the question can be understood clearly.
The current examiner had not previously put this sort of question into the paper, but time and again the feedback warns against assuming that future exams will be the same as those in the past.

Task 2.2
(a) Calculate the following information for the demand level of 10,000 turbines per annum:
(i) full production cost per turbine manufactured by Voltair, using your relevant answers from task 2.1 (a)
(ii) Voltair’s unavoidable fixed production cost per turbine if contracted out
(iii) Voltair’s avoidable production cost per turbine if contracted out

(b) Calculate the following information for the demand level of 14,000 turbines per annum:
(i) full production cost per turbine manufactured by Voltair, using your relevant answers from task 2.1 (a)
(ii) Voltair’s unavoidable fixed production cost per turbine if contracted out
(iii) Voltair’s avoidable production cost per turbine if contracted out

I recommend using a tabular layout - produce a column for the cost of 10,000 turbines and another for the cost of 14,000.
If you email me with the subject line as
Sandy's Answer PEV June 2008
you will see this on an excel spreadsheet A164 to I180

I will try to replicate it here

SandyHood

based on turbines produced ................................................. 10,000........................... 14,000
Full production cost per turbine manufactured by Voltair ............. £.................................. £
Direct (raw) materials....................................................... 300.00 ........................... 300.00
Direct labour cost ........................................................... 200.00 ............................ 200.00
Fixed production ohds....................................................... 300.00 ........................... 214.29
....................................................................(a) (i)........ 800.00 .......... (b) (i) ....... 714.29
....................................................................... Total............... per unit............ Total........... per unit
..........................................................................£..................... £................. £..................... £
Total fixed production overhead........................ 3,000,000 .............. 300 ........... 3,000,000 ........... 214.29
Specific (avoidable fixed production cost)........... 1,950,000 .............. 195 ........... 1,950,000 ........... 139.29
Unavoidable cost per turbine ........................... 1,050,000 .............. 105 ........... 1,050,000 ............. 75.00
.............................................................................................. (a)(ii)...................................... (b) (ii)
Avoidable production cost per turbine ............................... .............. £............................................. £
Direct (raw) materials................................................................ 300.00 ................................... 300.00
Direct labour cost .................................................................... 200.00 ................................... 200.00
Specific (avoidable fixed production cost)...................................... 195.00 ................................... 139.29
.................................................................................. (a) (iii) 695.00 ......................... (b) (iii) 639.29

welshwizard

It looks so simple when Sandy does it...... :001_unsure:

Poppy

It does look easy when Sandy does it but I imagine Sandy is a tutor I'd guess and has many years experience. I had my letter yesterday to say the Chief Assessor will be reviewing my paper so I'm looking forward to his comments on my paper and in particular 2.2a and 2.2b.

James

Did they say when they will provide your feedback?

Poppy

The letter says that they acknowledged receipt of my forms on the 21st of August and the outcome should be available four weeks from the date of receipt of your form so I'm hoping for a response by the 18th of September. Will let you all know on the response, a friend informed me she's heard the percentage of appeals that overturn a failure is as little as 3% so I'm under no illusions that they will change me to successful but I want the feedback and I want them to appreciate there was a person involved.
:001_unsure:

SandyHood

Poppy
Best wishes for your exam paper review.
You are quite right, I have been a tutor on this exam paper and the preceding papers so have had a lot of experience.

I said I didn't like the examiner's model answer, but I also said I felt the question was fair.
There are still students who rely on examiner answers to learn the key aspects of PEV, but I often worry about this approach.
Just as in this case, I would hope that students who have been in my class might attempt the question and then compare the finished figure with his.

The process of getting to the answer needs to be clear and to flow logically, and surprisingly this is more important in an exam than getting the same answer as the examiner. There are a lot of marks for workings even when you get the answer wrong.

In any exam there are

1. the very good candidates who correctly answer the questions and pass
2. the very weak candidates who just don't know enough and fail
3. and a large number who could pass but need to have clear workings to show what they did and this will justify them passing
4. there are others who could have passed, but a poor layout to their answer denies them the chance of showing they know how to approach a question, even if the answer is wrong

Anyone reading this posting who is starting on PEV preparation now for the Dec 08 exams. I advise you to

1. keep a copy of the unit standards in your file
2. understand these standards and practice questions that give you the chance of showing you understand them
3. use you textbooks as a guide to the techniques you need to apply when answering questions
4. practice on past exam questions (without looking at model answers first)
5. compare your finished answer with the model answer and if there are differences look and see why (I have some differences between my answers to the MAC Jun 08 paper and the examiner's but I am pretty confident that my answers are just as correct - I took the paper relying only on the written task requirements. He knew what he wanted candidates to read into what he wrote).
6. go back to the standards and tick them off as you would a shopping list, there are aspects of the standards that have not appeared in recent exams but could appear in future exams

jorja1986

I think you nailed why I keep failing on my exams.

I cant show that I understand the question. I just essentially give the answer without going through the correct process so I will be losing alot of marks I imagine?

As suggested I have got 3 files and printed out standards for each of the units I will be re-sitting! I have my "shopping list" to check against as I know the theory but that doesn't mean much if you don't SHOW understanding with workings.

I will keep practising and showing all workings, that is the only thing I consistantly miss in the exams, i only show brief workings rather than a more suitable textbook working.

:thumbup1: Thank You Sandy!

Dianne

jorja1986 wrote: »

I think you nailed why I keep failing on my exams.

I cant show that I understand the question. I just essentially give the answer without going through the correct process so I will be losing alot of marks I imagine?

As suggested I have got 3 files and printed out standards for each of the units I will be re-sitting! I have my "shopping list" to check against as I know the theory but that doesn't mean much if you don't SHOW understanding with workings.

I will keep practising and showing all workings, that is the only thing I consistantly miss in the exams, i only show brief workings rather than a more suitable textbook working.

:thumbup1: Thank You Sandy!

Hi

Could someone please let me know where you get the Unit standards for PEV.

Thank you

Dianne

Lizy

Pev 2.2a

Sandy, thanks for your answer. What happened to the cost of transportation?
as this could be included in productions cost.

As a student we are writing exam under time constraint. After the exam I had a good thought of the paper and come up with similar answer as yours. Unfortunately it does'nt help me.

Dianne

Dianne wrote: »

Hi

Could someone please let me know where you get the Unit standards for PEV.

Thank you

Dianne

Please ignor my last request for standards, I know realise how stupid this request was. I am fully aware of the standards for PEV.

Regards.

Very tired and sad PEV setion 2 failed student, now studying to re sit in December.