Reading Time

mazzy

Hi

I'm new to AAT and about to sit ECR & FRA in december - having not done an exam for years - are you allowed to write anything on the question paper during reading time? and you allowed to start answering before the reading time is up?
Thank you!

A-Vic

Welcome and yes you have 15 mins reading time included :thumbup1:

mazzy

Thanks but can i write during this time?:001_smile:

blobbyh

Yes, you can start writing as soon as you're allowed to open the paper but reading time is always recommended for you to flick through the entire paper and briefly scan each question. Doing so will allow you to see which questions you might find tougher than others and mentally apportion extra time to those than on others you'll feel more confident on. Having said that, one of the first things I did when I sat ECR was to write down my formulae before I forgot them!

Not flicking through the paper first can also lead to dangerous surprises. I think it was the FRA paper of June 2006 where a blank page (or maybe two) was inserted before the final questions. Many missed this out and didn't go on to answer the last partnership account questions assuming they'd finished early and 'got off light'. While there was a great deal of fuss at the time (and I believe it was mentioned in the Chief Assessor's Report), the people who did this only had themselves to blame and allowing concessions for them would have unfairly penalised those that did answer them.

So yes you can write before the fifteen minutes is up but I'd suggest only after you've briefly scanned the whole paper front to back.

Good luck for your exams!

mazzy

Oh thanks Robert, Mostly I like to circle key information in the questions as i read through them and underline the requirements - so that when i get round to answering the question i have a little reminder of something that i would perhaps overlook later. I f that makes sense

Hope Mr Marker doesn't mind pencil marks on the questions!

blobbyh

Yes that makes sense. I used to do the same but with different coloured highlighters for dates, names, special values, anything which would help me when I got round to answering the question later.

... and I always used to say this but GET A DECENTLY LAID OUT CALCULATOR WITH BIG BUTTONS!!! You'd be surprised how many people go in with small calculators with tiny buttons. Hit a wrong one and at best, you have to start the calculation again, at worst you may end up writing down a wrong answer.

Oh, and spare pens too. In a mock, my favourite gel pen ran out right at the beginning and I had to switch to a ballpoint which meant I wrote slower than normal. Such things, no matter how small, can disconcert you at the time you need it least.

A-Vic

blobbyh wrote: »

Yes, you can start writing as soon as you're allowed to open the paper but reading time is always recommended for you to flick through the entire paper and briefly scan each question. Doing so will allow you to see which questions you might find tougher than others and mentally apportion extra time to those than on others you'll feel more confident on. Having said that, one of the first things I did when I sat ECR was to write down my formulae before I forgot them!

Not flicking through the paper first can also lead to dangerous surprises. I think it was the FRA paper of June 2006 where a blank page (or maybe two) was inserted before the final questions. Many missed this out and didn't go on to answer the last partnership account questions assuming they'd finished early and 'got off light'. While there was a great deal of fuss at the time (and I believe it was mentioned in the Chief Assessor's Report), the people who did this only had themselves to blame and allowing concessions for them would have unfairly penalised those that did answer them.

So yes you can write before the fifteen minutes is up but I'd suggest only after you've briefly scanned the whole paper front to back.

Good luck for your exams!

totally agree