Why on earth are we doing this?!!?!?

Liliana

Really?! Can anyone answer me this question?
It seems that we are back to school where subjects had to be learnt because we had to learn them, not because they were actually useful for someone to do when they got a job!!!
I completely HATE Costing!!! Not sure if anyone feels the same way, but Costing is one of the subjects that if people want to learn them they should pursuit CIMA!!!
I don’t even deal with costing at work!!!! I think the problem lies here, I don’t use it in my everyday tasks, so I don’t understand it, but I have to pass it!!! Why do we have to learn this subject in such depth?? Why can’t we choose the subjects that we want to do in order for us to get a job on what we studied!!!!
I feel so angry that I might faill to finish AAT this year just because of one unit that I completely hate!!! How sad is that?!?!?!? I just want to give up the all thing!!!!!:cursing::sad::scared::thumbdown:

Nicolaw1702

which exam are you talking about ? :ohmy:

Liliana

Pev

Bookworm55

Please don't give up. It would be a shame to waste what you've accomplished so far. At some point, you must have decided that pursuing the AAT was a Good Idea. Think back to why it was.

It seems that we are back to school where subjects had to be learnt because we had to learn them, not because they were actually useful for someone to do when they got a job!!!

Tsk. There is no such thing as useless knowledge. Everything you learn changes you slightly, usually for the better, even if you cannot see it easily. Yes, I honestly believe that; even things about ox-bow lakes and photosynthesis.

I completely HATE Costing!!! Not sure if anyone feels the same way, but Costing is one of the subjects that if people want to learn them they should pursuit CIMA!!!

No, I do not hate costing. Nor do I feel it is inappropriate to the AAT syllabus. What is it that you don't like about it? Do you feel it isn't "real" accounting, perhaps?

CIMA is one of the AAT's sponsors. I suspect many people doing the AAT will go on to do CIMA, particularly those that liked the 'management accounting' topics of the course.

I don’t even deal with costing at work!!!! I think the problem lies here, I don’t use it in my everyday tasks, so I don’t understand it, but I have to pass it!!!

A former colleague of mine used to talk in similar terms. He couldn't see the value of studying something in a professional course that he didn't use in his current role. Unless you intend to spend the remainder of your working life in exactly the same position, I can't really see what he was getting at. You have to take a wider perspective.

Londina

I agree quite a lot with Liliana. Costing is already covered in the intermediate level, don't understand why is also covered so much in the technician level.

We are accountant technicians, not management ones, we should concentrate deeper into financial subjects, I'm working in practice and everyday I'm dealing with financial issues that I wish they were covered more in the AAT.

Liliana

Thank you Londina, you couldn't have explained it better... I also work in practice and my everyday tasks are ALL related with financial issues, and i completely agree with you on the AAT providing more financial issues covered in their syllabus!!! Its like i am studying more of costing than financial, when in fact i work with financial and not with costing!!!!

jorja1986

I agree with some elements.

However the AAT has to cover a wide range of industry's and individuals. It can not have lots of different exams to tailor everyones needs. It must provide a broad understanding of as many Financial topics as possible, os that when people come to do a further qualification eg CIMA CIPFA ACCA, they all have the same basic knowledge to develop.

I am doing PCR PEV and I studied PTC as well, none of these I will ever use again as I work in the public sector and will be studying CIPFA, (pass permitting in August). However I would not change them as if I get asked a question about how to improve systems i can give a well rounded answer, I also understand hwo the whole accounting system fits together, it may not always be neat but there is a flow.

Best of luck with your paper, I really dont like studying PEV I also have the exam on Monday.

If Actual is more than budget "SPEND LESS"........too easy i know :blushing:

Londina

jorja1986 wrote: »

However the AAT has to cover a wide range of industry's and individuals. It can not have lots of different exams to tailor everyones needs. It must provide a broad understanding of as many Financial topics as possible, os that when people come to do a further qualification eg CIMA CIPFA ACCA, they all have the same basic knowledge to develop.

Yes, this is right, the AAT should give an equal amount of topics covered by the other chartered accountancy bodies, but the main issue here is that management accounting has been covered most, compared to the financial one.

Take the performance ratios, they were into ECR in the Intermediate level, now they are also in DFS and MAC (or PEV/PCR), come on, is this not too much? The syllabus of ICAEW are those ones, sure some of these could be covered more, instead of management accounting, example Financial Accounting, Business & Finance, Financial Reporting?

Bookworm55

Costing is a financial subject. I think you're taking too narrow a view of accounting. In my opinion, the AAT is there to provide a broad base on which to support further professional study if you want it. It does indeed cover a wide range of industries and accounting in general is a very broad field.

Even if you're concentrating on working in practice, I'd be surprised if your firm doesn't offer services beyond bookkeeping and/or auditing. Management consultancy, perhaps? Also, understanding how a costing system works is pretty useful if you have to audit one. You may not consider yourself into the 'management' side of accounting, but I don't think you can ignore it.

I do sympathise with (and also slightly envy) those whose work experience is of a higher level than what they are currently studying. But I wonder how many people that is true for? When I was doing the technician level (only two years ago), most of the class were studying things that would be more technical than they currently did in their work. You can see that as supporting your argument that what we were studying was irrelevant, but it also supports mine that studying something more advanced than what we were doing can be used to push towards advancement to a more interesting job.

EDIT: Londina posted as I was typing...

I would like to see an "introduction to business law" type unit. I can certainly see the use of that. And I do like the (optional) tax units and would support them being compulsory. Are you arguing that there isn't enough non-management stuff in the AAT? And that some should be taken out and replaced with other things?

Don't you feel that the Drafting Financial Statements unit is enough financial at technician level? Just to play devils advocate for a second: we did financial statements at Intermediate in the FRA unit, isn't that enough?

I really don't see what the problem with performance ratios in DFS is. What's wrong with analysing (as well as preparing) financial statements?

Londina

Bookworm55

Just to clarify, I don't find irrelevant management accounting and I'm just surprised that there are ratios in DFS when they are also on MAC (I'm doing diploma path).
Therefore I was wondering if something else could be tested instead.

A-Vic

What shocks me most is the lack of Ethics and Practise routine simualtions It seems a fraction is covered compaired to ACA and ACCA plus the fact that a majority of us do work in practise so some legal aspects for technitions should also be covered

Moseley_21

Not all of us work in practice and for me it has made me realise where my strengths and weaknesses are, and which path i should take next. As far as i was aware the AAT was put together to let newcomers to accounting have a through base from which to work from, and i am afraid this means having an understanding in all areas.
Personnally having come very close to the end of a 3 year course, I have nothing but praise for the services in which are offered by the AAT.
So thank you AAT and good luck everyone in their exams.

Sonny_L

The AAT syllabus is pretty much spot on IMO. (Though I agree some basic law would be nice). It is a base accounting qualification. After you have done your AAT you should have an idea of what area of accounting you would like to pursue in both your working life and also with regard to further study.

Performance ratios feature in DFS and PEV because they are relevent to both costing and financial accounting. Is remembering a few formulas really that big a deal?

If you want to do Costing you should be doing CIMA? That would be jumping in at the deep end somewhat? What about the thousands of people who are new to accounting who would like a sample of everything before they decide what direction to take? Again, AAT = base qualification.

OP, basically you don't think costing should be in the syllabus because YOU don't like it.

EDIT: seems me and Mosely (Sugar Shane?) posted at the same time. Didn't mean to echo him/her.

blobbyh

As you should already know, there is more than one type of accounting covered at AAT - namely financial, costing & management - and the AAT is a great introduction into all of them. Not everyone who takes the course works within practice and many others work in the manufacturing and service sectors where management accounting & costing are more relevant. By only wishing to study one form, you could be severly limiting your future job opportunities outside your current industry. Where in FRA and DFS will you cover managerial reporting, forecasting, budgeting and cashflow?

This has been said before, but take a look at two of the highest profile victims of the recent crunch, Woolworths & MFI, and then say that costing isn't important.

umerali2003

oh nice 2 see i am not alone with this costing problem ..i have passed all the other papers very convienently and with a lot of interest invloved into it... but when it comes to costing i had no interest at all .. the only reason i am doing it is just because of 1 exam i cant give up the whole course .. strongy agree here with every body there should have been some other options

blobbyh

umerali2003 wrote: »

.. strongy agree here with every body there should have been some other options

Yes, you had two options.

1) Doing AAT
2) Not doing AAT

If anyone fails to see why costing and preparing management accounts are not relevant parts of the AAT syllabus - and accountancy in general - then they seriously need to question if they've chosen the correct career path.

jay cutler

I'm suprised there's no maths skills test. It would certainly help with costing.

[Deleted User]

blobbyh wrote: »

Yes, you had two options.

1) Doing AAT
2) Not doing AAT

If anyone fails to see why costing and preparing management accounts are not relevant parts of the AAT syllabus - and accountancy in general - then they seriously need to question if they've chosen the correct career path.

AAT sets people up for CIMA (costing) or ACCA (financial). If it was all about the financial side then people wouldn't know what hit them when they walked into CIMA. AAT is a fair and all rounded qualification.

Andrewh26

PCR is what's holding me up, and again am uncertain if I passed after yesterday, I really don't like it, and it's made me realise that I want to do ACCA rather than CIMA, if I study further. So it's been useful in a way as now I can see more clearly what I would want to study and what I wouldn't. I quite enjoyed DFS. The financial side is much more clear cut, with rules that make sense, management is more ambiguous and messy, not for me.

Bluewednesday

I work in practice. I am amazed that people think 'I work in practice so I don't need costing' what about helping your clients with costing issues? I think I've probably used plenty of costing skills learned at AAT in my practice dealings.

Practice isn't the only part of accountancy, or even the main part. What about all those people that work in industry who probably could complain about DFS!

ACCA is 'seen' as a practice qualification yet has 2 compulsory and 2 optional 'management accounting' units - because there is no distinct boundaries in accounting.

I believe the AAT has a very good mix and agree with the previous poster about the only slight omission is basic law

[Deleted User]

Bluewednesday wrote: »

I work in practice. I am amazed that people think 'I work in practice so I don't need costing' what about helping your clients with costing issues? I think I've probably used plenty of costing skills learned at AAT in my practice dealings.

Practice isn't the only part of accountancy, or even the main part. What about all those people that work in industry who probably could complain about DFS!

ACCA is 'seen' as a practice qualification yet has 2 compulsory and 2 optional 'management accounting' units - because there is no distinct boundaries in accounting.

I believe the AAT has a very good mix and agree with the previous poster about the only slight omission is basic law

I work in Industry doing management accounts (CIMA student) and I like it. I also like financial accounting too and thought DFS was great. I think if you are competant at both then you are pretty much set up for anything within accounting. A good accountant will not pick and choose.

Londina

I rather have the audit unit compulsory than the management one....since if you choose to work in practice audit skills is well requested!

Bluewednesday

Never done an audit in my life!

blobbyh

Londina wrote: »

I rather have the audit unit compulsory than the management one....since if you choose to work in practice audit skills is well requested!

I guarantee that in your practice - or any practice for that matter - there will be at least one cost accountant providing management stats & figures for the owners of the business...