Thought you'd failed but passed

jewels.p

I have read a few threads on here about people who thought they'd failed but passed the ECR Exam and they thought it was only because the pass mark had been reduced a lot.

I am one of those that thought they'd failed but passed but refuse to believe that the pass mark being lowered a lot is the only reason I passed.

They cant lower the pass mark that much or we wouldn't be competent at all!

Come on guys we passed let's just pat ourselves on the back! ::001_smile:

Marga

*pats jewels on the back*


i have passed. period


no bothered about the pass rate or any other reason

i studied hard, i gained knowledge and was competent enough to sit the exam and pass

I am proud of myself and proud of the students that worked hard to pass:)

Rinske

As most of the discussion is started because people who posted here that they expected a fail but passed. Maybe those that expected a fail and got a fail just didn't post.

Or those that expected a pass and failed.

It's way nicer to post on the forums that you passed and get all the congratulations, because you are proud of it, then to post that you failed, as you wouldn't be proud of it!

I wouldn't worry about lowering the pass marks, they might have done it, if the paper turned out to be unfair or too hard, but I doubt they will do it, just to get a higher percentage of passers.

If everyone has the same question wrong, it probably means that the AAT starts to think about the question asked, but if a lot of people had it wrong, because they didn't read it properly or did not know how to calculate it, they wouldn't all of a sudden say it doesn't fall in the standard anymore.
At least I cannot imagine that they would change it, just to get a higher pass mark.

Marga

well to be honest if i had failed ECR i would have still be proud of myself cause i at least atempted it


i found ECR hard but then again i think it was cause i just studied it at the same time as FRA in just over a month so it would have been my entire fault if i would have failed i am honest about that i dont like to cheat myself


Good enough i passed so i am a happy bunny

blobbyh

Having been a long time resident of the foums with a couple of notary others, my take is that post exams, there are numerous threads opened all saying pretty much the same things you've already mentioned.

"The exam was too hard and I've definitely failed". What we never see are threads entitled "Phew, the exam was quite easy and I've definitely passed". Why? People who often didn't prepare properly and/or are pessimistic of their result often seek solace in the forums as a means of voicing their anger, sadness, bitterness, whatever. Those who think they've passed or found it easy (and I found ECR in June 2006 the easiest exam I ever sat), rarely post for fear of being shot down - as they usually are - by those in the former category.

So when you see ten threads saying ECR or whichever exam was too hard, bear in mind that what you're not seeing are the other fifty which never get written saying quite the opposite. If you passed then you were clearly competent and I seriously don't think the chief examiner would demean the whole exam simply because of a few negative threads appearing on these forums. So congratulate yourselves for passing and leave it at that rather than run yourselves down by saying it was "a skin of your teeth effort" and you only passed because everyone else did rubbish too!

Rinske

Oh I agree and I didn't mean that you should not be proud that you attempted it, but that there are probably a number of people who failed and decided not to post it here, as they are disheartened or ashamed to say between all the I passed threads.

Not sure how to explain it, just that I think if someone sees a lot of people say they passed an exam and they didn't, they might feel worried that the others think they are stupid for not passing. I disagree with it, I don't think not passing makes you stupid, but in my experience some people do see it that way!

For example:
Back when I went to school I had to do one year again, at the first time I picked the wrong classes for my strenghts and I had quite a big personal problem getting in the way of study. Now whatever the reasons were for me not passing the year, a lot of my classmates thought I was very stupid for having to do the year again and would judge me for being stupid, especially since they did not know my background or reasons.

Unfortunately people are often very judgemental and for some people it will stop them from posting here to avoid the "shame" of not passing.

Just to make sure:
I do not think anyone is stupid for not passing an exam! It also doesn't mean it's a failure, nor do I think that anyone should be ashamed of it.
It only means that you did not show completely competent yet. The exams are 3 hours long and in those 3 hours you got to show what you learned in the past 6 months and it just isn't easy, especially if you are having a bad day!

A-Vic

I dont know about anyone else but i find the longer i wait for results the worse i feel and the more i convience myself i messed up the exams and basically talk myself in to thinking ive failed i go through the same every sitting.

The difference this time i was totally convienced from the min i walked out of the exam room that i had failed personal tax and left it at that. Well when it came to results i nearly fell off my chair as had passed.

I know this time i dont want to hang around and compaire answers with anyone after exams as i dont think it helps in the long run because no matter what anyone else says or put its what you did yourself that matters.

Marga

i left IAC knowing that i have actually achieved 95% of the whole exam cause i found it easy

but to be honest i had studied that unit inside out


out of respect of newbies and people who find it hard i didnt say anything i am not a show off so wouldnt even think about coming to the forums to destroy any little hope someone has to pass the exams

when ever i was asked if i was not confident in passing i always answer the same

" two of them i am confident i passed (FRA and IAC) but ECR cant be sure as i dont think i studied enough"

It turns on i did study enough to pass but there are still some areas which i dont know much about

MWAUGH1983

jewels.p wrote: »

I have read a few threads on here about people who thought they'd failed but passed the ECR Exam and they thought it was only because the pass mark had been reduced a lot.

I am one of those that thought they'd failed but passed but refuse to believe that the pass mark being lowered a lot is the only reason I passed.

They cant lower the pass mark that much or we wouldn't be competent at all!

Come on guys we passed let's just pat ourselves on the back! ::001_smile:

I was one who posted that I thought the pass mark might have been lowered. I no exactly what you mean I was just thinking that a lot of people thought they failed and I just wondered why there was a lot of passes. At least people can get it out of the way now - onwards and upwards. I tend to prefer that I have failed an exam as I always feel alot better passing than thinking I have passed and passed! You feel a stronger sense of achievement succeeding in a hard environment!

Martin

Lilyflower

A girl I have been in college with since beginning Foundation makes a big deal, in the months between the actual exam to the results, of telling everyone she has definately failed.

She has done this with every exam we have sat to date throughout level 2 and 3. Yet she passed them all.

I have come to an understanding in my own mind that she is not stupid (I have witnessed her work in classes and she knows what she is doing and gets great results in class tests) I just think she has no self esteem.

She believes that she is incompetant despite evidence to the contrary, and builds herself up for the fail as she expects that one day it will come and that all these passes are 'flukes' or her getting through 'by the skin of her teeth'. I think she is mentally putting up her walls so that when her prophecy comes true, she will be in the posistion to say 'see I told you'.

It is a mental defense mechanism to her. Her low confidence and defeatest attitude pays off in her favour as it is fed by colleagues as she is praised highly for passing; in what she puts out as tough circumstances. Whereas myself and others who are quietly confidant or else deal with our concerns in other ways; pass our exams and the acievement is neither here nor there.

I find it extremely interesting; but then I do have a side-line passion in pyschology!

Lily xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rinske

In December I did PEV and PCR, I thought I did ok, but when I looked on the forums here, wasn't so sure anymore. I had the feeling a lot would depend on the reports I had to write for the exam, so when my work asked, I said it was so so and I wasn't 100% sure I passed (which was true). I passed both and a lot was said since in my department and I didn't even feel happy that I passed anymore, just glad I didn't have to tell my colleagues I failed something they consider very low (NOT my opinion).

I sat the auditing and CMCC skilltests since then and am still waiting on the results. I am 100% sure I failed auditing and quite sure I passed CMCC (with maybe some additional work to be done, but still) and told them so, but I do still hope that I did better at auditing then I think. When I did the practice simulation, I was 100% sure I failed too, but in the end had a merit plus. I still don't understand how I managed, but just really hope that something similar will happen for the real test and I can just do some additional work.

But often the nerves during and the comparison of figures after the exams make people more convinced they failed, while they actually performed better than they thought.

Lilyflower

I appreciate your view point Rinske, thank you.

I am today more convinced that this girl just cannot be bothered and is just going through the motions. It is complicated. I overheard her saying to a colleague the other day that she had hoped she would fail so she didn't have to continue on to level 4.

She is superior to me in the office and I have had others point out to me that she may just be doing the course as she doesn't want to be seen as not a qualified as someone under her.

It is a particular situation, I'll give you that! I don't think that everyone who thinks they fail has an ulterior motive - I meant only to discuss a specific situation I am facing in my employement.

Lily xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rinske

It is a particular situation, but not unheard of.

However if she does not want to continue, why would she leave that decision on the fact if she passed or not?

That's what I don't understand of people. She could just say she got too many other commitments or another vague excuse!

I got a colleague similar though, although she was studying CIMA (she stopped when she got pregnant and now she is on her own with a one year old kid, working full time) and wants to pick it up again, but doesn't know how to combine it time-wise. I got the feeling her main reason is not because she wants to study, but so she stays ahead of me.

She keeps asking me how many papers AAT is, why I didn't pick something useful to study, like CIMA and then telling me she did 5 or 6 papers in CIMA already.

Funny thing is, she still doesn't understand the difference between purchase ledger and general ledger and she asks me to do stuff which is purely general ledger, and I don't have access to that, as I work on Purchase ledger, but when I tell her I can't do it, she just ignores my answers and asks me the same question 4 more times and then drops it on my desk. She is not my manager, but considers herself much higher, so that she can tell me to do stuff like that. My manager just ignores it and I try to do the same, but it's very frustrating now and then.

Lilyflower

Rinske wrote: »

It is a particular situation, but not unheard of.

However if she does not want to continue, why would she leave that decision on the fact if she passed or not?

That's what I don't understand of people. She could just say she got too many other commitments or another vague excuse!

I know it baffles me too. In this case she IS my manager, I think this has a lot to do with it. In the past she has tried to circumvent me with work related topics and has tried to 'horde' all finance work (we do a mix of different things).

I don't think she was leaving the 'decision on the fact if she passed or not' solely. I have had a hard fight these last 6 months in securing funding for me (and subsequentially her) to continue with level 4. She continued to tell me there was no funding available for it, but when I grew suspicious and went over her to ask, guess what?? - I got funding. She has just spent the last week having to complete her SIMMS for L3 which she decided to not attend last June (you know, because she had failed).

Obviously I don't know what is going on in her head, so everything I understand is based on my suspicions around what I have witnessed in behaviour, words and actions. I think she is caught up in competitiveness and an inability to just say 'this is not for me'.

You are in a good position that the lady in your life is not your manager, I guess all there is to be done is get qualified and move on from people who appear browbeaten by another persons drive and ambition.

Lily xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rinske

Lilyflower wrote: »

I know it baffles me too. In this case she IS my manager, I think this has a lot to do with it. In the past she has tried to circumvent me with work related topics and has tried to 'horde' all finance work (we do a mix of different things).

I don't think she was leaving the 'decision on the fact if she passed or not' solely. I have had a hard fight these last 6 months in securing funding for me (and subsequentially her) to continue with level 4. She continued to tell me there was no funding available for it, but when I grew suspicious and went over her to ask, guess what?? - I got funding. She has just spent the last week having to complete her SIMMS for L3 which she decided to not attend last June (you know, because she had failed).

Obviously I don't know what is going on in her head, so everything I understand is based on my suspicions around what I have witnessed in behaviour, words and actions. I think she is caught up in competitiveness and an inability to just say 'this is not for me'.

You are in a good position that the lady in your life is not your manager, I guess all there is to be done is get qualified and move on from people who appear browbeaten by another persons drive and ambition.

Lily xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I must admit I am very happy with the fact she isn't my manager, but I don't think I would still be working here if she did, whether I had another job or not... My current manager is very good for a lot of things, so I am quite happy with her.

You are very lucky to have funding though. When I asked my manager tried arranging funding and then HR told me all proud they would fund it. On a closer look they offered me to pay my exam fees and no course fees, so it wasn't as pretty as HR brought it! I did thank her and thanked my manager in person later, as I know she tried really hard for me.

It's always confusing me that managers feel the urge to prove they are the managers for a reason (to me it sounds a bit like your manager is trying to prove she is higher up than you for a reason, but I might be wrong). Hopefully once you finished your AAT you can move on to better things as well!