Anyone sitting Personal Tax in December?

Sparkly

Hi All,

Was just wondering if anyone out there is sitting the personal tax exam in December, and if they are, how they're finding the studying?

I'm already wondering how on eath I am going to remember it all!

Any hints/tips/advice from anyone who has already done and survived this paper would be much appreciated!

Thanks

Kelly

jewels.p

Hi Kelly,

I sat PTC in June and found it really hard. I was quite confident when I went into the exam as I had done all past papers and managed them only with a few silly errors. However the June paper was difficult for me. My advice is practice, practice, practice and be prepared for anything in the exam.

I am sitting BTC in Nov and because of my experience in June I am completely dreading it. There are so many rules for the tax exams.

I dont mean to freak you out but that is my opinion. Dont rely on past papers (although we are told that anyway)

Good Luck with the exam.

Fireraiser

I'm sitting PTX in December. It's a lot to get through in 3 months, but I'm luckier than most in having some tax experience (I've learned a lot on the course though). What I'm not looking forward to is the CBA. I'm by no means a technophobe, but I just can't envisage how this stuff can be assessed via computer. It wouldn't be so bad if we had some practice CBAs, but we'll be going into this blind. I hope the markers will be gentle with us - we guinea pigs are delicate little creatures

jenny3549

Fireraiser wrote: »

I'm sitting PTX in December. It's a lot to get through in 3 months, but I'm luckier than most in having some tax experience (I've learned a lot on the course though). What I'm not looking forward to is the CBA. I'm by no means a technophobe, but I just can't envisage how this stuff can be assessed via computer. It wouldn't be so bad if we had some practice CBAs, but we'll be going into this blind. I hope the markers will be gentle with us - we guinea pigs are delicate little creatures

Have you had December confirmed as OK for you? I was hoping to do my PTX CBA then also but have been told this morning by Kaplan that the exam may not be available til the New Year now - they are waiting for confirmation from the AAT.

Grrrrr - am completely fed up now - feel like I've wasted a lot of time when I could have been doing a different unit.

A-Vic

jenny3549 wrote: »

Have you had December confirmed as OK for you? I was hoping to do my PTX CBA then also but have been told this morning by Kaplan that the exam may not be available til the New Year now - they are waiting for confirmation from the AAT.

Grrrrr - am completely fed up now - feel like I've wasted a lot of time when I could have been doing a different unit.

Why not just sit it paper based?

Sparkly

I'm still trying to finish off under the 'old' standards so I'm sitting PTC paper based, not PTX. I haven't looked at the new standards as I'm hoping to get everything doen in time so I don't have to transfer!

I have managed to get myself a revision course with Kaplan now. It was diffucult to find one as because the actual unit is not taught in the classroom now, hardly anyone is offering revision for it - doesn't help those of us that are distance learners!

Thanks Jewels P for the comments, I already have a feeling this is going to be the toughest paper I'll sit. I have an added incentive to pass though - I will hopefully be away on honeymoon in June so won't be able to resit then, no pressure there then!

jenny3549

A-Vic wrote: »

Why not just sit it paper based?

Cos unfortunately I'm doing the new standards for the whole level so everything I have is based around those and I don't know whether I'd be able to just sit one on the old pathway. Still, it's worth looking into!

I've emailed the AAT to see if I can get any update to the 'rumour'. Maybe that's all it is. Fingers crossed!

deborahcarpenter

Im doing ptx in December. I am on the new system but apparently the CBA for this is not going to be ready until January so i have been entered for the paper based exam on 3rd December. Also doing Limited Co accounts on 1st December (paper based) and final apart of Level 3 (ECR) on 29th November.

3 exams in 1 week, I must be mad!!!

SusieQtips

I've been told by my college, the CBA for personal tax is now available and I've been told I'm doing it on 30 November. Not much time eek!!

jenny3549

Yep, it's definitely available. Booked mine for 6th December.

Good luck to us all!!!

keane155

Yep it's available -doing mine 3rd December!

reader

PTC question:

What is the lifetime allowance for tax free contributions into a registered pension scheme

jenny3549

reader wrote: »

PTC question:

What is the lifetime allowance for tax free contributions into a registered pension scheme

Off the top of my head I seem to remember that my book said the lifetime allowance wasn't included in the syllabus and so didn't give any details.

I could be wrong though!

keane155

Anyone else really panicking about this exam?? I am OK when I look at the tutorial and answer questions from the book, but when it comes to exam questions I just can't answer them, it's like I just forgot everything!! I have the CBA on the 3rd December and have no chance of passing - finding it really hard doing two units at once and studying a lot!

SusieQtips

keane155

I feel like you, think I know it and think I can do the questions then when I look at the answers they are wrong. I'm panicking cus we have to do exam 30 mins after finishing the drafting financial statements 3hr lesson. There seems to be so much to remember and it won't seem to sink in and only 1 more lesson before the exam. My head hurts!!!!!!

keane155

SusieQtips wrote: »

I feel like you, think I know it and think I can do the questions then when I look at the answers they are wrong. I'm panicking cus we have to do exam 30 mins after finishing the drafting financial statements 3hr lesson. There seems to be so much to remember and it won't seem to sink in and only 1 more lesson before the exam. My head hurts!!!!!!

I would never be able to do an exam after 3 hours of drafting financial statements - the stuff that we are doing in those lessons is really hard at the moment too. I'm doing my exam on the Friday and going into work in the morning - only because I have hardly any holidays left though. I hope that somehow workings will be taken into account in the exam like on the paper based ones - at least if the answer is wrong we may get some marks!

I've decided to just ignore all of the financial statements stuff all this week and until after the exam, but once this exam is over we will be panicking about the next one lol. I feel so stressed out at the moment with this and work is very busy too so I suppose I'll be really glad when this exam is out of the way.

jewels.p

How do you show workings in the CBE's?

keane155

jewels.p wrote: »

How do you show workings in the CBE's?

I don't think you can - unless they have changed it. I did the FRA CBA last year and they didn't collect our workings in. I just think that if they haven't got a clue how you work your answer out and you get it wrong then at least on the paper exam you have shown how you reached the answer and possibly get a couple of marks. If you are just putting your answer in on the computer then if it is wrong then you probably won't get any marks.

Sparkly

Well I'm on the train. On my way to a two day PTC revision course in Birmingham , followed by a mock exam. Have just read through revision cards and feel like I've forgotten everything I've studied in the book, think I'm going to be the quiet one trying to hide at the back and avoid being asked anything! Let's hope by the time I'm on my way home I'm feeling more positive about next week's exam!

jenny3549

Let us know how you get on. I'm beginning to wind myself up about this one simply because of the CBA format and not knowing what to expect.

Feel free to pass on any CBA pointers they give you!!!!!

jewels.p

I am sitting MAC and BTC paper based next week and so hope I pass them before having to change to CBA I do NOT want to do it that way!