PEV/PCR - how long is the unit?

anniebabe

Hi Guys
Just completed Level 3 and moving onto Level 4.
Can someone give an idea of how long it would take to get through PCR and or PEV.
All the local colleges have already completed these 2 units for this year - no intake till September - so I want to try and tackle them myself with a view to sitting a paper exam in June - do you think this is a bit ambitious?
I spoke to the AAT Student Services today and they are telling me that I can continue on the NVQ level and sit paper based exams in June and then transfer onto the new route after June. I think I would prefer to do this rather than worry about the computer exams as they sound to have been very traumatic for everyone and exams are hard enough as it is without all the stress of computers thrown in.
Any advise is greatly received.

Woooof

Doing PEV & PCR in one exam sitting is totally possible especially as they are closely related. The decision whether to do them paper/computer is a personal preference to you.

Rinske

If you're not too scared of unit 6 and got on alright with that unit, you should be ok if you pick up the books for PEV and PCR. Both are following up from that unit, and you should have enough time till June, if you motivate yourself to set enough time apart for it.

Not sure about your personal circumstances or study pace, but I think 12 hours per week is a high estimate for it, so if you think you can manage the time, go for it!

sdv

anniebabe wrote: »

Hi Guys

I spoke to the AAT Student Services today and they are telling me that I can continue on the NVQ level and sit paper based exams in June and then transfer onto the new route after June.

do you want to do this easy way or the difficlut way?

The olnd NVQ route is comming to an end and all most all the colleges will not run the NVQ programme because they will not be funded for it.

The private/commercial provders are also considering to discourage students to carry on /take up NVQ route. Only need to read about the deadline given to their students for the completion of skills test by end of May, even though AAT are prepared to accept result reporting until the end od Decemeber 2011.

Finally, the coumpter based assessment are much much easier then the paper based exams. You only need to go and try the prectice papers on the AAT website. And If you fail then you can re-take the exams in 6 weeks time.

I hope I havn'e put you off, but given you some thing to consider.

anniebabe

Thanks for the input guys.
I am not working at the moment so I have time to study.
Will take everything you have said on board and have a think about what to do.
Not sure about the computer vs paper exam thing tho. It doesnt seem fair that the computer based is easier than the paper exam - are AAT lowering thr standards?
Many thanks

Lou1234

Both papers work well together and I sat them both in the same week.

I'm someone who loves workings! I write down so much stuff on the workings page that paper based works for me!

I just failed DFS but have decided to wait until June and still sit the paper based exam rather then moving on to the computer based ones for my final exam.

I'm not sure I've read many positive stories on here of the computer based exams so I'm not confident in moving to them. The time between now and June gives me plenty of study time and it won't eat into my social life until nearer exam time!

anniebabe

Thats exactly what I was thinking Lou, I keep putting off doing the CBEs.
Just not sure if I will have time to complete both units by the 15th June and exam revision, but I am home quite a lot now so going to try my best for them and see how I feel nearer the time - nothing to loose. Have you any idea how long the classes run for these units?

Marga

hello

I did MAC i December

I started to study the last week of october and the exam was at the end of november so i had time to study this unit ....

MAC is PEV and PCR in one

It is very similar to Unit 6 , ie regarding variances and costing , it is more what i call an arithmetic paper becaue you do loads of calculations.

If you can get hold of a MAC book these are brilliant! (sorry i have already lent it).

I would suggest to look at the book and do as many examples/exercises possible and then dedicate May to do past papers

katz568

When I did PEV/PCR at college last year we did half a day on each unit (so 3 hours total on each) per week plus several hours home study.
We started the units in the September and took the exam the first week of December so about 10 weeks in all.
To be fair I think if you have time to study you have plenty of time to get your head round it.
Good luck
Katrina

anniebabe

Thanks for the advice everyone, I am going to try and do it. Its got to be better than waiting till September. I only have the new books tho - hope the sylabus hasnt change much.

exam panic

PEV you need to take bit of time but PCR I think easier but from now to june you have plenty time.

anniebabe

thanks for the input.

Woooof

Edit: Ignore if you read what I said... I thought you had less exams on the new standards for some reason T_T

Newbie

I have just passed both, at first sight found PEV harder than PCR, to be honest I left PCR study quite late, and then panicked, however once you start looking at the past papers you will find that in my opinion PCR is the more difficult subject, as others have said if you were ok with the units in Intermediate you should be fine.

anniebabe

The only thing I really struggled with was the limited factors on the simulation.

swampy1901

You are welcome to my old books if you want them. I have both the AAT and BPP books and both give plenty of coverage and practice exams. I'm in North west too?

Swampy

anniebabe

ive inboxed you hun. ta.

anniebabe

In everyones experience would I be better off doing PEV then PCR or doesnt it matter?

Henry

Hello Anniebabe,
In answer to your question I think it depends on what books you are using. In my view I found the Osborne book very useful as it brings the two papers into 1 book.The first chapter deals with managing information in general then the next 6 chapters cover PEV and the remaining 4 chapters cover PCR. So in all 11 chapters.

I think it is helpful that PEV is placed before PCR because in a sense PCR follows on naturally from PEV in terms of furthering your understanding of the subjects. To tell you the truth I used the Osbourne book only and mainly concentrated on the case study examples. Didn't use the workbook nor past exam papers as I didn't have time. But what I find is that the case studys start out with some easy ones then natuarally progressed to the much more harder examples and it helps you to really understand what the topics are about. I find that the harder more extensive case studies are much more comprehensive than the exam questions so if you can do these you will be fine for the exam.

You have more than enough time therefore to do PEV and PCR. Good luck.

anniebabe

Thanks for your input Henry, I am using the NVQ Unit 8/9 Osborne Book - decided to start from the beginning - as you said it seems to make more sense doing it that way.

Henry

Anniebabe,
No probs. There is one tip I would give you though. I am not sure if you have done stepped costs in previous studies but the Osbourne book does not cover this in depth but rather only breifly mentions it. I would say though that you should expect stepped costs in the exam so check out how to calculate this from other sources. That is the main shortcoming I find with the Osbourne book pertaining to PCR.

anniebabe

@Henry:-
Will bear that in mind, ive only just finished ECR (which is why I wanted to move swiftly onto looking at PEV instead of leaving it till september at college) and it was covered in that Unit so have still got notes and my book for that - fingers crossed will be ok. Thanks for the tip:)