ICAS Query

The Magician

Hi there,

Hoping one of the ICAS vets can help, please.

With regards to the ICAS project, is it necessary to achieve competent mark against every box in the mapping criteria to pass this unit?

I note there is further assessment criteria in addition to the mapping document such as use of business language, new topic new section etc... Must you also gain a competent mark in every one of these boxes to achieve a pass?

If 100% competent is not required, how many boxes can you "fail" before being deemed competent?

I'm hoping a "perfect" report is not required as surely some of the NYC boxes in the mapping criteria would form the basis of dialogue during the phone interview?

Many thanks for any help!

Jo Clark

Hello

The mapping document requires that you identify where in your report you have covered that criteria. If your tutor does not feel that it has been covered sufficiently then I would guess that your report would come back not yet competent.

I can't say 100% that you need to get 100% as I don't know the answer. It could be that your tutor may ask addtional questions in the final interview but you need to be mindful that it usually lasts 10/15 minutes so there is a limit as to what can be asked. They will be wanting to check it is your own work as it will have been completed as a distance learner.

I'm sure other students who have completed ICAS or are in the process of doing so may also have feedback which they can share with you.

Hope it is all going well.


JC

The Magician

Hi Jo,

Thanks for replying.

How is your ICAS report going?

I am on my second submission now and awaiting a mark.

I was told my first report was very good and very nearly competent, which shocked me.

I was told to delete my personnel statements, grade the risk of fraud within the body of the report and describe the common causes of fraud within the report. I graded the fraud risk within the fraud matrix appendices section, but have done what I was told.

I welcome an interview with the assessor just to put over how much I have struggled! Only thing that concerns me is if they really grill me on the monetary benefits of my recommendations. A lot of this is based on educated guesswork and not really open to hardcore scrutiny!

I just hope this beastly unit is put to bed soon.

Thanks.

Jo Clark

Hello

My ICAS report was signed off as competent at the beginning of October.

The monetary element of your CBA can be researched on the internet, for example, if you recommend a particular piece of software, how much will it cost. Also, you should have been provided details of salaries so you can calculate savings made by implementing various recommendations, for example, new software allows staff to complete task quicker saving x hours at £x giving a total saving of £y

You are right to do as your tutor asks as they are the person who is marking/assessing this unit for you.

Good luck with it.


JC

The Magician

That's very impressive, Jo.

Were you marked competent on your first submission?

Thanks for your help with the recommendations. My concern are with things that you cannot readily obtain off websites or via quotes.

Such as engaging in internal audit procedures specific to an accounting function. 50, 80 or 150 hours? It's really tenuous!

My recommendations and weaknesses were marked as competent on my first submission. Just fear I will be grilled at the phone interview and scrutinised on my costs.

Is the phone interview anything to fear?

Many thanks.

Clintm15

Hello Magician,

The ICAS project is what I am fearing the most out of the whole AAT. I am leaving it until last but I am due to complete my final 2 CBT's in the next few weeks and then there will be no more hiding for me. Good luck with your project.

Spamkebab

I'm feeling the same way Clint.
I've enjoyed all the level 4 exams as a distance learner and not had any major probs but that Icas is going to kill me.
I'm already wondering where the hell to start and i've got Business tax to do first, which i seem to be subconsciously dragging out lol.

coojee

Nobody should fear ICAS. If you've got a good tutor they'll help you as much as they can, they'll give you guidance to get you started and then talk you through any amendments that may be required. They want you to pass as much as you want to pass so they're looking for what you know about your report and not what you don't know. If you've done the case study they'll know that the CBA is based on estimates, they just want to be sure that they're reasonable estimates, they might ask you how you arrived at your figures but they won't be looking for them to be accurate.

Clintm15

@coojee

It's not fear of failure. I know I can do it. I just know that I will not enjoy it. So far I have loved every unit except Ethics at level 3. Unfortunately, there is no way to make it more enjoyable for me. I will just have to face it head on.

@Spamkebab

Haha, I'm doing the exact same thing as you at the exact same time. Dragging my feet with Business Tax and hoping that the AAT suddenly announce that they have removed ICAS from the syllabus. Are you taking Personal Tax too?

Spamkebab

I've recently received a competent for Personal Tax, i should really be booking the exam for Business but something is stopping me lol.

If i get round to starting ICAS before you, i'll keep you posted Clint.

I wouldn't mind seeing someones draft copy, not for me to copy but just to see the layout. I'm confident i will pass it but it just seems like a chore rather than enjoyment. Ethics was boring, i'd rather stay home and peel my eyeballs than sit that again lol.

Clintm15

Thanks and congratz on passing Personal Tax.

Jo Clark

The Magician wrote: »

That's very impressive, Jo.

Were you marked competent on your first submission?

Thanks for your help with the recommendations. My concern are with things that you cannot readily obtain off websites or via quotes.

Such as engaging in internal audit procedures specific to an accounting function. 50, 80 or 150 hours? It's really tenuous!

My recommendations and weaknesses were marked as competent on my first submission. Just fear I will be grilled at the phone interview and scrutinised on my costs.

Is the phone interview anything to fear?

Many thanks.

Thanks :001_tongue: We were told that usually a student would be marked as competent on the third submission. I was marked competent on my second. My first submission was without the mapping document, as requested by my tutor. This was to allow for any adjustments as necessary. I had to make an adjustment to my CBA to make the cost more realistic, which is why I said about research costs of accounting packages on the internet. Updated my CBA and the executive summary to reflect the research into costs and was then competent after the telephone interview.

No, the phone interview is nothing to fear. It was lovely to actually speak to my tutor after emailing for the duration of the project. If you have completed the work for your project then you have nothing to worry about.

Jo Clark

Clintm15 wrote: »

Hoping that the AAT suddenly announce that they have removed ICAS from the syllabus.

I don't think that will ever happen. I also recall reading somewhere that they are introducing written questions at all levels so that when a student reaches level 4 ICAS is not such a shock

Clintm15

Jo Clark wrote: »

I don't think that will ever happen. I also recall reading somewhere that they are introducing written questions at all levels so that when a student reaches level 4 ICAS is not such a shock

Personally, I don't have a problem with written questions. I just don't find this unit interesting. No amount of written preparation will change this.

Spamkebab

Jo, or anyone else that has completed ICAS.

How many pages did you end up with for the completed project?

Thanks,

Neil.

The Magician

Not sure if my reply will help you as I was told I was nearly competent....

My second submission is 18 pages and around 4,900 words. I am waiting on this result to complete AAT and it is KILLING ME lol.

Asked my DL tutor and apparently you need to be marked as competent in EVERY part of the mapping criteria and additional criteria to pass the ICAS unit.

So essentially you need to produce a perfect report. I think the stigma attached to the complexity of producing this report is fully justified.

Spamkebab

Well thanks for scaring the pants off me lol

James Patterson

Ive submitted my second draft of my report and its about 3700 words; and i'm awaiting feedback.

I didn't find it hard but i also don't know if its right, i did it in about 3hours because once i got started ideas start coming.

I just looked at every section of the mapping document and tried to write a paragraph on each part in different sections.

Whirlwind

Now I'm jealous - 3 hours!!

BPP have us submitting a couple of sections every few weeks then provide feedback on those sections. I have only submitted chapters 4 & 5 (about 2000 words - still waiting for feedback as its surely too long) and I have been spending about 20hours a week for past 4 weeks!! I am really hating this unit!! I think its the 'business' language thats getting me into a pickle. Our tutor says not to worry about the mapping document or number of words until nearer the end - so I think thats one less thing to worry about!!

AARGH!!!

My poor patient hubby keeps reminding me that the end is in sight!!

James Patterson

You have to remember whirlwind i may have written 3700words and 3 hours worth of nonsense so i will let you know when i get my feedback haha

I don't think i've used technical language at any point, just good english; i also haven't had any guidance other than on the AAT website and the mapping document so i've just done it completely un-guided.

Whirlwind

Thats brill!! You'll do fine!!

I keep checking my email for my feedback but ... I am fortunate with my mentor/proof reader as she is a Nuero Physiotherapist so writes and read reports like this all the time (crazy eh)!! Serves her right to read my boring accounts one, although its abit embaressing to know how bad my grammar really is!! Keep blaming it on being a Londoner!!

James Patterson

haha I'm sure your grammar is fine! I tend to improve my grammar by being that annoying person to just comment "*you're" when i see 'your' misused on facebook :L Thats really as far as i go with grammar.

Waiting for results and feedback is really annoying, i find myself checking email accounts most of the day now for feedback

Rebecca498

Hi All,

I have to say it is such a relief to hear I'm not alone on the hating of this unit! I've never struggled with the exams really, well nothing compared to how this is making me feel. I cannot wait for it all to be over. Like Whirlwind, I too am spending 20 hours a week on it, and have been for a number of weeks.

I hope to hand it in this weekend and I am so nervous that everything I've done will be completely wrong and I'll just be failed straight away. This is the first time I've wished I was classroom based and not distance learning as it would be great to get a feel of whether what I'm doing is slightly right or perhaps hugely wrong!

Thanks for letting me vent!

Rebecca

Whirlwind

Totally agree with you Rebecca. I have never read this type of report and here I am trying to write one!! The written questions in Level 4 followed a certain format which you could see in the answers, but with this unit I have no idea if I am on the right track. The good thing is that BPP allow 5 feedback sessions from the tutor, with the goal of 'competent' at the end, as they will have helped along the way.

I have just got my feedback on sections 4 & 5 - the tutor says the feedback was short because I kept to the work book guidelines. Seriously ... there are still two A4 pages!! Although not too bad to sort (ie three not 3, caps on titles, Ive confused Cashflow statements with forecast FRS1 & IAS7 - over a year since studied those!!)

Keep up the good work Rebecca - we will all get there in the end, its just a painful journey!!

James Patterson

I get the point on the type of report this is. I think i'm quite good at writing reports and like doing them (almost); but i struggled to work out what the report aimed to achieve but i just thought trying to point out a problem with an accounting system, reccommending a solution and the effects of if that reccomendation was made.

The extra bits asking to explain what an accounting system needs and about fraud is just added to show your understanding of the subject. No one has told me that, its just what i think haha

Rebecca498

Hi James - I think that makes sense, and when you say it as straightforward as that it makes sense and sounds relatively simple. Unfortunately I've not found it that way

Whirlwind, that sounds good about the 5 different feedback sessions, I don't think Kaplan are quite as structured as that, or maybe that's what I'll get after the first submission. I'm not really sure to be honest! Good luck with it all, you're right we will get there eventually and I am going to celebrate so much when I do lol

Jo Clark

Spamkebab wrote: »

Jo, or anyone else that has completed ICAS.

How many pages did you end up with for the completed project?

Thanks,

Neil.

Hello Neil

My final report was 26 pages long inclusive of appendices but not including the mapping document.

Everyone will have a different number of pages depending on how many appendices they have and the layout of their report, for example, line spacing, size of and type of font used etc.


JC

Spamkebab

26 pages? I am crying right now.

janwal

I'm with you Spamkebab, thats longer than some books I've read

Jo Clark

Spamkebab wrote: »

26 pages? I am crying right now.

Oh no, like I said it depends on how much you write, the number of appendices and the formatting.

You'll be fine

omega man

Well time to take the plunge,i have asked for the starting flag on my ICAS project to start on Novemebr 12th.
It is a case study and so with xmas and new year there will be no hanging about,i wonder if they will give me any extra time for these festive times.
I was once told to get the hardest things out of the way early if possible.
I have passed Budgeting and i am awaiting Financial Performance result,now its ICAS then the last 3 exams in new year up until say March.
I better wish myself luck.