Not Yet Competent.....for the 3rd time!!

Chelle

Not that I expected anything less just gutted with it all.

Another £40 wasted!!

missm4ry4m

Don't lose hope.

Which exam was this?

Chelle

Financial Performance.

Sammmy88

sorry to her that! I am still waiting for mine... but i havent got high hopes!

omega man

chelle where are you based,i passed with a breeze first time,maybe i can try and help you if you wanna come round for some tuition/help.

SamiH

Sorry to hear your news

Whirlwind

Hey Chelle,

Sorry to hear your news. Dont lose heart though, it has been called 'the Nasty'.

Chelle

omega man wrote: »

chelle where are you based,i passed with a breeze first time,maybe i can try and help you if you wanna come round for some tuition/help.

I'm in Rowley.

Chelle

Sammmy88 wrote: »

sorry to her that! I am still waiting for mine... but i havent got high hopes!

I imagine you will get yours tomorrow as you sat it a day after me.

Sammmy88

I just have my other retakes now! :glare:

louisethomson

Hi Chelle i found out yesterday i also failed FNPF for the 3rd time its disheartening and demotivating.

Chelle

It certainly is Louise, I still have FNST, PTX and Budgeting to retake too and I just don't know if I have the strength, or even knowledge for that matter, to carry on anymore!

louisethomson

I luckly only have FNPF and FNST (which i have never sat as im to scared) but i some how passed everything else.
Im leaving FNPF now and concentrating on FNST. Then i will go back and tackle FNPF. Just want to give up but knowing im so close its keeping me going but a resit is £53.00 at my college so its going to start costing me more than the course.

michael1199

I got my financial performance and budgeting results Yesterday and
Somehow passed them. Had a good feeling about budgeting but financial performance I was convinced I failed, didn't even have time to finish the whole exam and left a bit of section 2. All I would say is if I can do it then you can do it. I concentrated more on the formulas, I wrote formulas on a card with the answer on the back and made sure I knew 80% of them, the reports I didn't do much revision on as basically the answer is in the scenario given.

I must have done the exam papers online about 5 times each to familiarise yourself with the format then you sort of know what's coming.

Hope this helps and good luck to all

Michael

jane

louisethomson wrote: »

Hi Chelle i found out yesterday i also failed FNPF for the 3rd time its disheartening and demotivating.

Very disheartened and demotivated myself now after my second fail at this 'NASTY' exam! Took it out on my ironing last night for two and a half hours!!
My books are ready for me for when I get home tonight to start revising again, just can't decide now if I want to do it in 5 weeks time or leave it until April!
I, as well as you guys am sure, put so much hard work and revision into this, and feel to fall down on the last written question - really is frustrating.
Trying to stay positive, but finding it hard today

J x

missm4ry4m

I've failed FNPF too gutteddddd!!!

omega man

Chelle If you wanna make it over to wolverhampton i am free virtually anytime as i do not work,if you want to private message me.
Incidentally if any of you other girls or guys wanna come over i will try my best to try and give you whatever help i can.Private message me first and we can arrange a time and date.

Chelle

Omega, thank you for your kind offer and I would've took you up on it but apart from working near to Wolvo, I can't get over to your way at any time as I have a daughter to look after full time (well when she's not at school anyway).

:-(

craigbrown2602

Hi Chelle, I know how you feel I have failed FNPF three times already, sitting it again on Monday but feel more confident on this one now. It's the written questions I have failed on


My tutor has told me to structure it out in three sections:
- The variance is....
- This is because....
- Reasons/causes behind the variance (linking in other variances)

I hope I pass this time round as it will mean FNST left for me.

Good luck for your next re sit.

Craig.

Mollypod88

I'm finding FNPF really tough! Now I've got myself in a state over it. I might put it to the side and start credit management. Really not sure what to do ...

azzy

Hi
I have read everyone replys for those who havent passed the NASTY exam like me!!

Are there any tips/resources/questions for seaction 2, for me its the written task 2.4 what brings me down to a fail.

Thanks in advance.

azzy

chuffer

hi,
not sure if you are with a college etc...but I do know my college can give a break down of how you have done in the exam...I passed FNPF but did not meet the minimum for costing or variances! must have been better in other sections, it may give you an idea on which sections you have got covered and others you may need to work harder with......

Whirlwind

Hi,

I think what craigbrown2602 mentions above is really helpful.

For all written sections of level 4, I spent time reading all the written information I could find in the text and question bank, then break them down to see the 'pattern' into which you could enter the relevant info. I would then photocopy these highlighting the wording craigbrown2602 mentions, carry them around everywhere.

Chelle

chuffer wrote: »

hi,
not sure if you are with a college etc...but I do know my college can give a break down of how you have done in the exam...I passed FNPF but did not meet the minimum for costing or variances! must have been better in other sections, it may give you an idea on which sections you have got covered and others you may need to work harder with......

Hi chuffer

Yes I have had my feedback from the college, and although it still isn't brilliant it's certainly an improvement on the last 2 attempts so I am getting there...........slowly!!

Steve Collings

louisethomson wrote: »

I luckly only have FNPF and FNST (which i have never sat as im to scared) but i some how passed everything else.

Don't be scared of FNST. Have a read of my article specifically written for FNST students to get yourself prepared.

Best regards
Steve

guinea pig

Hi all,
I'm just recycling a previous post I sent on those nasty written questions from last year when I took the exam, I assume that the format is still the same?

In the Osborne practice assessments, there are two written questions in the 2nd part only, but I don't know about the actual exam. I'm taking this exam tomorrow, and have put together some ideas;
-read the advice on extended writing tasks on the AAT site,
-include extra calculations for your answers
-more information is always more
-analyse all the answers you can find for written questions
I found that the questions are likely to include;
REPORT ON FIXED OVERHEAD VARIANCES
detail separately;
1.volume variance- affected by over/under-absorption, of overheads,
due to a higher/lower level of ouput, explained by capacity & efficiency variances
2.capacity variance-relates to productive use of resources e.g.machinery/labour
if more use is obtained, this is favourable. A breakdown would be adverse.
3.efficiency variance-relates to volume of output of resources e.g.machinery/labour
if resources work faster,this is favourable., as more output produced
4.expenditure variance-shows higher or lower than expected overheads, maybe due
to poor budgeting/price changes/unforseen or uncontrollable issues
~ relate variances to each other; capacity x efficiency = volume
~how to show in Income Statement;
DR adverse variances as an expense, CR favourable variances
REPORT ON DIRECT COSTS VARIANCES
detail price/rate and usage/efficiency variances separately
Check total variance if favourable or adverse
quote figures & reasons
suggest options that could have been taken/can be taken
link to planning & control variances
GROSS/OPERATING PROFIT DIFFERENCES ~ why?
Behaviour of costs; variable & fixed (materials,labour etc)
Volumes & contribution, margins, economies of scale
Dominant Factor ~ that most affects differences e.g. sale price/volume of sales
Limiting factors~ supply of materials, consumer demand, price ceiling,
use high/low to check fixed & variable costs
implications; need more working capital/stock. Receivables/payables
RATIO COMPARISONS
Check; performance indicators, compare like with like
ROCE, profit margins, long term liabilities
Measure by; Quality,Value for money, Balanced scorecard
Liquidity postion~control of receivables/payables, working capital
Good luck,
GP

Malcolm Green

Hi Chelle,

First of all you are not alone in finding FNPF a challenging paper.

Have you had the opportunity to go over your feedback with your tutor on your overall results.

As this at least should give you some comfort to see the areas where you were competent, as well as the areas where you were not yet competent and may need to do some more work, together with any areas where you narrowly failed competency which could well have been by only a couple of marks.

In these cases next time round this could mean you would only need to watch out that you do not give any crucial marks away, and is all then down to exam technique and making sure you are covering all the areas the examiner is looking out for.

This could be something as simple as not setting out the template for the answer to a question as asked ie in report or letter format.

We have recently covered examination techniques and revision for both FNPF and FNST and I have attached a link to our website: http://aatbirmingham.org.uk/2012/free-performance-enhancer-revision-workshop-review.html#more-1224

Where you can find the notes and presentation material from our workshop as another source of reference for your preparations for you next exam sitting.

You can and will pass this exam just keep thinking positive.

katie2008

I too have failed this exam three times. Once in 2010 and twice in 2011. I have returned after mat leave, and picked up college studies. So want to get through this exam, im going to nail part 2, and the whole thing next month!!

I know how you feel! Just keep positive, we can do it!

Chelle

Malcolm Green wrote: »

Hi Chelle,

First of all you are not alone in finding FNPF a challenging paper.

Have you had the opportunity to go over your feedback with your tutor on your overall results.

As this at least should give you some comfort to see the areas where you were competent, as well as the areas where you were not yet competent and may need to do some more work, together with any areas where you narrowly failed competency which could well have been by only a couple of marks.

In these cases next time round this could mean you would only need to watch out that you do not give any crucial marks away, and is all then down to exam technique and making sure you are covering all the areas the examiner is looking out for.

This could be something as simple as not setting out the template for the answer to a question as asked ie in report or letter format.

We have recently covered examination techniques and revision for both FNPF and FNST and I have attached a link to our website: http://aatbirmingham.org.uk/2012/free-performance-enhancer-revision-workshop-review.html#more-1224

Where you can find the notes and presentation material from our workshop as another source of reference for your preparations for you next exam sitting.

You can and will pass this exam just keep thinking positive.

Hi Malcolm

I had a brief chat with one of the tutors and she just said I have improved!! So not much help there really as it isn't her aspect of teaching. Who did take us previously for FNPF has now left and who has taken over her position has not taught FNPF for a long time (apparantely) and is going through Budgeting with us now, so I don't feel like I am getting much help there at all!

I tried to click on the link you provided but I can't get onto anything when I click on the FNPF link, apart from a lot of codes?

Chelle

Hi Katie

Yes we can...........eventually :-)

Mollypod88

I was awake at 1:45am thinking about variances this morning.

I don't think I will EVER remember them all. I understand it just don't think I will be able to answer any questions!