Cost & Revenues Exam.

Sam22

Hi,

I have my cost and revenues exam next friday and I saw somewhere on here someone saying that they were annoyed as the exam wasn't anything like the mock ones on the AAT website (I can't find that post at the moment, hence why I'm writing this one). Has anyone taken this exam recently who could tell me how similar/different the exam is to the practice ones on the website?

I do feel prepared and feel I have a good understanding of everything in the book, however I just like to be prepared and to know if the practice CBTs are similar in layout/content to the real ones.

All the previous CBTs I've done have been pretty much identical to the practice ones....

Thanks

Jo Clark

Hello

From what I recall CRS was different to the practice assessments, however if you have the knowledge/skills as detailed in the syllabus then you should be able to apply them in the exam, no matter what format the question is

Good luck.


JC

topcat

Hi

not another one :huh: Cash Management mocks were very different to live test .

Thanks for making me aware have this one in two months time

Good Luck

let us know how you get on

Cudey

What on earth is happening here? Seems like every exam we come across is different to the mock ones!? Are we caught in a transitional period or something?

liveprincess

my CRS was very similar to the practice assessments, much more similar than CMGT. I wouldn't say I was "annoyed" though. There is no rule which says real exams need to be the same as the mock ones- what would be the point of that?

Sam22

Thank you for all the replies.
Hopefully it'll go ok!!

Liveprincess, I guess there is no rule, however I thought the whole point in mock exams was to prepare you for the types of questions you may get asked in the real exams...

I'll let you know what the real exam is like in comparison to the practice ones next week.

Thanks again everyone

Spamkebab

Hi gang

I sat Costs & Revenues in 2011 and the exam was laid out differently than the mocks back then. I remember looking at the screen then looking around the room like someone could help me, for a second or two i wanted my mum lol. When i started reading the exam properly it all made sense. This is one module at level 3 that you need a really good grasp of the subject content. Having learnt it well it will help you a lot with level 4.

G

Cudey

liveprincess wrote: »

my CRS was very similar to the practice assessments, much more similar than CMGT. I wouldn't say I was "annoyed" though. There is no rule which says real exams need to be the same as the mock ones- what would be the point of that?

I see what you are saying, and I'm all for being tested to the full. I actually get annoyed if I scrape a pass like I did in ITX (though I was misinformed and taught the wrong syllabus), but what i'd be concerned about is if the question confuses me because the layout. Change the wording and stuff by all means, but if the layout change tricks people then to me that defeats the purpose of an exam - you want to test peoples knowledge of a topic, not trick them.

That said I haven't done CMGT but I shall do on 12th so can't really comment on this change. I don't want it to be easy, but as long as the layout change doesn't effect my understanding of what's being asked then that's fine.

Jo Clark

Cudey wrote: »

I see what you are saying, and I'm all for being tested to the full. I actually get annoyed if I scrape a pass like I did in ITX (though I was misinformed and taught the wrong syllabus), but what i'd be concerned about is if the question confuses me because the layout. Change the wording and stuff by all means, but if the layout change tricks people then to me that defeats the purpose of an exam - you want to test peoples knowledge of a topic, not trick them.

That said I haven't done CMGT but I shall do on 12th so can't really comment on this change. I don't want it to be easy, but as long as the layout change doesn't effect my understanding of what's being asked then that's fine.

This may sound harsh and I apologise in advance.

I understand where you are all coming from, and the comments you make regarding the layout as I have been in your shoes and felt the same about CMGT and CRS, however I applied my knowledge and passed. In the workplace you will need to apply the knowledge gained from AAT and it won't necessarily be in the same format each time and certainly or more than likely it won't be in the format that you have learnt for the exam. If you had a table that you were used to completing but were faced with a multiple choice question you may be looking for the same end result but one question may require a lot more input than the other which you would do workings on rough paper but not actually show these in the exam and sometimes there is more than one way to get to the answer. I'm probably rambling and not making much sense as I'm not very well at the moment

Spamkebab

That's what i meant Jo lol. If you have a good understanding of the subject then the layout shouldn't matter. Remember not to panic just because it isn't a mirror copy of the mocks.

Jo Clark

Exactely

A couple of lively discussions going on at the moment hey!

Spamkebab

This revision (helping others) is giving me a wee bit more confidence, i've even been looking at how to obtain a practice cert.
Watch me go Jo lol.

Jo Clark

Spamkebab wrote: »

This revision (helping others) is giving me a wee bit more confidence, i've even been looking at how to obtain a practice cert.
Watch me go Jo lol.

I'm watching.... :001_tt2:

Cudey

Jo Clark wrote: »

This may sound harsh and I apologise in advance.

I understand where you are all coming from, and the comments you make regarding the layout as I have been in your shoes and felt the same about CMGT and CRS, however I applied my knowledge and passed. In the workplace you will need to apply the knowledge gained from AAT and it won't necessarily be in the same format each time and certainly or more than likely it won't be in the format that you have learnt for the exam. If you had a table that you were used to completing but were faced with a multiple choice question you may be looking for the same end result but one question may require a lot more input than the other which you would do workings on rough paper but not actually show these in the exam and sometimes there is more than one way to get to the answer. I'm probably rambling and not making much sense as I'm not very well at the moment

Not harsh at all, and it makes sense. I agree you need to have thorough knowledge and understanding of the whole topic, but I think it'll help people to prepare more if there were other tests with various layouts. If someone panics they could easily make a mistake and fail the test when they know the information.

As I say I sit this next Tuesday so will see how bad it is.... and if I fail I may just use the layout as an excuse and rant about it! (only kidding)

I hope you're feeling better Jo!

Jo Clark

Cudey wrote: »

As I say I sit this next Tuesday so will see how bad it is.... and if I fail I may just use the layout as an excuse and rant about it! (only kidding)

Good luck for tomorrow Cudey... let us know how it goes Fingers and toes crossed for you!

Cudey

Jo Clark wrote: »

Good luck for tomorrow Cudey... let us know how it goes Fingers and toes crossed for you!

Thanks Jo

I made a mistake though I meant it's the 12th! - Best to get the mistake out the way before the test I guess :cool2:

turbo_sammie

I have recently taken the Costs & Revenues and Cash Management exams, and although I found them to be more difficult than the practice exams, I felt that I understood the syllabus and was able to apply my knowledge to the questions and pass both with ease. It annoys me a bit that people are moaning because the real CBT isn't exactly the same as the practice assessments, but what would be the point of that? The reason for the assessments is for you to understand the material, not to memorise the layout of questions so you know exactly where each answer should go.

When I read on here that the questions in CMGT were completely different to the practice assessments, I was bricking it and thought there's no way that I'd pass. But now I see that the questions aren't different, they're just asked in another way to make sure you really understand the unit.

As my mum always tells me, if it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing! :001_smile:

Sam22

I passed CRS today!

I didn't find it that different at all after what everyone's been saying. A few questions that made me sit back and think for a few seconds but in the end I exceeded in the majority of areas.

Cash management next!

Jo Clark

Congratulations Sam

Sam22

Thanks Jo

billdoor

Well done Sam:thumbup:

I've mentioned before about the real exam being a different format to the practice exams, because I also got told by Jo that it shouldn't matter if you've understood the module content properly.:laugh:

And Jo is 100% correct, you should pass because you can apply your knowledge to the exam, not because you've mastered the layout of the assessment.

But - what annoyed me was that I'd sat about eight AAT exams by that point and all of them had been similar in format to the practice exams, and I also tend to do 6-8 practice exams for each module, all of which are also similar. So to then get to the assessment and find a different format is annoying as it throws you off when you're already nervous (and in my case usually edging closer to panic anyway). It's like learning to drive in one car and then having to sit your exam in a different car - it shouldn't make any difference if you know how to drive, but it unsettles you as everything feels different.

I think my point is that I'd prefer it if the practice exams were more varied so that you don't have the opportunity to get settled into a rhythm. That way you'd learn to approach a question from different angles and it would be more beneficial to our learning.

SandyHood

Good point billdoor

I think my point is that I'd prefer it if the practice exams were more varied so that you don't have the opportunity to get settled into a rhythm. That way you'd learn to approach a question from different angles and it would be more beneficial to our learning.

I think that an increasing number of candidates are relying on the AAT's own website for their practice. Some of these may be people who have found actual and practice exams for earlier units so similar that they can save tuition costs and learn from a book and practice this way. Cost accounting is about achieving results with an eye on cost, so this approach is very much in line with the subject.

Those who go to college incur a tuition cost, but they get a chance of a wider range of practice questions. I have over 200 pages of questions (that those unfortunate souls who have to put up with me have) to work through. It adds variety in the way questions can be asked, but courses do have a cost. It is a trade off. Our exam is April 24th. I gave out pages 1-116 on Wednesday before we finish the syllabus next week.
We'll then have 5 weeks (3 in college, 2 when college breaks for Easter) before the exam.

Jo Clark

... I guess we should be thankful/appreciate the practice papers that are made available as well as Greenlight which is a valuable resource and has questions worded in different ways.

There is nothing to stop students looking at exam papers pre CBAs and attempting them. There are question and answer papers for past exams going back numerous years for all three levels.

How is your studying going billdoor? What are you currently working towards?

Cudey

Jo Clark wrote: »

Good luck for tomorrow Cudey... let us know how it goes Fingers and toes crossed for you!

Hi Jo,

Just to let you know that I passed :thumbup:

Wasn't to bad at all. I can see what people mean by it being different, and 2 questions did throw me a little with the terminology but I still got a very good score :001_smile:

billdoor

Jo Clark wrote: »

How is your studying going billdoor? What are you currently working towards?

Sorry Jo, I seem to have missed this question. It's going okay, I'm working towards FNST and will probably sit the exam in a couple of weeks. This is my third module on Level 4, having passed BDGT and waiting on FNPF.

Hard work is Level 4!

billdoor

Well done Cudey, excellent work! How many left now?

Cudey

billdoor wrote: »

Well done Cudey, excellent work! How many left now?

Thanks Billdoor!

3 left now on Lev 3. Starting CRS on Saturday, then onto SPSW and PEAF to finish. Bring it on :001_smile:

Jo Clark

Congratulations Cudey

Jo Clark

billdoor wrote: »

Hard work is Level 4!

Certainly is... but well worth it :001_tongue: