Not an easy road for your boy

gangstara

My Financial Statements results are out, Not Yet Competent for the 8th time. Can somebody please help me, um left with this paper to get my qualification. Not Yet Competent for the 8th time, PLEASE HELP ME! Somebody!!

Jo Clark

Sorry to hear that you have not yet been marked as competent.

I think the first step is to obtain the feedback available so you can identify areas of weakness and focus your revision on these.

Hopefully others will have some other ideas, hints, tips etc. for you.

Nps

8 fails is suggesting you really have a problem with this paper.

Only you can say what the problem is as we don't know your circumstances.

Are you entering exams confident that you know the syllabus? Are you doing all the green lights and practice assessments and passing/understanding them. If you are not, then I'd advise you don't enter for any further exams until you are. After 8 fails, I'd suggest you don't take the exam again until you feel you know the subject backwards.

Do you go into the exam feeling confident, or do you know deep down that you're likely to fail?

Are you using a learning provider? What is their take on this as clearly there is something going wrong? Do you need to change providers? Do you need a more in depth or slower paced course?

What books do you use? Do you perhaps need to try a different publisher?

Are there specific areas that you know you don't know? Are you entering the exam hoping that one day you just get lucky?

Have you tried cutting the syllabus down into chunks? Concentrate on one Standard at a time, and don't move on till the next till you know the first one inside out.

Is the problem exam nerves?

You obviously have the ability to pass this paper, else you wouldn't have passed the rest of AAT. Have you lost faith in yourself perhaps?

There is a book by Claire Finch which is recommended for this paper. Personally I didn't like it, but I know a lot of people swear by it so that might be worth looking at.

I'm just thinking out loud so that you can try to pinpoint what the problem is. But remember, you wouldn't have passed the other exams if you didn't have the ability to pass this one.

Steve Collings

You must not give up hope!

I wonder if you have read this article of mine - this may help in understanding exam technique etc. In many cases it is a student's exam technique that becomes a hurdle. I used to teach the old DFS and have come across many students who concentrate so much on accounting standards at the detriment of other areas. In addition, so much time is spent on the number-crunching aspects of the paper that insufficient time is spent on being able to discuss the numbers. The skills required in FNST are twofold: calculation AND discussion, hence you must be able to go into the exam with these skills under your belt.

My book 'IFRS For Dummies' available from Amazon might help you understand the standards but the most crucial aspect of this exam is to ensure you cover the entire syllabus sufficiently with exam standard question practise.

I hope that helps and good luck with your studies.

Steve