Passed Level 3.. Want to get ahead with Level 4 - Where do I start?

SashaDella

Hello Level 4 Students.

I have just completed my level 3 of my AAT.. I want to pass an exam between now and Starting level 4 in September (at college) so I have less work to do. (I have a full time job, and a weekend job and college timetable is two evenings a week!)

I will have to do this Self Study, and was wondering what is the "easier" subject to start with, I know that Level 4 is a big leap from level 3 - However I will have 2 months to at least get ahead with a topic and hopefully take an exam!!

Any advice welcome. thanks

Sasha

amyjayne27

Hi Sasha,

Well done on completing level 3! Its a great feeling isnt it.

Everyone is different and I am not very far into level 4 but my training provider suggested I do Budgeting first as it carries on nicely from level 3. I was worried about the jump from level 3 to level 4 but I found Budgeting okay.

Otherwise you could start the project? That would be a good one to get out of the way too.

SashaDella

Thanks for your advice! No one else has responded so I think I'll start with Budgeting next week! Im going to go through Premier Training though

Thanks

mrderek88

Hi Sasha

I've been advised from my tutor to start with budgeting - which I start tonight via self study - then to progress onto Financial Performance as they have common areas. Then its really up to you I think. Im going to do my two Taxation modules after that then onto Financial Statements and then ICAS report.

As Amy said, everyone is different but I would stick with the easier ones first. Thats what Im going to do!!

Good luck with it!!

Derek

emuratty

I did them in this order

Budgeting
Financial performance
ICAS at same time as FP
Financial statements
Personal tax
Credit management at same time as BT
Business tax

Worked ok for me, but the order was dictated by my college

amyjayne27

My training provider is Premier Training too, I think they are great.

As Derek said, Budgeting and Financial Performance supposedly go hand in hand so I would do these one after the other.

Unfortunately I left a big gap between the two which hasnt helped!

But you will be fine, good luck not that you are going to need it!

sonya11

Personally I found credit management to be the quickest to finish (probably as it's the smallest book!)

SashaDella

How long do you think it will take me to complete Budgeting or Credit Management. (Hours wise?) I shall be self studying?

Thanks for your help! I want to get started this weekend!!

Lozzy

Hello!

Sorry to hijack this thread but I just wanted to ask a quick question.

I have recently passed Level 3 too and am due to start Level 4 at College (2 nights per week) on 10 October this year. This will run until 29 January 2015. I thought this was quite a long time but this is all that my College and all other local Colleges offer and I don't really fancy doing home study as I know that I would not stick to it!!

I thought that your idea of passing an exam before starting at College at Level 4 is a great idea but how do you go about organising exams etc and what happens when you start at college and the other students are studying for that exam?

Thanks in advance

Lozzy

Roydsio

I'm going to go against the majority here and advise to do your ICAS first and get it out of the way. I have just completed level 4 and on the advice of my FD completed my ICAS as my first module. I wasn't sidetracked with the other modules so could devote all my time to it. All in all it took me four weeks from start to finish. If you don't get it out of the way it will linger all year. From then on I did Budgeting and then PTX. I then did CRMC via work based evidence. This then just left me FNPF & FNST which I sat in May & June. Out of 14 students on my course only two of us have completed as the others still haven't submitted their ICAS reports.

guinea pig

Hi Sashadella,
I agree with Roydsio, I did ICAS on my own in the summer break, my tutor was available by email some of the time, and was very supportive. I enjoyed this module and found that it was a good one to get on with on my own and was relieved to have it done when I returned to college in the September. I would have found it hard to concentrate on alongside weekly classes and studying for another subject. I also did credit management mainly self study in the Xmas holidays, and found that was the shortest and most straightforward subject.
Good luck,
GP

Nps

I don't know much about the syllabus changes in September, but if you do one exam beforehand, won't that put you on a different syllabus to your classmates when you return in September? Will that not cause issues? Or can you perhaps choose to transfer to the new syllabus so long as you take an exam which is the same in both syllabi? As I say, I don't know much about the changes but thought I'd mention it just in case.

Jo Clark

Nps1976 wrote: »

I don't know much about the syllabus changes in September, but if you do one exam beforehand, won't that put you on a different syllabus to your classmates when you return in September? Will that not cause issues? Or can you perhaps choose to transfer to the new syllabus so long as you take an exam which is the same in both syllabi? As I say, I don't know much about the changes but thought I'd mention it just in case.

Very good point NPS!

wannabebean

Hi

Just be advised that the new qualification starts in September - I would check with the AAT if the unit you do now will still be valid under the new qualification. I fairly sure it will, but it might be worth checking. There isn't a big difference between the older format and the new format (as far as I can tell they have simply dropped Cash Management at Level 3 and added it at Level 4 as an optional unit!).

If it was me, since you only have a month, then Budegting is your best bet. If you have anytime left - start studying Financial Statements!

Kelly7

If you are going to do your level 4 at college in Sept won't it cost you extra to pay for an exam before you go?

Lozzy, our college offers the course for 2 nights a week and is from Sept til June but I think the extra bit of time will take the pressure off you and allow you to take more in. I imagine you'll be off over the summer still & they'd probs set your icas / icys project then. X

cazalino

Are there any tiny units in level 4 that can be done relativley quickly to get it out the way (like Ethics in level 3)? Inspired by this thread i contacted my college for suggestions on what unit i could study over the summer to get ahead but he recommended that i just relax but if i wanted to make a head start that i read the managing cash book as that will be the first unit we start in Sept in class. I tried to order the book but you can only pre-order now for delivery at the end of august which means i may as well wait until class starts!

Lozzy

Kelly7 wrote: »

If you are going to do your level 4 at college in Sept won't it cost you extra to pay for an exam before you go?

Lozzy, our college offers the course for 2 nights a week and is from Sept til June but I think the extra bit of time will take the pressure off you and allow you to take more in. I imagine you'll be off over the summer still & they'd probs set your icas / icys project then. X

Hi All,

Thanks for your help and advice. I think I am just going to leave it and wait until I start in October (its a shame it doesn't start in September!!).

Just thought it would be good to get ahead but it sounds like it could be more trouble than it is worth :laugh:

Oh well, I'll just have to do nothing except relax until October

Thanks again

Lozzy