ICAS - recommendations and weaknesses

anniebabe

Please can someone try and make this clear.
Does sections 5 6 and 7 need to have a minimum of 6 weaknesses and recommendations ?
I am struggling to find 6 for my section 6 - tutor keeps removing them.

I have now have had the following comment on my feedback (is this why I am struggling? this is basically the only thing holding me back)

Section 6 [FONT=&quot]Also whilst Payroll is the accounting system that you are investigating really the comparison should have been done on the overall package as criteria 3.4 relates to Accounting Systems and not just one ledger/module of an accounting system – i.e. is the overall system fit for purpose in producing the Financial Statements – apologies this was not made clearer on previous feedback

Does this comment mean I should actually be doing my weaknesses and recommendation on section 6 for the full system and not just payroll - getting confused, feel like I am going round in circles with it [/FONT]
Any advice is much appreciated.
(Apologies if I should not be asking about this, getting a bit upset and lost with it).

coojee

This is going to be difficult to manage as your tutor is a little misguided, you can and should base your report on one accg system rather than the whole system. If you look at the whole system you can't go into enough detail. Criteria 3.4 means is the accg system that you are looking at fit for purpose not is the whole accg system fit for purpose.There is also no rule that says you must have 6 weaknesses and 6 recommendations, the main thing to check is that there is a recommendation for every weakness and that every recommendation addresses a weakness already identified (don't start trying to fix problems that you haven't yet found in the weaknesses part). I don't know how to advise you further than this as you clearly can't argue the toss with your tutor.

Diddy Mau

I agree with Coojee

When I did my ICAS, we were told focus on a specific problem and write whole report on this. So if you find fault with payroll, then the whole report will be on this.
for Weakness & strengths, I would say if you have up to 6, fantastic. but you defiantly need a few. Does these strengths and weaknesses show in your report, or are they made up? ie, have you mentioned problems or strengths before?
you can put new weaknesses in if never mentioned before in report, the idea is everything ties in together.

been a while since I done mine, but hope this helps. Shout back if you need better explanation.

No apologies, needed, as asking specific question and not @how do I write report'

anniebabe

I have only 4 weaknesses and recommendations for section 6, 6 for section 5 and 7 for section 7.
My word count is at 4400.
Can honestly see me starting again with a different provider at this rate - cant help but feel i am being lead astray.
Bit upset about it all - need to upload on Monday

James Patterson

http://forums.aat.org.uk/forum/for-student-members/student-discussion/technician-diploma/38607-icas-report-writing-advice

TyJac

anniebabe wrote: »

I have only 4 weaknesses and recommendations for section 6, 6 for section 5 and 7 for section 7.
My word count is at 4400.
Can honestly see me starting again with a different provider at this rate - cant help but feel i am being lead astray.
Bit upset about it all - need to upload on Monday

I submitted my report for a second marking on Monday. Can u make it clear why you have different number of weaknesses and recommendations for section 5,6 & 7. Also what contents are each sections? My section 4 is the review of the system, 5 - Weaknesses, 6 - Recommendations, finally 7 - appendix.

My word count for 1st submission went up to 6000words, because I thought only sections from 3-6 only counted towards the words, which was stated on the workshop video by Kaplan. However I was told that word counts start from the title page up to section 6. What section did your word count started from and ended?

Also which case study did you receive?

anniebabe

Hi my word count is now at 4664 and it started at Terms of Reference straight through to the end of cost benefit (sections 4-8) excluding the appendices.
It does say in the book and the guidance i received to reference weaknesses and recommendations at the end of each of the sections 5/6/7 to meet criteria.