Completing the collection of optional modules

ImInMediaYeah

Hi Forum
Hope you're well. Sorry if this has been recently asked elsewhere. My quick search for similar questions asked by other people failed to turn up the answers I needed.

I've just finished level 4 AQ2013 at my local college. This included the optional modules of Personal Tax and Business Tax, and I'm waiting for the restult of the Credit Control module (hopefully passed that one!).
With all that momentum, I'm wanting to complete my collection of optional modules. Unfortunately, my local college can't teach them, so I'm thinking of simply buying the textbooks and arranging my own exam entrance at a local private college. Which brings me to some questions that I need your advice on:

1) I passed Cash Management at level 3 AQ2010. Although I've heard the word 'transitional' used here and there, what do I need to know? Specifically, what are my options & what do I need to know for bringing myself up to level 4 AQ2014 for the Cash Management module?

2) How is the External Audit module assessed? If it's a project similar to the Internal Controls module, then that scuppers my plans to do this module by myself.

3) Is there anything else I should know and be prepared for? This will be the first time I've attempted to pass a couple of modules entirely by self-study and with exams not taken at my learning provider, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your help!

ariadne

You can self study just through the books, you just need motivation and self discipline! You could get a tutor if you were really struggling. You only need two optional modules so I presume you are just doing the others for the extra learning. I don't know about a marked Audit project but I know you won't need a transitional assessment for cash management. It was just dropped at L3 so new students don't need to do it at that level. CMGT at L4 will be more in depth than L3 from having a look on MyAAT, I did it under 2010 standards too. Having it at L3 will give you a head start.

Apart from that self study is perfectly possible, I'm about to start L4 after completing L3 the same way. You will need to identify an exam centre locally and you may want to inform AAT of this change from your usual exam centre/provider. Kaplan and BPP have most locations and accept external candidates. Good Luck!

ImInMediaYeah

Thanks for the reply, ariadne

I was hoping for some more replies from other students who had attempted to complete the whole set of optional modules, and for a more official reply from AAT. Oh well.

At the moment, the answers to my questions look like this...

1) Level 3 AQ2010 Cash Management counts for nothing at Level 4 AQ2013, so I'll need to sit the whole 2.5 hour exam. The Guidance in the Study Support Search in MyAAT confirmed that.

2) The Guidance in the Study Support Search in MyAAT tells me that External Audit is assessed by a 2 hour exam. That makes the self-study route a viable option.

3) The practicalities of moving from being at a college to doing just a couple of exams at an external private college, are still a bit unclear. Do I need to telephone AAT to say "I'm still a student even though I'm not registered at a college!"? What do I need to know?

Thanks for your help, forum

CeeJaySix

Nope, your student membership will continue until its expiry regardless (and obviously you can renew at that point if you need to).

The AAT website used to have an exam centre locator (I've never looked for it on the new site but assume its still there somewhere). Some are colleges, others are financial training institutions like Kaplan or BPP, others still are standalone training centres that just offer the exam facility (eg Pitman Training). Find your nearest one, give them a bell, tell them what you want to sit, they'll give you available dates and cost (expect to pay around £60-80 per exam, varies from area to area).

You may like to phone AAT to change your provider ID - this will currently be set as your college. You can change it to the centre at which you are going to sit the exams. However I don't believe this is actually necessary to allow you to sit exams.

ImInMediaYeah

Thanks for replying
That answers pretty much everything!

j1994

What came up for written sections CSHM?

SandyHood

Please do not answer j1994's question

j1994 you may have had an innocent request, but the words used here suggest that you want to know the content of a live assessment.
Think more carefully if you are innocent, and word your requests better.
If you really did want to know the content of a live assessment you need to know that is not allowed. Don't make the request.