Level 4 optional units

ollieg

Hi guys
Could someone please give me some friendly advice on level 4 options, I have completed personal tax and have failed business tax 3 times now and I’ve had enough. I have been told by the AAT I have the options of Auditing, Credit Control and Cash Management. Could someone please suggest which of the following options are the most straight forward? I’m not looking for an easy way out... I just want to get level 4 completed.
Thanks

Lelouch

For me, I bought the Auditing books and I found them really dry and hard to get on with (if you want to buy some books I may know someone lol) so knocked that on the head. I found Credit control pretty easy, but I have previous experience, as I used to work in Credit control. I am now part way through studying Cash Management and it seems to be one of the more straight forward units on level 4....

I would also suggest having a quick look on the AAT website and the exams of the topics you are looking at. It may help you decide

ollieg

Hi. Thanks for getting back.
I have heard auditing is one of the harder topics. I will be self tutoring myself from the book after work on which ever topic I pick. So it would be ideal for it to be the most straight forward. Which one out of credit control and cash management did you think was the easiest to pick up?
Yes that is a good idea ... Thanks for your help it is much appreciated

Lelouch

personally I would say cash management, but they are both straightforward.

ollieg

ok well thank you for your help and advise i will have a look on the AAT website for some more information
Much appreciated

onwards

Hi ollieg

If you are looking for a easy pass I'd recommend cash management.
However I would suggest you try one last big effort with your tax exam
If you one day would like to study ATT (tax) then you will get some exemptions with completing the 2 tax modules with AAT

ollieg

Hi onwards
Thanks for the reply.
Cash management seems to have the majority vote ATM. I'm not looking for an easy way out, I just really struggle with the exams, I always have and always will I think the Nervs just get the better of me. I have sat 4 business tax exams now and think that is enough, I really want to complete it because I know I can and I will feel like I've accomplished more if I do but the it's taking up to much time and a lot of money. Every resit I take is another £100 and means I lose 2 days holiday.
Have you sat cash management and credit control exams? I'm looking to hopefully do some sort of cima qualification after but I haven't looked into that yet.

Thanks

onwards

hello
sorry I didn't mean to imply you were looking for an easy exam
p.s that's what I did back when I did AAT lol

I did cash management and credit control (think the titles may have been slightly different when I sat them 2+ years ago) rather than doing any tax as I thought it was boring, but now I'm half way through CIMA I'm thinking of doing ATT after CIMA and if I had done the tax exams when I did AAT I would have saved myself doing 2 exams.

As you have sat 4 times I would maybe take a break from tax and try credit control (my opinion is this is the easiest exam I took at any AAT level). If I was in you situation I would just want to pass AAT ASAP and come back to tax in future studies/CPD, I know you are motivated to pass business tax but I'd op for looking at the bigger picture/ achievement and would just do what was needed to get AAT completed.

ollieg

Hi
Sorry I may have put that across in a rude context.
I think for now I am going to give business tax a break and concentrate on passing level 4.
So if you were starting over again and had to pick from the two which one would you pick? I will be study from the book by myself at home so ideally the one which is the most straight forward and self explainatory.
I did start to look at cima but just got myself all worked up about it as I haven't finished level 4.

Thanks a lot for your help

onwards

I would go with credit control

ollieg

Ok thank you

ollieg

null
Hi onwards
Which book did you use for credit control?
I'm really struggling to decide which unit to pick!

onwards

The Osborne books

ollieg

Ok thank you.
So just to double check you'd defiantly recommend credit control?
Which exam has the more straight forward questions?
I hate it when the AAT word a question awkwardly... I always end up panicking and picking the wrong option.

Thanks

zippi

Hi Ollieg,
In my opinion credit control is the easiest, cash management may look easier in terms of studying, especially if you good in maths but exams are nothing like books, questions are definitely laid out awkwardly with lot of red herrings just to confuse you even more. I took cash management in level 3 and was the only exam I ever failed, unfortunately I also have to do it in level 4 as college choose the options but I failed again. I am thinking other way round of switching to personal tax but unlike you I guess I'll have to study myself. What is your opinion. How many attempts have you had? Was it easier to pass and did you study it yourself?

ollieg

Hi zippi
Thanks for the advise. I'll probably go for credit control then.
The AAT love to put awkward questions in the exams.
I don't find business tax hard it's just in the exam I crumble for some reason. I found personal tax and budgeting quite easy and straight forward. The level 4 report is quite straight forward as well. I tried business tax for 3 attempts. I studied the report, personal tax and business tax by myself... I found it quite difficult trying to learn the tax units by myself and I think the AAT offer very little support. But I guess it's just how it is and I need to pass these last few units.
Thanks

zippi

I think you've made a right choice. I am going to give second attempt to taking cash management and hoping to pass. However, if need be would you advice switching to personal tax and study by yourself or join long distance learning. Also, did you manage to get through first attempt? When you got stuck who did you ask for help! Appreciate any feedback.

ollieg

I hope so. Yeah maybe give it another shot before you change unit. I done personal tax by myself in the evenings after work and I got on quite well with it, so I would advise you to do the same if it comes to that.... Hopefully it won't need to. I failed my last 3 weeks at college as they were all in the same week just when I got back from holiday but I eventually done them one by one. I either asked my old teacher (who was really helpful when he could spare the time) or I just made a note of the page and came back to it the next day when my mind was fresh. Hope this helps.

zippi

Thanks Ollieg, just one more question. does personal tax exam reflect to similar on AAT website or is it completely different? Also which books did you use,: BPP, Osborne or Kaplan? Fingers crossed I hope to pass in 2nd go, so hopefully won't need it but just in case. Thanks for all the info.

ollieg

Sorry for the late reply...
I would say it's fairly similar but that's just my personal interpretation on it. I used the kaplan book for that and I got the kaplan question book so I had some more practice for it. Best of luck zippi

aat_trainingcompany

We assisted some students a while ago and they did some exams on their own (credit control and external auditing) - they requested no support and none was provided. They passed...they had degrees.

The pass rates:

Business tax 62.8%

External auditing 85.3%

Cash management 66.2%

Credit control 76.7%.

Based on pass rates alone external audit is your best bet. We would recommend looking at practice assessments, if the papers look alien you know you will have a mountain to climb otherwise it may be a small hill.

Our advice would be to tackle BTAX once more, ask your provider for some papers with feedback service. You are already familiar with it - and it is always easier, there must be somethings you may remember.

ollieg

Hi
Thanks for the response.

I plan to have a look at the AAT website for the practice exams and see what looks the most straight forward.
I would quite like to do business tax purely for the fact that I didn't give up on it but I feel like I'm wasting my time doing it just to fail again. I have asked my old college for support but they don't offer much. My old teacher in his defence as been as helpful as he can but they do not teach that subject and all old material is now out of date. I have asked the AAT for support but they also offer very little and just point me in the direction of someone else and then it's just a never ending drama! I have tried to look for one 2 one private tuition but I can't find anyone around my area and I refuse to do an online course as I feel I wouldn't gain anything from it. Thanks

zippi

Thanks Ollieg, apologies for late reply too. I had been very busy with project so never had a chance to look back at the posts etc. I will give cash management another go as it seems like lot of them are failing Ptax as well as Btax from reading on the thread posts. Hopefully I will not have to alter but if by any chance I had to then will post questions here as I know that someone will certainly shed light on it. Appreciate all your responses and help.