AAT Level 4 Synoptic Exam

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  • hazel123
    hazel123 Registered Posts: 11
    Amazing, thank you for all of that info @007 ! What textbook do you have for synoptic? I just have the system and controls one from BPP. Someone has suggest getting the osbourne textbook on another thread.
  • jfrecker
    jfrecker Registered Posts: 24
    I used the Osbourne Text book and the Kaplan this time round which I thought the Osbourne was better than the BPP
  • Lindi
    Lindi Registered Posts: 166
    I have the Kaplan exam kit
    Comes with nifty study notes.
  • M92Z
    M92Z Registered Posts: 10
    Passed the retake with 75% after getting 58% July :).
    Congratulations to everyone who has passed, but if you haven't, don't give up! It will be that much sweeter when you do it!
    Also, I found what helped me this time was really learning SPAMSOAP, the different types of budgeting, Ratios and the threats to accounting system. (I wrote these down before starting the actual exam too.)
  • 007
    007 Registered Posts: 7
    hazel123 said:

    Amazing, thank you for all of that info @007 ! What textbook do you have for synoptic? I just have the system and controls one from BPP. Someone has suggest getting the osbourne textbook on another thread.

    We use Kaplan books for the whole level 4. But i bought the BPP System and Control, and the Osborne External Auditing for this time, didn't have time to go through the Osborne book so don't know if that helps. BPP helps a bit. But you really need to tackle each individual question by using different materials.
  • hazel123
    hazel123 Registered Posts: 11
    @007 I will watch some seminars on youtube and do some individual research. Just got a second hand kaplan kit so i'll use that alongside my bpp and then maybe order an osborne one too! thanks for all your help
  • 007
    007 Registered Posts: 7
    hazel123 said:

    @007 I will watch some seminars on youtube and do some individual research. Just got a second hand kaplan kit so i'll use that alongside my bpp and then maybe order an osborne one too! thanks for all your help

    My pleasure, this is really too hard and I feel it'll be my biggest pleasure to see everyone pass it. Hope you'll pass it no matter what no. Of attempt this is for you. And the same for all others.
  • MissHermansen
    MissHermansen Registered Posts: 103
    Article on the Synoptic assessment which might be useful for revision
  • steady88
    steady88 Registered Posts: 25
    71%.

    Just narrowly scraped through. So glad I don't need to do it again, and that's the whole qualification now completed
  • student
    student Registered Posts: 44
    I failed for the third time. I am really frustrated, helpless and I think after passing all papers with more than 80% I will not be able to complete this level at all. Everytime I get lower grade since my knowledge is fading and questions keep changing. I don't know what else I can do.
    I would appreciate if there is any advise.
  • student
    student Registered Posts: 44
    It has affected my life my job and I can not concentrate on anything
  • unicorn1905
    unicorn1905 Registered Posts: 47
    @student I’m so sorry to hear that you did not pass. I know if I had failed this time round I would not have known what to do. But please don’t give up. I failed in the July sitting with 65% then passed the September sitting with 78%. I appealed my result for the July sitting not for them changing the mark as I knew they wouldn’t but to get some direction as they give you feedback. This may help for you? I also tried to remember as many questions as I could from first time round and tackled them first (even though none of them came up!) Then spent a lot of time picking through the AAT practice assessments and sample answers. I used Osborne books and Kaplan revision kit.
    Definitely spend time on relevant costing as a lot of others have said.
    I really believe it’s luck of the draw with the questions as I think if I had, had my resit exam first I probably would have passed first time as found it more manageable.
    Good luck
  • steady88
    steady88 Registered Posts: 25
    student said:

    I failed for the third time. I am really frustrated, helpless and I think after passing all papers with more than 80% I will not be able to complete this level at all. Everytime I get lower grade since my knowledge is fading and questions keep changing. I don't know what else I can do.

    I would appreciate if there is any advise.

    For my 2nd time, I started off practicing question 1 and 5, making sure I knew the rations and understanding what they mean. Question 1 is a lot of book-keeping questions, so look at the advanced book-keeping module on the AAT website as a reminder of the main points. I got 'exceeded' in both questions, which means I only needed about 30 marks for the other four questions.

    I would definitely appeal to get more detailed feedback from the examiner's report. I went through the learning objectives for each question, which you can get off the AAT website, and write or type up to cover every possible topic that could come up. Once I became comfortable with these, I focused on one question type per day and wrote down bullet points so I could write my answers in a structured way, and then compare it with the model answer provided.

    For question 3 I tried to remember the ideal internal controls for sales, purchasing and payroll, and why they need to be there. That way I could immediately detect a weakness. For example if only one person is processing the invoices, and doing the payment run, then there is no checking for errors, and there is room for fake supplier accounts to be created.

    I did question 1 and 5 first in the exam and it gave me confidence for the rest of the exam, so start off with the questions you're most comfortable with. The more marks you can get on the easier questions, the less you need to get for the rest to pass.

    AAT have really messed up on this and are not providing enough support on this module compared to the rest. But it is possible to pass. You got over 80% on the other exams so I know you can do it. There's a month until the next window, so I would plan how you will revise. Start off going through the learning objectives, and make points on which topics you're least confident with and focus on practicing on these answers. Then after a couple of weeks, focus one day on one particular question topic. Like doing question 1 practice questions on Monday, then question 2 on Tuesday, question 3 wednesday etc. This way hopefully it will be clearer what the examiner is looking for and you're clearer and what you know and what areas you need to further study on.
  • jfrecker
    jfrecker Registered Posts: 24
    Yes agreed you need to be nailing task 1 and task 2 with exceed in both which will put you in a good place for the other questions I studied my full decision and controls book again for task 4 so I fully understood absorption marginal and activity based costing and could write about it. I also did. Lot of work on the fixed and flexed budget. Again passing it is definately related to the question you are given and my 3rd exam was easier than the others. Don’t give up you will get the mark you deserve but I understand the stress on your personal life it’s very difficult xx
  • student
    student Registered Posts: 44
    thanks guys for all your sympathy and support. but I really need some times to tackle my frustration and stress. and then I will start revising the whole thing again.
  • Venoxulous
    Venoxulous Registered Posts: 14
    Glad to see more people passing. Congratulations!

    I, personally, feel better about the exam now my copy of "Accounting systems and controls" arrived. It helps to understand what the tasks are looking for! Would definitely recommend if some of you haven't yet.
  • rabbia
    rabbia Registered Posts: 19
    congratulation those who pass. Unfortunately I did not 3rd time I fail this exam with lower grades. I m really stressful I don't know where to start now and how to improve my self. I got same question where I got met in first two exam and this time significant below can't believe it.
  • rabbia
    rabbia Registered Posts: 19
    Any one selling their Kaplan synoptic material plz let me know I m thinking to try that book as well and try my luck one more time.
  • Vilma
    Vilma Registered Posts: 11
    Hi everyone!
    Congratulation for those that have passed the exam. I have passed with 80% the synoptic exam. The books that I have used was Kaplan and Osborne and BPP.
    Now I am selling some of them:
    1.Kaplan synoptic test assessment - study text and practice kit.
    2 BPP External auditing - book and question bank
    Interested write on velmira@gmail.com
  • Sarahs152
    Sarahs152 Registered Posts: 5
    If you appeal the result to get the extra feedback, what sort of feedback do they give you? And how long does it take to receive this?
    I failed mine for the second time but I didn't feel like I struggled when I was sitting the exam so I'm at a bit of a loss for where to start revising again for the December sitting.....
  • unicorn1905
    unicorn1905 Registered Posts: 47
    @Sarahs152 it is only a sentence or two for each task. But says what you did well and what you need to revise. I found it helpful but it does cost £30, some might say it’s not worth it. I think it was 20 working days so need to appeal quickly otherwise you won’t receive it before resit! I revised where I thought I struggled and then the feedback just reconfirmed it and gave me so more to work on.
    Sorry to hear you failed again, it’s a horrible exam.
  • Sarahs152
    Sarahs152 Registered Posts: 5
    @unicorn1905 thanks! My exam is booked on the 8th December so I'm not sure I would get the feedback in time :/
    Thank you for your advice though :)
  • joannefarley
    joannefarley Registered Posts: 10
    I have the Colin Drury Management and cost accounting edition 9 question bank for sale - It is brand new as I didn't use it in the end - if anyone would like to purchase it let me know - 07969771086
  • JJ1
    JJ1 Registered Posts: 10
    Congratulation to those who have passed the exam! I'll sit mine on 4th December. From reading forum messages, examiners report and it looks like questions 1,3,5 and 6 are pretty straightforward and not too complex. Can someone please write a few comments on questions 2 and 4? Are they similar to practice assessments on AAT website or are they completely different in nature?
    Thank you ;)
  • Lindi
    Lindi Registered Posts: 166
    Hey hey look what's just come through... here's your chance

    AAT are carrying out a customer satisfaction survey in collaboration with The Institute of Customer Service. This survey helps an organisation understand their customers' views about their experience, and will take 5-10 minutes to complete.
  • Multiplicator
    Multiplicator Registered Posts: 116
    thanks Lindi - how do we get on it ? - customer satisfaction - an interesting idea, at present untapped at AAT
    do you have an URL?
    and good luck in your latest retake - I retake tomorrow without much enthusiasm

    but heigh ho that is the world we live in
  • Lindi
    Lindi Registered Posts: 166
    https://www.tlfadmin.com/view-survey/access-denied/ZxmShlKP5QM~/survey_completed

    I think that should get you there. It's the Institute of Customer Service Satisfaction Survey.

    I have given honest answers, so AAT have gotten back to me quickly when I contacted them so I have given them their due there, but I have made my disappointment clear of how their reputation attracted me to study with them, only to find level 4 study resources were nowhere near sufficient to justify the kind of answers they expected in the exam. I like to think of AAT as a computerised system, you only get out what you put in. I was flying all through levels 2 and 3 but level 4 kept getting more difficult as the modules went on, to finish off with a synoptic that may as well have been written in another language.

    And that is what grieves me most. They don't seem to listen to their own who have fought hard to get to this stage only to be left to sink or swim and when we complain and ask for help they give us a thread to try and catch rather than a buoy with a steady rope.
  • Lindi
    Lindi Registered Posts: 166
    Just seen you can't access that. Perhaps call them, why should only selected customers be chosen to participate. Everyone should get a say.
  • Mokshharesh782
    Mokshharesh782 Registered Posts: 22
    Hello! If anyone could help me with writing techniques. I am not really good with English and I believe that could be the reason I am failing.My answers are right but the way and words I use might be effecting.

    If anyone could write down their synoptic task 2 sample 1 answer and send it to me on mokshharesh782@gmail.com
    it will be really kind and helpful of you.

    and if someone could get me tips please on writing.

    Thanks.

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