Level 3 synoptic exam

MarieArmstrong

Just wondering if anyone has completed their Level 3 synoptic assessment and how was it and did you have any issues?

Jeff

I sit my synoptic on Tuesday 23/05.
At least AAT seem to have listened, and increased Part 2 by 15 minutes and now include the questions as an extra tab within the spreadsheet download - would still prefer the questions for Part 2 as a hard copy in front of m to stop having to flick from tab to tab

Hayleybubs

Jeff were you not given the option to print the question page? My tutor says we can print it off?

EllaS

Hi Jeff - how did the exam go? I too sat the Advanced Level Synoptic last night, but couldn't progress to the second task in Part 2, as Excel wouldn't open it. This happened to everyone taking the test. Did you manage to complete it?

Hayleybubs

I sit on Friday, very anxious now! So EllaS will you need to resit if not completed?

Hayleybubs

EllaS were you allowed to print off the assessment questions save flicking from tab to tab? X

Demie

I sat this exam yesterday and i wasnt allowed to print off the questions either, and was it jist my college or has everyone else sat spreadsheets using a much older version of excel? All my revision i done on the latest version but as the real thing was on an older version there was such a difference of how to do things even down to how to put a title on a bar chart, is it just my whole college that found it ridiculously hard???

AlisonSwanson

The AAT spreadsheet data files have been created using Excel 2003!!

Demie

Yeah no one told us that at my college, even the teachers thought it would just be on the newest version and its messed my whole classes grades up completely, we all highly doubt any of us have passed which is such a shame coz we were all quite confident with the spreadsheet practice we had been doing on the new version

Mike Webster

AlisonSwanson said:

The AAT spreadsheet data files have been created using Excel 2003!!

Really?!?

karenbaker

Excel 2003 - no words. Just when did AAT inform us of this - perhaps we need to ask IT to dig out an old version so we can stay in the dark ages

Demie

Yeah i don't think aat informed anyone but looking at other forums it seems that this wasnt a problem for anyone else, i don't understand how theyd make the synoptic this year a new exam and use an excel version over 10 years old its outdated so unrealistic for when we do go to work when the whole point of the synoptic was to ensure we did know everything from each part of the corse to be better accountants when we go to work

Katie_Yau

Here to vent my frustration! Had my exam today and was very annoyed that my excel was 2003! Definitely a confident knock down since I was very prepared​ for this exam. Good luck to anyone still due to take it this week!

Hayleybubs

Demi your comment was removed from my question

Hayleybubs

Did everyone that's sat it complete it in the time frame?

Hayleybubs

My college has excel 2010, will it even be compatible with the exam?

Katie_Yau

I completed part 1 with 20mins to spare but part 2 was a real push.

Demie

It doesnt matter what excel your college has, on the secure assess it willccome up with the spreadsheet with the version from 2003 as that is what aat have decided to use in the exam & yes i saw its been removed, i guess i werent allowed to write about what came up in one of my tasks

crystal95howard

No one from my college completed part 2 of the exam (spreadsheets), most of us only just completed 2.1! All looked very pessimistic atm!

Demie

If everyone is all struggling as much as it seems then hopefully theyll mive the grade boundries down, its comforting knowing that my college werent the only ones who struggled

AlisonSwanson

Or just remove Task 2.2 or 2.3 from the exam altogether? Please! Preferably before the July 2017 Synoptic window.

Casey

We sat our Synoptic exam yesterday, 7 out of 8 of us had problems using the excel spreadsheet as the screens kept freezing, which meant we couldn't use some of the functions to format the cells. I managed to finish task 2.1. Task 2.2 was only half complete and I gave up with Task 2.3 as I could not do tasks they asked due to the computer issues. The spreadsheet part of the exam should clearly be taught as a separate module as in AQ2013. It just isn't possible to complete all the tasks in 90 minutes.

Demie

Yh quite a few people at my college had problems with the screen freezing too!!

Jeff

I sat the exam last night. In regards to the time, I did manage to complete all of it, I had a few moments to spare in Part 1, and a couple of minutes left in Part 2. Not sure how much I got right though!
We were told not to print the spreadsheet questions. I just created a new window within Excel so that I could use the shift and tab buttons to flick between question and data. One thing you all need to be aware of though, when in Excel you cannot see how much time is left as the countdown timer from the AAT site is not visible.
We also had issues of PCs crashing and/or freezing, but at least the timer stops when starting a new PC.
However, my college stated that we were to havw a 30 minute break between Part 1 and 2, but as soon as you push FINISH on Part 1, the timer starts for Part 2. the invigilator then paused the clock whilst I had a break.
Why not just do the 2 parts as 2 separate exams?

Hayleybubs

If I'm allowed I will print off the question sheet I like to cross through as I do it so I don't miss bits! Reading these forums is doing nothing for my confidence! I am reasonably confident of task 1.1-1.4 but petrified in regards to 2.1-2.3!

Hayleybubs

Does anyone know if the exam is marked as a whole or if we have to achieve 70% minimum on each part to pass?

Mike Webster

Spreadsheet questions account for 40% of total marks and the whole assessment is marked out of 100%.

Therefore you can safely assume that the two sections combine to give one score.

AlisonSwanson

If you're not allowed to print off the questions you can keep track of where you are up to on the instructions on the excel spreadsheet by highlighting the rows as you go along.

Casey

The first part is 60 marks and the second is 40. My tutor advised to try and revise part 1 and aim to get 50 marks, you would then only need 20 marks on part 2. Good luck with your exam.

Jeff

I believe you have to achieve 70% on each Part,
ie. 42/60 on Part 1, and then 28/40 on Part 2

Hayleybubs

This is what I feared Jeff