Help! Re synoptic advanced level 3

Sheena1707

I have a problem. The college im studying at says i can only sit the synoptic exam for advanced diploma in accounting between 10-13 July 2017. I booked a very expensive holiday abroad from the 7th July because that is when the school told us was the last day of term. I therefore assumed our synoptic test would take place on 5th July or end of June. I've just found an aat synoptic exam schedule online and it looks like the only other date advanced level students can take the exam is 28 May which is only 3 weeks away. I work 36 hours a week and cant see myself being confident for the final unit in only 3 weeks. I dont want to cancel my holiday due to the expense over £2k and my colleagues have set their holiday plans based around mine so any changes would mess up our office cover. Can anyone advise? Is there an extenuating circumstances form i can submit for an alternative date? What can I do? It would be a waste of all my self funded fees if I couldnt even get the full certificate in the end due to a stupid mix up with dates. Help!

JayKallee

Did your college not inform you of the synoptic exam window dates at the beginning of your course? We as a college we thought this was crucial so that our students do not book any holiday during the synoptic windows.

Irrorate

You could sit it during the September/October 17 window.

Sheena1707

Hello, no today was the first I heard of exam window dates. I guess I just go to a crap college. Thank you I will ask them if I can take it in Sept. I hope I can avoid the college enrolment fee and aat registration fee for sept AAT 2016 since I only need to take the one unit, but im not holding my breath.

salma1011

We had the same problem in our college. We have been informed end of April that Synoptic assessment will be week starting 22 May. And before that we had to pass Indirect tax. Therefore we had only 3 weeks to study for synoptic. Did assessment yesterday and we all failed due to assessment being very difficult not enough time and so many technical issues PC crashing/freezing could not upload. We are now all thinking of moving on to ACA CIMA or ACCA as AAT are not professional. We will not do level 4.

AbbyCarr

Unfortunately you'll have to wait for new synoptic dates to be released in August/September. If your registration runs out before that time, you'll also have to pay for that again. The sittings fall in line with other professional qualifications etc. I wasn't made aware of the synoptic Windows, but I knew they existed and looked into it myself. Did you not have a college timetable? We are given a week by week list with all our exam dates written on, so I knew in September when it would be.

Irrorate

That's the annoying for me. If I have to resit I go back in July.. If I don't it's September. If I go back in September I'm paying another year!! Well work pay for it put it's the principle. Regardless I have to for credit control & cash management.. Annoying!

SusanC

Hi Sheena 1707 & Salma1011 - sounds like your problems have more to do with your colleges than the AAT. It is hardly the AAT's fault that you were not given your exam dates earlier, nor that you had inadequate time to prepare for your exam. Like 'AbbyCarr' our college gave us our study & exam schedule last September.
Perhaps you could make the case to your respective colleges that they did not give you adequate prep time and that they might waive your resit fees (and perhaps throw in a few extra lessons?) as a gesture of goodwill. Worth a try, surely?
I'm trusting the AAT to sort out their 'teething problems' with this new synoptic because they are a professional association, with a reputation to protect, and an ethical code to live up to.
- (level 3 student)

salma1011

Regarding the date of the synoptic assessment and indirect tax it was our College fault and not AAT. We did not have a Tutor since April school holidays. They did give us all the date of all assessments back in September 2016 but constantly changed them!

Casu

salma1011 said:

We had the same problem in our college. We have been informed end of April that Synoptic assessment will be week starting 22 May. And before that we had to pass Indirect tax. Therefore we had only 3 weeks to study for synoptic. Did assessment yesterday and we all failed due to assessment being very difficult not enough time and so many technical issues PC crashing/freezing could not upload. We are now all thinking of moving on to ACA CIMA or ACCA as AAT are not professional. We will not do level 4.

It's not the AATs fault you found it difficult. Plus if you think that's difficult you won't have a cat in hells chance with the ACCA or ACA exams. Fail to prepare and prepare to fail. Take it up with your college. Also if your college don't sort it out, then try distance learning and you can maybe manage your own time better.

Bertie

You don't need a college for AAT.

ACA is a no go unless you've a training contract.

AAT is better than ACCA for entry level jobs.

CIMA rocks BTW.

Kids, look, chin up - read more, drink less.

Those who land the jobs seldom moan - they crack on.

Stop moaning.

I'll swap my Chartered qualification for your youth. Deal?

Casu

There is a lot of moaning on this site, lots of blaming the AAT for asking supposedly hard questions. in an age when any information and knowledge is so easily obtainable.

Higaara_Nakamura

I will probably have to resit for this synoptic again in September. Does anybody know if I just have to pay the annual fee to resit or will I have to pay more than that?

Sheena1707

@SusanC and everyone else who thought I was having a moan at AAT - I was not! My query specifically asked if there was an extenuating circumstances form and advice on what to do in my situation. I did not in any way criticise AAT. I wouldn't be taking AAT exams it I was critical of them. I did however criticise my college and I wholly accept the problem is the fault of my college for not telling me about the timetable and myself for not researching the exam schedule myself. having moved on from AQ2013 where you could take an exam whenever to AQ16 L3 where there are specific slots for exams was new to me. I'm so sorry for not having the foresight to imagine such a thing might happen! Thank you to everyone who provided helpful non-antagonistic advice.