Dreading this exam!!!

Bran278

Hi all,

I have this exam (my first sitting for it) on 6th February.

Reading so many stories about people not passing on multiple attempts has naturally gotten me very worried and feeling like I have failed before even attempting it....

Can anyone put my fears at ease somewhat???

How were your experiences with this exam? Was it similar to how you expected or did it throw up nasty surprises?

thelowendtheory18

I hear you!!

I've already sat the FSLC exam and am sitting the MABU exam in just over a weeks time..... but everything i read about this Decision & Control exam sounds horrendous!!!

How have you found learning the content?

Emmalouise18

Bran278 said:

Hi all,

I have this exam (my first sitting for it) on 6th February.

Reading so many stories about people not passing on multiple attempts has naturally gotten me very worried and feeling like I have failed before even attempting it....

Can anyone put my fears at ease somewhat???

How were your experiences with this exam? Was it similar to how you expected or did it throw up nasty surprises?

thelowendtheory18 said:

I hear you!!

I've already sat the FSLC exam and am sitting the MABU exam in just over a weeks time..... but everything i read about this Decision & Control exam sounds horrendous!!!

How have you found learning the content?

Decision and control is a hard exam, I personally found the synoptic easier than decision and control. It's mainly about decision making really. I passed on my 4th attempt (69% , 60%, 66%, 72%). It wasn't until my last attempt that I purchased a BPP question bank book which I found so so so helpful. It has hundreds of different style questions in to give you more practice.

It has a lot of written questions in it (mine did anyway) and I found the best solution to the written questions was the advice below:

Give a definition, explain the definition, make your point, use examples, explain examples and then link this back to the question asked.

As long as you follow the above then you can't go far wrong. You have to assume the examiners are stupid, and they know nothing. So in your answer you need to explain and back up everything you are saying. Do not leave the examiner asking any questions, otherwise you haven't explained enough.

thelowendtheory18

how would you compare Decision & Control difficulty to the financial statements exam?

Pian32

This exam for me felt like a lot fell into place. I got to grasp with what was wanted from a written perspective and you mostly want to ensure you answer the question. There was one question where I couldn't decide what was actually wanted so might have lost marks there but exam practice and knowledge of the topic will help with that.

@thelowendtheory18 this might sound weird but they are different exams. The financial statements module has a lot about rules and obligations and explaning those while the Decision module is more about explaining what different variances mean.

If you are good at repeating and memorizing facts then FSLC will be easier, If you are better at analysing information provided then MDCL will be easier. Each modules does have bits of both but the balance is different

amurray

Hi @Bran278 - This exam as it has been AWFUL for me... Numerous attempts at sitting it, however I have been very close on my last 2 attempts at 67%..... Therefore am continuing to do practice questions and revision from my books and the AAT website (Greenlight tests, E-Learning modules). I am hoping on my next attempt it will be a PASS, just got to keep at it - have booked my resit for approx. 3 week time!

All I can say is make sure you feel comfortable with the entire syllabus.... including Ratios/Variances & the written sections. Don't rush take your time with your revision and exam prep.

Good Luck!

thelowendtheory18

> @Pian32 said:
> This exam for me felt like a lot fell into place. I got to grasp with what was wanted from a written perspective and you mostly want to ensure you answer the question. There was one question where I couldn't decide what was actually wanted so might have lost marks there but exam practice and knowledge of the topic will help with that.
>
> @thelowendtheory18 this might sound weird but they are different exams. The financial statements module has a lot about rules and obligations and explaning those while the Decision module is more about explaining what different variances mean.
>
> If you are good at repeating and memorizing facts then FSLC will be easier, If you are better at analysing information provided then MDCL will be easier. Each modules does have bits of both but the balance is different

Interesting!

thelowendtheory18

I enjoyed the FSLC content.... (still waiting for the result though)

But you're right...I had the IAS definitions down to a tee and more importantly understood them, which made the written tasks so much easier

Emmalouise18

thelowendtheory18 said:

how would you compare Decision & Control difficulty to the financial statements exam?

Id say decision and control is alot harder. But it all depends on how you have been taught. My college/tutor was absolutely useless so I ended up leaving and getting a private tutor which was alot better.

Decision and Control involves alot of written questions, which alot of tutors can't be bothered to go through and properly teach.

Financial statements is a lot of number work.

AbbySpence

I am about to sit this exam for the 3rd time on 30th January, both previous attempts I have got 62%. I have passed all previous exams first time apart from MABU and MDCL so de-motivating when you put so much hard work in. Hopefully it will be 3rd time lucky!! I also have purchased a BPP question bank book which is helpful. I cant wait for the day when I pass and I never have to look back at the material again!! Good luck everyone, I feel your pain!

Bran278

Hi everyone. I sat the exam today. It wasn't quite as bad as I first thought. I just hope I've done enough to pass it. I have spent the most revision time on this exam by far compared to other units...almost 3 months! Roll on 5-6 weeks for results day!

Bran278

> @amurray said:
> Hi @Bran278 - This exam as it has been AWFUL for me... Numerous attempts at sitting it, however I have been very close on my last 2 attempts at 67%..... Therefore am continuing to do practice questions and revision from my books and the AAT website (Greenlight tests, E-Learning modules). I am hoping on my next attempt it will be a PASS, just got to keep at it - have booked my resit for approx. 3 week time!
>
> All I can say is make sure you feel comfortable with the entire syllabus.... including Ratios/Variances & the written sections. Don't rush take your time with your revision and exam prep.
>
> Good Luck!

Funnily enough barely any ratios even came up for me lol. I practised them hard too!!

Bran278

> @thelowendtheory18 said:
> I hear you!!
>
> I've already sat the FSLC exam and am sitting the MABU exam in just over a weeks time..... but everything i read about this Decision & Control exam sounds horrendous!!!
>
> How have you found learning the content?

How was FSLC mate? I am going to order the exam textbook and exam kit for this tomorrow. Taking a week off revision then straight into this module! Already done MABU and managed 88% which I was over the moon with. ?

amurray

Bran278 said:

Hi everyone. I sat the exam today. It wasn't quite as bad as I first thought. I just hope I've done enough to pass it. I have spent the most revision time on this exam by far compared to other units...almost 3 months! Roll on 5-6 weeks for results day!

That sounds quite a positive experience the MDCL exam then - which is very reassuring for my resit tomorrow!!
Fingers crossed that your hard work has paid off!

thelowendtheory18

Bran278 said:

> @thelowendtheory18 said:

> I hear you!!

>

> I've already sat the FSLC exam and am sitting the MABU exam in just over a weeks time..... but everything i read about this Decision & Control exam sounds horrendous!!!

>

> How have you found learning the content?



How was FSLC mate? I am going to order the exam textbook and exam kit for this tomorrow. Taking a week off revision then straight into this module! Already done MABU and managed 88% which I was over the moon with. ?

to be honest i really enjoyed it, pretty much enjoyed every part of it, managed to pass the exam with 89%..

it's also an exam where you can easily tell if you've done well, for example of your statement of financial position balances, its a very good sign, the same with consolidated statements

i sat MABU last week, and i would say it's harder to say with confidence if you've completed the tasks correctly, interestingly i found the written questions on the MABU exam a little more hard work than the FSLC written tasks.. all will be reveled in on the 05/03

i'm a week in studying for the MDCL..

thelowendtheory18

Bran278 said:

Hi everyone. I sat the exam today. It wasn't quite as bad as I first thought. I just hope I've done enough to pass it. I have spent the most revision time on this exam by far compared to other units...almost 3 months! Roll on 5-6 weeks for results day!

Decent!!!

ibnadam

I sat this exam i Jan 2020 and can honestly say it was awful, nothing like the mocks, question 6 and 7 never seen before, and to wait 5-6 weeks to find out how much i failed by is worse

Bran278

> @ibnadam said:
> I sat this exam i Jan 2020 and can honestly say it was awful, nothing like the mocks, question 6 and 7 never seen before, and to wait 5-6 weeks to find out how much i failed by is worse

How did you do?

thelowendtheory18

I'm sitting the Decision & Control exam on the 27/03, I've found the content ok. Alot of overlap from budgeting & some overlap with the Ratios from the Financial Statements exam

I've not tried the AAT mocks yet though

Bran278

thelowendtheory18 said:

I'm sitting the Decision & Control exam on the 27/03, I've found the content ok. Alot of overlap from budgeting & some overlap with the Ratios from the Financial Statements exam

I've not tried the AAT mocks yet though

How did you end up doing? I got 80% for MDCL.

thelowendtheory18

Great result!!!. My original exam got cancelled due to covid.....sat the exam in August and failed with 69% lol...really disappointing... my 1st failed exam at all the levels... but it happens....... the goods news is I got my resit result today and passed with 72%... not a convincing pass but I'll take it.... only 2 more exams to go now.. business tax and the synoptic.....

Bran278

> @thelowendtheory18 said:
> Great result!!!. My original exam got cancelled due to covid.....sat the exam in August and failed with 69% lol...really disappointing... my 1st failed exam at all the levels... but it happens....... the goods news is I got my resit result today and passed with 72%... not a convincing pass but I'll take it.... only 2 more exams to go now.. business tax and the synoptic.....

Hey well done for the perseverance there dude, you're smashing it I've only got 2 exams as well. I think we've been taking these exams at around the same pace from what I've noticed lol. I'm doing Credit Management this coming Thursday, and then need to pick a second Optional unit. I managed 86% for the Synoptic. Got my result on 8th October!

thelowendtheory18

> @Bran278 said:
> > @thelowendtheory18 said:
> > Great result!!!. My original exam got cancelled due to covid.....sat the exam in August and failed with 69% lol...really disappointing... my 1st failed exam at all the levels... but it happens....... the goods news is I got my resit result today and passed with 72%... not a convincing pass but I'll take it.... only 2 more exams to go now.. business tax and the synoptic.....
>
> Hey well done for the perseverance there dude, you're smashing it I've only got 2 exams as well. I think we've been taking these exams at around the same pace from what I've noticed lol. I'm doing Credit Management this coming Thursday, and then need to pick a second Optional unit. I managed 86% for the Synoptic. Got my result on 8th October!

Cheers mate!!!!

Yh we have been on the same path.....feels Iike i lost a bit if momentum with the covid situation, but everyone was in the same boat

From what I've been reading 86% is an outstanding result..... first attempt as well...very impressive.
I'm early into my business tax studies .... decided to go with that solely because when (thinking positively) I pass the synoptic I don't want to be sitting anymore exams after that.lol

The optional I passed was External Auditing.

My rate of studying has started to drop as ive started a new job.... but I really want to complete the qualification by spring 2021.

I might be asking for your advice regarding the synoptic...lol