Exams with Reports and Memos
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I dont normally mail to forums but I am really quite annoyed with these damn reports and memos.<BR>The questions invariably say 'discuss' or simply 'write a report' etc but with no clue as to what the contents should be.<BR>Now obviously the contents should be relevant to the question but without knowing exactly what is wanted you can only lose out unless you waffle for eternity.<BR>Take the PEV Unit 8 paper today for example - the report in section 2. The report was about the possible closure of factory A. Now to discuss this you can write simple English with a few relevant figures comparing Net Profit or Gross Profit etc which is all fine and relevant, but you can also discuss and re-work all of the performance indicators.<BR>Who is to say which is the better report? If the examiner wanted all of the indicators then they should say so, otherwise somebody who has written a perfectly adequate report will be penalised for not reading the examiner's mind.<BR>Without them saying exactly what they want you havent got a clue and the only way to be sure of full marks is to put EVERY possible fact and figure in just in case - implausible in an exam.<BR>Get rid of the damn reports and memos and give a list of exactly what you want will you ?<BR>If we fail then we have no comeback and we cant fight our case - the questions should not be ambiguous which a report or memo can only be.<BR><BR>There, I feel slightly better now.
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Exams with Reports and Memos
The whole point of students having to write the reports and the memos is basically to see if you know what you are calculating. They do not want students only being able to calculate variances, ratios, etc but never able to explain what they are telling you.<BR><BR>If you work for a company and have to highlight variances in the figures then your boss will in turn expect you to give possible reasons for these variances occuring, you cannot just say that there are differences with no suggestion as to why.<BR><BR>Anyway, that is my theory on why AAT insist on putting in the memos and reports etc.<BR><BR>On the subjcect of todays paper ..... well.... like just about everyone else on this board I felt that I had been handed a gift on section 1 but then soon fell to earth with a bump when I saw section 2. <BR><BR>Just for anyone who is interested, I got all adverse figures in section 1 and my reconciliation balanced. <BR><BR>I recommended closure of Factory A as my operating profit had a favourable variance due to the fact that a large proportion of the admin and whatever else (distribution costs??) were reduced. However, i never put in the closing down costs - oops! <BR><BR>Basically I do not know if I will pass or not because of section 2, so I will just put it out of my head until February when the results come out.<BR><BR>Hope everyone else is chilling after that exam (and if you have further exams to come - good luck!)0 -
Exams with Reports and Memos
Nightowl, I agree with the point you made below;<BR> The whole point of students having to write the reports and the memos is basically to see if you know what you are calculating. They do not want students only being able to calculate variances, ratios, etc but never able to explain what they are telling you.<BR>but my gripe is about what they want to see in the report. If they said we want to see this,this and this and THEN tell us about what it means then fine....<BR><BR>Seems I got the same as you for section two anyway.0 -
Exams with Reports and Memos
Sorry I didn't read your posting properly the first time! my mind was still reeling from the exam! I know what you mean about the way they put their information into the exam... you are always left wondering, did I actually answer the question they were asking! I know I feel that about a lot of their stuff - simulations included. <BR><BR>Oh well, what doesn't kill us will only make us stronger lol0