Home› For AAT student members› AQ 2013› AAT Level 4 (Level 8 in Scotland)

Icas

Accounting AngelAccounting Angel New MemberRegistered Posts: 8
in AAT Level 4 (Level 8 in Scotland)
Have to complete the project on ICAS before I can even enrol for the final yr.
I am trying to plan & get things together but I am having trouble getting started.
Everyone I have spoken to has said that once started the project is ok, is this true or are they just trying to make me feel better?
Must get started...
Will get strarted...
Will finish....
Promise...
xxx

Comments

  • BeccaLouJ9BeccaLouJ9 Experienced Mentor DevonFMAAT Posts: 1,022
    Hello

    I don't understand.. you have to complete ICAS before you can enrol for L4? But isn't ICAS a L4 unit? Who is this with?

    Welcome by the way! :)

    Becca
  • Accounting AngelAccounting Angel New Member Registered Posts: 8
    Thanks Becca.

    Yes ICAS is L4 unit but our college will only enrol us when we have completed (or at least made substantial progress with) this section to prove our 'commitment'.

    xxx
  • BeccaLouJ9BeccaLouJ9 Experienced Mentor DevonFMAAT Posts: 1,022
    Wow, I haven't heard of that before!

    Good luck then! I am just starting L4 too but will not be starting with that unit!

    Surely paying their fees is commitment enough! :)

    B x
  • Accounting AngelAccounting Angel New Member Registered Posts: 8
    I've been counting down the wks to the holidays but this has to be done before the new term starts!

    Yeah, you'd think the fees would cover everything, the size of them!

    Good luck with your studies too.

    xxx
  • RinskeRinske Font Of All Knowledge Registered Posts: 2,453
    I haven't heard that one before either, and find it quite odd, as they should be there to support you with it as well!

    It is true though, once you got started it does get easier!
  • BeccaLouJ9BeccaLouJ9 Experienced Mentor DevonFMAAT Posts: 1,022
    Thank you, and I will be coming straight to you for help when I start it!

    B x
  • Accounting AngelAccounting Angel New Member Registered Posts: 8
    Didn't realise quite how unusual this was.

    Thanks Rinske, now to get started, so it can get easier!

    xxx
  • Accounting AngelAccounting Angel New Member Registered Posts: 8
    No worries Becca.

    xxx
  • coojeecoojee Experienced Mentor Registered Posts: 794
    I don't see how you can be starting it without having enrolled due to the new system of having to schedule the assessment in your Learnplus account, then uploading drafts and only having 16 weeks to complete it from start to finish. I guess that the college are trying to get around the AAT requirement by not scheduling the assessment yet but still asking you to start it. As other posters have said, your college should be supporting you in this unit, you shouldn't be going it alone. I'd be having serious doubts about the college if I were you, I don't think they know what they're doing.
  • Accounting AngelAccounting Angel New Member Registered Posts: 8
    Thanx coojee.

    The college have offered us support in so much as we can email or ring the tutor but any email response is very short & slow in coming. So far from the little work I have done & sent in the response has been simply 'please carry on'... Twice...

    xxx
  • coojeecoojee Experienced Mentor Registered Posts: 794
    Accounting Angel wrote: »
    Thanx coojee.

    The college have offered us support in so much as we can email or ring the tutor but any email response is very short & slow in coming. So far from the little work I have done & sent in the response has been simply 'please carry on'... Twice...

    xxx

    But all of that feedback should have been going through the Learnplus site so that the AAT can see what's going on. What's meant to happen is that the college schedule the assessment with the AAT, then you have 16 weeks to complete it. Within that time you can only submit 3 drafts including your final report which must all be uploaded to Learnplus. Then your tutor gives feedback via Learnplus. Colleges aren't supposed to be side stepping this procedure in the way your college is.
  • iskceliskcel Feels At Home Registered Posts: 34
    I did mine through BPP and I was able to email my tutor personally.
    The ICAS was set in up my E-Portfolio but then all correspondence was through email to the tutor unless it was something that was for everyone's benefit within my cohort in then I would post it onto a thread for the cohort to read.
    I only used the E-Portfolio when I was ready to load my final copy, then I received feedback on it via the E-Portfolio. I believe I could have had three attempts at this, with feedback, and then the final one would have to be submitted.

    ICAS its self does get easier as you progress with it. I must admit at first I found it very confusing and wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing! I did a 7 week course and got feedback from the tutor each week via email. The feedback would simply say, this is good, this is not so have another look!

    I assume you are not doing the simulation? Have you got any books to advise you on what should/should not be included? I found these very helpful as it literally broke down each section & also had a sample simulation and the sample answer for it.

    Good Luck.
  • Accounting AngelAccounting Angel New Member Registered Posts: 8
    coojee, what has been sent is nothing like a completed report, just some notes. I don't think the college is side stepping the process as we have been given a time frame but then I don't think I have enough information going what has been said.

    Thanx iskcel, good info there. No I'm not doing a simulation. I have got a book. I think I just need to not worry about it so much & get stuck in.

    xxx
  • babsababsa Well-Known Registered Posts: 118
    I can see why the college have said this. Most students pass all the exams but don't finish because they don't know what to do with the project.
    On the other hand the college/tutors should be there to give you guidance on the unit.
    Have a read through the BPP text book for ICAS.
    I thought i would never be able to write this project. Now I have completed and passed level 4. :)
  • Accounting AngelAccounting Angel New Member Registered Posts: 8
    Thanx babsa & well done.

    xxx
  • Shrinking VioletShrinking Violet New Member Registered Posts: 9
    Hi, I am really struggling with this project, everyone keeps saying look at the BPP text book, but I am with kaplan and they don't give you a text book!!

    I just don't know what to do with the mapping and the appendices??

    Help anyone?

    Cheers
  • babsababsa Well-Known Registered Posts: 118
    Have a look at the BPP ICAS book. (I had no idea about the mapping). I read through the criteria's looked at what they had put for the paragraph numbers then read through my own work so see if I could find anything along those lines. This helped alot.
  • RinskeRinske Font Of All Knowledge Registered Posts: 2,453
    Shrinking Violet wrote: »
    Hi, I am really struggling with this project, everyone keeps saying look at the BPP text book, but I am with kaplan and they don't give you a text book!!

    I just don't know what to do with the mapping and the appendices??

    Help anyone?

    Cheers
    Kaplan should have provided you with some guidelines and explanations of what is expected.

    I thought they had a textbook for the old version of the project, but not sure about it, as I haven't used them before. If in doubt, call or email your tutor and ask them where you can find the information back, rather than struggling or buying a new text book for no reason!
  • susiewongsusiewong Feels At Home Registered Posts: 29
    Hi, Kaplan do give out books as I have just completed ICAS with it, they also provide you with a work booklet which tells you what needs to be put in each section along with the mapping document, this can be found in the folder that they provide.

    Good Luck

    Susie
  • bljblj New Member Registered Posts: 5
    Shrinking Violet wrote: »
    Hi, I am really struggling with this project, everyone keeps saying look at the BPP text book, but I am with kaplan and they don't give you a text book!!

    I just don't know what to do with the mapping and the appendices??

    Help anyone?

    Cheers

    When I went to the initial classroom lesson with Kaplan they gave out a print out with some suggestions on layout, mapping and appendices as they hadn't got a book ready.

    Have you checked out Kaplan Engage for some guidance and study text?
  • guinea pigguinea pig Trusted Regular Registered Posts: 402
    How weird for them to make you do it first, as you need to know about financial statements etc, which are part of level 4!
    I finished level 3 in May, and as I'm finding it tough working full time, and studying, I am doing the project through the summer, before I start Level 4 in September, back at college. (It will be one day per week, but my employer will only let me out for half a day, so I will have to home study the rest)
    My tutor has been very supportive, and I'm just completing my second draft, the more you get into the scenario, the easier it gets, as you can understand it better.
    I am using the Osborne ICAS tutorial book, which is very good, and also Osborne Limited Company Accounts tutorial which is for the Financial statements module - see if you can get them from the library?
    Good Luck!
    GP
Sign In or Register to comment.