ACCA exam result
Comments
-
I really think the marking of ACCA exams is unfair. It seems far too strict and I know some people won't agree with me but there needs to be some sort of consideration by these markers for home students and those that don't work in certain areas e.g audit. My last couple of attempts at F8 haven't been anywhere near a pass mark and I think that it's down to the marking not the attempts by students because I have put the work in over the years but have not got anything back out.0
-
...there needs to be some sort of consideration by these markers for home students and those that don't work in certain areas e.g audit.
How do you justify marking different students on different scales yet awarding the same qualification to each?
If one student is awarded a qualifcation (accountancy or any other) and another student is awarded the same qualification, isn't that supposed to mean that they have each reach the same minimum standard? If they ACCA do as you suggest then ACCA members will end up with what will be in effect different qualifications!!!0 -
I really think the marking of ACCA exams is unfair. It seems far too strict and I know some people won't agree with me but there needs to be some sort of consideration by these markers for home students and those that don't work in certain areas
I am a home student, who is also heavily pregnant, young family, stressed to the max due to partner being made redundant and I managed to pass!!0 -
My last couple of attempts at F8 haven't been anywhere near a pass mark and I think that it's down to the marking not the attempts by students because I have put the work in over the years but have not got anything back out.
I really think that there is something that you just haven't 'got' in the syllabus here Glynis, the main pointer being that you felt Steve's article was double dutch when it was written for F8 students.
I really think you would benefit from a full tuition course on this subject, you say it is expensive but then so is re entering for exams and the associated subscriptions. Maybe you should accept that audit doesn't come easy to you (it didn't to me either, both audit papers were my lowest marks at each level) and bite the bullet. I know the courses are expensive but I suspect that once you have passed this paper it would be the best money you have spent! It doesn't have to be BPP or Kaplan - there are other tuition providers available.0 -
I really think the marking of ACCA exams is unfair. It seems far too strict and I know some people won't agree with me but there needs to be some sort of consideration by these markers for home students and those that don't work in certain areas e.g audit. My last couple of attempts at F8 haven't been anywhere near a pass mark and I think that it's down to the marking not the attempts by students because I have put the work in over the years but have not got anything back out.
I've probably said this before but maybe it is your exam technique that is failing you, and not your lack of knowledge. Reading the examiners reports, you often see the comments that students are answering the question that they wanted to see, not the actual questions being asked. Perhaps your answers are correct, but are lacking the depth and detail required . Or it may be that you are not interpreting the question verb correctly, ie analyse, explain, discuss, etc.
One tip that I remember from F8, is to always ask yourself 'why?' - if you write as your answer "I would check that the sales day book adds up correctly" you would not get as many marks as if you wrote "I would check that the sales day book adds up correctly...." WHY? "as it is one check that can be used to confirm that the revenue figure stated in the accounts is correct". "I would then select a sample of invoices from the day book" WHY? "to confirm that the correct unit prices have been applied, the calculations are correct, the correct VAT rate has been applied", etc, etc.0 -
Interesting comments on the marking front! I have been an ACCA marker under the old syllabus and markers are not involved in the setting of the exams. Exams are set by a panel which comprises the examiner and an assessor and other ACCA staff. Markers don't get to see what is in the paper beforehand and there is definitely no issues of conflicts of interest.
Glynis I think your technique is letting you down. Have you read the examiner reports? The major areas where students seem to go wrong is on key areas. BPP pointed students to three articles written by the F8 assessor, Steve Collins and the examiner. Strangely students are not doing well in areas where specific articles have been supplied and whilst these in their entirety not guarantee you passing the paper, technique is as important as technical knowledge. At the very least I would recommend a revision course to help you.
Julia (BPP subject specialist)0 -
Thanks for everybody's input in discussing the issues I raised.
I certainly was not trying to be purposefully contentious but it's always positive to debate these sort
of issues openly.
A lot of students simply can't afford the main tuition costs with the big two providers and it would be a
positive step if a company, endorsed by ACCA, could offer a bespoke tutorial product designed for those
students on a budget. There is certainly an untapped market there.
I disagree with Glynnis on the marking being too strict. I think it is important ACCA maintains the highest
of standards. Glynnis, I think your probably struggling with exam technique more than anything else.
Mark0 -
Thanks for everybody's input in discussing the issues I raised.
I certainly was not trying to be purposefully contentious but it's always positive to debate these sort
of issues openly.
A lot of students simply can't afford the main tuition costs with the big two providers and it would be a
positive step if a company, endorsed by ACCA, could offer a bespoke tutorial product designed for those
students on a budget. There is certainly an untapped market there.
I disagree with Glynnis on the marking being too strict. I think it is important ACCA maintains the highest
of standards. Glynnis, I think your probably struggling with exam technique more than anything else.
Mark
I've just had a search of the ACCA website, (see link below), there are over 400 tuition providers listed in the UK of which 85 are either Gold/Platinum approved providers - BPP and Kaplan make up less than 40 of these.
The providers are out there, it is just that BPP and Kaplan do far more marketing and cover most of the UK - unlike a lot of others, of which many are universities/colleges.
https://portal.accaglobal.com/tpweb/faces/page/public/tuitionprovider/searchtp/XXTPQuickSearchVO1Table.jspx0 -
Well they don't exist in my area at all. The UK is a large area.0
