Level 3 synoptic exam

I sat my level 3 synoptic exam yesterday evening. The first section went well except for a multiple choice question and a written question which I wasn't completely sure of. My tutor had told me to use time given in the first section as she said it was obviously crucial to get as many marks as possible.

With this in mind once I'd finished all the questions I quickly scanned over my answers to section 1 until the timer ran out and a pop up window came up to say the time was up and I should move onto the 2nd section. As soon as I moved onto the 2nd section, the question from the 1st section carried across to my screen in the 2nd section! I knew from then I had a dodgy exam... so I moved straight away to Task 2.3 as Task 2.1 wasn't responding. After saving the spreadsheet task to my memory stick with the correct filename, I closed the spreadsheet so I could open it again using the windows key on the keyboard. Only pressing that key didn't work, so I couldn't re-open my file! I asked the invigilator to come over and after turning the computer off and moving onto a different computer, I managed to start the task.

But, the spreadsheet just kept freezing, like, 4 times. After swapping to about 4 different computers, I'd had enough. All I could do was keep on saving, pretty much every 30 seconds. I noticed the spreadsheet seemed to close whenever I had to do some sort of formatting, but I'm not completely sure of the cause of the freezing. Mercifully once I got onto this one computer and started to save regularly, the spreadsheets didn't freeze again. Somehow I managed to complete all my tasks in the time limit. I think if I didn't have the 15 mins AAT added, I wouldn't have finished. I know they weren't perfect, as there were some things I wasn't sure of, but I did my best!

For anyone sitting their synoptic exam, my advice to you would be, first, use all the time you have in the 1st section. It will never hurt having a second glance over your answers if you have the time, especially the written ones, as there may be spelling mistakes. Once you're in the second section, hopefully you won't have an exam like me where the spreadsheet window keeps freezing. But, if it does, don't waste time trying to unfreeze it by clicking different parts of the screen. Hopefully you will have saved before the screen froze, but if not press CTRL+S (save shortcut) although there's no guarantee this will save your work, get the attention of your invigilator and get them to turn off your computer. Before your invigilator turns the computer off, though, check the time on your secure assess. As soon as your invigilator turns on the computer again and logs you back into your exam, the time should be exactly the same so you won't have lost any time!

Keep pressing the save button as you do your work.

Also, if you are unsure of how to do something, don't spend too long trying to work it out. If you're really stuck move on and try and get as many marks as possible. Every time I finished something I would highlight it on the spreadsheet, but if I came across something I really couldn't do, I just moved on and did as much as I could to earn the marks.

I do have a question. If, like me, your computer does keep freezing, is there any extra time allowance? I was just wondering as my invigilator didn't allow me have any extra time and I was just wondering if that's fair.

I hope this advice helps! I am worried about my result but I am hoping that I did enough to pass, and also that the AAT would lower the pass rate or something. All the best with your exams!!

Beth

I see everyone has had the same issues with the level 3 AAT synoptic exam.

I am very disappointed as in all my exams so far I have gained distinction (bar one which I got a merit) I even booked 3 days holiday off work to revise in the lead up to this exam (as I like to be prepared) and as it was the final!

The first part of the exam was ok, however questions are confusing with the wording, and there is not a lot of time at all to do the written questions, so I would advise clicking through the first part of the exam as the last written questions in my exam were 8/10 marks.

The spreadsheets were very disappointing!

On my second spreadsheet about 3/4 way through it, it broke using 'goal seek' analysis, I had the invigilator and the IT tech stop my test 20+ times to try and get it working again, however everytime it was reset it then broke again and stalled when I tried to do the goal seek, therefore I could not see the difference that goal seek created to write the email requested of me and explain my findings!

After this long process of spreadsheet 2 where eventually I had to do a print screen and write comments why I had not completed the task I moved on to spreadsheet 3, this spreadsheet was straight forward however I had lost so much time when IT had to restart my test to try to unlock the goal seek each time that I was behind from the beginning, I rushed the last spreadsheet, and then when trying to upload it would not upload (great)!!!!
And of course you cannot stop the exam to upload it so eventually my time ran out, with a failed attempt from myself and the invigilator to upload the final very rushed attempt.

I was very annoyed as my exam due to all the stopping and starting took 4 hours! And when I had a bathroom break the timer kept ticking down therefore losing a further 5 minutes off my exam time

I fret a lot about exams I work myself up and am always very nervous, I usually do well however feel on this exam it was very unfair and very unnerving for everyone sitting it as to whether you could complete it or not! It is also very disrupting to everyone when you are consistently calling the invigilator over, of which there was only one in this instance so you had to wait for him to come round, then realise your exam needs stopping as it has stalled, which wastes further valuable minutes.

Overall I am very very disappointed, and what makes it worse is we find out whether we pass or fail a couple days before the resit???!!!!

Therefore I am continuing to go to college after work two evenings a week 6-9pm until I am told my results (usually you can tell if you have passed or failed) but I have no idea in this instance.

I am hoping if in the unfortunate event that any of us do have to do a resit that the AAT will offer this for free, and no mark will be put against us as a failed attempt!

I suggest we all write personal letters of complaint to AAT

@Jeff and @Hayleybubs - we were categorically told by our tutor, who read from an email from AAT, that you have to achieve 70% across the 2 parts so theoretically you could get all of part 1 right = 60 marks and 2.1 right = 10 marks and pass.
However, following my experience of the AVSY, I'm not sure I trust AAT as far as I could throw a fluffy dice.

I spoke to the AAT and it is an overall percentage of the 2 papers combined. Paper 1 is heavily weighted in regards to marks available.

I ended up with 78% which I wasn't ecstatic with but a pass is a pass!

Guys, I am sitting my Synoptic (Level 3) tomorrow and all these posts about cock-ups and freezing screens etc have completely spooked me. I was worried enough before I read all this and now I am absolutely terrified! If anyone can lend any pointers/advice on the exam then I would be most grateful. I am FREAKING OUT!!! Thanks x

@altovey88 Excel for me was fine. It was horrid in time and content but techically ok. I know it is too late for many but i took the advice of our invigilator regarding saving and naming files. When you download, just save (NOT save as) to desktop. Then do the work, clicking the 'save' icon (top left) frequently. Then close when you have finished. Then go to your desktop and right click on file to rename it. Once renamed upload back to exam. I did this for all 3 and they worked (i think). Really faffy especially with the clock (which you cannot see) ticking. My heart was leaping out of my chest. A vile experience in all honesty. So stressful. Really hope i don't have to resit. Very much borderline whether i passed though.
First half you can basically be tested on anything and the wording may be different from books/practice exams. Just plod through it.
Good luck x

Hi just got the results for my synoptic exam. Got 70% so just scrapped a pass, which i am happy with. Although i do believe the exam is unjustly more difficult then the others in the level 3 qualification. I achieved arround the 90% on all other exams and have decent excel skills, in my opinion the wording of the questions confused me as wasent direct enough in what it was asking, or asked you to creat something, then create another different one, e.g. bar graph but the correct answer would have been to change the first into the second. I think this exam need to be adapted for actual use and seems to have been thrown together, the extra 15mins might have saved me from failing but wasn't enough in my eyes.

I sat my exam on 23/05 and got my result at the start of July. Up until now I have kept quiet about my grade, as I had achieved 90%+ on all of the other exams, and therefore found that I was putting myself under pressure to do well. however, I did have the advantage of knowing that as long as I achieved a pass in the Synoptic, I would get a merit overall.
When the results were released, I achieved 93% in my Synoptic, and 93% overall, therefore achieving a distinction.
Now I find myself in the position of not being able to attend my local college for Level 4 as they are no longer holding an evening class.
I then found another college, applied online, and was advised that I would be invited to an interview. I then received a letter on 24th August, which I opened when I got home from work, inviting me to attend an interview at 4pm on the 24th. I now await the college to reschedule.
As an alternative, I am considering doing Level 4 as distant learning, and ask if anyone has an opinion on such, i.e. getting support when needed, booking and attending the exams, etc.
Finally, anyone out there still awaiting their results, I wish you all good luck.

@Jeff

Firstly, congratulations on completing level 3.

I studied level 2 as distance learning, and had no problems, though admittedly level 2 and level 4 are worlds apart in terms of difficulty. Also factoring in that when I studied levels 2 & 3 it was purely a case of pass or fail, without any extra incentive to achieve the top marks.

In level 4 I studied the core subjects at College as well as the Tax units, however as I'm somewhat of a completionist I learnt the other optional units independently and sat those also. Whilst I did pass all of them first time, my marks were slightly lower for the units I learnt outside of class.

My advice would be to attend college to do the course if it is an option, I ended with an average of 90%, however my average across the units I studied alone was only 80% so it can make a big difference. Previously when it was purely pass or fail I'd have said distance learning should be fine, now I think the benefit of learning in class is greater.