Synoptic Exam

caravernon
caravernon Registered Posts: 6 New contributor 🐸
I have sat and failed this exam for the third time. My most recent % was 62, prior to that it was 63 so I actually did worse third time round - not “third times a charm” as I’d hoped!

Does anyone have any advice/tips/guidance that will give me those few extra marks I need to push me into the competent criteria? I feel I have exhausted all avenues in buying new books, using AAT materials, attending college (twice!) for this topic. I saw people advising that referring back to pre release material may be beneficial, I did this with no luck.

One thing I haven’t done is ask for feedback as I am reluctant to pay the fee but it may detail what I am doing wrong. Any advice on this too?

Thanks

Comments

  • jjk2018
    jjk2018 Registered Posts: 9
    same here... I failed 3 times, my latest result was 60%, I didnt refer back to pre release material at all in last exam. I think you might have wrong answers in your exam if you did refer to pre released material or didn't have enough point to get the marks
  • Norvydas
    Norvydas Registered Posts: 271 Dedicated contributor 🦉
    Hi @caravernon , this exam is tricky and difficult in its own way. I got competent on my 2nd attempt but just! First attempt i didn't referred to pre release material and got 65%, on my 2nd attempt i referred to pre release material in every single task and got barely competent... To be honest I have no clue what type of answers examiners want, purely because I got below required on SWOT analysis and this is my strongest point... i have done plenty of SWOT analydis in my past studies so have no clue how i got below required..
    My only advise is to revise throughout, keep referring to pre release material and know your budgets!
    Kind Regards,

    Norvydas Valavicius.
  • BenSear
    BenSear Registered Posts: 7
    I failed again 60% 1st time 61% 2nd time. The second time I felt I related everything back to the pre release company and still only managed 1% more.
    My tutor says that you need to write your answers in a 'professional' way and you will lose marks if you waffle on and try to cover as many points as possible, does anyone else have the same problem?
  • caravernon
    caravernon Registered Posts: 6 New contributor 🐸
    Thank you everyone - nice to know I'm not alone. In regards to referring to pre release material, what have people been doing for this? Are you mentioning names while answering questions or going into more detail? I tried to refer back as much as possible in my most recent attempt but perhaps I went about it the wrong way. It's so frustrating as we all seem to be close but not close enough. I also feel the questions are very vague as they're quite open, but AAT are obviously looking for something in particular!
  • VS1
    VS1 Registered Posts: 71
    Do you feel the new exam, with the new pre-release material is similar to the AAT practice assessments, or are the questions thrown take you completely off guard?

    I am in the same boat, I feel like I can't answer the question without having to refer to the answers. Have my exam next week
  • Norvydas
    Norvydas Registered Posts: 271 Dedicated contributor 🦉
    In regards of what to mention; pre release material specifically will give some detail like; company had to change material supplier as their regular one ceased trading.

    So now when you are analysing budget and you might see that materials have adverse variance, you can relate from pre release material why adverse variance occured. It occured because company had to change the supplier. You would say: As per notes from pre release material, the company had to find new supplier as their current one ceased trading. The new suppliers materials are more expensive and not as good quality, due to this the wastage has been bigger than ever therefore the material usage has increased, due to this the material variance is adverse.

    Of course above answer is only a guide, you need to analyse your pre release material and pick up key points.

    Questions are very difficult to understand, i agree on that!
    Kind Regards,

    Norvydas Valavicius.
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