The ACCA Qualification is based on a knowledge-based module. The exams are all evaluated using short objective questions.
This method of the exam is used to ensure that examiners are able to measure a wide breadth of information across their syllabus in the designated time allowed. All three exams encompass 50 questions, and the pass mark is 50%.
The exams are limited to two hours, and this structure is identical whether students are taking the paper-based or computer-based exams (CBEs).
Be sure to find out what is ACCA and how can it help in your career before applying for the certification exam so that you will get an idea about the exam you are going to attend. Once you have made the decision to get your ACCA certification, it is now time to create the perfect plan to achieve what you wish for.
ACCA offers a lot of flexibility to students as to when and where they can take exams. After selecting your exam schedule and registering for it, it is time to put your planning into action.
Table of Contents
How to prepare for the ACCA exam?
Begin with The Study Guide
The study guide is a useful resource because it works with the source documents in which the examiners base their questions on the computer based exams.
When sitting down to prepare the exam, familiarize yourself with all the sections of the syllabus and subject areas. The 50 questions can be applicable to any of the areas covered in the syllabus. Don’t get caught skimming certain sections assuming that they are unimportant.
Read the Official Textbooks & Approved Study Prep Materials
GBSB Global will provide students with access to the official textbooks and approved study materials. These texts include formative tests of knowledge and invaluable practice questions. These texts are reviewed annually to ensure their relevance to the current examination materials.
Differentiate the Question Types
On the computer based exams, objective questions can take various forms and students must be prepared for this. The forms include:
- Multiple Choice Questions
- True and False Questions
- Multiple Choice Questions
- Multiple Response Matching Questions
- Number Entry Questions
Don’t Just Prepare for the Objective Questions
It is important not to just prepare for objective questions, but it is also pertinent to study questions that require longer responses.
This helps to create a better understanding of the material and be able to answer questions that may ask for the student to correct the definition of a theory or concept.
It is important to have a greater understanding of the material in which to base your answers.
Manage the Exam Time Appropriately
Knowledge module exams include 50 questions to be answered within a two-hour time frame.
This means on average students should estimate 1.2 minutes per question. Half of the questions should be completed within the first hour in order to keep pace and allow time for the remaining questions. This is only a rough guide, but a good rule of thumb to reference.
Utilize the ACCA Official Website Resources
Take advantage of the wealth of resources available on the official ACCA website. These materials are made available to students to further assist their studies.
Plan Ahead
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail.” It is especially true when preparing for competitive exams such as the ACCA.
To chart out your schedule, you should assess how much time you have from the time of registration to the week of the exam. Make sure that the tasks you add for yourself and the deadlines you assign are realistic.
It is important to remember that every student has a different pace and method of learning concepts. Instead of following the study pattern of someone you know, it is important to be aware of your attention span and learning speed.
Make Running Notes and Recaps
Instead of spending hours behind curating elaborate notes, try making one-page summaries or running notes of topics that you think are important or that you might forget easily.
These recaps will be handy when revising before your exams and will enable you to go through the important points quickly and efficiently.
If you are attending online coaching, try noting down pointers that seem important during the lecture. These pointers will help you revise topics effectively as opposed to just relying on your text and spending hours on one subject.
Mock Exams
One of the biggest struggles students face when giving such exams is the inability to work under the pressure of an examination setting.
Taking mock tests a few times before taking the actual exam can be extremely helpful in getting you in the right mindset for it.
It also prepares you for the kind of questions that you should expect from such papers.
Another helpful trick to get comfortable with multiple-choice questions is solving chapter-wise sets of questions as soon as you are done studying a particular topic.
Sign Up for Coaching
Studying through an Approved Learning Partner (ALP) will definitely be very helpful in preparing for the ACCA examination.
These learning partners may have different levels of approval from the ACCA.
Platinum ALPs are institutions that have the highest level of approval from the ACCA and are required to meet all the global benchmarks for the course management and teaching standards.
These tuitions could either be online learning institutions or face-to-face learning institutions.
CONCLUSION
Just as said in one of the tips shared earlier, If you want to enhance your understanding of concepts, you can try going through some of the technical articles available on the ACCA website.
These can help you with the subjects more effectively and will also give you insights on how to apply these concepts in real cases. You will also find some really good tips and tricks for clearing the ACCA exams on YouTube.
