I failed... What do I do?

The results for the recent ACCA exams are out. If you cleared your papers, CONGRATULATIONS.

If you did not, I feel your pain. As heartbroken & disheartened as you may be, you will have to go back to the drawing board. You should not prepare to re-sit the paper using the same study methods you used the last time. It will only produce the same poor marks in the next.

You should not prepare to re-sit the paper using the same study methods you used the last time.

First, grab a cup of coffee (or tea) & sit somewhere quiet. Ask yourself… “Did I give my best in the last exam?” Be honest.

Ask yourself… “Did I give my best in the last exam?” Be honest.

People generally tend to think the best of themselves. That they have done their best & that the ACCA markers have been unfair. (That is a common thought especially when the student has failed marginally, scoring 48 or 49). But this is not true. ACCA has a very rigorous & robust marking program that is trustworthy. The truth of the matter may be that you only did your best in the last 10 days before the exam. And that hardly counts as “doing your best”! You have to do your own post-mortem to assess what could have gone wrong & fix it.

So here are some reasons that may have contributed to a student missing the passing mark. Use it as a “checklist” to see where you may have fallen short in your preparation.

POOR SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

- Inadequate SYLLABUS coverage. (This may especially be the case if the student has not followed structured lessons)

- Inadequate time is given to STUDYING the subject matter. In this case, the student would only be able to "recognize" the topic & not understand the topic. Shallow understanding will not help if the scenario in the question is complex. You may have “felt" that trying to understand the subject is taking too long. That starting exam question practice may be quicker. But rushing into past year question practice & reading the examiner’s suggested answer is not the same as understanding the topic. Yes, practicing past year questions is CRUCIAL to exam success. But make sure that you have also studied to understand the topic.

- Inadequate time given to ACTIVE RECALL. Active recall is crucial for long-term memory. Practicing exam questions helps with active recall. But you must not peek at the suggested answers every time you hit a roadblock. Try the full question out by yourself. SPACED REPETITION is also important. Try out the same question again to see if you have “learned from earlier mistakes”.

POOR EXAM TECHNIQUE

- Not understanding the meaning of the "REQUIREMENT" of the question. (i.e. not understanding what the examiner wants & thus, missing the point of the whole question). This will result in the student wasting much time writing “an answer” that will result in hardly any marks

- Inadequate exam question PRACTICE. The end result? The student taking a scatter-gun approach. Thoughts going helter-skelter, not knowing what the examiner is looking for. Not knowing what key points to look out for in a particular type of question.

- Inability to produce WELL–BALANCED answers. One-line answers will be inadequate in ACCA exams.

- Being unaware of the marking scheme. The student will not be able to total up the marks for the work done to see if he/she has crossed the ‘break-even’ point.

- Poor TIME management. Writing 10 points on a question that only has 5 marks is a complete waste of time.

- Not completing all the required number of questions. This could be either because of lack of time or because you were not familiar with the topic.

POOR TYPING SKILLS

- ACCA exams are all computer-based now & you will be typing out your answers. This means that if your typing is slow, you will not have enough time to complete the exam.

So as a tutor, my ADVICE is simple.

Number 1

Start EARLY & have regular study times. Cramming in the last few days is unlikely to cut it for strategic-level papers.

Number 2

Sign up for a structured program developed by a tutor. This will help to ensure you cover the syllabus & know the different tips & tricks to tackle exam questions. Work out a WEEKLY STUDY PLAN so that you can see how many hours are available for study. Use study plans developed by your tutor. Topics will be listed in the most helpful sequence so that you can have a solid foundation to help you cope with later topics.

Number 3

Study to UNDERSTAND the topics/subject. Always reach out to your tutor if you are struggling to understand a concept. Try to MASTER the “big mark” questions. There are always certain questions which are regularly examined & carry big marks. Make sure you know what these question types are.

Number 4

Practice active recall & spaced repetition to have long-term memory.

Number 5

Practice past year's papers with understanding. Mark your answers. Note your mistakes. Try the same question again after 3 days to see if you learned from earlier mistakes. Make use of the tips & tricks shared by your tutor to develop well-balanced answers. (Every tutor will have developed his / her own tips & tricks that lead to the student scoring high marks)

Number 6

Practice typing out answers to time. Your fingers need time to get used to the keys on the keyboard. Practice improving your speed & accuracy. Remember there is no automatic “spell checker” available in the exam. Practice questions on the ACCA CBE platform.

Number 7

Sit for at least 3 mock exams [& marked by a tutor. If this is not possible, mark your own answer. Total up the marks & deduct 10% for the self-review threat! :)]

Always having your interests at heart??