INTRODUCTION:
ACCA exams are among the most competitive and challenging modules in the accounting and finance sector; the ACCA exam format in Ireland primarily focuses on assessing an aspirant’s practical skills, rather than relying solely on their theoretical knowledge. This makes the exams more complex for aspirants; therefore, to ace such exams, ACCA students incorporate various learning techniques in their study schedules. Amongst these techniques comes the most effective and encouraged ACCA exam preparation technique, i.e, leveraging ACCA mock exams.
The ACCA mock exam strategy has always proved to be quite effective for aspirants who want to polish their analytical, technical, and practical skills; these practice exams enable students to give exceptional performance in exams and help them generate desirable outcomes. If you are unfamiliar with the ACCA mock exam strategy, this blog will help you discover the best exam scoring techniques. Want to leave a mark with your extraordinary performance in ACCA exams? Read this blog till the end and incorporate the techniques in your learning pattern.
1: UNDERSTANDING THE ACCA EXAM FORMAT IN IRELAND:
To incorporate the ACCA mock exam strategy or any other learning techniques, one first needs to familiarize oneself with the ACCA exam format. As you might be aware, the three academic levels of ACCA (Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills, and Strategic Professional) consist of thirteen exams in total.
The Applied Knowledge is the first level that consists of three modules, including Business and Technology, Management Accounting, and Financial Accounting. These are CBE exams, and each module is for 100 marks; these modules are from the fundamental level, therefore, are considered the easiest modules of ACCA.
The Applied Skills level consists of six exams, namely: Performance Management, Financial Management, Audit & Assurance, Business & Corporate Law, Taxation, and Financial Reporting. Exam duration for each module from this academic level is 3 hours + 10 minutes for reading, and the exam format is computer-based. Also, each exam from this level contains 100 marks in total.
Lastly, the Strategic Professional level is classified in two parts, “the essentials” and “the electives”; two modules from the essentials and two from the electives. The essential modules are Strategic Business Reporting (SBR) and Strategic Business Leadership (SBL); on the other hand, the elective exams are to be selected from the given options: Advanced Performance Management, Advanced Taxation, Advanced Financial Management, and Advanced Audit & Assurance. Each exam is for 100 marks, and these are CBE (computer-based exams), and the duration for each exam is 4 hours.
2: SIMULATE REAL EXAM CONDITIONS:
The major reason behind understanding the ACCA exam format in Ireland is to ensure that aspirants are able to incorporate real exam conditions while practicing mock exams. It is the most effective ACCA mock exam strategy that has worked well for hundreds of ACCA aspirants around the world.
By attempting mock exams under the real exam conditions, aspirants build many soft skills such as critical thinking, answer structuring, time management, etc. If you want the ACCA mock exam strategy to work its magic, you need to follow exam conditions like the environment should be quiet, no phones allowed, and no breaks during the exam, attempt all the questions from different topics (not just the ones you find easier), and follow the timings strictly.
3: QUESTION-TYPE STRATEGY:
FOR APPLIED SKILLS EXAMS:
Another effective ACCA mock exam strategy is to classify the questions and attempt them according to the type they belong to. To be precise, the Applied skills level modules can be divided into three parts: Part A, which includes objective test questions for 30 marks, Part B, which consists of Scenario-based questions (Objective test cases) for 30 marks, and Part C, consisting of constructed response questions for 40 marks. Here are some tips for each part:
- In Part A, aspirants are advised to practice speed and accuracy by using ACCA practice platforms.
- In Part B, students should focus on quick interpretation of data by practicing with reliable practice questions.
- In Part C, aspirants should concentrate on mastering the workings and layout by practicing the structured answers along with calculations.
STRATEGIC PROFESSIONAL EXAMS:
Each paper from the strategic professional level can be categorized into two parts: Part A consists of Case studies for 50 marks, and Part B consists of Optionals, in which two questions are to be attempted for 25 marks each; the ACCA mock exam strategy used in this exam is:
- In part A, aspirants are advised to showcase professional skills such as great communication skills and scepticism.
- In part B, students should be able to tailor their practice to past exam themes as well as use international tax and audit regulations where needed.
SCORING TIPS USING ACCA MOCK EXAM STRATEGY:
Here are some effective tips that will help you score good grades in the ACCA mock as well as real exams.
- It’s not essential to get 90% correct answers; rather than chasing perfection, try to gain 50-60% consistently.
- If you are self-marking your ACCA mock exams, you are advised to use the “marking grid”.
- Allocate time to each question as per the marks it carries.
- Do not miss any part of the question; manage to attempt all the parts.
- Once you are done writing the exam, make sure you have enough time to review it.
CONCLUSION:
The ACCA mock exam strategy is quite helpful for aspirants who aim to give an extraordinary academic performance; the tips mentioned in this blog enhance the effect of the ACCA mock exams. Students are advised to stay consistent with it and tailor their learning patterns in accordance with the academic level and modules they are attempting.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q1: How many mock exams should I ideally attempt before the real exam?
Answer: Ideally, you can attempt at least 3 full-length mock exams before going for the actual ACCA exam.
Q2: Can I check my own ACCA mock exam?
Answer: Yes, you can mark your own ACCA mock exam by using the examiner’s marking scheme, just stay honest while awarding marks, and do not overlook minor mistakes.
