What is Exam Technique? I chatted to Gareth Olivier CA(SA) from Milpark – CA Connect about exam technique As lecturers, we talk a lot about the importance of exam technique when you’re studying and preparing for your exams. But WHAT is it?! I think this is an important conversation, especially for students who tend to…
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Get marks for format questions One of the topics I spend time on with my study coaching students, is how to get marks in exams, with limited knowledge. In this case, I’m referring to your ability to get marks in format questions. Format questions are popular. Financial Statements; Notes to the AFS; Deferred Tax tables;…
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Does highlighting information in your exams help you get marks? Students LOVE highlighters! (I do too, I love stationery!) We have developed the habit of highlighting (or underlining) information thinking that it’s going to help us learn and get more marks. We feel that it’s ‘active reading’. Take a look at this video and think…
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Recorded Webinar A lot of students ask me for advice about how to structure their study plans for the final exam stretch. What should they focus on? How much should they revise? What if they’re not ‘ready’ for questions, or have forgotten Test 1 topics?! I’ve recorded a webinar I ran, to help you make…
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“I’m not Ready” “I’m not ready to do questions” “I’m not ready to write the exam” I hear this ALL the time from my study coaching students. Let’s talk about it Think on these things As you listen to the video and read this. I want you to CONSCIOUSLY note the thoughts that run through…
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CTA – What can you do right now? What is “Right Now” Studying? Read here Mock Test: R400 (Details) Do a question NOW! I want to help you by helping to figure out where your knowledge currently is, and what you need to work on. You studied last year, you wrote exams last year. You…
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What’s “Right Now” studying? What are you able to do RIGHT NOW? What knowledge are you comfortable with RIGHT NOW!? Before any revision. Before any notes, material. What can you do RIGHT NOW? If you’re able to get marks for topics, and you’re comfortable with the knowledge now, why are you going to re-learn it?…
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What is exam technique? Your exam is a game, learn to play it Why do I say this? You have very limited time to write your exam You get a question you’e never seen You have to ‘gather’ as many marks as possible in a limited time You have to apply knowledge that you’re probably…
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“If I had more time…” Students often complain that the time restraint in exams and tests is their biggest challenge. I often watch students write tests in class, to assess where their challenges are, and what I find is that they’re so busy focussing on making sure they’re writing EVERYTHING they know, that they’re ignoring…
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I’ve lectured accounting students for years, and I feel that students don’t REALLY understand their basic Accounting knowledge. Do accounting students know their ‘basics’? EVERY SINGLE Accounting lecturer I’ve ever spoken to (from first year to CTA) says that students generally fail because their basic knowledge isn’t great. I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard…
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So many students struggle with answering discussion questions in exams. Let’s see if I can help a little. Whether you’re in undergrad, or CTA… this will help. Why are these questions so important? Forget your studies for a moment… You’re qualified, and you charge your clients R1 000 an hour for your time. They’ve asked…
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SAICA’s review of ITC Jan 2019: “What did students struggle with?” If you’re studying CTA, note what SAICA wants you to be able to do when you write ITC, ie: what should you be able to do to pass CTA? Then, ask yourself whether this is what you’re working on? Are you making these mistakes?…
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Distance-learning students (especially UNISA students) miss out on the types of discussions that normally take place in classes. They use these discussions to relate to other students and ‘measure’ themselves up against the group to gain comfort (or panic!) about their studying. How can we simulate that discussion? I lecture the online FAC1502 course for…
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Every semester, students face the dilemma of how to prepare for their exams in the limited time that they have available to them. The balance between theory and questions is a tough one, and is debated every semester! [expand title=”Why are exam courses so popular?”] One of the most popular solutions to the exam-preparation challenge…
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These two modules seem to cause endless grief for a lot of students who need them to finish their degree; those who haven’t studied Accounting in High School or for a while since then and even those who are planning on taking Accounting as a major for their degree. Why should I make an effort?…
DetailsA lot of students study procedures off-by-heart so they can remember all the tests they should perform for Machinery or other items. I’d prefer students to visualise what they’re auditing, so that they can generate and apply relevant procedures in exams without having to memorise them Below, I’ve added a link to a tool that…
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As an Accounting student, the communication levels required in Auditing WAS NOT what you signed up for! Numbers, formulae, disclosures, calculations… that’s what this was all supposed to be about. Then Auditing sneaks up on you and laughs at your discomfort! This is especially frustrating for students who are not studying in their first language.…
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What do exams expect of you? Whether you’re writing Auditing for your degree, CTA, or ACCA (Audit and Assurance, F8 and P7), you need to be able to identify risks from a case study, and explain how they affect you as an auditor. It’s always applied. You’re not learning Risk in order to define it,…
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Let’s talk exam technique for Auditing! You’ve worked through the theory, you’re working on perfecting your knowledge, now you need to give some thought to how you’ll present the information in the exam. Communication is key Firstly, remember that Auditing is a communication subject. As much as you may not like to hear this, your…
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These questions are quite a challenge for most students. A balance between theory and application that creates a lot of frustration… here’s some help! Imagine that you’re a consultant, an expert on the topic. A client has come to you and asked you to help them with something. (eg: they’ve bought or built something and…
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“Focussing on studying theory for exams is like playing cricket to prepare for a soccer match!” This is a statement I make to most of my students when I discuss how to prepare for exams. Yes, the theory of your subject is important, however, making summaries, highlighting notes and texts don’t tell you HOW to…
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Reading the case study in an exam can take up valuable time, so it’s crucial that you get the maximum value from this process. Every minute that you spend on this must be worth marks to you, otherwise you’re wasting your time!! To begin with, you have to make sure that you read the information…
DetailsAn important component of your studies, that is often overlooked, is the need to assess your own work and your weaknesses. Although we don’t want to focus on the negative points, we do need to be aware of them in order to improve our work and our knowledge. Simply identifying that you got something wrong…
DetailsEvery year, I see CTA students dragging their precious SAICA books around with them. Their car could be stolen, they could lose their wallet… but as long as those books are safe, the world can still go on! Those SAICA books become the most valuable thing you own, because they’re the books you can take…
DetailsJust as you thought you were coming to grips with your qualification journey and what it requires from you in the future, a change is about to be implemented that will change some of the steps in that journey! From 2014, the second Board Exam to qualify as a CA will be changing. This will…
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