I was glad there are someone out there who shares my view.
I would consider Keith Farmer if not of the video class ( i just cant study w/o physical attachments)
Then for my F7 when he makes a return to teach at KSA (i was worried his class size will explode)
This was bcos some of my seniors kept on reminding me he was once the best lecturer around (last time at FTMS)
At the end i opt for Haneef.

I never check any of my calculations (it makes me dizzy & lose confident) only the theoretical part (since my ideas came when writing the answers)

100% support.....I never-ever managed to balance my accounting papers answers.....but...I passed

This post has been edited by cfng76: Sep 18 2008, 09:38 PM

Actually you no need to worry too much about his video class, cos basically Keith Farmer will run the normal class and revision class like other lecturer (means that he will be present in the classroom and teach student).

His video class actually is for student to catch up what he teach in 1st term course. For eg, if you attend his class start from 2nd term, then you can attend his video class for catch up what he teach in 1st term.

In other words, video class is only for additional, whether you want to attend or not is optional.

For the class size, still can acceptable until Keith Farmer, around 150 student during last sitting I study P2 under him.

I think you will more worry about his slang when attend his class

This post has been edited by carlosandy: Sep 19 2008, 09:42 AM

hi

i would like to know is anyone here attending F7 classs?

When is the deadline for ACCA exam registration...

I can't find the link to register online

its on 15th october

but can still submit a late entry after the date until nov 8th. there'll be a penalty fee though

May I ask, besides accountants go accounting, taxation, do they have to do a presentation every year-end for presenting the yearly financial statement company to the administration department?

Go to MYACCA to login first, then select from your personal login page for the exam entry, should the page divert you to ACCA-business. I done all my exam entry via online, never have problem..

ooo..
is the syllabus in F5 similar to F2, juz that v wil learn more detailed and thouroughly in F5?
according to my lecturer, F5,F9 & P2 are killing papers
so i m quite worried coz i hav no CAT background..
i went thru sum previous post and wonder , wil it b advisable to do other papers prior to taking f5?
umm confused confused..


may i ask, is OBU a necessity?
wat'r its benifits? disadvantages?
coz v r supposed to do OBU if v hav opted for it when filling out d initial registration form before proceeding to Professional level..
how long does it take to complete?
does this mean that v hav to stop at F9 and finish our OBU before v can continue our ACCA?
( can v quit OBU later on?) go straight to "P" level?

1) Killing papers myth
Technically there is no killing paper in fundamental level as far as i am aware of. So many people telling me that i will fail this & that..... .
I have even my audit lecturer telling me that he has a student sat an audit paper > 5 times & still failing.
Use this slogan as a motivation tool : What defines a champion ? Are they undefeated, undisputed never lose.
No it is how they bounce back from failure. We must learn from mistake to better enhance our knowledge & rectify our weakness.
My tax lecturer keeps on nagging about those who failed so many times in tax exam has wider knowledge than those who passed at 1st attempt.
i known 2 very special person : one who will excel in any calculation paper (F7 & F6) but fail in theory papers (F4, P1 & F8).
Another who always skip class, lazy person & never study much but pass F5, F8 & P1 & P3 with ease (not bad marks also).
However he failed > 2 time in tax & reporting.

2) CAT background
I will try my best to define what you need to do for each paper :
F4 : purely memorisation : practice past year & memorise key sections of law will do.
F5 : calculation & theory : You really need to explain & elaborate what you have calculated (it requires balanced approach)
F6 : practice, practice & practice : The memorisation part will come naturally when you practice. I pracice PYQ from paper year 2000 to 2007.
I never really memorise the answer only the expenses part (those with experience it is really easy)
F7 : Understanding & speed : I would love to say calculation but it is not so relevant judging from past questions. The examiner will twist the qs
when you get comfortable with exam trend, I have a friend who can finish any 25 marker qs in 30 minutes (bcos he pracice a lot) end up
almost fail / pass (50 mark) bcos the examiner twist the question (2). Practice is fine but this paper has gone the most rigorous amendments
in ACCA (with P2).
F8 : This "used to be" or still is the killing paper. Why bcos audit should never be xamined at the 1st place. It is ver difficult to find 2 silmilar comps
practicing same internal controls, system or processing. Audit is meant ot be practice in real life, hand-on approach....etc. Most who end up studying
audit or "fail multiple times" will end up hating audit (most of my friends do). Audit is something that you must feel natural or really has a deep understanding. The key is "application of your knowledge". You must
1) Read the qs
2) Draft it in your mind
3) Aswer "according" to what qs asked. Never simply answer based on what you memorised (max 10 marks for Qs 2)
F9 : All about formulaes, models & framework. Examiner won't be impressed by your calculations alone as you also need to elaborate it.
You can almost predict which area will come out but which part is the big headache.

I don't know about the new OBU rule about transition to P level but i can comment on other parts :
1) Time
It depends on your writing ability, my lecturer told me that hardworking people will take 3 weeks if they really concentrate while others averages
2-3months. Mentors for OBU are aplenty but i heard that the cost is not cheap (i will come to this later)

2) Usefulness
Not really adds value to your knowledge but unless your relative are tohe "old school" that only degree is sound, then impress them with a Uk degree
from oxford (just don't mention the brookes). The benefit does not really cover the cost as i have mentioned earlier. However there is really no diadvantages in taking it (unless you are rich lo) There are this 1st & 2nd class in OBU where only big comps will take (any lesser will be rejected)
Although i can easily attain 1 st class without doing the project but i felt it doesn't worth it (I am quite lazy too )

F5, F9 and P2 are killing papers? It all depends on how you think of these papers and how you approach them. I passed these papers last semester. Thank God, I am satisfactory with the marks. Just want to share how i approach these papers.

F5-Performance Management
This paper is not dofficult if you have good foundation of its earlier paper.. either CAT or ACCA F2. Economics knoledge is an add on advantage. However, those with poor foundation or no economics knowledge should not be despaired, as good studying approach will help you pass through easily.

Have a copy of the syllabus guidance and read through. Having an overview of this paper is vital as you will appreciate every parts of this paper when u study it. Some parts are very technical, you should note down and these are areas you need to studt. The paper tests on your analytical and synthesis skills and ability to give approprite comments. Technical knowledge is crucial for calculation only. Those with strong analytical and synthesis skills can pass through this paper with limited technical knowledge.

For those with limited time for this paper, I recommend that you have your answers at your side when doing the past year questions. When you can't answer a particular question, please do not waste time coming out with the answer, instead pay some time "analysing" the answers. Note the approach the examiner used and how the questions are answered. It is always good to indicate the several points that are given with numbers. Doing past year questions, help you to pick up knowledge covered in the syllabus, though not complete.

Before the actual exams, read through the entire textbook. It will take a day only. It helps as you will find those areas you have not covered before. I always find that I apply the knowledge most from what I read few days before the exam.

F9-Financial Management
This paper is similar to F5, the study approach is the same also. However, emphasis is on the technical knowledge you have through the understanding of the syllabus. A lot of time should be spent on this paper to appreciate the the different models examinable. Calculations in the exam questions require the understanding of the models. so know the models and calculation should not have problems.

Some very technical questions are asked like asking you to give the advantages of certain models. If you know the models and know the underlying mechanism, there should be no problems. But understanding the mechnism is time consuming though.

Doing past year questions and you are confident that you can answer all the questions in the past year papers, you are on the way to pass this paper.

P2-Corporate Reporting
The exam approach is totally different from the Fundamentals papers.

My studying approach:
Know the IASs well, memorize the rules in every IASs with emphasis on certain important ISAs.
Then, you can start to try some questions. Note that the questions set in the new ACCA is very much different from previous one for P2.
I shall give an explanation on the layout of the current exam paper. The current exam questions are what I call "case by case" questions. Each case will deal with one or two particular IASs and thus the whole paper will cover almost 70% of the syllabus, though emphasis could be on certain IASs in every sitting. Do not try to spot on certain IASs but u can leace out some unimportant one.

Question one is "Group" question but it is a case by case question. If you are not good in consolidation, you can still answer the case. Remember to answer the question by answering each case by itself. At the end, each case will then affect the CSOFP or CSOCI. do not ever try to balance the accounts. It is a wastage of time and you can spend the time better in other areas. There is an ethics question, it tests your command of english actualy. Leave it to the end of the exam.

Question two and three are almost the same but the earlier gives emphasis on certain IASs. To answer these questions, you should follow a strict approach so that you can earn as many marks as possible.. and it lets your answers sound more professional and the idea flow is smoother. The approach can be explicitly seen on the examiners' answers if you spend time analysing his answers. Ms. Menon from Sunway has done a good job in this area and I believe it helps the students alot.

Question four is on current issue, if the current issue is clear, you may want to try your luck on this and memorize the answer else leave it out in your revision. Remember to have a summary of each IASs with you and go through in consistent interval so that you dont forget the earlier IASs you have studied. www.iasplus.com by Deloitte allows free download for its summary booklet. Note that some IASs may have undergone revision and may not be examinable in your sitting.

I hope it can be a help for students taking these papers in this sitting. God bless you all.

thx Topace & Rvelos =) ur replies r really helpful =)
as now i m doing F1-F4 now and wil b sitting for exam in Dec..
so i start wondering, how many papers shud i take for next sem? which lecturer to follow?...stuffs like tat...
my coursemates hav been discussing on this issues too..
wil it b too tough to take 4 papers in 1 sitting..say F5-F8 ?
since sum of the papers like taxation and audit are the 1st time i approach them..
so..any advice for me?
thx =)

Don't do 4 papers unless you are very confident / hardworking (many people have voice their regret already)
Tax : Start memorise the computational format & biz expense. After that you can start practice past year.
I will recommend Chin Ann in kolej bandar if your foundation is not strong

Audit : Tons to memorise, time for understanding & more application than other papers you have sat.
It is very hard to earn every single mark in audit papers.
I recommend sheila in mco if you likes to read & memorise, Phillip woo in Ksa if you like to listen to hand-on experience but don't mind the class size. If you like writing or wants to learn exam technique you can again consider Chin Ann in Kolej Bandar.

I have known few students that take 4 papers. They either failed most of them or pass with very few left to spare.
Normally 4 papers are more relvant for those who have failed (so they can just revise them) or you are old / experienced enough to juggle (degree)

Whilst I've done 4 papers consecutively and I can tell you it's not impossible, I don't recommend anyone going the way I did. The amount of continuing effort and focus required is very tiring and can make you feel as if it's really a big suffering. Not only that, sad to say doing 4 papers will require you to know where you can afford to cut some slack or skip, and it's not a skill and luck that everyone has.

So yeah, take 3 at most unless resit.

3 or 4 paper dilemma? hehe.. it all depend on your confidence level.. FOur papers are not recommended but if your english and learning capabilities are strong.. then go ahead!!

Some people say that taking four papers have higher chance of failing.. Ermm.. it depends on the person's capability.. Put it in another way, isn't doing ACCA papers in three years have a higher chance of failing than having it in 2 and a half yrs? Coz the longer the time, the higher the risks.. hahaha.. That's my theory...

ACCA life comfortableness is 100% depending upon yourselves.
No one forces you to study, practice your PSQ, giving homeworks.....etc.
So pass / scoring depends again on yourselves (whether you have the heart / desire for it).
However it is not wise to put yourself to limit just to pass everything so quickly & go working.

In that broad sense you will have this attitude "Just tell me what to do to make me pass & don't bother about anything else".
You should put on this instead "I need to understand what i am studying not just for the sake of passing"
If you enjoy your learning experience you will gather higher comprehension & intellectual skills.
If you did not enjoy it, it will just be an obligatory routine which was embedded in your culture.

No wonder there are considerable sums of professional drop out from accountancy line (bcos of boredom) & they diversify.
This happen mostly in Asian accoutants, you can always read it in the medias.
Please don't just have this $ $ on your eyes.

Actually depend on student. Some student very smart where can pass all 4 paper in one time, but some student take 2 paper also feel very difficult.

For me, I don't think I can take 3 or 4 papers in 1 sitting cos I'm part time student.

F5 - I recommend you can go to Andrew Pang (KSA) since both Chow Kim Tai and Chan Tze Kang (MCO) didn't run any class for this paper. He is the most experience lecturer in Mgmt Accounting and his calculation technique was very fast.

The only thing no good for Andrew is he didn't cover too much theory for this paper. So you need to careful in this area.


F6 - Same as Topace111, you can try Chin Ann (Kolej Bandar) since your foundation is not strong.

Depend on your luck also, some time Choong Kwai Fatt(SEGI) will run the revision class for F6. If he run the class, then I recommend you go cos he got a very good technique to help you to pass in this paper.


F7 - Joe Fang(KSA), Keith Farmer(KSA), Haneef(MCO)

It is depend on what you expect from the lecturer for F7.

Joe Fang - His consol, cash flow and other calculation short cut method are very fast. According to Joe Fang student, he can finish the consol question in 30 minutes. But in FRS part, Joe Fang won't cover too much.

Haneef - He can explain in very good in both FRS and Consol, but nothing special short cut method for the consol and cash flow. He can explain very detail in FRS and Consol & make student very easy to understand, but the problem was if you use his technique to answer Consol question during exam, then it will take a lot of time. One more thing Haneef no good is his class very BORING.

Keith Farmer - He is a most experience lecturer in F7/P2. He is only the lecturer can cover both FRS and consol. He got a special technique for answer consol question, even it is not so fast as compare with Joe Fang, but at least faster than Haneef. His notes, example and the question (set by himself) is good also, can make student very easy to understand. But you must stand by to tahan his slang. Some student feel very difficult to understand during attend his class b'cos of his slang.

F8 - Philip Woo (KSA), Sheila (MCO)

I will more recommend you go to Philip Woo cos he will give more detail explaination in F8 as compare to Sheila. Some more he will teach you how earn each marks for exam. Some more he is professional marker for F8 also, in his class, he will tell you what the examiner want. But his class size is very big, so every time you go for his class, either you come at least 1 hour early or ask friend book place for you.

For Sheila, her notes is very good and detail, but very hard to finish to read it. She have a special word or technique for all the important key word for student easy to memorise it.


I advise you that, since you are full time student, may be you try to take 3 papers first, if you feel that can't do it after 2 months, then drop 1 paper lo.

hi do anyone know tat whether sunway college or any other college selling bpp textbook ,,thankyou

i wantt to ask something. i registered for my papers f4 f5 and f6. just a few days ago and i notice that my exam docket for f4 they say is not available. is this normal? bcz im scared i cant take the paper later

ahhaha u're checking online I presume? it merely means that ur docket is not prepared yet. don't worry too much, i got that too last semester.