Studying for professional qualifications
Discussion
I've just been awarded full sponsorship from work to study my CIMA qualification and I'm hoping to start the first module within the next couple of weeks. Was just wondering if anyone on here has studied/passed this recently and if you have any tips on good practice etc?
Also, would be interesting to see what kind of results people have had! Post and boast!
Also, would be interesting to see what kind of results people have had! Post and boast!
I'm learning CIPS, so not related in area, but my personal approach to study seems to work well.
I study the entire book, and normally only read the exercises rather than complete them, then check the answers against my knowledge.
I then look over all the past exam papers - this is KEY!
Look at the Senior Assessor reports and look at what they're looking for, model answers, etc. In addition, it allows you to see how the materials transfers to exam questions.
Following on from this, I take the last 10 exams, look at what the common subject matters being tested are, and count them up, prioritise them, and prioritise my revision of the text based on that.
I hope that helps somewhat; however I am studying entirely out of the book, where I guess you'll have lessons.
I study the entire book, and normally only read the exercises rather than complete them, then check the answers against my knowledge.
I then look over all the past exam papers - this is KEY!
Look at the Senior Assessor reports and look at what they're looking for, model answers, etc. In addition, it allows you to see how the materials transfers to exam questions.
Following on from this, I take the last 10 exams, look at what the common subject matters being tested are, and count them up, prioritise them, and prioritise my revision of the text based on that.
I hope that helps somewhat; however I am studying entirely out of the book, where I guess you'll have lessons.
Pulse said:
I'm learning CIPS, so not related in area, but my personal approach to study seems to work well.
I study the entire book, and normally only read the exercises rather than complete them, then check the answers against my knowledge.
I then look over all the past exam papers - this is KEY!
Look at the Senior Assessor reports and look at what they're looking for, model answers, etc. In addition, it allows you to see how the materials transfers to exam questions.
Following on from this, I take the last 10 exams, look at what the common subject matters being tested are, and count them up, prioritise them, and prioritise my revision of the text based on that.
I hope that helps somewhat; however I am studying entirely out of the book, where I guess you'll have lessons.
That's good advice, thanks! I study the entire book, and normally only read the exercises rather than complete them, then check the answers against my knowledge.
I then look over all the past exam papers - this is KEY!
Look at the Senior Assessor reports and look at what they're looking for, model answers, etc. In addition, it allows you to see how the materials transfers to exam questions.
Following on from this, I take the last 10 exams, look at what the common subject matters being tested are, and count them up, prioritise them, and prioritise my revision of the text based on that.
I hope that helps somewhat; however I am studying entirely out of the book, where I guess you'll have lessons.
I've only just been awarded the full sponsorship for it (yesterday, actually) so I haven't decided if I'm going to do the home self learning or get onto one of the distance learning sites and use their material. I would prefer to go with the external companies as the backup I can get would be invaluable, but it depends on how much the final sponsorship is and how much I could put towards it myself to make up any defecit!
Thanks for the advice either way!!
Personally (and again this is only my experience), the online ‘e-Learning’ package I had for CIPS was absolutely atrocious! I have it (£600 it cost!) but I’ve never used it because it’s so unbelievably rubbish, and also conflicts with your learning from the book.
Â
I am certainly BETTER off having just learned from the book thus far, that’s for sure; and this is coming from someone who is chronically bad at studying, and hates exams. I have had 3 exams so far, 2 of which I have passed, and 1 of which was the other day and I reckon I’ve passed. I used to think I would need a teacher to really bring a topic alive for me, but now I am coping quite well (albeit at Level 4, rather than your level 5(?) starting point).
Â
If you only get sponsorship of enough to just cover books, exams and registration, I honestly would give it a go without the e-Learning. You may not be able to cope without it, but I bet you would be fine.
Â
NB: This of course entirely depends on the type of e-Learning package you have, as I know my other half is doing the same soon and it’s more of a ‘virtual classroom’ and could be quite helpful (but is quite expensive).
Â
I am certainly BETTER off having just learned from the book thus far, that’s for sure; and this is coming from someone who is chronically bad at studying, and hates exams. I have had 3 exams so far, 2 of which I have passed, and 1 of which was the other day and I reckon I’ve passed. I used to think I would need a teacher to really bring a topic alive for me, but now I am coping quite well (albeit at Level 4, rather than your level 5(?) starting point).
Â
If you only get sponsorship of enough to just cover books, exams and registration, I honestly would give it a go without the e-Learning. You may not be able to cope without it, but I bet you would be fine.
Â
NB: This of course entirely depends on the type of e-Learning package you have, as I know my other half is doing the same soon and it’s more of a ‘virtual classroom’ and could be quite helpful (but is quite expensive).
Jonboy_t said:
I've just been awarded full sponsorship from work to study my CIMA qualification and I'm hoping to start the first module within the next couple of weeks. Was just wondering if anyone on here has studied/passed this recently and if you have any tips on good practice etc?
Also, would be interesting to see what kind of results people have had! Post and boast!
Hi mate. I'm an ACMA (CIMA Qualified). Passed this year!!!!!!!!!Also, would be interesting to see what kind of results people have had! Post and boast!
All first time passes, but i took a fair few breaks in between exams. Once you qualify the jump in salary is sizeable...
ermm....It can be a boring job if the role involves month end. I'm now looking to move elsewhere to get a more commercial/FP&A type role...
Just make sure you study. And do as many past papers as possible (srs). The best practice for CIMA exams is the past papers.
During the later levels (Strategic and TOPCIMA)its all about thinking out the box and using your nous.
Good luck...i dont envy the slog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDIT: The colleges are great for helping you pass. IMHO they are essential for the later levels when you get some hardcore material that needs to be learned.
Risk Adjusted WACC - I used to have nightmares about this stuff!!!!!!!!!!
Edited by Tyson1980 on Wednesday 25th May 16:09
Tyson1980 said:
Jonboy_t said:
I've just been awarded full sponsorship from work to study my CIMA qualification and I'm hoping to start the first module within the next couple of weeks. Was just wondering if anyone on here has studied/passed this recently and if you have any tips on good practice etc?
Also, would be interesting to see what kind of results people have had! Post and boast!
Hi mate. I'm an ACMA (CIMA Qualified). Passed this year!!!!!!!!!Also, would be interesting to see what kind of results people have had! Post and boast!
All first time passes, but i took a fair few breaks in between exams. Once you qualify the jump in salary is sizeable...
ermm....It can be a boring job if the role involves month end. I'm now looking to move elsewhere to get a more commercial/FP&A type role...
Just make sure you study. And do as many past papers as possible (srs). The best practice for CIMA exams is the past papers.
During the later levels (Strategic and TOPCIMA)its all about thinking out the box and using your nous.
Good luck...i dont envy the slog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDIT: The colleges are great for helping you pass. IMHO they are essential for the later levels when you get some hardcore material that needs to be learned.
Risk Adjusted WACC - I used to have nightmares about this stuff!!!!!!!!!!
Edited by Tyson1980 on Wednesday 25th May 16:09
I started enquiring at work as my ambition is to run my own business eventually and I think that one of the major expenses any start up business has is getting the money right, so why not let someone pay for me to do it and use it whenever possible!!
I do a lot of 'accountancy type stuff' at the moment with work. I am heavily involved in month end procedures in my current role and I contribute to the forecasting and help with budgets etc, so I'm hoping that this is going to set me in good stead for CIMA and it will be a walk in the park.....
FamilyDub said:
^^ this... and BPP and/or Kaplan do very comprehensive exam kits too. I've found them excellent.
Good luck with your studies.
F3 for me yesterday, hope all went well Good luck with your studies.
BPP Study is ok, the online courses and material aren't too bad. Don't think 'Ooh I have 3 months to learn this', it'll go by so quickly.
Exam wise, the most important, and sometimes the hardest thing to do, is RTFQ! In the exams it is all too easy to read what you want the question to be, and you'll get zero marks.
I'm Cima qualified, Cima prize winner and I've taught CIMA once upon a time, as above, answer the question the examiner asks, not what you know, but tell him everything you know. I knew a guy who really strugled, and when we talked about the exam afterwards would say, 'Oh I didn't write that, its so simple the examiner can see I knew that, not worth writting down' absolutly wrong.
Jonboy_t said:
Congratulations!! I'm certainly not excited about the slog, but as you say, the jump in salary is hopefully sizeable!
I started enquiring at work as my ambition is to run my own business eventually and I think that one of the major expenses any start up business has is getting the money right, so why not let someone pay for me to do it and use it whenever possible!!
I do a lot of 'accountancy type stuff' at the moment with work. I am heavily involved in month end procedures in my current role and I contribute to the forecasting and help with budgets etc, so I'm hoping that this is going to set me in good stead for CIMA and it will be a walk in the park.....
Without wishing to sound arsey, a slight shift in attitude might be a good step. A bit of month end & forecasting work isn't going to make it a walk in the park.I started enquiring at work as my ambition is to run my own business eventually and I think that one of the major expenses any start up business has is getting the money right, so why not let someone pay for me to do it and use it whenever possible!!
I do a lot of 'accountancy type stuff' at the moment with work. I am heavily involved in month end procedures in my current role and I contribute to the forecasting and help with budgets etc, so I'm hoping that this is going to set me in good stead for CIMA and it will be a walk in the park.....
An awful lot of people find it quite hard to mix in studying, a full time job and a social life. You can be gifted or get lucky but in the main, you'll find that the real world isn't that conducive to passing the exams, nor is what you've experienced anything more than a useful grounding - as has been said, the answer required for an exam is often rather different to the real world answer, like passing a driving test vs actually being a good driver.
ClintonB said:
Jonboy_t said:
Congratulations!! I'm certainly not excited about the slog, but as you say, the jump in salary is hopefully sizeable!
I started enquiring at work as my ambition is to run my own business eventually and I think that one of the major expenses any start up business has is getting the money right, so why not let someone pay for me to do it and use it whenever possible!!
I do a lot of 'accountancy type stuff' at the moment with work. I am heavily involved in month end procedures in my current role and I contribute to the forecasting and help with budgets etc, so I'm hoping that this is going to set me in good stead for CIMA and it will be a walk in the park.....
Without wishing to sound arsey, a slight shift in attitude might be a good step. A bit of month end & forecasting work isn't going to make it a walk in the park.I started enquiring at work as my ambition is to run my own business eventually and I think that one of the major expenses any start up business has is getting the money right, so why not let someone pay for me to do it and use it whenever possible!!
I do a lot of 'accountancy type stuff' at the moment with work. I am heavily involved in month end procedures in my current role and I contribute to the forecasting and help with budgets etc, so I'm hoping that this is going to set me in good stead for CIMA and it will be a walk in the park.....
An awful lot of people find it quite hard to mix in studying, a full time job and a social life. You can be gifted or get lucky but in the main, you'll find that the real world isn't that conducive to passing the exams, nor is what you've experienced anything more than a useful grounding - as has been said, the answer required for an exam is often rather different to the real world answer, like passing a driving test vs actually being a good driver.
I highly doubt I will be gifted and/or lucky (never have been!), but one thing I've never been afraid of is some hard slog when there's something at the end of it for me and my missus to really gain. The social life doesn't bother me in the slightest either, I'm studying at home and the only people I'm bothered about socialising with will be sat in the living room anyway!
Jonboy_t said:
ClintonB said:
Jonboy_t said:
Congratulations!! I'm certainly not excited about the slog, but as you say, the jump in salary is hopefully sizeable!
I started enquiring at work as my ambition is to run my own business eventually and I think that one of the major expenses any start up business has is getting the money right, so why not let someone pay for me to do it and use it whenever possible!!
I do a lot of 'accountancy type stuff' at the moment with work. I am heavily involved in month end procedures in my current role and I contribute to the forecasting and help with budgets etc, so I'm hoping that this is going to set me in good stead for CIMA and it will be a walk in the park.....
Without wishing to sound arsey, a slight shift in attitude might be a good step. A bit of month end & forecasting work isn't going to make it a walk in the park.I started enquiring at work as my ambition is to run my own business eventually and I think that one of the major expenses any start up business has is getting the money right, so why not let someone pay for me to do it and use it whenever possible!!
I do a lot of 'accountancy type stuff' at the moment with work. I am heavily involved in month end procedures in my current role and I contribute to the forecasting and help with budgets etc, so I'm hoping that this is going to set me in good stead for CIMA and it will be a walk in the park.....
An awful lot of people find it quite hard to mix in studying, a full time job and a social life. You can be gifted or get lucky but in the main, you'll find that the real world isn't that conducive to passing the exams, nor is what you've experienced anything more than a useful grounding - as has been said, the answer required for an exam is often rather different to the real world answer, like passing a driving test vs actually being a good driver.
I highly doubt I will be gifted and/or lucky (never have been!), but one thing I've never been afraid of is some hard slog when there's something at the end of it for me and my missus to really gain. The social life doesn't bother me in the slightest either, I'm studying at home and the only people I'm bothered about socialising with will be sat in the living room anyway!
Some people do think that they can waltz through, burn the candle from every angle and still get through as a result of a degree of luck, talent, intelligence and the like. It rarely works - trust me, I know
D'Oh!Wasn't used to failing exams (well, apart from one, where I put some serious effort into failing) but found out that at least some sacrifice was necessary.
If you don't have a job that demands 50-60+ hour weeks and you can avoid the boozer (and possibly a nagging better half), you stand a decent chance. While I did say that your real world experience wasn't a guarantee, it will be of some use, especially if you don't have a business/finance educational background.
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff