Know your theory

While students tend to focus the majority of their time on the practical elements of the exam, you must remember that every question (apart from question one) has a theory question in it. In 2016, it was possible to get 53 marks out of the 400 total without even opening an account, had you answered all the theory questions correctly. This shows that it is well worth your time learning the theory on the course. Writing out short summary cards can be particularly effective for doing this, as the theory on the course is quite concise, so don’t get too bogged down when learning these important points.

Label your workings

Make sure to label all your workings for each question and hand them in with your script. Many people get A1s without getting their accounts to balance and this is because the examiner can look at their workings and give them attempt marks that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to give. It is important, however, that workings are kept neat and tidy, so the examiner can clearly establish where you went wrong and reward you for what you have done correctly.

The order of the exam

It’s not necessary that you do the exam the way it’s set out. By all means, jump ahead to section three and do that first if that’s what you are comfortable with. Personally, however, I suggest that you do sectin one first. This section requires the most concentration and should be done when your mind is at its freshest. It is impossible to have full concentration for the full three hours, so you must approach the exam in such a way that you don’t have to think on the spot or problem-solve when you are beginning to get stuck for time. This is why many students leave question five until last.

Timing

Accounting is an exam where you will be tight for time, so it cannot be stressed how important it is that you keep an eye on the clock during the exam. There is no point in just starting your last question when the exam is about to finish. You must get the most amount of marks out of the time allocated to you. Also, I suggest that the minute you are given the answer booklet in the exam, start ruling out the paper for the various questions. This will save valuable time in the exam that you will not get back.