ACCA Advice....PLEEEEEEEESE

lilgrasshopper

Hi All,

Can anybody who has done,or is currently doing the ACCA tell me if you think it is possible to pass the exams by purchasing the bpp textbooks and using the 'opentuition.com' website for all course notes and Q's i have.

Or is that just a pipdream, whereby i dont have to spend a fortune?:rolleyes:

I'm no einstein and don't think it will be easy but i am willing to put in the hours. I will be exempt from the first 8 exams so that leaves 6,which i intend to spread over two years.

I've done the IATI, and gone on to get a business/accounting degree....will it be a big step up, intellectually challanging wise?

Thanks in advance for any opinions/advice

smcgiff

Yip - it's possible, and some even prefer it, but for most lectures are the difference between passing first/second time and a nightmare.

sportman

It definately helps to do lectures. I find lecturers help sort what you need to know from what's nice to know on the course. You have to be extremely dispciplined to do the final ACCA exams on homestudy.
As mentioned earlier, it may be the difference between passing first time and having to do the exam again.

ari101

Also worth considering that you can take your stronger subjects on home study and weaker ones via a course so while you may need to shell out some money it wont be huge amounts. Courses might be considered for F7/P2, for example, if it's not your thing, but F4, F8 and P1 are very theory laden and could be learned at home with some dedication - home study is not for me though; I have no discipline at all! :-)

lilgrasshopper

Thanks for your replies. I only have to do F9 and then the P's, considering that, do you think lectures are defo needed if i am to pass 1st time?

I work full time and have done the IATI/Degree in the evenings. There doesn't seem to be an ACCA lecture provider near me so thats the main reason for me wanting to do it myself, also i think i do better learning by myself (aside from when i need Q's answered....which hopefully i can find answers to online)

How disciplines are we talking, if i was to start in Sep, taking 3 exams in June (9 months of study) are we talking 3 nights a week (subject per night) then weekends also closer to the exam? In which case it sounds like what i am use to doing anyway so that shouldn't be a problem....

But if the material is just a lil too difficult for me to get my head around on my own.....well that's a problem then

Also if i am to do it alone, can you tell me if, as per my first post all the material i should need would be got fromt the BPP textbooks and online course notes/past papers from opentuition.com?

Sorry for harping on, but i just need some definative answers to these questions from people who have been through it before i make a decision...

p.s are their weekend classes? in which case i could manage to get to them!

lucylu19

Hi lilgrasshopper
I have no college education but started the ACCA exams in 2008 - while on Maternity leave - only using the BPP books(ordered through the UK- coz it's cheaper) and open tutition.
I have passed 8 exams first time and failed only one F8 (by 3%) - which I am waiting for the results of my re-sit!

So yes it is possible! As well as being a mother.. I also work full time.. and going to lectures didn't suit me plus costs too much if you have to pay for them yourself. I just had to make sure I motivated myself to get it done.
Where are you based.. as there are some classes and revision outside Dublin..?
I didn't bother attending any of these either as I felt that I could do it on my own.

I may attend classes for some of the P's but will try doing them by myself first and if I fail or find it hard I might attend revision classes.
Hope this helps.

lilgrasshopper

Hi Lucylu,

That's exactly what i wanted to know thanks for that. Including registration fees/subscription fees/exam fees etc on top of lectures and books it's very expensive for those who don't have the luxury of their company paying for them.

I do live in Dublin but any of the courses i can see are all really city centre based or further out. I work 8.30 -17.00 in Rathcoole so getting into town after that for a lecture is pretty unrealistic and i'd be getting home at all hours, too tired to take anything in.

Knowing that you got through all those exams by yourself, whilst working and having a child is inspiring to me....so maybe i could do it.

Good look with the results and the rest of your exams

crebel81

Hi,

It is definitelt possible, the fact that you are IATI qualified would be a good foundation for taking on ACCA.

As you have said and it is true, if you put in the hours you will get your rewards.

I work full time in a practice and also have to juggle this with a gf and a 3 yr old child. But discipline is key!!

I started the exams in June 08 with exemptions from the first 3 exams. I am awaiting results on P" & P3 and all going well I will only have 3 more to sit.

I study on the train to work (30 mins) and on the way back. I think 1 - 2 hours per night isnt asking too much and another few at the weekend, you would be doing very well.

You know what, go for it. what have you got to lose?? Nothing really and more to gain as an accountancy is one of the best out there.

Best of luck

ellips

I did IATI and then started the ACCA exams. I've done both - classes and self study. While its difficult to apply discipline sometimes and filter the "have to know"'s from "good to know"'s I still think home study all the way is not impossible if you want to get the qualification and are willing to work for it. Even with classes - you'll need to do the work yourself anyway, the classes won't pass you an exam on their own.

I did classes in Griffith College for F5 and F6 - I don't think the lecturers were that great to be honest, but I can't complain cos I passed my exams. Good groundwork done in IATI definitely put me halfway over as the exam is close to being the same, if not easier in some points. My most recent exam was P1 - home study, and while its all theory I found it tough to "get it" as the exam is not about knowing stuff, but understanding how it applies to situations in the scenarios.

There are some online lectures as well - opentuition ones are free, but I wasn't too gone on those. They were helpful, but a bit waffl-y I thought. I found a UK website where you have to subscribe (half the cost of the classes in Griffith College), but I didn't want to pay unless I got a good review of them first.

Regarding books - I prefer Kaplan books (you can order them online from the UK). Their layout is more pleasant to my eye and I find the language easier to understand, but again - this is just a personal preference.

The revision courses are usually held during the weekends so maybe you could study yourself and attend those instead.

gaoife

Hi

I did all of the exams as home study, bought the books from bpp (the best in my opinion) and then just worked on them for three months solid coming up to each exam. I also worked full time through all of the exams.

What i did do though was enrole in the revision courses with BPP usually run over a friday and sat but some subjects were thurs, fri sat and sun.

I cannot stress enough how good this one weekend was!!! I would not have passed all my exams without them, well worth the money.

Go to bpp.co.uk and they will have a timetable for the revision courses they are usually around 2 weeks before the exams. Good luck

Also you can claims tax relief on the courses and books so you will get something back

lilgrasshopper

Thank's everyone for your posts. I've got all the info now i was looking for... I think im gona go for it Homestudy all the way with revision seminars thrown in.

Good look to all

Thanks again

lucylu19

Just thought I'd mention that I know Griffith College held some revision classes in Naas.. so you could check them out as well instead of travelling to town.

Best of luck!

aidandmoran

Griffith are currently doing a offer when 2 people join at once - there is a 50% reduction in fees

I am doing P1 P6 and P7 if anyone wants to join with me?

jennypeny

I did lots of the (theory) exams by buying a book / or audit book but I always went to at lease a revision course.

I put in the hours but I felt I needed the Revision course at the end to ensure I was going to pass First time- great exam help etc (and I did)

There is no way I could have passed the corporate reporting or advanced tax at home though, I practically married my lecturers on them two subjects.

MrMatisse

Yep.

tenchi-fan

I passed one of the theory exams using a book a BPP book a friend used in the previous semester.

However, I found the BPP advanced auditing paper classes with Shaun Browne really, really helpful and I'm glad I didn't attempt it through home study.

As for the final papers, they probably changed since 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7... 3.5 was definitely do-able by home study. 3.6 and 3.7 were tough subjects and I would not have passed them first time without attending classes. The pace of study was a lot faster than I expected.

KevLeppard

I did some of the lectures while going through the exams, and didnt for others.

Overall, you should be working off the exam papers from day 1 and getting to know the course through the answers that come with the exam papers. Put it to you like this, you cant become a tax expert in 10 weeks, you gotta become an exam paper expert in 10 weeks. I would get the BPP text books. but use them as a reference point as opposed to starting on page 1 and read through to page 400.

And dont forget to sign up for the weekend revision course that goes on a few weeks before the exam.

However, when I did 3.7 (Strategic Financial Management), I definetely needed to do the course for that. For the rest of the exams, although I did most of the courses, the exam paper route would/did work for me.

MelF

Hi
Im considering P7 with Suzanne Burdis at Griffith. Just wondering if anyone has been to her classes or would recommend her??

Thanks.

Jannise

I did all my exam through Home Study. only took lectures online from LSBF for P2,P3 and P4. All exams were first time passes. So ye, it is possible, but you really have to commit yourself to it, and don't leave everything till the last week.