F5 today - what did you think?

frogstar

I was very confident sitting this today. I knew ABC/regression/linear programming/CVP/ performance mgt inside out.

The only "regular" topic to appear was variances. Even the target costing question was odd from a service point of view.

I felt it was 70% theory and 30% calculation. I was short time at the end and I know I rambled.

The points didn't seem to be allocated fairly? For TQM? There seemed to be lots of "easy" marks but I don't think I did enough to get through

Either got 48 or 52. Please be the latter!

optimistic_

Frogstar, agree 100%

Badly presented paper, full of language to trip you up, off the wall ways of applying your knowledge. And I know it's not supposed to be easy, but look back at Dec '11, Jun ' 11 and even Dec '10 - Straight forward papers, if we got any of those I know I would have been delighted, and everyone seemed deflated coming out of the hall today.

Really poor paper. I was like you 100% confident in everything, now I even think I messed up the variance question.

There were easy marks to be gotten, but I'll be surprised if I don't have to resit this.

Pass rates will be a huge drop on the December pass rates, that's for sure.

Really disappointed after going in full of confidence. Gutted.

optimistic_

Just to add - I am really surprised at the examiner, given her straightforward nature in previous papers to come out with this is bad form.

I would have at least expected that she would examine multi product CVP, and not one question on ABC or a proper throughput question? Terrible paper.


Edit - It's the consensus on Open Tuition that the paper was a disaster. After reading articles from the examiner I am genuinely surprised at the paper. flabbergasted that ABC and / or throughput didn't come up.
http://opentuition.com/groups/f5-performance-management/forum/topic/f5-june-2012-exam-was-comments-and-instant-poll/

frogstar

I forgot TPUT wasn't there either!

As you said, looking back at the last few papers,i said to myself " if any of these come up I'd be laughing!"

I didnt use one formula or my brand new scientific calculator.

I saw that on open tuition. I never know how to take the views on that. When I read it I realised I missed the annualised part on the ROI question.

Can't believe it but I think I'll be repeating. I really busted my ass studying for this. Hopefully dec reverts to old material.

Maybe ACCA is getting tougher to sto all the riff raff beck in members!

F8 on Thursday and I can't face opening the book. Having a glass of wine and will start again tomorrow

frogstar

When will they publish the answers to the exam or is that the same time as results? Will def not be selling my book yet.

I found I was doing half of one question then jumping to another

optimistic_

Ah stop, TQM as an 8 marker as well. Ridiculous. If I fail I actually think I might just go to another body, I won't sit another of her exams after this.

Just seemed mean spirited how the questions were asked. I missed the annualising as well. I seem to have Q1 in the bag, the majority of the target costing question as well. If i pass it'll be a scrape.

As someone said, I can't believe how long the first part of Q1 took, for 8 marks, splitting the costs out for two products in such detail. Should have been a 12 marker at least.

I've Law on Monday, not opened a book since I got home either. Will just have to get stuck in over the next few days.

So gutted, I know the syllabus well and that paper will not show that at all. If TP, ABC, a proper Budgeting question, even multi product CVP and a decsion tree question had come up...Normal questions for the paper, we would all have been grand.

I think she might be trying to weed people out, do feel cheated though. So deflated. The thoughts of sitting that paper again in December. At least i won't have to fork out for tuition again. Because I know the whole bloody thing!

Think I'll have a guinness. We deserve it after that!

optimistic_

frogstar wrote: »

When will they publish the answers to the exam or is that the same time as results? Will def not be selling my book yet.

I found I was doing half of one question then jumping to another

Have no idea about this, I don't want to see them. I'll wait til results day.

Take the day off work so I don't get the news in front of folk either.

Looking at people's breakdowns of the paper on OT, I'm very worried.

frogstar

You see I never know how to take open tuition. I'd love a forum based on irish resident students. Sorry I don't mean that in a bad way.

I'm self study at the moment so I think I want to piggy back on BPP or Kaplan study materials.

I froze in q 1.

Re Law. I sat this in December. It's not a bad paper. The best advice is to go through ALL past papers and you'll be fine. I did this and did ok. Out of ten questions I could answer 8 very well.

Still raging over today. I actually believed for a split second before I sat paper that I might be in the top three of Ireland!!! Thank god I never said that to anyone in real life!

Was planning on sitting F7 in December by itself. Looks like I'll be doing f7 and f5 now.

Best of luck in f4. It's not that bad. I kind of enjoyed it as a subject

optimistic_

Just wanted to resurect this for Frogstar, and anyone else invoved in discussions concerning the level of difficulty of this paper:
The ERB results are out, and clearly contradict Ann Iron's report from earlier in the summer.

F5:

"F5 Performance Management
The paper was felt to be difficult, not covering what were considered to be core areas of the syllabus and more weighted to high level discussion. Students also reported it was time pressured. There were concerns that one question was set in a public sector environment and another area was not core. Regarding the public sector, ACCA responded that the syllabus clearly states that subject areas could be examined in either public sector or private sector context. ACCA also responded that all areas of the syllabus are clearly examinable.

It was felt that the format of the paper had departed from that of past sittings. ACCA responded that the format of the exam did not change at all but only that new topics that have not been tested before appeared in this exam. As always, the exam contained one question from each of the five syllabus areas and was approximately 50% computational and 50% discursive.

60% of candidates found the syllabus was covered well and that the questions clear. 56% felt they had little time to complete the paper and 78% found the paper too difficult"


The rest is here:
http://www.accaglobal.com/en/learning-provider/Tuition-providers/examination-review-board/erb-jun-2012.html

Pauvre Con

Oh joy, I've just started F5 this week. Did you pass the June one in the end after all the moaning?

frogstar

Thanks for that Optimistic, very Interesting.

Pauvre, yep both myself and Optimistic passed but it was a tough paper. You will see from your studies it differs to all the other F5 papers.

You should be ok, I'm not sure they will take the same approach this time. It was more written than calculation which is not what this paper is about.