F4, F5, F6 all at once?

Pat_K

I'm considering trying to study by distance (Griffith College) my F4 and F6. But was thinking now of also doing F5 at same time. I study on my hour commute each way from work and then tack on some nights at the desk to give more time to questions.

I've read enough previous board posts to know that the reply will likely be "it depends".

Looking at the content I think I could do it but is there any good way to gauge on an individual basis. F2 was about two weeks studying and F3 about 4 (reading Kaplan and watching Open Tuition lectures), so I feel a bit of fish to water but don't want to push it too much. I'd like to get these done quickly as I have no doubt that P level will be 2 or even one at a time. Advice welcome, thanks.

crebel81

Hey,

Do you work in the accounting field? If so, your work might help you in studying for these exams, but it all depends. I sat F4 and F5 together (had exemptions from F1 - F3) and failed both first time. Sat both again at the next sitting but failed F5 again. for some reason its the only one I struggled with. That was in Dec 2008. I am sitting my final exam P7 in June. If you are willing to put in the work and study in an efficient manner, anything is possible. Have you started studying all 3 or have you looked through the material to give you a feel for what its about?

Pat_K

crebel81 wrote: »

Hey,

Do you work in the accounting field? ... Have you started studying all 3 or have you looked through the material to give you a feel for what its about?

No, I'm from an economics and business statistics background. I found F2 very similar to what I do regularly - heard F5 was F2 on steroids (pass rates a bit scary). Tax I've studied before so it's probably be coming exam ready. I know company legislation but not case law so that would be a new element. I'm tempted to register for all the course then decide a month in whether to register for all the exams. I spent a lot of time getting my head around F3 as hadn't studied T accounts for 12 years.

Thanks for your comments. Making me think twice about F5. Might review pilot papers to see how I feel then.

frogstar

I home studied f5 and f6

I found f5 grand. Know the past papers and you cant go wrong.

I found f6 more difficult to learn at home. Got 71% so it is doable and you say you are familiar with tax so thats good

Currently I'm attending lectures for f7 and home studying f9. Personally id find three subjects too much as I work full time but I dobt think it's impossible

Pat_K

I figure it's best I answer my own question in case someone else is deciding on this choice. So...

I started looking at three (f4, f5, f6). I signed up for Griffith College by distance/video. F5 I said I'd self study with Kaplan text and Opentution.

I started with F5 and felt very comfortable with it. The problem hit with F6. The GCD text is not a text book but a reference book (advice that me and a few other distance learning students agreed) and the tutor assignments were bonkers - do an exam question to build your knowledge!!! I wasted a good few weeks (2-3) focused on f6. I realised then I'd need to drop f5.

I'm going to give my feedback to GCD but I actually think they do a good job on distance if they tweaked it. So advice to distance learners: You need videos! You need lecture notes with practice questions! So watch the videos (Martin Carboy did the ones I watched - these are intense - f4 is like storytelling so you can do other stuff, this you can't). Try to see if you can find relevant lecture notes and read separately. Remember videos are a year old don't learn rates learn concepts. Then revise using the lecture notes (Madeleine Ford did mine, they were great) - learning rates and applying to simple questions. Got a technical question check revenue.ie (make sure it's applicable a year ago as we're a year behind current Financial Act). Put the free revision class in your diary straight away, there are two so try to make sure you go to the lecturer who did your notes otherwise your adding another teacher to the process (detail/technical - Martin & clear/concept - Madeleine were a good pair). The tutor you can mail them answers to your questions but if I were doing it again I think I wouldn't bother interacting with them at all.

F4 with GCD was great. Kevin seems to do all the lectures so video, lecture and revision well aligned. The text book is a text book, you could read that and probably pass.

Hope this helps.