Self study ACCA

Jcanty85

Hi all, I'm hoping someone here will be able to offer some advice as I'm somewhat stuck at the moment. Basically I have a degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in business management, I'm working full time in west cork but am thinking of starting an ACCA qualification as a career change. My problem at the moment is that any course that is part time such as the hdip in ucc runs over 18months and only gives you exemptions to F1-F4 which I think is a long time and considerable expense for four exemptions.. I'm interested in the self study route and would love to hear some feedback from someone who has done it.. Would I be mad to embark on this coming from a non accounting background? I was hoping to sign up to the December exams for F1-F4 possibly and then see what possible revision courses are available as I progress.. Any advice is greatly appreciated.. Thanks

robo

I havent done the self study but have used the resources on Open Tuition is good - the lectures are good. They go through the different calculations etc - you can check their resources out & its all free.

godtabh

I'd also be interested in this. Similar background to the OP. Engineer with a masters in engineering in MBA. Looking for something more challenging

thebsharp

I'm a civil engineer by trade working as a project manager. Ive been self studying for the ACCAs while working. Passed F1-F4 with good results first time and feel there's more than enough content in the study books to pass those exams. Spent 4-6 weeks studying each before sitting the exam. I haven't used any other resources yet. Setup for F1-F4 is great because of the CBE, can sit each exam as soon as you feel ready.I'll sit F5 in sep.

The difficulty with studying the ACCAs is getting the PER to become qualified. I'm struggling with that part. There are no ACCA qualified accountants in my workplace to sign off any of my experience. I haven't been able to establish if passing the ACCA exams without the PER is of any use for future employment. I don't want to be an accountant but am studying ACCA because it's great for understanding more about finance and business. Not sure if employers think there's any merit in what I'm doing and why!

Currently on the fence about keeping going. Worth thinking about for anyone looking to start off.

HeinekenTicket

It's possible to get a BSc degree when you have completed all the fundamental papers. This is a good milestone and exit point for those who don't want to continue on to professional level or work in accountancy.

For those doing self-study, I recommend the Tenjin mobile apps for ACCA - plenty of revision and self-assessment practise opportunities.

Aureli

I have done F1 to F4 self study. very easy, F1 and F4 only took me one week of full study. F2 and F3 three slightly harder. I found open tuition a waste of time. I read the books quicker and did all the practice questions.

Jcanty85

Thanks for the replies folks, been doing more investigating and I think I'll try F1-F4 for the cbe and see how I get on. How much are the cbe per exam? Also what books would you guys recommend? I understand there are a couple of different providers??

Jcanty85

Aureli wrote: »

I have done F1 to F4 self study. very easy, F1 and F4 only took me one week of full study. F2 and F3 three slightly harder. I found open tuition a waste of time. I read the books quicker and did all the practice questions.

Which books did you use?

thebsharp

I went into a bookshop and had a read of the two main suppliers to see which I might prefer. I ended up using BPP and was happy with the results I was getting so haven't looked back. I've friends who have used Kaplan and prefer them. My initial impression was that BPP books gave more context, which means more reading, but I learn best when given overall context so this option suited me.

Hope this helps.

Jcanty85

thebsharp wrote: »

I went into a bookshop and had a read of the two main suppliers to see which I might prefer. I ended up using BPP and was happy with the results I was getting so haven't looked back. I've friends who have used Kaplan and prefer them. My initial impression was that BPP books gave more context, which means more reading, but I learn best when given overall context so this option suited me.

Hope this helps.

Did you just buy them new or were you able to get second hand ones? They seem quite expensive per subject and unfortunately I'm on a tight budget,,,

thebsharp

Yeah they're not cheap. Unfortunately all my friends had sold on their books so I bought them all new. BPP regularly update their books as well but I was told having slightly older versions makes no real difference i.e. 2015-2016 instead of 2016-2017. My justification was that I wasn't paying for any courses so could splash out!!

I've all four books and the practice kits to go with if you want to PM me.

Aureli

I used the bpp books. I always make a plan and stick to it. I started studying F5 and F7 for september. Basically I fly through the books and then just try an do as many mocks / questions as I can get my hands on. I find I learn most from the questions.

IrishAlice

For anyone who is sitting ACCA exams and not sure if they want to continue on to become an accountant there are two qualifications you gain along the way.

The first is the diploma in accounting and business which you can get after completing the first four exams and a foundations in professional module online.

The second is an advanced diploma in accounting and business which can be gained by completing the first 9 exams, the foundations in professionalism module and the professional ethics module.

Just a couple of options that are worth thinking about for anyone who is interested

gonko

Open Tuition is your friend. I failed an exam with GCD (I'll say no more). And I put in LOTS of work and went over the material and notes that were given etc etc. Took the repeat AND a first sit 3 months later using open T and had passes in the 70's. Cannot recommend them enough.

Timbo1987

Open tuition is definetly your friend. Self study is very possible for all the F papers. Starting from scratch is actually a great way to get a feel for how to pass the exams the "ACCA" way. Moving on to the P levels is a step up so I would recommend classes for all P papers. The PER experience needs to be signed off by any qualified accountant. Its a long road but worth it.

EagererBeaver

Sorry for late post. I came to ACCA and have similar background - engineering degree and business administration masters. You should be entitled to an exemption for F1. I foolishly gave this up as I wanted to start at the beginning. Don't make the same mistake. It's useless. Pointless. Utter ****.

I've just sat F7-9 having done self study. Am waiting on results but hope to have passed the lot. If in any way academic and have a general understanding of business, self study for the F papers shouldn't be an issue.

Going to sit P1 and P4 in March. Might be a different kettle of fish...