FAE 2017

Regarding FR consolidation indicators rarely seem to come up?

Not sure if I am fully prepare if a case with a lot of consolidation came up. Dont know whether to redo some of Derry Cotters case book for a refresh at this stage or not.

Has anyone else gotten an e-mail from Hugh Carroll re: the training diary? Or has anyone received it in previous years?

If so, what's typically the outcome? I got one yesterday (4 weeks before the exams are due to start) telling me I needed to get 12 months worth of work experience logged and approved by a mentor to the CA Diary before I can sit my FAEs. How strict are they on this? I know other folk who hadn't met this requirement in previous years but still sat the exam.

I'll be raging if I have to go and fill in a years worth of info. Time is a precious commodity and I don't want to be wasting it on trivial nonsense like documenting work experience. I understand it needs to be done for qualification purposes but I don't understand why it's a pre-requisite to sitting the exam and I also don't understand why I'm only finding out about it 4 weeks before the exams kick off. It was not sign-posted at all. Never heard it get mentioned once. They'll no doubt send be a link to the size 3 algeric font sub paragraph of paragraph A of section 112.4 of the CAI Trainne/Mentor CA Dairy Programme that I should have read before I enrolled in the programme.

Jsmac67 wrote: »

Never in my life have I heard of that requirement and I'd be extremely reluctant in going back doing diary entries as you said above...

Tbh I knew about it... But i only thought it was for flexible students. Im pretty sure it was actually highlighted in the booklet .

I'm just wondering does any one have any advise re the planning of the exam? I know you have to do rough work but your not allowed write in the script until after the reading time so would you have to re write the plan onto the book then is it?

Would appreciate a few pointers!

AtticusFinch86 wrote: »

Quite a few of the lecturers drilled in the point of using the "box approach" in the planning stage. Basically you divide an A4 pageof paper into 4 quadrants, one quadrant for each indicator (you'll need A4 pages for the core).

As you read the case the first time, identify the indicator and title each quadrant. As you read the case the 2nd time, make brief summary notes of the relevant points for each indicator in the relevant quadrant.

You should also have another A4 page for background info e.g. Role, company industry, group structure, etc.

Read the case for the first 30 minutes, then use the next 40-50 minutes reading it again and planning out your solution. That should leave you about 20-25 minutes per indicator. As a rule of thumb, 1-2 pages per indicator is fine.

I've a "technique" document floating around on my hard-drive somewhere that I can share if you think it'll be useful. It's basically a mesh of some of the better advice I've been given and read and a few of my own observations. I haven't had a chance to put it into practice yet though so I've no idea if its a time effective approach. I'll only know that as I pract



Thanks for your advice I really appreciate it! Oh that would be great if it's not too much hassle?

Daisymoo91 wrote: »

AtticusFinch86 wrote: »

Quite a few of the lecturers drilled in the point of using the "box approach" in the planning stage. Basically you divide an A4 pageof paper into 4 quadrants, one quadrant for each indicator (you'll need A4 pages for the core).

As you read the case the first time, identify the indicator and title each quadrant. As you read the case the 2nd time, make brief summary notes of the relevant points for each indicator in the relevant quadrant.

You should also have another A4 page for background info e.g. Role, company industry, group structure, etc.

Read the case for the first 30 minutes, then use the next 40-50 minutes reading it again and planning out your solution. That should leave you about 20-25 minutes per indicator. As a rule of thumb, 1-2 pages per indicator is fine.

I've a "technique" document floating around on my hard-drive somewhere that I can share if you think it'll be useful. It's basically a mesh of some of the better advice I've been given and read and a few of my own observations. I haven't had a chance to put it into practice yet though so I've no idea if its a time effective approach. I'll only know that as I pract



Thanks for your advice I really appreciate it! Oh that would be great if it's not too much hassle?

No problem. No guarantee it'll be useful as everyone will have an approach that suits them best but it might provide some pointers.

We've been advised to have a page for background info (shareholdings, industry, role, etc.) and to use either the "box technique" or "right hand corner" approach to planning our answers so I've attached a template for each. Personally I think the "box technique" is probably more useful but that's a matter of opinion.

AtticusFinch86 wrote: »

You only get marked on the "exam script" as far as I know and, as you can't open it for the first 30 minutes, it's generally recommended that you do most of your planning on your own paper/notes meaning it won't be marked unless you transcribe it to the exam script which isn't very time effective.

I'm considering stapling my planning notes to the exam script but something tells me that's not allowed. I need to look it up.

I used a plan in the mocks on rough sheets of paper and used when writing my answer, however I didn't transcribe my plan into the answer booklet as I thought that was a waste of time.

We were told in the mock review lecture session that rewriting the plan is a massive waste of time and to avoid that, however when I received my mock scripts back in 3 of the 4 papers I received a comment about the lack of a plan in the paper. I feel like we've received a lot of conflicting information from the Institute throughout the year....

AtticusFinch86 wrote: »

Has anyone else gotten an e-mail from Hugh Carroll re: the training diary? Or has anyone received it in previous years?

If so, what's typically the outcome? I got one yesterday (4 weeks before the exams are due to start) telling me I needed to get 12 months worth of work experience logged and approved by a mentor to the CA Diary before I can sit my FAEs. How strict are they on this? I know other folk who hadn't met this requirement in previous years but still sat the exam.

I'll be raging if I have to go and fill in a years worth of info. Time is a precious commodity and I don't want to be wasting it on trivial nonsense like documenting work experience. I understand it needs to be done for qualification purposes but I don't understand why it's a pre-requisite to sitting the exam and I also don't understand why I'm only finding out about it 4 weeks before the exams kick off. It was not sign-posted at all. Never heard it get mentioned once. They'll no doubt send be a link to the size 3 algeric font sub paragraph of paragraph A of section 112.4 of the CAI Trainne/Mentor CA Dairy Programme that I should have read before I enrolled in the programme.

I know someone who did not even start the CA diary until after they found out they passed the FAE. However this was a few years ago.

I put a small plan onto my mocks and was told I had good planning. I use the box approach too. I don't know how to attach my template but at the top of the page I have:
Me:
Report to:
- Type (i.e memo/ report)
- F.Lit (Financially Literate) 
Coy:
Date:
Then 4 boxes on each side of the sheet of paper. I filled in my boxes with detailed notes during the reading time then took about 2 mins to put the top bit and the jist of the indicators onto the 1st page of my exam booklet. I then did my executive summary again I spent about 5 mins on it saying following our discussion etc.... then please find attached my report outling the following issues:
1. 
2. 
etc
If you any queries please do not hesitate to contact me. 

I didn't even put conclusions onto my executive summary and I was told in 2 of the mocks that it was enough, no comment on the others. You get no marks for plan/ Summary but it looks good and supposedly sets the marker off on the right foot. Now I didn't pass any of the papers (so don't know how good my advise is!) but I came very close in all of them which I was happy with since I had done zero study before.

dakerrymo wrote: »

Have just started study leave and literally have nothing whatsoever done- wondering does anyone have anything for Finance and Mgt AC?

I have just downloaded AtticusFinch's other notes- they are amazing- thank you soooo much!!

I should have some. See attached.

I've thrown in my APM notes too and a summary of all indicators asked in cases for both APM & FAE (except for anything post 2015)

Are mocks generally harder the main exam?

Working through mock papers this week and starting to panic, just doing 2016 mock and the sim 1 FR indicator seems very difficult.

Catherine3006 wrote: »

Apparently so. One of the lecturers had said that the mocks are generally 10-15% more demanding than the real paper would be - hopefully that continues to be the case.

Think Ill do a few years of real papers from tomorrow I need a bit of confidence ha.

We were advised by one of the lecturers who did a revision session in our firm not to bother with the mocks unless you had a specific area you wanted to practice. He said it wasn't worth the stress, especially since they don't go through the same review process as the actual exam.

Paul Monaghan also said that he deliberately wrote the mocks harder than the actual exam.

MrSzyslak wrote: »

Cheers guys its a relief the mocks are tougher all round.

So many cases to get through feeling overwhelmed ha

Had planned to do all the mocks as I thought they might be a good indication of what may come up, but I dont think I will now. I still haven't looked at any of the steps cases or cross marking cases!

Now thinking of doing the Steps cases. Then Jan 2017 and 2015 exams and revisit the plan then.

Its taking me the best part of a full day to complete one exam paper and review the solution in detail - feeling I am being inefficient.

What way are ye all working through them? How many cases in a day?

I typically would do a COMP or SIM1 & SIM2 in the morning, and then review an area I struggle with in the evening, or do a case from Derry Cotter's book. Some days I feel so tired after doing the paper, that I just don't do anything for the rest of the day. :rolleyes: Also, because there are so many cases to cover, I do a lot of them on a high-level, just bullet-points, to make sure I'm on the right track, and then maybe do 2 papers a week under exam time pressure.

General plan would be to finish off case studies from Derry's book, past papers 2017, 2016 & 2015 and go back through Steps, self-study cases, etc. Also, will make sure to have all my notes properly in order. Hopefully that will be enough, but not feeling overly confident and panic majorly settling in :eek:

What's everyone else doing for the last 2 weeks?