Here are some guidance on how to pass this paper. This paper is more special and you can't be sure that you can pass by just practising a lot of questions. Generally, you need to have good understanding in each and every topics, and think out of the box when you are attempting a question. Guidance is given for each syllabus area:
A: Specialist cost and management accounting techniques
This is an easy area but don't underestimate it, questions will not just focus on calculations, the theories part of each technique must be understood. For example, question could ask "suggest ways to account for environmental cost for this business", in this case you have to look at the nature of the business and also the size of the business to determine whether the business can afford to install an activity-based costing (ABC) system for example. Other ways include input/outflow analysis, flow cost accounting and life cycle costing. An ability to keep an eye on the information given for the company is essential.
B: Decision-making techniques
Difficult questions will require you to think outside the box while the easy one tests your ability to apply your knowledge such as CVP analysis, identifying relevant cost etc. This area is big and a good understanding is essential to keep you safe.
C: Budgeting
This is probably the easiest area. Learn different budgetary systems, the ability to do simple forecasting and understand learning curve will get you through questions on this area.
D: Standard costing and variance analysis
Try to understand what you are calculating and be able to link variances when evaluating performance will be enough. Normally people are good at calculating variances but not evaluating management performance.
E: Performance measurement and control
This area is probably the hardest in F5. What you need is the overall knowledge and common sense. Calculating ratios are the key skills to learn, also understand them. Tools such as balanced scorecard and building block model must not be ignored. The ability to link your calculated information to the given information is an essential skill.
F5 is a 50% numerical and 50% discursive paper, although most of the time more marks are given for discursive part. People who ignored the theories part of the paper will fail and those who learn will pass confidently. Do not try to predict topics because new examiner knows what you think.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Flexible examination entry service
ACCA has a new service which encourages us to register early for exam, you can find about this in your myACCA and click "exam entry". ACCA has announced the exam fees of December 2011 and June 2012 (which increase again), but to avoid paying the standard fee, pay early to get discounted exam fees!
For December 2011 exam fees (pounds):
1. Pay by 8/9/2011, knowledge - 55, skill - 69, professional - 81 :)
2. Pay within 9/9/2011-8/10/2011, knowledge - 61, skill - 76, professional - 89
3. Pay within 9/10/2011-8/11/2011, knowledge - 183, skill - 198, professional - 211
For June 2012 exam fees (pounds):
1. Pay by 8/3/2012, knowledge - 55. skill - 69, professional - 81 :)
2. Pay within 9/3/2012-8/4/2012, knowledge - 64, skill - 80, professional - 94
3. Pay within 9/4/2012-8/5/2012, knowledge - 192, skill - 208, professional - 222
For December 2011 exam fees (pounds):
1. Pay by 8/9/2011, knowledge - 55, skill - 69, professional - 81 :)
2. Pay within 9/9/2011-8/10/2011, knowledge - 61, skill - 76, professional - 89
3. Pay within 9/10/2011-8/11/2011, knowledge - 183, skill - 198, professional - 211
For June 2012 exam fees (pounds):
1. Pay by 8/3/2012, knowledge - 55. skill - 69, professional - 81 :)
2. Pay within 9/3/2012-8/4/2012, knowledge - 64, skill - 80, professional - 94
3. Pay within 9/4/2012-8/5/2012, knowledge - 192, skill - 208, professional - 222
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Categorising stakeholders
Stakeholder is any group or individual who can affect or be affected by the achievement of an organisation's objectives (by Freeman). CIMA official terminology defines stakeholder as those persons and organisations that have an interest in the strategy of an organisation. We can categorise stakeholders into eight types:
1. Internal or external - internal stakeholders are normally inside organisation and external stakeholders are outside the organisation. However, we have some stakeholders who have internal and external membership (connected), for example shareholders, customers, trade unions and so on.
2. Primary or secondary - company needs primary stakeholders to be going concern and the existence of secondary stakeholders is not a matter to going concern.
3. Narrow or wide - narrow stakeholders are most affected by organisation's policy and wide stakeholders are less affected by organisation's policy.
4. Active or passive - there are active stakeholders who actively participate in organisation's activity and passive stakeholders do not.
5. Voluntary or involuntary - voluntary stakeholders are those who engage with the organisation voluntarily and involuntary stakeholders get involved without choice.
6. Legitimate or illegitimate - legitimate stakeholders' claims are valid (normally those having economic relationship with the organisation) and illegitimate stakeholders' claims are not valid (eg. terrorists).
7. Recognised or unrecognised - this relates to the legitimacy of stakeholders' claims, if the claim is considered legitimate, then the stakeholder is recognised, otherwise not.
8. Known or unknown - examples of unknown stakeholders are undiscovered species and nameless sea creatures, they can be affected by, for example oil spill. The main difficulty lies on whether the claims of unknown stakeholders are legitimate or not. Normally stakeholders are known.
The above are relevant to P1 and it is important to remember them, subject of stakeholders featured in several areas of P1 syllabus.
1. Internal or external - internal stakeholders are normally inside organisation and external stakeholders are outside the organisation. However, we have some stakeholders who have internal and external membership (connected), for example shareholders, customers, trade unions and so on.
2. Primary or secondary - company needs primary stakeholders to be going concern and the existence of secondary stakeholders is not a matter to going concern.
3. Narrow or wide - narrow stakeholders are most affected by organisation's policy and wide stakeholders are less affected by organisation's policy.
4. Active or passive - there are active stakeholders who actively participate in organisation's activity and passive stakeholders do not.
5. Voluntary or involuntary - voluntary stakeholders are those who engage with the organisation voluntarily and involuntary stakeholders get involved without choice.
6. Legitimate or illegitimate - legitimate stakeholders' claims are valid (normally those having economic relationship with the organisation) and illegitimate stakeholders' claims are not valid (eg. terrorists).
7. Recognised or unrecognised - this relates to the legitimacy of stakeholders' claims, if the claim is considered legitimate, then the stakeholder is recognised, otherwise not.
8. Known or unknown - examples of unknown stakeholders are undiscovered species and nameless sea creatures, they can be affected by, for example oil spill. The main difficulty lies on whether the claims of unknown stakeholders are legitimate or not. Normally stakeholders are known.
The above are relevant to P1 and it is important to remember them, subject of stakeholders featured in several areas of P1 syllabus.
Friday, July 1, 2011
New ACCA exam timetable
You should have noticed that there is a new ACCA exam timetable applicable starting December 2011, here I list down the dates of exam of relevant qualifications in ACCA for December 2011:
5/12 Monday - FTX, DA1, F5, P7
6/12 Tuesday - MA2, FFM, DB1, F6, P4
7/12 Wednesday - FA2, F7
8/12 Thursday - MA1, F8, P5
9/12 Friday - FAB, F1, F9, P6
12/12 Monday - FAU, F4, P3
13/12 Tuesday - FFA, Diploma in International Financial Reporting, F3, P2
14/12 Wednesday - FA1, FMA, F2, P1
5/12 Monday - FTX, DA1, F5, P7
6/12 Tuesday - MA2, FFM, DB1, F6, P4
7/12 Wednesday - FA2, F7
8/12 Thursday - MA1, F8, P5
9/12 Friday - FAB, F1, F9, P6
12/12 Monday - FAU, F4, P3
13/12 Tuesday - FFA, Diploma in International Financial Reporting, F3, P2
14/12 Wednesday - FA1, FMA, F2, P1
About IAC in facebook
Take note that the IAC group is currently under the process of archiving by facebook as it is not upgraded to new format. The administrators and creator are not able to upgrade the group as facebook has set that only those groups with enough recent activity will have the option to upgrade.
After it is archived, there will be a new group format, almost everything from the old group will be available in the archived group with some exceptions. Things that will be available in the archived version include:
1. Group photos and wall posts.
2. Group discussion threads, which become wall posts.
3. The group description, which can be found at the top of the page when you click "See All" members in the new group.
Things that will not be available in the archived version include:
1. Recent news.
2. Group officers title.
3. The info box under the old group picture.
4. The group network.
5. The members of old group. You can add friends by clicking "Add friends to group".
After it is archived, there will be a new group format, almost everything from the old group will be available in the archived group with some exceptions. Things that will be available in the archived version include:
1. Group photos and wall posts.
2. Group discussion threads, which become wall posts.
3. The group description, which can be found at the top of the page when you click "See All" members in the new group.
Things that will not be available in the archived version include:
1. Recent news.
2. Group officers title.
3. The info box under the old group picture.
4. The group network.
5. The members of old group. You can add friends by clicking "Add friends to group".
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