Exam survival guide

If you thought that you had seen the back of the exam hall at unviersity, think again. You have now decided to study for an accountancy qualification and are firmly back in exam mode. This time, there is even more riding on your performance particularly if your employer is sponsoring you through the qualification and you feel the need to succeed and make them proud. 

Tips 

There are some exam tips which apply universally whether you are studying for your ACA, CIMA, ACCA, CIPFA, AAT or any other accountancy qualification.

Use the resources available

Whichever route you take, every examination body has a website with a student section. This can contain possible exam questions and answers, reports and tips from tutors and examiners, a forum to get in touch with like-minded students and information on the next step on the off chance that you do not make it through one of your exams. Your employer may have study groups or study support programmes, at the very least there should be some colleagues who have been through the exams and can offer help and guidance.

Read widely

Be sure to read relevant industry magazines including the technical sections. Your institute may also publish student magazines. Also use the internet and your local library. Past exam papers and examiner's reports are extremely useful tools to aid your preparation.

Study method

Some students prefer making notes from textbooks while others may focus more on past exam papers. There are many different ways to carry out the revision process - there is no right or wrong way but the common denominator is that there are no short cuts and that whichever method you favour, you have to put in the hard yards.

Ideally, you will be granted a period of study leave by your employer followed by a revision course as the exam date aproaches. This might not always be possible, therefore you have to make sure you put in the hours outside work hours. That is the difficult part as you did not have a full-time job to contend with when you were at university.

Anne Goodman, in an article from 'Management Accounting' gives some tips on exam preparation and some ways to beat stress:

Before the exam

• Keep focused and positive
• Allow ample prepartation time
• Organise yourself i.e. sort out a revision timetable and organise your work space
• Sort out a revision routine
• Get plenty of rest
• Eat a balanced diet - avoid excessive amounts of caffeine
• Keep your alcohol consumption in check
• Give yourself treats
• Find time to exercise - this will contribute to a feel-good factor
• Expect to hit some low points

On the day

• Always arrive to the the exam hall early
• If you cannot see a question to answer immediately, do not panic
• If your mind goes blank, try deep breathing for a minute
• Do not hold a post-mortem after the exam - if you have another one to prepare for, focus on that
• Celebrate when it is all over - you deserve it

Beating stress

• Rapid relaxer - lie on the floor with your eyes closed and breathe slowly and deeply. Tighten your muscles, hold them, and then relax. Repeat for the whole body, part by part
• Take yourself somewhere nice - think of a place you would really like to be, somewhere you feel extremely relaxed. Take yourself there in your mind, feel and smell the location, then put the image away. When you are feeling particularly stressed take it out and experience it again
• Punch something - this is a great way to vent anger and frustration. Make sure it is not a person and for your own safety it is better to make it something soft!
• Scream - let it all out but before or after but not during the exam
• Alternative therapies - try aromatherapy, burning essential oils, have a massage, try flotation or meditation. There is a range of options available to experiment with and find the right one for you

Finally?

There is no guarantee you will pass an exam. But you can do a lot to make it a remote possibility. If you have done the recommended amount of revision (or more), done your reading, used resources provided by your employer, student groups etc., worked out and stuck to a suitable study programme, and practised some relaxation techniques, your chances will be better than ever. Your best chance of feeling relaxed on the day is to know you are fully prepared.