On tackling the difficulty level of ACCA

IS ACCA DIFFICULT?

If you’re an ACCA student, you MUST have found yourself or a friend complaining about the difficulty level of some ACCA papers. It’s normal to complain. ACCA is a professional qualification and there isn’t any such thing as an easy pass. The papers are technical & challenging and can be really hard to pass if you are not well prepared.

However, if you have learned the syllabus well and have taken care of a few other things that are essential to get a pass, there shouldn’t be any problem. Nothing should get in your way to move to the next paper.

Learning the syllabus and solving practical exercises is one thing. It gives you the general idea of what type of questions you are most likely to face in exam. BUT, unlike other examinations, it doesn’t guarantee you a pass. You are still required to take care of a few other things to increase your chances of passing the paper.

Alright, so, what makes the ACCA papers difficult to pass?

1. Tricky ACCA syllabus

In most university degrees like BBA, MBA, etc.., the syllabus is divided into different semesters and the students, sometimes, are provided with information like which chapter is most important for the exam.

The examination process in ACCA is completely different. You must cover the full course in order to be prepared for any unexpected move by the examiner.

How to manage: Learn ALL the syllabus topics and don’t leave a topic just because it has never been tested before. ACCA exam is unpredictable!

2. Exam Prep. duration

The gap between exams of Applied Skills and Strategic Professional module is 3 months. Full-time students might be okay with the 3 month period, but there are numerous part-time ACCA students who find it arduous to cover the never-ending syllabus of papers like FM, PM, and AFM, etc.

How to manage: Start studying right at start of the session and cover the whole syllabus timely. Give yourself enough time for practice & revision.

3. Expression matters!

Sometimes, you learn a topic and you are able to solve its questions. You know it. Your friends know it. BUT, assuring the examiner that you understand the logic behind a question is something else. The examiner is not easy to convince and you have to have a concise expression to prove it.

How to manage: Answer the question in simple words highlighting the key issues to the examiner while stating the relevant stats and figures.

4. Is it difficult to manage time in ACCA exam?

Time management is critical to passing ACCA papers. It might not be a big issue in fundamental level exams but it plays a vital role in the Applied Skills and Professional Module.

For instance; the paper duration in the Applied Skills module is 3 hours. In the short time span of 3 hours, you have to solve 15 MCQs (2 marks each), 3 10 markers, and 2 long questions of 20 marks each.

Considering this, you get 1.8 minutes for a single mark. It means you don’t have much time to think and structure your answer. The more quicker you are, the more you are likely to attempt the paper in full, which ultimately increases your chances of passing the paper.

Here is my article on how the ACCA exams are conducted.

How to manage: Try solving past papers and mocks under exam conditions once you have fully completed the syllabus. It will help you speed up and get familiar with the exam style.

5. Critical Analysis

A large part of ACCA difficulty lies in critically examining the scenario and building your answer accordingly. The examiner in some questions expects a detailed and critical analysis like a professional and a poorly presented answer will not be rated much.

For example: While commenting on a Gross Profit Margin ratio, simply stating “the ratio has decreased because of decreased revenue or increased costs” is not really a good justification.

Instead, mentioning something from the scenario that might have affected the ratio will charm the examiner. Like; “the ratio has decreased because of the increased material prices this year and/or lower demand of the company’s product because a competitor has launched a product that gives a much better VFM (value for money) to consumers.

How to manage: You should be aware of both the basics and technicalities in order to critically analyze a scenario. Also, interrelation of different topics with each other to form a logical opinion out of it.

6. Number Crunching in ACCA

Not everyone loves number crunching. Some ACCA papers have difficult and lengthy formulas that are really challenging to learn and memorize. It doesn’t mean ACCA is all about number crunching but there are still a whole lot of formulas and numerical in some papers.

The difficulty level of formulas and numerical in ACCA varies in different modules. Generally, the number crunching in paper Performance Management (PM), Financial Management (FM), Advanced Performance Management (APM), Advanced Financial Management (APM), and both papers of Taxation (TX) are considered to be difficult by most.

However, ACCA has the flexibility of allocating marks to steps and you will still be rewarded some marks even if your final answer is not accurate.

How to manage: practice solving numerical step-by-step and don’t be obsessed with the final answer. Try to get the numerical at least 50% right. Repeat in every question and there you go.

Note: Passing the paper is one thing. It’s okay to use the tricks if you don’t have enough time to prepare yourself. Learning something fully is much cooler and will ultimately give you an edge in professional life.

SUMMARY: Is ACCA difficult?

To sum it up, yes, ACCA is difficult due to the above and many other factors but every difficulty has solutions. You just have to find yours.

It is noteworthy to mention here that ACCA doesn’t merely train accountants who sit back, analyze the data, calculate stuff and get the job done. It injects much more in an individual throughout their ACCA journey.

Intellect, Dedication, pressure handling, decision making, and fairness-; all of these come with the ACCA package. It teaches a professional code of life and that’s the reason for its reputation in the market.

Be okay with the difficulty level. Face it and beat it. It’s a kind of transformation and once completed, you will be a complete professional package. Best of luck!