My Experiences in ACCA Studying

These days, I have heard lots of criticisms about ACCA:
Some people complained its high level expenses; some people said that it was too hard to pass. But on the contrary, I also heard some people expressed that the courses were too easy and was not worthy to learn.

I write down my experiences and true feelings, hope it could be helpful to the people like me who want to learn and could encourage my ACCA classmates, also all of the potentials.

I have been working in the foreign company for several years and have no time to prepare my exam during the day time. At night, I must take care of my baby. So, actually, I don’t have enough time to prepare the examination. Therefore, the learning skill and efficiency are extremely important for me.
Till now, I have past 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1 and 3.3 without any failure.
I want to say that ACCA is not so hard but it is useful and practical for me.

My history:

I heard ACCA for the first time in 1999. At that time, I just graduated from the university and joined a JV, worked as a cost accountant. My first manager was an ACCA member and my colleagues told me that ACCA was very famous but was hard to pass. She earned 8K RMB per month in 1999 when she was 28 years old.

In 2003, I got the CICPA license and wanted to make a decision between MBA course and ACCA. Finally I chose ACCA to further enhance my professional and English level. Certainly, the cost was also one of the considerations.

In Dec., 2004, when my baby was 6 month, I tried ACCA firstly, 2.4, Financial Management and Control:
I spent relatively more time in this subject compared with others since it was my first one. Reading text book costed me lots of time but it didn’t have direct contribution to pass the exam.
For 2.4, the first question is crucial. You should pay your attention on practice, especially the first question.
The investment appraisal skill is valuable. It is a basis that you should know to be a good finance manager or finance director nowadays.

2.5 Financial Reporting & 2.6 Audit and Internal Review, In 2005.06 I attended these two subjects with 1 month preparation, also both past:
The 2.5 is easy if you have accounting background. But you must have certain level of ability in analysis if you want to pass. You will find that you could read the statement of your company quicker after this subject.
For 2.6, since I had never been an auditor and I had heard many remarks regarding to its difficulties. So I had not expected that I could pass for the first time. If you have learned CICPA course of audit, you would find the differences. The ACCA exam stresses the risk analysis and corresponding audit procedures as a result of your analysis, and sure, the internal control procedures should be concerned also.
If you work in a company, you would know the necessity to know the internal control procedures and systems. In 2.6, you could get these kinds of information.

3.1 Audit and Assurance Services and 3.3 Performance Management: (I used much less time on these two subjects.)
3.1: you must read the article by the examiner, especially the series of articles about the answer skill. Business risk and audit risk analysis are most important here, the importance level of internal control was decreased. Maybe the risk analysis in this subject is not very helpful for the accountants or even finance managers, but in today’s competitive environment, the finance directors, CFOs should have this ability.
3.3: I recited some concepts mechanically in this subject. Although this course is not very difficult, but the performance management does not often appear in our accounting books.
Following are some general suggestions based on my experiences:

 Plan you career first and then choose the right course which could help you to realize your goal. Since I work in foreign company, so based on my own feeling, ACCA courses have positive impact on my job.

 If you think ACCA course is good to your career, then just learn it. ACCA exams are not very difficult to pass because its marking rule and its regularity.

 Compared with CICPA, it is not easy to say that which one is easier, because these two courses are not completely comparable. The relative advantage of ACCA is that it includes more widely knowledge and it more focus on analysis ability of the students.

 Please make it clear that your destination is to learn knowledge not others. Your future success is affected by many other factors also.

For the ACCA study, some detailed suggestions for your reference:

 Reading the relative articles especially the ones written by the examiner, especially the articles issued before the exam.

 If money is not big problem for you, attend the training courses. Because during the courses, you may know the key points of each subject then you could save your time in revision and also enhance your possibility to pass.

 Do not read the text book word for word. It is normal that if you can not understand all of the topics.

 Practice, practice and practice. The past exam papers are the best choice to practice.

 Concentrate on the key areas within your limited time!

Before the exam, you’d better:

 Collect all the tips and make sure that all the points on the tips have been reviewed.

 List the key words by your own expression way and recite.

 Make sure that you have read the latest article of the examiner.

 Prepare all the stationery you need.

 Know the exact location of the examination room.

 Believe yourself!

Gook luck!