Any ICAEW tutors or students out there?

[Needlepoint2345]

Please help!

I have three exams in ten days and I’m feeling so behind. Please could I get some advice?

Focus your time on doing as much question practice as you can. Put your notes away completely and do question after the question and do each one to time.

(I'm an ICAS member but DH is ICAEW, it was a while ago now for me but we both got through first time by doing this)

Good luck! And remember, don't try and be a hero, a pass is a pass!

Thanks!! I’m 9 down (passed all) but very very behind for these - still a lot of content to get through!!

Also shamefully I go between shit shit shit what am I going to do and relaxing?! I don’t have time to relax/procrastinate...

And will be sacked if I fail!!!

Which exams are you sitting (am an ICAEW tutor supporting students sitting exams)

Thanks Miranda I am sitting BPT, BS and FM. Have had some good teaching but am essentially behind with all and panicking - the mocks have been a big wake up call and have failed all of them, and am in a low quartile (with other people form my big 4 firm who are all high achievers). Whilst I’m hoping to get it back up as I did the same in my last set of exams re mocks, I just don’t know how best to manage my time at this stage.

Do you have revision classes next week or are you on your own so to speak?

Revision classes all next week but they stress me out as sometimes I feel I just need more time on content - but I’m hoping to power through today and this weekend, and hopefully that will help. We were only given the material four weeks ago

I am behind with everything - the content, the homework. Planning to go through as much content as possible this weekend and finish writing my bpt notes/understanding them. Then bpt questions next week and lots of FM

Poor you. ICAEW is very stressful. Please rest, sleep and eat lots too. There's only so much you can do at this late stage.

Thanks but please can I seek some reassurance that there is time?! Ten days is a lot right?

Honestly I know it sounds like an annoying thing to say but stressing isn't going to help.

Do make time to get a bit of a relax (watch TV / go for a run / whatever) each day and do get enough sleep. You need your rest to help process.

You were lower quartile, but what mark did you get in your mocks?

If you are genuinely in a shit situation, focus on not getting a bad fail and just focus on passing the ones you can so you don't get fired.

Remember you won't be able to do every bit of every questions - that is ok, you just need 60% to pass.

FM and BTP just question practice, question recognition and pick up the easy marks.

BS - no advice. Sorry. I got my highest ever mark in the first practice mock we did.... then got lower and lower every test ending in my worst mark in the actual exam (just a pass). So those weeks I spent on revision made me WORSE! Crazy.

10 days is ages anyway

Most people won't be at a pass status 10 days before the exam.

I'm CIMA not ICAEW and I can see you already have advise from an ICAEW tutor.
But I would just reiterate question practice is the thing that gets you through, even at this late stage, it's teaching you the techniques for answering on time and in the right style, just keep going over every past paper you can lay your hands on!

Cima to but practice practice practice. And don't stress.
Good luck

Former ICAEW student here. If you feel you are behind so close to the exams I would focus on the areas your tutor expects to come up, they were pretty spot on for us most of the time. Just keep working trough the questions. I'm right in thinking those are the exams you can take your notes into? If so work on your file. A good organised file to take in will help loads.
I focussed on going trough the college notes rather than the icaew textbook because they are more condensed.
Good luck and you have my sympathies. Doing my chartered exams was the most stressful time ever and I wasn't being threatened with being sacked if a fail (small practice) they are the hardest exams I've ever done simply because of the sheer volume of work to do for each one. X

'm right in thinking those are the exams you can take your notes into?

Nope these are professional stage not TIs.

For BPT you can take anything but there isn't anything you can take for FM and BS.

You do have quite a bit of time left :)

Question practice is really what you need to do. It's when you do that you can work out which areas you are all right on and which areas you need to focus more on.

Also remember the model answers at the back of the question banks are much more than you need to pass and often much more than you need to get 100%. Try not to be daunted by them.

In the exams time management is key. You'll get more marks at the beginning of each question. Work out how many minutes per mark and then take off about 5 min per question and strictly move on at the end of your allocated time. You don't need perfect answers but you need to attempt all the questions.

Poor you. I've been qualified a while but can still remember the Fear. However, I don't think I was ever in a pass state as far before starting the revision course as you are. Question practice, question practice and more question practice is the key. Once you start the course and start getting marked questions back, make sure you understand exactly where and why you're dropping marks. Good luck!