Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
support guide
n Plan n Prepare n Pass
LEARNING
PHASE
REVISION
PHASE
Welcome to your guide helping you Sections
to study for your Management Getting started 03
Accounting exam
Learning phase 10
PREPARATION
Stages of
study
FINAL
Why use this guide? Revision phase 15
✓✓ Structured approach to show you how to succeed Final preparation 19
✓✓ Signposted resources and how to use them
The exam 21
✓✓ Tips for success to help you through your studies
THE EXAM
✓✓ Interactive clickable checklists to keep you on track
Appendix – Links23
APPENDIX
– LINKS
02
GETTING
STARTED
Your checklist
LEARNING
PHASE
Enter for your exam
Buy an Approved Content
Provider study text and question
& answer bank
REVISION
PHASE
Draw up your study plan
Get to know your exam
PREPARATION
FINAL
THE EXAM
Getting started
APPENDIX
– LINKS
03
GETTING
STARTED
Getting started – Tips for success
LEARNING
Tips for success
PHASE
Content Provider Study Text and Question and Answer
Bank to ensure exam success. These provide:
- the most up to date content and syllabus coverage ✓✓ In most places you can now ✓✓ Spend some time
take MA by our flexible familiarising yourself with
- tests, quizzes and other support designed to help you on‑demand CBEs. Search the free resources available
prepare for your exam for a local on‑demand CBE via the exam resource finder
centre using our centre list on the student section of
REVISION
- past exam questions updated for changes to the
PHASE
and contact them directly to the ACCA website – we will
syllabus, question style and exam format as well as
book your exam on a date provide you with specific
practice questions and answers and full mock exams
that suits you. guidance on when and how
to ensure you are fully prepared for your exam
to use these resources during
✓✓ Use the ACCA Learning
You may want to consider attending a face to face or the relevant stages of study.
Community to link up with
online tuition course with one of ACCA’s Approved fellow students around the ✓✓ Remember to personalise
PREPARATION
Learning Partners for all or part of your studies or world studying the same your edition of Student
signing up for ACCA-X for all or part of your learning.
FINAL
exam as you – get tips, join Accountant so you receive
discussions and share ideas MA specific information as
and advice. You can also you need it.
access live Q&A sessions
and presentations. ✓✓ If you think you could benefit
from building your English
language skills to help you
THE EXAM
succeed in your exam take
Students who use approved a look at the BPP English
content materials are more Language support for
ACCA which is a free online
likely to pass than those programme specifically
who don’t. designed to support you
through your exams.
APPENDIX
– LINKS
04
GETTING
STARTED
Getting started – Draw up your study plan
LEARNING
PHASE
Calculate the number of weeks
from now until your exam
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday date and draw up a plan – see
Week 1 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday the example to the left and a
possible proforma for you to
REVISION
Week 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
PHASE
Week 3 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
use on page 7
Week 4 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday You may need to add or take
Week 5 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
away weeks depending on your
own circumstances
Week 6 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
PREPARATION
Week 7 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Block out days/half days/
FINAL
evenings already committed to
Week 8 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
family/social events
Week 9 REVISION
Plan study periods – evenings/
Week 10 REVISION
half days/full days, aiming for
Week 11 REVISION
roughly one evening/half day
THE EXAM
Week 12 REVSION AND FINAL PREPARATION per chapter of your study text
If possible leave a four week
Evening study period Daytime study period Other commitments
period for the revision and
final preparation phases
APPENDIX
– LINKS
05
GETTING
STARTED
Getting started – Draw up your study plan
LEARNING
Tips for success
PHASE
When drawing up your study plan
Students who use ACCA’s
✓✓ Be realistic and consider when you are best able to
study – maybe early mornings work better for you learning support resources
or perhaps shorter study periods more often. achieve higher pass rates
REVISION
PHASE
✓✓ Once you have prepared your plan stick to it! than those who don’t.
✓✓ Consider building in an extra study period after every
few chapters to review and consolidate your learning.
✓✓ Take a 5 – 10 minute break every hour to help maintain
PREPARATION
your motivation and concentration.
FINAL
✓✓ Use this plan whether you intend to self-study through
all the phases or mix with some tuition from an
Approved Learning Partner.
THE EXAM
APPENDIX
– LINKS
06
GETTING
STARTED
Getting started – Your study plan
Print out and write down when you will study, relax and revise!
LEARNING
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
PHASE
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
REVISION
PHASE
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
PREPARATION
FINAL
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9 REVISION
THE EXAM
Week 10 REVISION
Week 11 REVISION
APPENDIX
– LINKS
Evening study period Daytime study period Other commitments Colour boxes in your preferred highlighter colours.
07
GETTING
STARTED
Getting started – Get to know your exam
➤ This
LEARNING
gives you an understanding of the aims and objectives of the exam, learning
Review the syllabus
PHASE
outcomes and exam structure
and study guide
Scan the MA specimen exam ➤ The specimen exam provides you with a clear picture of how MA will be assessed and
how the exam is structured as well as the likely style and range of questions that you
could see in the real exam
REVISION
PHASE
Review the examining team’s ➤ Using these resources at the start of your studies will help you understand the focus
of the exam by concentrating on the exam structure, question style, exam technique
guidance and tips as well as pitfalls to avoid – see extracts from the examiner‘s approach article
over the page
Review the examiner’s reports ➤ These provide feedback on students’ performance after each exam session, highlight
problem areas that students need to improve on and tell you what the examining
PREPARATION
from the last four sittings teams are looking for; these are critical to your success in passing MA – and take
FINAL
a quick look at MA – A guide to using the examiner’s reports for an overview of
some of the most common challenges students face
View the study support video ➤ View this video for pointers to some of the key skills you will need to pass MA as well
as more information about the exam structure and exam technique
MA/FMA MTQ advice
THE EXAM
Scan the exam technique ➤ The articles here cover answering multiple-choice questions, computer-based exam
technique and how to prepare for knowledge modules exams – you will need to
and syllabus updates articles come back to these during the revision phase but they will provide you with guidance
that will be helpful in attempting questions throughout the learning phase
Familiarise yourself with the ➤ You will be provided with this document in the exam and so you will not need to learn
these formulae
formulae sheet
APPENDIX
– LINKS
08
GETTING
STARTED
Getting started – Understanding the structure of the MA exam
(extracts from the examiner’s guidance – structure of exam)
§ § §
Comments on
LEARNING
Advice to Comments on
PHASE
multi task
candidates: marking and rounding:
questions (MTQs):
REVISION
PHASE
areas: questions for the CBE answers incomplete. If candidates cannot think of the
for MA/FMA, as well as correct answer, guessing becomes a sensible alternative.
Syllabus area C –
showcases explaining all
Budgeting Units of measurement
of the functionality of the
It is important that candidates present their answers
Syllabus area D – CBE exams. There is also
exactly as requested, otherwise the answer will be
Standard costing a specimen of the new
marked incorrect.
format paper-based exam.
PREPARATION
Syllabus area E –
It is strongly recommended Example: assume the correct answer is $57,150,000.
Performance measurement
FINAL
that you should work Because the question asks for the answer in $000 it must
MTQs are made up of a set through these questions as be entered as 57150. If you put 57150000 it would be
of background data and a part of your preparation the marked as incorrect.
number of tasks. Most tasks real exams. Rounding
will require reference to the
Sensible rounding is acceptable. When appropriate
background data, but some
(e.g. when using annuity tables, the present value table,
will not.
THE EXAM
or the annuity formula result in slight variations in the
answer) the computer will allow a range of answers.
The most common approach on rounding is to 'round
half up' – that is, halfway values and above are always
rounded up. For example, by this rule the value 23.5
gets rounded to 24, but −23.5 gets rounded to −23.
This approach is adopted in ACCA questions
APPENDIX
– LINKS
09
GETTING
STARTED
Your checklist
LEARNING
PHASE
Work through the control
sheet which has been
designed to give you a
structured approach to your
learning phase to ensure you:
REVISION
PHASE
- gain the knowledge you
need; and
- learn how to apply that
knowledge to pass the
PREPARATION
exam
FINAL
THE EXAM
Learning phase
APPENDIX
– LINKS
10
GETTING
STARTED
Learning phase – Get the most out of your control sheet
Use the control sheet relevant to Tick the box Quiz/Test in the control
LEARNING
the Approved Content Provider’s sheet once you have:
PHASE
materials you have purchased:
Students who use ✓✓ Attempted the quiz at the end of the
✓✓ BPP Learning Media – page 13 chapter (if you are using BPP material) or
ACCA’s learning the test your understanding questions
✓✓ Kaplan Publishing – page 14 throughout the chapter (if you are using
support resources
Kaplan material)
achieve higher
REVISION
Tick the box Content in the control
PHASE
exam scores than sheet once you have: Tick the box Questions in the control
those who don’t. ✓✓ Read through the introduction to sheet once you have:
the chapter ✓✓ Attempted the questions referred to in
✓✓ Actively read and understood each the Question Bank (if you are using BPP
materials) or the practice questions at
PREPARATION
chapter’s content
the end of the text (if you are using
FINAL
✓✓ Noted any additional commentary Kaplan materials)
and exam focus tips provided
✓✓ Worked through and understood Tick the box ACCA related resources
examples and illustrations of in the control sheet once you have:
concepts given
✓✓ Read / viewed the related ACCA
THE EXAM
article(s) / video(s) signposted
✓✓ Note that ACCA produces new articles
and videos throughout the year and so you
should always check the technical articles
page on the website to ensure you have
seen all of the related resources
APPENDIX
– LINKS
11
GETTING
STARTED
Learning phase – Tips for success
LEARNING
PHASE
✓✓ Actively read the material – ✓✓ Always work through the ✓✓ Visit the ACCA Learning
ask yourself ‘do I understand questions signposted – it Community regularly to
this?’ If not re-read and is vital that you practise view new video content and
re‑work examples – if you questions throughout the to join online study events.
still struggle, make a note learning phase as this will
✓✓ There are PER (Practical
REVISION
and come back to it. ensure that you are applying
PHASE
the knowledge you learn Experience Requirement)
✓✓ Scan headings before going as you progress. objectives associated with
into the detail to give you specific syllabus areas and,
an idea of the content first ✓✓ Make sure you use the if possible, you should try
and consider highlighting, ACCA resources to help to gain experience in these
underlining, making notes, your understanding – these alongside your studying as
PREPARATION
drawing pictures or mind give you real insight to help this will help you to put your
maps – whatever helps you in your exam. studies into a workplace
FINAL
you to remember. context and reinforce what
✓✓ If you find you are not covering you have learned.
✓✓ Consider using the additional all of the material in each study
resources provided by the period, build some extra time ✓✓ Try to read a good
Approved Content Providers into your study plan – everyone quality business journal
including for example works at a different pace. or newspaper regularly
passcards or pocket notes and use this to help bring
THE EXAM
to help you remember the ✓✓ Keep an eye on Student your studies to life by
key knowledge areas. Accountant for any linking your learning into
relevant articles. what you are reading.
APPENDIX
– LINKS
12
GETTING
STARTED
Learning phase – Control sheet for BPP Learning Media
LEARNING
✓✓ tick the boxes below when complete
PHASE
Introduction
1 Accounting for management
2a Sources of data
• Effective presentation and communication
2b Presenting information
of information using charts
3a Cost classification
REVISION
3b Cost behaviour
PHASE
4 Forecasting
5 Accounting for materials • Inventory control
6 Accounting for labour • Study support video – Accounting for labour
7a Accounting for overheads • Fixed overhead absorption
7b Absorption and marginal costing
PREPARATION
8a Process costing • Process costing
FINAL
8b Process costing, joint products and by-products
9a Job, batch and service costing • Re-apportionment of service cost centre costs
9b Alternative costing principles
10a Budgeting
10b The budgetary process • Cash budgets
11 Making budgets work
THE EXAM
12a Capital expenditure budgeting
12b Methods of project appraisal
13 Standard costing
14a Cost variances • Fixed overhead absorption
14b Sales variances and operating statements
15 Target setting
16 Financial performance measurement • Ratio analysis
APPENDIX
– LINKS
17 Assessing non-financial performance
13 When watching the study support video, focus at this stage on the technical aspects – you will watch it again
during the revision phase and at that point you will be able to focus more on the exam technique aspects
GETTING
STARTED
Learning phase – Control sheet for Kaplan Publishing
LEARNING
✓✓ tick the boxes below when complete
PHASE
Introduction
1 Accounting for management
2 Sources of data
• Effective presentation and communication of
3 Presenting information
information using charts
4 Cost classification
REVISION
5 Accounting for materials • Inventory control
PHASE
6 Accounting for labour • Study support video – Accounting for labour
• Fixed overhead absorption
7 Accounting for overheads
• Re-apportionment of service cost centre costs
8 Absorption and marginal costing
9 Job, batch and process costing • Process costing
PREPARATION
10 Service and operation costing
11 Alternative costing principles
FINAL
12 Statistical techniques
13 Budgeting • Cash budgets
14 Capital budgeting
15 Standard costing
16 Performance measurement • Ratio analysis
THE EXAM
17 Spreadsheets
APPENDIX
– LINKS
14 When watching the study support video, focus at this stage on the technical aspects – you will watch it again
during the revision phase and at that point you will be able to focus more on the exam technique aspects
GETTING
STARTED
Your checklist
LEARNING
PHASE
Revisit areas you struggled with
during the learning phase
Ensure you are confident with
the knowledge needed to pass
REVISION
the exam
PHASE
Make sure you are able to apply
that knowledge in questions
PREPARATION
FINAL
THE EXAM
Revision phase
APPENDIX
– LINKS
GETTING
STARTED
Revision phase – Question practice
Exam-standard question practice
LEARNING
Tips for success
PHASE
is vital now
W
ork through as many questions
✓✓ Consider blocking time ✓✓ To keep motivation high,
as possible and all mock exams in your study plan for break some questions into
included in the Approved specific questions or mock individual parts, write plans
Content Provider question and exams to ensure you cover or notes for some parts
REVISION
everything. and do others in full.
answer banks – remember these
PHASE
are best for question practice ✓✓ Don’t be afraid to attempt ✓✓ Work through the answers
as they include past exam questions you have already carefully – pay attention to
done – especially the ones areas you got wrong and
questions updated for syllabus you found tricky first time understand where you went
and format changes round. wrong – it is better to do
PREPARATION
a few questions well than
Work through the specimen ✓✓ It is really important that lots of questions badly.
FINAL
exam – this will provide you with you do some questions in
full, to exam time – time ✓✓ Try not to look at the
a clear picture of what the exam management is often an answers before really
will look like making sure you issue and the more you attempting the question
know what to expect on the day prepare yourself the – you won’t be able to
better you will perform do this in the real exam!
THE EXAM
in the exam.
APPENDIX
– LINKS
16
GETTING
STARTED
Revision phase – Key resources
Review the examining team’s guidance
LEARNING
PHASE
again in the context of what you have learnt
Remind yourself of areas that students often Students who use 5 minutes
struggle with and obtain tips on how to with the examining team
ensure you do not make the same mistakes videos are more likely to
by reviewing the examiner’s reports from
pass than those who don’t.
REVISION
the last four sittings again, this time working
PHASE
through the MA – A guide to using the
examiner’s reports to really benefit
from the valuable advice provided
View the study support video referred to in Tips for success
PREPARATION
your control sheet again as well as the video
FINAL
MA/FMA MTQ – this time focussing on ✓✓ Don’t give up easily – if you really cannot understand
exam technique something then consider posting a question on the ACCA
Learning Community – if you found it difficult so will others.
Read the exam technique and syllabus
updates articles – this time linking into ✓✓ Don’t miss the specimen exam – this is a full example of the
exam and replicates the exam environment – attempt in full
what you have learnt
THE EXAM
to time.
Make sure you read the study skills articles ✓✓ Think about purchasing a Practice Test – practice makes
in Student Accountant covering topics such perfect and, even better, you get personalised feedback
as how to overcome exam anxiety as well as diagrams highlighting your strengths and weaknesses, so you
checking the Student Accountant Hub for can refine your revision. See the Practice tests video on the
student section of the website for more information on how
any new technical articles related to MA useful these can be for your revision.
APPENDIX
– LINKS
17
GETTING
STARTED
Revision phase – What the examiner has said about MA
(extract from the December 2017 examiner’s report)
LEARNING
PHASE
§
Comments on
section B:
Students who use examiners’
Section B contains 3 questions, one from each of syllabus areas C reports are more likely to pass
Budgeting, D Standard Costing and E Performance Measurement.
than those who don’t.
REVISION
PHASE
This approach will continue in future exams. The balance of MCQ
questions in section A reflects this weighting so as to preserve the
overall balance of the exam.
Common problems with section B questions include the following
• An inability to calculate payback, NPV and IRR.
PREPARATION
• An inability to calculate standard cost variances.
FINAL
• An inability to calculate residual income and ROCE.
• An apparent difficulty with questions presented in
Students who use ACCA’s
spreadsheet format learning support resources
• A difficulty with questions involving the reconciliation of achieve higher exam scores
actual and budgeted figures via standard costing variances.
than those who don’t.
THE EXAM
APPENDIX
– LINKS
18
GETTING
STARTED
Your checklist
LEARNING
PHASE
You are clear on the knowledge
you need to pass the exam
as well as how to apply that
knowledge
REVISION
You have the skills you need
PHASE
to pass the exam – eg
time management
PREPARATION
PREPERATION
familiar with:
FINAL
the exam format
the style of questions
the way the marks are allocated
THE EXAM
what specific syllabus areas
are likely to be tested and in
which questions
Final preparation
APPENDIX
– LINKS
19
GETTING
STARTED
Final preparation – Tips for success
§ §
An extract from the An extract from the
LEARNING
Students who use
PHASE
syllabus and study December 2017
guide for MA: Examiner's report :
specimen resources are
more likely to pass than
The syllabus for Management Future candidates are advised to: those who don’t.
Accounting (MA)/FMA,
• Study the whole syllabus, because the exam
introduces candidates to
will cover the full syllabus.
REVISION
elements of management
PHASE
accounting which are used to • Practise as many objective testing questions
make and support decisions. as possible, number entry questions appear
to be a particular weakness.
The syllabus starts by introducing
• Read questions very carefully in the
Tips for success
the nature, the source and
purpose of cost accounting and examination
PREPARATION
PREPERATION
the costing techniques used in ✓✓ Go over questions again that
• Ensure that their calculations are complete
business which are essential for you found difficult during the
FINAL
before selecting their answer to multiple
any management accountant. revision phase and make sure
choice questions
The syllabus then looks at you attempt at least one mock
the preparation and use of • Try to attempt the “easy” examination again in full to time.
budgeting and standard costing questions first.
✓✓ If you are unsure about the exam
and variance analysis as essential • Try not to spend too much time on apparently format, the style of questions
tools for planning and controlling “difficult” questions. or what specific syllabus areas
THE EXAM
business costs.
• Attempt all questions in the examination (there are likely to be tested in which
The syllabus concludes with an are no negative marks for incorrect answers). questions, read the syllabus
introduction to measuring and and study guide again.
• Consider the “reasonableness” of their
monitoring the performance of
answers in section B (an inventory days figure ✓✓ If you are not sure about how
an organisation.
of 27 million days is unlikely) the marks are allocated review
• Read previous Examiner’s Reports the specimen exam again.
APPENDIX
– LINKS
20
GETTING LEARNING REVISION FINAL APPENDIX
THE EXAM
STARTED PHASE PHASE PREPARATION – LINKS
Make sure you are ready to
walk into your exam
Your checklist
The Exam
21
GETTING
STARTED
Tips for success
LEARNING
PHASE
Very few students enjoy ✓✓ Have in place a back-up if you are alert and well
taking exams but there plan in case of traffic rested (and in any case,
are things you can do problems or public last minute revision
to make the experience transport delays. will only cause you
to panic!).
less stressful! ✓✓ Ensure you have all the
equipment you need for ✓✓ Try not to get into
REVISION
✓✓ Identify where the CBE
PHASE
the exam (black pens, discussions with fellow
centre is.
calculator etc). students just before
✓✓ Plan your route to the the exam about what
✓✓ Don’t forget to take might come up – again
CBE centre, considering
your exam docket with this will only cause
the time of day you will
you as well as your you stress.
be travelling and any
student identification.
PREPARATION
potential issues.
FINAL
✓✓ Eat properly before you
leave for the exam. Once the exam is over:
✓✓ Sleep properly – do not ✓✓ Relax.
spend the night before
doing last minute late ✓✓ Don’t over
night revision – you will analyse – you
cannot change
THE EXAM
perform so much better
anything now!
Good
Luck!
APPENDIX
– LINKS
22
GETTING LEARNING REVISION FINAL APPENDIX
THE EXAM
STARTED PHASE PHASE PREPARATION – LINKS
Appendix – Links
23
GETTING
STARTED
Appendix – Links
LEARNING
04, 12, 16 Approved Content Provider http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/learning-provider/learningproviders-alpc.html
PHASE
04, 06 Approved Learning Partners https://learningcommunity.accaglobal.com/#discover/1
04 ACCA-X http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/your-study-options/acca-x-online-courses-from-acca.html
http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-entry-and-administration/computer-based-exams/on-demand-cbes/booking-an-on-demand-
04 On‑demand CBE centre
cbe.html
04, 12, 17 ACCA Learning Community https://learningcommunity.accaglobal.com
REVISION
PHASE
04 Exam resource finder http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-support-resources.html
PREPARATION
08, 20 Syllabus and study guide http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/acca-qual-student-journey/qual-resource/acca-qualification/f2/syllabus-study-guide.html
FINAL
08, 16, 17, 20 Specimen exam http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f2/past-pilot-papers.html
THE EXAM
updates articles
08 Formulae sheet http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f2/exam-formulae-maths-tables.html
MA – A guide to using the http://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/Learning%20Providers/exam-reflection/Reflections-1st_F2-Management-Accounting-
08, 17
examiner’s reports FORM.pdf
11 Technical articles http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f2/technical-articles.html
PER (Practical Experience
12 http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/practical-experience/performance-objectives.html
Requirement) objectives
APPENDIX
– LINKS
24
GETTING
STARTED
Appendix – Links
LEARNING
Effective presentation and
PHASE
13, 14 communication of information http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f2/technical-articles.html
using charts
REVISION
PHASE
13, 14 Process costing http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f2/technical-articles.html
PREPARATION
study skills articles in Student
17 http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f2/technical-articles.html
Accountant
FINAL
17 Student Accountant Hub http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f2/technical-articles.html
THE EXAM
APPENDIX
– LINKS
25
MA – September 2018 update
© ACCA www.accaglobal.com