How to Prepare for ACCA Exams
Last Update On 31st January 2025
Duration: 7 Mins Read
Once you decide to get your ACCA certification, it is time to create the perfect plan to achieve what you wish for. ACCA offers students a lot of flexibility regarding when and where they can take exams. After selecting your exam schedule and registering for it, it is time to put your planning into action. To start on this new pathway, we recommend that you make a dedicated study plan for yourself to ensure that you thoroughly prepare for it. If you are currently lost and looking for the next step to take after registration, we can help you get organized with your preparation strategy.
Tips to Prepare for the ACCA Exam
Have a proper understanding of the syllabus and pattern
The entire syllabus of ACCA focuses primarily on knowledge and core skills in accounting and finance. The syllabus of ACCA covers the basic principles and concepts of accounting, management and finance profession.
Applied Knowledge (Level 1):
These are the foundational exams that lay the groundwork for more advanced studies. It covers basic principles and concepts of accounting, management, financial accounting, and business law.
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- Examples:
- Business Technology (BT)
- Management Accounting (MA)
- Financial Accounting (FA)
- Examples:
Applied Skills (Level 2):
Focuses on deeper knowledge and application of accounting principles. This includes managing finances, financial reporting, taxation, and business strategy.
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- Examples:
- Financial Management (FM)
- Taxation (TX)
- Audit and Assurance (AA)
- Financial Reporting (FR)
- Examples:
Strategic Professional (Level 3):
The most advanced stage where you focus on strategic thinking, advanced financial management, and leadership in finance.
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- Examples:
- Strategic Business Leadership (SBL)
- Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
- Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
- Optional papers like Advanced Taxation (ATX), Performance Management (APM), etc.
- Examples:
Exam Pattern
The exam pattern for ACCA includes the following:
Applied Knowledge: Typically all MCQs or a combination of MCQs and short-answer questions.
Applied Skills: Mix of MCQs, case study questions, and technical problem-solving questions.
Strategic Professional: These exams include long, case study-style questions that require written responses and detailed analysis.
Each subject has its syllabus, and ACCA provides a detailed syllabus for each paper, which is regularly updated. They include the key topics, learning objectives, and references to the materials and textbooks that you’ll need to study.
Plan Ahead
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail.” This is especially true when preparing for competitive exams such as the ACCA. To chart out your schedule, you should assess how much time you have from the time of registration to the week of the exam. Make sure that the tasks you add for yourself and the deadlines you assign are realistic. It is important to remember that every student has a different pace and method of learning concepts. Instead of following the study pattern of someone you know, it is important to be aware of your attention span and learning speed.
Make Running Notes and Recaps
Instead of spending hours behind curating elaborate notes, try making one-page summaries or running notes of topics that you think are important or that you might forget easily. These recaps will be handy when revising before your exams and will enable you to go through the important points quickly and efficiently. If you are attending online coaching, try noting down pointers that seem important during the lecture. These pointers will help you revise topics effectively as opposed to just relying on your text and spending hours on one subject.
Make use of ACCA Approved Content
When looking for study material and learning resources, it is important to mainly rely on ACCA-approved content. This kind of content is carefully assessed by ACCA’s examining team and contains only the most important and relevant information. This is especially crucial when you are planning to study on your own, without the help of any coaching institute. If you wish to buy insightful guides or books, you should get them from ACCA-approved content providers like BPP Learning Media and Kaplan Publishing. When buying these books, make sure you buy the latest versions of them. You can also go through the ACCA Global website to find some helpful exam resources.
Mock Exams
We’re sure you’ve heard about this study tip from multiple people several times but trust us, it is incredibly useful! One of the biggest struggles students face when taking such exams is the inability to work under the pressure of an examination setting. Taking mock tests a few times before taking the actual exam can be extremely helpful in getting you in the right mindset for it. It also prepares you for the kind of questions that you should expect from such papers. Another helpful trick to get comfortable with multiple-choice questions is solving chapter-wise sets of questions as soon as you are done studying a particular topic.
Allocate Slots For Revision
Success in clearing ACCA exams can be acquired by making proper timetables and revisions. The time slots should be set in such a manner so that you can have 6-8 weeks for focused revision.
General Guidelines for Revision Timing:
Week 1-2: Core Concept Review
- Go through each topic’s key concepts. This is the time to focus on understanding the fundamentals.
- Revise your study texts, going through the most important sections of the syllabus.
- Do some practice questions to check your understanding.
Week 3-4: Deep Dive and Application
- Start applying what you’ve learned to practice exams and past papers.
- Focus on high-weighted and challenging topics.
- For Applied Skills and Strategic Professional papers, you’ll likely need to focus more on case studies, so practice these regularly.
Week 5-6: Mock Exams and Focus on Weak Areas
- Take full-length mock exams under timed conditions to simulate the real test environment.
- Identify your weak areas and focus revision on those. Whether it’s tax calculations, financial reporting, or specific technical areas, tailor your revision to your needs.
- Review any areas where you’re consistently making mistakes and ensure you’re solidifying these concepts.
Week 7-8: Final Review and Fine-Tuning
- This should be the last phase before the exams, where you review everything quickly.
- Go over all the key concepts, formulas, and regulations that are likely to come up in the exams.
- Use revision kits for final practice and target areas you still feel uncertain about.
- Don’t forget to review your exam technique and time management, as these are crucial.
Solve past years’ papers
You can find a lot of past exam questions and papers on ACCA’s official website. Past exam papers, when used with specimen exams, can help you prepare for the style of questions that can be expected from ACCA. Initially, you may feel stuck and unprepared for the first few questions you come across, but with enough practice, you’ll be able to solve them comfortably. If you can make the time for it, try solving these past papers or specimen papers in record time so that you can improve your time management skills as well.
Take Help From Other ACCA Students
You can ask and seek advice from those people who have already had your journey. You can listen to their experience and frame out your own tie table and action plan. For better understanding, you can join different ACCA study groups or forums.
Sign Up for Coaching
Studying through an Approved Learning Partner (ALP) will be very helpful in preparing for the ACCA examination. These learning partners may have different levels of approval from the ACCA. Platinum ALPs are institutions that have the highest level of approval from the ACCA and are required to meet all the global benchmarks for course management and teaching standards. Gold ALPs are learning providers that coach students planning for the ACCA Qualification or the Foundations in Accountancy suite of qualifications. Silver ALPs are institutions that have newly ventured into ACCA coaching. These tuitions could either be online learning institutions or face-to-face learning institutions. If you are on the lookout for a good coaching class for ACCA preparation, you can reach out to Zell Education to learn more about their courses. It is a Platinum Approved Learning Partner which features its own LMS platform and ACCA Qualified Faculty.
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Additional Tips
If you want to enhance your understanding of concepts, you can try going through some of the technical articles available on the ACCA website. These can help you with the subjects more effectively and will also give you insights on how to apply these concepts in real cases. You will also find some really good tips and tricks for clearing the ACCA exams on YouTube. Zell Education has created several such guides to help students prepare for these examinations. Check out this playlist for tips regarding ACCA.
The ACCA qualification is recognized in over 180 countries including Canada, Singapore, and Australia. If you’ve made the decision to become a global CA and are contemplating your next move, we can help you take a step forward. Check out our Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) course to learn more. To advance your portfolio and build professional skills, try Zell Education’s interactive courses that offer flexible training timings. Get in touch at +91 7208885600 or email us at [email protected].
Conclusion
In conclusion, getting help from other ACCA students can significantly enhance your preparation and improve your chances of success. By leveraging study groups, and online forums, sharing resources, and collaborating on difficult topics, you can reinforce your understanding, stay motivated, and gain valuable insights into complex concepts.
FAQs on ACCA Exam Preparation
Why do I keep failing my ACCA exams?
One of the major reasons for failing your ACCA can be your failure of time management, understanding of the syllabus, or inability to create your focus on the subject matter.
What is better for ACCA? Self-study or Coaching?
While it is possible to prepare for the ACCA exams by studying on your own, we recommend connecting with one of the Approved Learning Partners of ACCA to get the most benefits. Zell Education is also a Platinum Approved Learning Partner.
What are the Career Options after ACCA?
The ACCA certification can help students secure jobs for profiles like Accounting Advisory, Risk Advisory, Mergers & Acquisitions, and many more. You can also check out our blog for more information about the ACCA course.
Are questions repeated in ACCA exams?
No, questions are not directly repeated but the exam patterns, topic areas or exam style can be repeated.
Is ACCA hard for the average student?
No, with proper dedication and time management practices, ACCA cannot be hard for an average student.
What is the exam structure of ACCA?
Three levels of exams are required for the ACCA Course i.e. Knowledge, Skill, and Professional. There are four papers for the Knowledge level exams and five papers for the Skills level exams. For the Professional-level exam, students are required to attempt two mandatory papers from the Essentials Module and any two Optional papers (out of four).