Showing posts with label экзамен. Show all posts
Showing posts with label экзамен. Show all posts

Tuesday 24 November 2015

ACCA P4 Advanced financial management - Interest rate swaps

I have been working as a financier for 20+ years, but I have never used swaps in my practice. It is a very interesting way to fix financial costs, but Ukrainian banks do not provide such services. I read about the swaps in P4 exam textbook. It seems that P4 examiner also likes the swaps and puts it into exam questions.

The first interest rate swap occurred between IBM and the World Bank in 1981.

Monday 2 December 2013

ACCA P3 Business Analysis - the most popular models

I'm preparing for ACCA P3 exam. It seems Business Analysis is the best and most interesting subject in the ACCA qualification!!! The only problem is that there are a lot of models we need to remember)) I try to find the most popular models and focus on them while I'm studying P3.


Model # 1   PESTEL    Macro environment, strategic position analysis (evaluation)


Political  -  tax policylabour lawenvironmental lawtrade restrictionstariffs, and political stability
Economic -  economic growthinterest ratesexchange rates and the inflation rate
Social -  health, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety
Technological -  R&D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change
Environmental - weather, climate, and climate change
Legal -  discrimination lawconsumer lawantitrust lawemployment law, and health and safety law

Friday 22 November 2013

Professional marks in ACCA P level exams

One of the features of the Professional level exam papers is the awarding of ‘professional marks’. These are marks allocated not for the content of an answer, but for the degree of professionalism with which certain parts of the answer are presented.

They will usually be awarded in Section A (the compulsory part of the exam paper) and will total between four and six marks.
 
 It may be, for example, that one requirement asks you to present your answer in the form of, say, a letter, a presentation, a memo, a report, briefing notes, or similar.

Some marks may be awarded for the form of the answer in addition to the content of the answer. This might be for the structure, content, style and layout, or the logical flow of arguments in your answer.

You should assume that if the question asks for a specific format of answer that some marks may be awarded for an effective presentation of that format.

My ACCA friends sometimes ask me about the specific formats of question answer. I would like to share these formats here.

When you failed your ACCA exam with 47-49 marks, then ask yourself whether or not you try to gain any professional marks. Maybe you can improve your performance next time)

REPORT


Thursday 21 November 2013

ACCA P3 Business Analysis - examiner's reports

There is no any individual feedback for ACCA students from an examiner about their exam work sheets. The ACCA offers to find an examiner's report about all students exam performance.





We can find these reports on www.accaglobal.com.
To download them click the link P3 examiners reports

I'm preparing for P3 in December 2013. Thus, I try to analyse the recent report of performance in June 2013.

The pass rate of P3 is about 50%. Therefore, this exam is slightly easier than F8. How to join to the group of successful candidates? I'm looking for the clues in the examiner's recommendations.

Question 1
Section A MidShire Health - 50 marks

Part a) i) 18 marks +2 prof.marks - Project management concerns
Performed well


Thursday 7 November 2013

ACCA F6 Taxation in the UK revision stage

Hello my ACCA friends,

our exams will start in one month and this is a time for revision for most of us)))
The key factor of exam success is practicing past exam papers. When I read the suggestions from other students, 90% of them believe that past papers help to pass an exam well.

I used the Malaysian teacher Low Chin Ann's video lectures about F8 Audit and assurance and passed it well. Today I watched his video lectures about ACCA F6 Taxation (UK) past papers. I think they can help you to prepare well for F6.

ACCA F6 Qs2 KimSee 2008

Friday 16 August 2013

ACCA Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business

Advanced diploma in accounting and business

If you decide to complete the ACCA Qualification, you will be awarded the Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business on your way to completing ACCA Qualification.

What's involved?

You will need to register for the ACCA Qualification. When you have completed the Fundamentals level exams (F1-F9) and also the Professional Ethics module, you will be awarded the Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business. You can progress to the Professional level to continue your ACCA Qualification.

How long will it take to complete?

It's up to you, but please note there is a 10-year time limit to complete the exams when gaining the ACCA Qualification. You can sit exams in June and December at one of 380 exam centres around the world. You can complete Foundations in Professionalism before or after the exams. So you could complete this Diploma in 12 to 18 months.

How can you get your certificate?

Saturday 15 June 2013

Related and correlated risks - ACCA P1 June 2013

To be honest, I missed this theme when I prepared for P1 June 2013. Reading the opentuition forum I discovered that the same question was in past paper P1 June 2011. Unfortunately, I didn't pratice all past papers. My knowledge of statistics helped me to find the right answer.

Related and correlated risks 

Question 1, part a), 10 marks (18 minutes)

Briefly explain ‘related’ and ‘correlated’ risks. Explore the correlation between legal risk and reputation risk for Hoppo if it were to cancel its contract with Red Co.


Related risks are the risk which vary because of the presence of another risk. They do not exist independently.

Correlated risks is a particular example of related risks.
Risks are positively correlated, if the one rises, then the another also rises and vice versa. That means they vary in the same direction.
Risks are negatively correlated, if the one rises, then the another falls and vice versa. That means they vary in opposite direction.

Successful ACCA exams strategy

How to write the answers to score high marks?
How to allocate sufficient time for all questions in a paper?
Why apparently well-prepared students performed badly in the actual exam?
Whenever a student marginally failed, they would insist that they did not understand why.




There are some good advices to prepare for successful passing ACCA exams:

1. Cover the complete syllabus


ACCA provides some amendments in their syllabuses every year. If you use the materials of your friends or colleagues from previous years, you should search for update materials to complete the syllabus.
There are some free materials !

2. Practice your handwriting in three hours sessions


Tuesday 11 June 2013

The summary of ACCA P1 Governance, risk and ethics

Governance




Agency theory - directors act as agents of shareholders
Potential problem - strategy to benefit directors, not shareholders, different attitude to risk (not their investment), short-termism
Goal congruence - incentives to align interests (profit related pay and share option schemes)

Rules or principles-based approaches
Rules - SOX, legally enforced, section 404 ICFR penalises SMEs
Principles - UK Combined Code of CG, comply or explain, SMEs more leeway, not legally compulsory, market benefits or penalties for non-complier

CG concepts - HAIR DRIFT
Honesty- truth, not misleading
Accountability - directors accountable to shareholders, stakeholders
Independence - NEDs free from conflict of interests
Responsibility - directors responsible to stakeholders
Decision taking - improve wealth of an entity
Reputation - ability to comply with CG concepts
Integrity - honesty and balance, trustworthy
Fairness - take into account legitimate interests
Transparency - full disclosure of material matters

CG purposes -PIGCREW

Practice methods - governance provides practice methods to aid those who are managing a company
Investment - governance creates assurance and trust thereby attracting investment
Growth - governance creates conditions for growth of the economy
Control - it is set in place to control excessive behaviour in the organisation
Rules - it creates rules within which the organisation is operated
Employment - it creates employment as well as deals with several employment issues
Wealth - it supports a wealth-creating capitalist system

Chairman - role (Higgs report) - RAISE DIP
Run the board
Active engagement by board members
Induction programme
Sufficient time for complex decision
Effective communications with shareholders
Development needs for directors
Information provided accurately and timely
Performance evaluation

Friday 7 June 2013

Useful Mnemonics for ACCA P1 Governance, ethics and risks

Preparing for exams, I have noticed that such enormous amount of new information is not able to be retained in my mind (!) How to improve the memory? The answer of this question is given by mnemonics. Many of teachers at Opentuition, BPP & LSBF use this technique in their lectures to improve the memorizing of their students.

I have collected some useful mnemonics for ACCA P1 Governance, ethics and risks. Hope it facilitates you to remember the relevant. :)

Ethical principles
PrOFIT

Probity
Openness
Fairness
Integrity
Transparency


Internal controls - categorisation
OPA SPAMS

Organisational Controls
• Control over the organisation structure including managers having specific responsibilities and delegations tasks.
Authorisation
• Controls to ensure that transactions do not proceed until an appropriate individual has given approval.
Physical
• Protection of assets against theft, unauthorised access or use.
Supervision
• Oversight of work of other individuals to ensure tasks are carried out correctly.
Personnel
• Controls in place to ensure the suitable people are employed.
Arithmetic Accounting
• Checking accounting transactions for accuracy, includes use of accounts and reconciliations (e.g. bank reconciliation).
Segregation/rotation
• Different people for each transaction to – Authorise, Record, Maintain physical custody of any assets (i.e. petty cash), pay for it.
Management Controls
• Control actions taken by management depending on the contents of reports received. Managers should be involved in the day to day supervision of staff.


Internal control - objectives
SCARE

Safegard Assets
Comply with Laws&Regulation
Accurate Financial Information
Reduce Fraud
Efficient Business

Corporate governance - concepts
HAIR DRIFT

Sunday 2 June 2013

Free past exam questions of ACCA F8 Audit and Assurance

Hello to everyone!

Preparing for an exam ACCA F8 Audit and Assurance (Int) I found the video with analysis and resolving past papers exam.

The lecturer Low Chin Ann - Kolej Bandar, Citypro (www.acca2u.com)  writes by hand the answers of questions in the answer sheets. This may be a very good example for students who are needed in time management in exam. This video helps to get the skill of fast navigation into the task and to present the answers clearly and precisely.

Low Chin Ann gives the recommendations about how many to write to gain more marks on exam.

Free video of ACCA F8 revision


Friday 31 May 2013

Free LSBF lectures of ACCA F8 Audit and Assurance with Martin Jones

Today I found some video lectures of ACCA F8 Audit and Assurance with Martin Jones, London School of Business and Finance. This lecturer tells us about such a boring subject as an audit in easy manner with humor :)

1. Introduction to the paper F8 part 1
2. Introduction to the paper F8 part 2
3. Past exams analysis 
4. Substantive tests

Статистика на образовательном проекте Coursera

Доброе утро, мир!

Сегодня статистика просмотров показала 500, и это прекрасно )))

Но речь пойдет сегодня о курсе статистики "Statistics: making sense a data", который был предложен University of Toronto на сайте Coursera. Курс ведут Alison Gibbs, PhD, senior lecturer и Jeffrey Rosenthal, PhD, professor, автор канадского бестселлера Struck by Lightning: The Curious World of Probabilities (Удар молнии: загадочный мир вероятностей).

Курс разделен на 8 недель, включает видеолекции, тесты в лекциях, 7 еженедельных тестов и 2 оценивания одногрупниками (peer assessment). Предложены учебники для самостоятельного изучения:

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Useful mnemonics for ACCA F8 Audit and Assurance

Preparing for exams, I have noticed that there are an enormous amount of new information to memorize. My mind explodes. How to improve the memorizing? Mnemonics is an answer. Many of lecturers on Opentuition use this technique to improve the memorizing of their students.



Art of memory was very important in preliterate times when priests, shamans and the teller had to memorize vast amounts of information. The first texts about Mnemonics were written by the ancient Greeks. In the Renaissance, the knowledge was especially valued, so the ability to keep the knowledge in mind was the key to success. Giordano Bruno has published a book on mnemonics "The shadows of ideas." He was invited by the French King Henry IV, who tried to find out - how he had so much knowledge) And in our time interest in mnemonics is not waned.

I have collected some mnemonics to memorize the information of ACCA F8 Audit and Assurance and ACCA P1 Governance, ethics and risks.

Financial statements assertions
ACCA COVER

Accuracy
Completeness
Cut off
Allocation

Classification and understandibility
Occurence
Valuation
Existance
Rights and obligations

Sources of evidence
AEIOU

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Решение задач по аудиту ACCA F8 Pilot paper Q5 EastVale


Пятое задание по аудиту "стоит" 20 марок и должно быть выполнено за 1,8*20 = 36 минут. Традиционно пятое задание - это сценарий, по которому необходимо применить теоретические знания к конкретным специфическим условиям сценария.

Question 5 
Fire in warehouse

(i) Describe the additional audit procedures you will carry out;
(4 marks, 4*1.8 minutes = 7 minutes, 1 mark for each procedure)

1. Discuss the matter with management whether EastVale has sufficient inventory to comply short-term orders of supermarkets.
2. Enquire the directors if EastVale can continue the trading in long-term period. Obtain the written representation to this effect.
3. Estimate the value of inventory destroyed in the fire.
4. Inspect insurance documents for likelihood of compensation being received to replace the damaged stock.
5. Inspect the rental agreement for warehouse for penalty that may be imposed in the case of damage to the warehouse. Consider the need for provision.

(ii) State, with reasons, whether or not the financial statements for the year-end require amendment;
(3 marks, 3*1.8=5 minutes, 1 mark for each reason)

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Решение задач по аудиту ACCA F8 Pilot paper Q4 SouthLea


Четвертое задание по аудиту "стоит" 20 марок и должно быть выполнено за 1,8*20 = 36 минут. Традиционно четвертое задание - это сценарий, по которому необходимо применить теоретические знания к конкретным специфическим условиям сценария.

Question 4 part a)

(i) Identify, and explain weaknesses in SouthLea Co's system of internal control over the wages system that could lead to misstatements in the fiancial statements.
(ii) For each weakness, suggest an internal control to overcome the weakness.

(8 marks, 1,8*8 = 14 minutes, 1 mark for indentifying each weakness and explanation its consequence and 1 mark to suggestion of control. Maximum 2 marks for each area)

Weaknesses

Consequence

Recommended control
Workers clock in by entering their unique number on a key pad.

It’s not supervised, then workers may swap numbers and clock in employees who are absent. SouthLea will then pay employees who have not worked.

Clocking in and out should be supervised by the foreman.
The foreman can issue temporary numbers for new empoyees.

The foreman may be able to issue a number for a fictitious employee and have waged paid into his own account.

The foreman must obtain authorisation to issue a new number from HR director. The issue of a new number should be backed up with the new employee's contract.
 Overtime is not authorised before adding to standard pay.

 Employees may claim for overtime that they have not worked.

 The foreman must uathorised the list of overtime payments before adding it to the net pay.
 The staff in the wages department can set up employee records wthout authorisation

The records may be set up for fictious employees whose wages are paid by cash to the clerks.

Any amendments to employee records must be authorised by the HR director and backed up with the employee contract.
The HR director should review a weekly print out of amendments to ensure they are all reasonable and authorised.

Employees are paid in cash.

Cash is easy to misappropriate. Employees may claim that they didn't receive their payments as they are not expected to sign for their wage envelopes.

It's better to make the payments by trasfer.
If not, a list of cash payments should be kept and employees should sign to say they have received their envelope.


Sunday 7 April 2013

Решение задач по аудиту ACCA F8 Pilot paper Q3 NorthCee


Третье задание по аудиту "стоит" 20 марок и должно быть выполнено за 1,8*20 = 36 минут. Традиционно третье задание - это сценарий, по которому необходимо применить теоретические знания к конкретным специфическим условиям сценария.

Question 3 part a)

Identify, and explain the relevance of, any factors which may threaten the independence of Dark & Co's audit of NorthCee Co's financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2007. Briefly explain how each threat should be managed.
(10 marks, 1,8*10 = 18 minutes, 0.5 mark for identifying the risk, 1 mark for explanation risk and 1 mark to suggestion how to resolve. Maximum 2.5 marks for each area)

Threats for independence

- rotate of audit partner

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Решение задач по аудиту ACCA F8 Pilot Paper Q2

Второе задание по аудиту "стоит" 10 марок и должно быть выполнено за 1,8*10 = 18 минут. Традиционно во втором задании необходимо показать теоретические знания.

Question 2 part a)

State SIX items that could be included in engagement letter. (3 marks, 1,8*3 = 5minutes, 0.5 mark per point)

- objective of an audit of financial statements
- management's responsibilities for the financial statements
- the scope of an audit with reference to appropriate legislation
- the auditor may not discover all material errors
- the form of a report of the results of engagement
- basic fee and billing arrangement

Question 2 part b)

State and briefly explain four types of audit evidence that can be obtained by auditor (4 marks, 1,8*4= 7 minutes, 0.5 mark for stating the type and 0.5 mark for explanation).

AEIOU

Monday 1 April 2013

Решение задач по аудиту ACCA F8 Pilot Paper Q1 Westra

Я начинаю свою практическую подготовку с Pilot Paper.
Задание и ответы можно скачать здесь http://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/acca/global/PDF-students/2012b/pilotQA.pdf.

Мой разбор заданий и техника решения будет ниже.

Первое задание Westra представляет собой сценарий и "стоит" 30 марок. Это означает, что на его выполнение на экзамене отводится 54 минуты (30*1,8). Рекомендуется потратить время на чтение 15 минут на разбор первого задания, так как сценарий весьма объемный, а количество марок 30.
Часть а) требует перечислить аудиторские процедуры для подтверждения полноты (completeness), возникновения (occurence) и правильного временного периода (cut-off) для покупок и объяснить цель такой процедуры. Задание стоит 12 марок и должно занять не более 21 минуты на выполнение. 6 марок за процедуру и 6 марок за объяснение цели. Лучше использовать формат таблицы для ответа на это задание.
В технической статье от 01.11.2012 указаны требования к написанию аудиторских процедур. Каждая процедура должна включать в себя:
1. тестируемое утверждение (assertion)
2. аудиторскую процедуру
3. основание для процедуры

Выглядеть каждая аудиторская процедура должна вот так:

The auditor will agree a sample of items from the inventory sheets to the raw material inventory1 to ensure that the inventory recorded on the sheets actually exists2. 
This will confirm the assertion of existence of inventory as an asset in the financial statements3.
(1 = the audit procedure; 2 = the reason for the audit procedure; 3 = the assertion).

Question 1 Part a)
Substantive audit procedures for purchases

Thursday 21 March 2013

Аудит: подготовка к экзамену

Тяжело в учебе - легко в бою!

Не смогла сдать аудит в прошлую декабрьскую сессию. Снова буду штурмовать экзамен по аудиту F8 Audit and assurance (Int) в июне 2013.

Статистика по сдаче экзамена неутешительная, около 30 % студентов сдают этот экзамен.


PASS RATES FOR PAPER F8