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Non GAA Discussion => General discussion => Topic started by: stiffler on May 30, 2007, 02:38:52 PM

Title: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: stiffler on May 30, 2007, 02:38:52 PM
Anyone here sitting Professional ICAI Accountancy exams?

Four 3 1/2 hr exams on consecutive days, pure nightmare!
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: charlie stubbs on May 30, 2007, 02:44:38 PM
cudnt be good stifler
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: stpauls on May 30, 2007, 02:46:38 PM
the other half has been sitting them over the last couple of years, had to resit her finals last august, and got them in November, graduated at the start of the month. she said they were the hardest exams to do, and that included A-levels. It will be worth it in the end, especially saying as her salary jumped from 12,500 a year to 25,000 just by moving from her training firm to another firm, then by getting her exams, all in the space of 12 months.
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: Stranworst on May 30, 2007, 02:48:48 PM
You'll get through it Stiffler, but I hear from a mutual friend you've been yapping flat out!
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: bingobus on May 30, 2007, 02:56:27 PM
Have sat themself and thankfully they are all behind me. I personally had to resit some Prof 3 but got the finals on the first attempt.

Timing is the key and in exams I struggled at prof 3 it was mainly due to not answering the full paper. For the finals I set out a time budget for each exam and stuck to it to the second. It was the only way. Seemed to do the trick.

Worth it in the end, many many options upon finishing training contract.
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: stiffler on May 30, 2007, 03:01:44 PM
Im doing the Prof 3s now, its been a while since i sat any exams so its hard to get back into the swing of things. I hear the Prof 3s are harder than the finals but that could be an urban myth.

Stranworst, watch yourself or il set Mossy Hamill on you.
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: Stranworst on May 30, 2007, 03:05:57 PM
Cotton Eyed Code? No way I want him near me from what I read about him in the mooncat iii thread!
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: Rois on May 30, 2007, 03:41:26 PM
Prof 3s completely different from FAEs but in terms of wrote learning, definately harder, and the week of the exams is a complete nightmare compared to FAE.  Far more pressure on to pass FAEs though.  And you don't want to be losing the bonuses!

I'll sell ya my notes when you get to FAE - they're worth a grand or so  ;)
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: Shamrock Shore on May 30, 2007, 04:53:44 PM
You call those exams  ::)?????????
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: magickingdom on May 30, 2007, 05:48:26 PM
did them a while back and if i can do them anyone can. the trick is past papers and time management. there is no way 1) you could know the whole syllabus 2) finish all the questions in the exam in the allocated time. thus the only way thro is to get the last 7 or 8 past papers, be able to answer them and in the exam stick to the clock. rem you'll pick up most of the marks in the first 15 minutes of each question. well worth the effort btw...
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: Smokin Joe on May 30, 2007, 08:17:15 PM
Quote from: stpauls on May 30, 2007, 02:46:38 PM
she said they were the hardest exams to do, and that included A-levels.

Prof 3 is only about 1000 times more difficult than A Levels.

FAE is definitely easier than Prof 3.

It's safe to say that Prof 3 was the most difficult set of exams I ever sat.  Mind you my sister is a not yet fully qualified actuary, and she has failed over half her actuarial exams despite being miles sharper than me.  So I'm glad I didn't choose that career path.
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: CiKe on May 30, 2007, 09:02:24 PM
the brother's a qualified actuary and failed one of them, only exam he ever failed in his life. you beat me to it Joe about the A-Levels, suspect that commment must have been tongue firmly in cheek. For the accountancy exams sure don't you have months off work before hand for study leave? I have two three hour exams two hours apart on Saturday for the CFA
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: armaghniac on May 30, 2007, 09:32:33 PM
QuoteProf 3 is only about 1000 times more difficult than A Levels.

When we grown ups did A levels, Prof 3 was only about twice as hard!
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: magpie seanie on May 31, 2007, 09:13:37 AM
QuoteMind you my sister is a not yet fully qualified actuary, and she has failed over half her actuarial exams despite being miles sharper than me

I know many people who never failed an exam in their lives who failed loads of actuary exams. They must be a complete bastard altogether.

CiKe - I think I know who you are! Did the same brother just have a new addition recently?
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: CiKe on May 31, 2007, 06:31:17 PM
magpie do you know me, or know of me? you must have the brother right but haven't a notion who you are
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: ziggysego on May 31, 2007, 07:28:40 PM
Good luck to all that are sitting these exams, or indeed any exams at the minute. This was the time of the year I used to hate, but it is worth it and will soon become a distance memory.
Title: Re: Professional Accountancy Exams
Post by: magpie seanie on May 31, 2007, 11:58:36 PM
CiKe - sent you a PM there.