Thanks.

I was going to ask when is the earliest I could take the exams but as I don't want to take two exams in one day I think it would be October. I'm not trying to be cocky in suggesting I will just walk through these exams - but as I've been doing book-keeping all these years then I should just "walk through these exams". The only problem I might have is with the computer side of things. Maybe I am being cocky after all.

ICB level 1 manual and all computer exams are done from home.

Level 2 & 3 manual book keeping are done at examination centre's.

There's a change in the offing at the ICB and they're dropping the manual/computer versions of level 2 & 3 and it looks as though we're going to have to do four exams now instead of two.

Personally (this isnt a recomendation by the way as it's a more expensive route) if I were to do this from scratch I would do AAT then if you wanted to go ICB either claim ICB excemptions or do the exams without paying for any more courses.

You do realise that you don't actually need to study at a centre to take the exams don't you? A good £20 - £30 accountancy book or bookkeeping training software (BPP do a great bookkeeping tutor CD), and a bit of dedication combined with doing the freely available AAT/CAT practice papers should get you through level 1 and 2 ICB with distinctions.

To do the computerised level 2 you could just buy a copy of sage line 50 self study workbooks, play around with the free 180 day trial version of the software to your hearts content then, when your happy where everything is, if you purchase the level 2 mock from the ICB getting to the results that they have is a pretty good way of learning the software.

There's a bit of software that regularly appears on Ebay that's SAGE training software. It's not brilliant but it's a good route map around how to do many of the basics.

Level 3 ICB is much more complex. The subject matter seems to be about the same as AAT intermediate level. By the time that you get to this stage you will already be AICB.

The rule that I tend to use is if you want to take paper 2 be prepared to take paper 3. Always better to know too much than just enough.

Hope that this answered your questions and contained some information that may be of use to you even though it's also answering things that you didn't actually ask.

All the best,

Shaun.

Shamus wrote:

---

Never mind, might be something in there that was useful.

cheers,

Shaun.

---

Thanks anyway - gave me something to think about - another option so to speak. But I'm that stubborn that now I've set my mind on something it's highly unlikely I'll change.

 

Hi June,

I'm taking the exam on Wednesday as well and have that same past paper. If you're talking about Q3 I think you need to calculate it in current assets as follows:

Debtors 7500
Add prepayments (from notes) 150
LESS bad debt 600

=7050

Hope this helps. And good luck for Weds.

M

Hi M
Thanks for replying...looking at what you wrote makes sense, i did wonder if the bad debt had anything to do with the final figure in the balance sheet but it just wasnt clear to me an i was pulling my hair out almost trying to find what was missing...
i must admit the old exam papers are useful in preparing for an exam, kind of gives an idea whats involved especially if coursework for that part hasnt been covered..
thanks again, i appreciate your help
Also, goodluck to you too for your exam