Patroll - How do you remember which NI tables / Letters to use? - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

Amanda · Expert

Patroll - How do you remember which NI tables / Letters to use?

Peasie · Expert

Amanda wrote:

Hi EVeryone,

I know from past papers and also the one I sat in December there haven't been any flow charts so there for need to learn then off by heart.

If they supply the booklets from HMRC for calculating the pay manually then there is a flow chart at the start of each book (on page 3).

Peasie · Expert

Ignore my last post. For some reason I was on the AAT website looking for exam questions and noticed they do supply a pdf of the tax tables from HMRC and they are cut down versions of the real thing. Back to square one.

Amanda · Expert

Hi Peasie,

In the last exam I was expecting the flow chart as per the booklets and they had changed the format and we didn't have it, which wa most annoying!

Just can't imagine I will remember it all in the exam, I always have a blank mind to start with!

A

Peasie · Expert

Just write the details on your arm - this may well be cheating, but in the real world you would have the flow chart on page 3 of the tables so you shouldn't have to memorise them.

Amanda · Expert

Hi,

Had thought about that, although knowing my luck it will be a boiling hot day and I will have short sleeves on!!!

Which are the ones that are most commonly used in everyday life? Thought about memorising those ones and hop I get one of those. MAybe they moight bring the flow chart back for these June exams. I know everyone in the room in the Dec sitting was most mythed about not having the charts, at first someone ask the invigilator if we she had given out all the sheets as we all thought we were short.

Just have to wait and see what happens on the day I suppose.

Thanks,
Amanda

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi Amanda,

sure that you wouldn't do anything like Peasie's last suggestion!!!

Best approach to memorising anything is repetition.

Use the index cards approach (question on one side, answer on the other) and build it up until you've memorised the whole lot.

Seems a lot more difficult than it is when you look at the whole task rather than break it down into tiny manageable sub tasks.

I can only assume that the AAT is falling in with the other serious bodies in making their exams totally closed book.

Amanda · Expert

Thanks Shaun,
I will have a go at the index cards I know that once I do it quite abit it will be OK but starting to get into panick mode again, I just hate exams, normally go blank for the first half an hour which is no good.

cheers
A

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

When is the exam Amanda?

As for going blank it's a common problem. Personally I've found that it helps to get to the exam centre really early armed with just the really important index cards and go through them again and again and again for a few hours before the exam.

Apparently revising in bed just before going to sleep is the time when it sinks in the most but only if you go back through the revision as soon as you wake.

A freind of mine used to sleep with the study text for the paper under her pillow the night before an exam... Afraid that I can't recommend that one as I just can't see the logic behind information osmosis... Then again, she consistently got higher marks than me and passed everything first time so there must be something in it.

Amanda · Expert

Friday morning, wishing I hadn't put in for it now, but its got to be done.

You know the phase 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail' thats me this time.

I shall have to find an internet cafe on holiday so I can access my results by e-mail, or set it up on my phone. I even took my text book to the beach the other day how sad is that!!!
Maybe I should try the index cards under the pillow.

Thanks,
Amanda

Amanda · Expert

Forgot to ask what happened on the interview front last week?

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Didn't get it but no idea why.

Spoke with the guy in HR who reckoned that on paper I'm perfect (right skills, experience, qualifications, etc) and I got their highest score ever in the aptitude test.

In the back of my mind it has occurred that it was a permanent job with a bank rather than my normal contract based roles so maybe my age (49 in a month) counted against me. Of course, no employer is ever going to say that.

Oh well, everything, even the bad things happen for a reason.

I've got an interview in Edinburgh on Wednesday this week. Not overjoyed at working so far from my son and even less enthusiastic about getting up in time to be on the road by three in the morning (normally about the time that I'm just going to bed!) to drive to an interview 300 miles away.

Should make for some fun replies to interview questions.

Amanda · Expert

That one could be abit difficult with the childcare aspect of things??

How would you get on with that one?

Never mind sometimes something pops up just when you are not expecting it to. 49 is not that old, at least you have experience!

Did you not want a permi at the bank?

Good luck for next week.

A

semsley · Guru

Hi Amanda

For contracted in employees (that's in to the system rather than out for a private pension)
Most commonly used are A (nearly every 'normal' person) and C (retired people).

B is for what used to be called the 'married woman's stamp'

J is for deferment

D & E and F & G are the A and B substitutes for Contracted Out employees (are the same rates (thats D, and F and E and G) but depends on termination dates and protected rights as to which code to use)

Likewise L and S are for deferment.

Rhianrach · Expert

Shamus wrote:

Didn't get it but no idea why.

Spoke with the guy in HR who reckoned that on paper I'm perfect (right skills, experience, qualifications, etc) and I got their highest score ever in the aptitude test.

In the back of my mind it has occurred that it was a permanent job with a bank rather than my normal contract based roles so maybe my age (49 in a month) counted against me. Of course, no employer is ever going to say that.

Oh well, everything, even the bad things happen for a reason.

I've got an interview in Edinburgh on Wednesday this week. Not overjoyed at working so far from my son and even less enthusiastic about getting up in time to be on the road by three in the morning (normally about the time that I'm just going to bed!) to drive to an interview 300 miles away.

Should make for some fun replies to interview questions.

Are you going to travel to edinburgh and back everyday if you get it smile

Oh and sorry to hear about the other job, likelihood is your "overqualified" and some young fella would be panicking about their being surplus to requirements. smile

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi Steve,

no, that one's a bit far and generally takes around five hours each way.

I don't mind the traveling as evidenced by my two current cars, one with 390k on the clock and the other with 163k (just sold a third with 117k on the clock, it was a Rover and was absolutely worn out at that mileage. The others are beemers and I still don't think that I've fully managed to wear them in yet!).

I keep having these great intentions to study language and accountancy CD's whilst traveling but invariably it always ends up on either drive time Radio Five or Radio four.

When on contract I live in a hotel during the week then get home ASAP on a Friday.

I think that you could be right about the permie job... And to be honest I love the variety and freedom of working on a contract basis.

I always say that everything, even the bad things happen for a reason so maybe it was just that the only reason for this interview was as interview practice for another... Don't optimistic people just make you sick!

Rhianrach · Expert

I take it the one in edindurgh is contract then. I used to love living away doing contract work (though I used to get back late thursday so I could have a long weekend).
Gets harder when you have kids though huh. smile

-- Edited by Rhianrach on Monday 14th of June 2010 11:38:13 AM

Amanda · Expert

Thanks Sheila,

Thats abit easier way to remember than trying to remember all the flow chart.

Thanks,
Amanda