I'm revising for the Level 1 and 2 manual exams using just the Kaplan Publishing "Practical Bookkeeping : Beginner/Immediate" text book.
Has anyone else used a similar method? If so, what have been your findings after completing the exams?
I work away from home a lot due to my job in the RAF and am therefore reluctant to enrol on any courses because of this and difficulty of computer access.
I also looked at "Mastering Accounting Skills" by Margaret Nicholson and "Book-keeping and Accounts" by Frank Wood. Has anyone else any experience in using these texts.
One final question, after submitting my application for membership to the ICB, how long does it take before you are able to book the exams?
Welcome to the forum. I also have a copy of the Kaplan ICB book. It's a good book but I think more practise questions should have been included. I also have Frank Woods Business Accounting 1 which is an excellent book. I am an AAT Kaplan distance learning student and the Kaplan AAT books are really good. Lots of people study for the exams just using books. Best of luck with your studies.
Hi Rob, I have used the Kaplan books which i bought from the ICB to do my level 2 manaul exam .I found the books to be very good and were easy to understand and there are plenty of examples in them along with practice questions. I was a bit worried when i went to the exam as i had not used a training provider but the books had covered all of the exam questions and more. hope that helps a bit if you need anything just ask
of the three personally I didn't rate the Kaplan book as it's too much of a cut down version of the ACCA texts that both Kaplan and BPP produce for paper F3 which are aimed at a similar level.
The Margaret Nicholson book is very good but can be very dry reading at times and her naming of some of the T accounts can at times be a little confussing to newbies to this. That said, it is a reference that you are likely to refer back to post qualification.
The Frank Woods book is excellent. Personally I prefer the David Cox text Business Accounts for Book-Keeping and Financial Accounting courses (Osbourne Press). But at the end of the day the two are very much aimed at the same level and any differences are really down to personal preferences on writing styles and the included questions.
For question practice a very good book for this level for you would be the AAT Foundation Revision Companion for units 1-4. (You are only actually interested in units 1-3). It's one of those books that you can pick up really cheaply second hand and you don't need to have the very latest version of it.
In answer to your overriding question about has anyone used a similar method, yes, it's the one that I followed both for ICB and ACCA. Study from books and then sit the exams.
Generally this method works for me but there have been a couple of papers where I wouldn't have minded a more formal approach in order to motivate me through them.
You can start applying for ICB exams as soon as your ready to sit them as they are not such formal sittings as bodies such as AAT and ACCA that are just twice a year. Others will fill you in on the exact details of the ICB exams as how papers are sat has changed a little since the last time that I took one.
Before sitting ICB exams it is very strongly recomended that you do an old paper as it will get you into what exactly they are looking for in your answers to the real exam.
All the best with your studies Rob,
kind regards,
Shaun.
P.S. just edited due to spelling mistakes.
-- Edited by Shamus on Saturday 14th of May 2011 01:05:42 PM
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Ive purchased the Margaret Nicholson and David Cox texts for the fantastic sum of £20 from Amazon, they should be invaluable both now and in the future. Thanks Shamus for pointing me towards Mr Cox the reviews of the book are incredible.
Ive been progressing quite well using the exam questions book from Kaplan and am looking at purchasing some past papers also before sitting my exams.
I have an HLC AAT Course in full in my possession at home and will also use that to reference to as I plod along.
It is a long term goal to complete either ACCA or CTA but this is quite far away as I still have a few years left in the air force. Im thinking of volunteering to work for a bookkeeper after obtaining AICB in order to gain practical experience in the field before beginning heavier study. Again is there any advice on companies to look out for and those of which to avoid?
I understand there are a lot of questions but the forum does seem the best place to resolve any issues.
