After thinking long and hard I have decided to start studying for the AAT (Thanks to Shamus for some very helpful comments in my other post). I haven't yet decided on a training provider but I will certainly be doing distance learning, no classrooms as it does not fit in with my current commitments.
What I would be interested to know is if there is a need or requirmemnt to enrol with a training provider like BPP/Kaplan/Premier when doing distamce learning? The books seem to be readily available and it would mean not having to sign up for £600+ of fees. I know the student gets support and extra features by enrolling with a provider but I am not sure I would use those extra services.
Do you think it is possible to learn from Revision kits, pocket notes and text/worlkbooks that are from 2011-2012 and have a chance of passing the exams in 2013 for AAT Level 2? (I appreciate a lot depends on the individual and their ability to self study and pick things up but assume for the minute that I can).
Also, for the Computer Based Project (Think its CMPA at Level 2), does anyone know if I can just sit it without enrolling for a course for that single paper? I know I can ask one of the providers directly but its Saturday and they are all shut.
Any help/comments or others experiences would be greatfully received.
-- Edited by Martynp69 on Saturday 13th of October 2012 09:35:12 PM
of the usual suspects amongst distance training providers I would say that you should concentrate your attentions on Premier, Kaplan and Eagle who all offer AAT and have all at one stage or another been highly recomended through the site.
AAT are currently going through syllabus changes so I hope that someone like Sonya from Eagle will be able to fill out more detail as to the relevance of past materials.
Worth noting though is that there is not a lot that can be changed at the lower levels.
At the higher level the AAT seem to have removed a lot from their syllabus which if they are not careful they will end up losing the exemptions that they currently enjoy from the initial exams of other bodies.
Have a read of this thread where mine and Sonya's annoyance at the syllabus changes was evident :
I know, it's one of those that started off on ATT and got lost.
There is I must emphasise nothing wrong with the AAT qualification but I was annoyed at what the AAT had taken out of it.
The thread is also a good example of the passion with which Sonya of Eagle embraces the challenge of teaching the subject matter which must win her a million brownie points when it comes to choosing a provider.
We also have Nick on here and also Jane Hassler from Premier and you win also see the quality of their replies. Note that Nick is also a qualified practicing accountant.
Neil (spam Kebab) learns with Kaplan and always speaks very highly of his experience with them which I feel is also down to the tutors being interchangable with the ACCA qualification.
On that matter you will also find the free resources from the Opentuition site (including recorded lectures) invaluable going forwards. When you are ready let us know which AAT papers you are doing and we'll tell you the ACCA equivalents so that you can watch the lectures which are for the most part really interesting and even occassionally talk about accountancy!
Good luck going forwards. I'll hand this over to Sonya and Nick to offer their wares.
kind regards,
Shaun.
p.s. whilst the provisers may be shut they live the work and hang around on here for fun so you will probably hear something before Monday... We're a sad bunch aren't we!
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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.
The answer to your question is, you can learn from books and you of course have a chance of passing the exams.
Students that study with eagle benefit from a good quality training programme. It's not just about gaining knowledge and passing exams, it's about developing a comprehensive understanding, interacting with excellent tutors and receiving feedback to optimise your knowledge and skills. It's about developing yourself to reach your potential. So when you apply for jobs you stand out!
e.g. would you be happy for a hairdresser to cut your hair, or a doctor to peform minor surgery when they've studied from a text book and not interacted and received feedback from professionals? I know I wouldn't!
Bookkeeping and accounting is a practical skill and in my opinion it's a critical skill too!
Although you may not ask your tutor many questions, our guidance, advice, techniques are communicated to you through our own resources and of course through interaction with the tutor when you use our marking service.
Our resources are designed to save you time, help you understand how what you're learning links to the real world and help you pass the exam first time. At at approx £50 per exam you want to pass first time!
You do need to do your research and ensure you choose a distance learning provider that is going to provide you with good quality training and not just send you text books and leave you to get on with it, otherwise of course you may as well just purchase the text books.
A student has passed all level 3 AAT and is halfway through level 4 (lets say he/she has passed the level 4 exams so far).
How many times would you have initiated contact with this student so far? let's assume the student hasn't yet used their distance learning tutor and finds the study material quite good.
Would you still be interested in this one students development and progression or are there more important students to be getting along with, and/or if this student hasn't asked for any help, is it best to leave them be?
Just interested,
Neil.
BTW i'm not trying to pick holes in any of the training providers, i am just trying to get a tutors perspective.
(edited before i clicked enter, because i spelled supposed like this "suppost", i need electrocution lessons, if i'm gonna type how i talk lol, just spelt electrocution,"electricution" too.)
Mmmm, don't think considering the reading that a doctor does for their qualifications beyond their immediate experience is a good analogy.
This isn't an anti training provider post as you will see from tmy post above where I pointed the poster towards the better options amongst training providers.
However.
learning to pass exams and learning the subject are unfortunately two quite seperate matters.
There are many running successful practices that would have absolutely no hope of passing the exams of the professional bodies and conversely many of those who learn accounting theory end up out of their depth when moved to the real world.
To pass exams, if you have the right frame of mind for unprompted learning then book study is a great way to pass exams. I passed many (but not all) of my exams first time and that was at a time when I was not running my own practice.
When one talks about reading a book to pass an exam I am sure that those new to this will think that there is one study text that you study and the exam is based on questioning you about that book.
The reality is that when I suggest that one could study from the books it is somewhat more complex and not exactly a cheap option.
For example. To take a tax exam I would have :
BPP I-Learn course on a CD BPP I-Pass 300+ questions on a CD BPP Revision Kit Kaplan Revision Kit BPP Study Text Kaplan Study Text Melville Taxation Opentuition Lectures
So basically £170 worth of study materials for one paper (plus the free lectures) plus £88 for the exam.
If you can take on that level of study then a training provider is not necessary.
That said, many people faced with a pile of books like that would just give up before they start which is where training providers really become invaluable in providing people with direction, focus and motivation in their studies.
I think both book based and training company based approaches have merit and the cost of the two options probably isn't as different as many may believe.
All really comes down to the learning style of the individual concerned.
kind regards,
Shaun.
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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.
I have used all of: Kaplan study text, revision kit, pocket notes, Kaplan Engage mock exams (i think there are 3 or 4 now for each module), practise tests, AAT mocks, AAT green light and of course, the ACCA Opentuition lectures and notes.
Plus a certain forum which i can't name as it's top secret, and the internet.
Plus that well out of date Claire Finch book and the newer IFRs for Dummies and Frank Woods Bookkeeping and Accounts.
Then i receive the paper versions of the AAT magazine (always good to find out who's been naughty) and PQ magazine.
That's the best thing about the Kaplan texts where you get access to a copy on en-gage so you can just click through the book with your right hand whilst drinking your coffee (or in my case Red Bull in handy Litre sizes) with the left.
I know what you're going to pick up on there... I've got nothing against internet books so long as I get my paper copy to abuse with a highlighter / pen / stapler / pritstick.
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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.
Actually, untrue. My garden seems to be twinned with the bit just on the other side of the wardrobe... Except minus the lamp... And the snow... And talking beavers...
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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.
In answer to the original post, I have used both distance learning (Premier Training) which were brilliant, and classroom based. If I had the time and could afford it then the classroom based would win hands down and can't recommend it enough. Amongst other things you get to ask questions in real time as they occur to you and gain the benefit of (in my case) an extremely experienced accountant.
Distance learning without a provider and without mentoring will likely end with, as Shaun has mentioned, with you learning how to pass an exam rather than learning the whole mechanics of the subject. It is very easy to fall into the pattern of learning the format of the AAT exams, which in fairness generally don't differ that much. One of them even gives you the answers.
Of course none of this should detract from the achievement of passing the AAT whichever route you take, but as has been said some ways give you a better understanding of the real world of accounts than others.
Ultimately you need to be the luckiest student in the country and actually have a job in accounts whilst studying, this however is a rarity.
I say go for it which ever way fits best for you, but study each subject inside out, try not to even look at an example AAT exam and use this, I mean (ahem) the topsecret forum for any help you may need.
