BA7 - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

Eilef · Senior Member

BA7

TrevorD · Senior Member

Hi Eilef

Congratulations - If I was you I would take the BA7 online mock exam. This may give you some self confidence - and you can also use it to understand what further revision, may be required. I have done all the ICB online mocks and found them very useful (for exams I was just about to take). I studied under the old syllabus and the final MICB exams were hard, as they covered such a vast scope.

I also had to wait about two months for an appointment at the dreaded Pearson Vue centre.

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

Well done you.

I cant comment on the ICB exams as Ive not done them but I hate exams too so agree with Trevor - do as many mocks as you can. Dont think of them as exams but the knowledge you need to undertake your role and if you aim to get top marks in your mocks then its gives you scope to lose a few marks in the real thing!

Eilef · Senior Member

Cheers,

In my BA6 mocks the highest i got was 87% and i would of ot 100% but i read the calculator wrong and the knock on effect meant most my answers were out.

For some reason i can never get my Balance sheet to balance but first time on the last mock and the actual exam so was very pleased. on the downside they dont tell you what was wrong so you can revisit a section.

Im waiting for my training provider to get back to me now with whats next but im guessing they will just send me a few mocks to do before booking me on my BA7.

I think i will buy all the mocks they have and the ICB have to just keep everything fresh whilst waiting for my date, plus wht ones people have sent me from asking in here.

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

Do they not even tell you which area of the syllabus you failed/were competent on(rather than exceeded the requirements) on like AAT would? I know thats not a specific question but then at least you can go and revise the whole chapter or section or whatever.

Maybe there are some textbooks out there to help with your weak points.

Eilef · Senior Member

Not really,

On my BA5 I phoned up and complained that what is the point of having an exam to make sure people are competent in bookkeeping if you don't tell them where they need to improve. I can't afford to get 87% of my clients work correct.

They then gave me a list of which questions I had got wrong but not the actual answers which I think is correct way to do it.

But on the BA6 I got a online report say I could of dropped marks because of X wasn't correctly calculated or it could be because X was not correct, which doesn't really help either.

Eilef · Senior Member

Does anyone kno wthe ICB pass mark for the BA7 exam?

Eilef · Senior Member

Its ok i have found it now 70% required to pass.

TrevorD · Senior Member

Good Luck

The Pearson Vue centres are tough ..... You have to empty your pockets .... not allowed to take any thing in ...... I was almost frisked and for some bazaar reason they checked my arms .... you have to do all your workings on a bit of plastic with a marker pen .... you are on cctv all the time .... the one i use in Newport is full all the time of kids doing their driving test exam so very very busy ..... I had to wait in a staging area before I even got into the centre ... I only use Casio calculators and very fussy about them (hate bouncy numbers etc) ... The ICB allow you to take in your calculator .... Mine was subjected to alot of examination (they wanted me to use their Texas calculator but I refused) ..... But said for all that I passed .... Good Luck and I am sure you will be OK ...

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Wow... Have you lodged a complaint with the ICB about the centre Trevor?

I was asked to empty my pockets once during my time taking exams and whilst most of the invigilators were regulars that was the first and last time that I saw the one who got me to empty my pockets.

Wonder what was going through her mind when I put my desk calculator on the table then put a backup identical calculator on the desk then a backup backup calculator on the desk (all of them were Staples 550's) then a pocket calculator from my inside pocket... It was very much like the bit in the third Mad Max movie where Mel Gibson is handling over his weapons.

You raise an interesting point about calculators in that we know our calculators (my desk calculators are called Huey, Duey and Louey after the little robots off silent running). The last thing that you want to be doing in a time pressured exam is wasting time trying to work out the idiosyncracies of a new calculator.

My boy uses Casio calculators but they've got way too much functionality on them for me and the only time that I used the FX calculator was for paper P5 advanced performance management where you could get a question on learning curves which involves logarithm's.

One thing we did have to do in the exams was remove the labels from any water bottles that we took in and the only thing allowed on the desk were your pens and calculator.

That idea about doing your working on plastic seems strange as I've always been taught that even if you get the question wrong your workings should show the examiner that you know what your talking about and if anything the workings showing how you reached your conclusion are worth more marks than the answer. Are you saying that the ICB don't mark your workings?

Hi Eilef,

good luck with the exxam, sure you'll be fine. Don't worry about getting 100%. An exam is not like real life which doesn't come with quite the same time pressures or restriction on being able to reference other materials.

Just concentrate on getting at least 70 points and be happy with a pass no matter what the score is.

All the best,

Shaun.

Eilef · Senior Member

Thanks Shaun,

First things first got to go buy more calculators...... Only got one!

Just done the ICB mock exam, and surprise surprise it is nothing like the others i have done. A complete new layout and nothing like the training providers exam, however i did get 78% so happy with that.

Just reviewed now and some silly silly mistakes.... 1 cost me 4 marks because i put 1200.00 instead of 12000.00

But got a whole section on Adjustments wrong and i cannot see for the life of me why or how. The numbers do not make sense at all but i dont want to post them on here as dont want to upset the ICB.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

your right not to post on here Eilef.

if you want to send the whole question exactly word for word as it is written, the answer that you got and the answer that they got accross to me and I'll take a look. (Be tomorrow now before I get to look at it).

there's a term in IT called code blind where you look at a problem for so long that you see what you think is there rather than what is actually there and a fresh pair of eye's masy see straight away something that on any other day you would have spotted but you have just looked at it for too long.

All the best,

Shaun.

TrevorD · Senior Member

Morning Shaun

There are no marks for workings, but some of the questions do include intermediate stages to the final answer - so I guess some merit for workings is built in. The exam is totally computer based and marked. The bits of plastic are just rubbed out and used by the next person.

I only use a simple Casio calculator a MX-8S (but I love it) in fact it had less functionality than the one they wanted me to use.

Eilef - I think we have the same training provider.

Eilef · Senior Member

I hope they give you lots of plastic then cause on all my mocks I have been getting through 3-4 sheets of A4 paper to do the workings on

-- Edited by Eilef on Sunday 9th of August 2015 11:57:42 AM

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

What you cant use your phone as a calculator??!!! Im joking of course.

Cant believe you lot are comparing calculators, its usually cars!!!!!!!!! Mine is a Porsche by the way. Yer right. I would but I just dont do enough mileage to justify getting one lol. Actually mine is a Casio MX-8S, like Trevor's - basic, cos a fiver (or less) from Morrisons. But I also have a scientific calc thats a great one and also cost a fiver, but half the buttons I cant remember how to use. I have never taken more than one calculator into an exam though so would need to go back to pen and paper if it failed. Ive had to take the label off water bottles before now, not been allowed to take coloured liquids in (!) although kn-one has ever inspected my glasses case or pile of tissues stuffed up my sleeves. (not that there has been anything in them but if I was invigilator I would be checking you lot out very carefully, lol)

Leger · Master Book-keeper

Lol. Reminds me of the rather dumb lady who set up as a painter and decorator, and was asked to paint a porch for £50.00 The owner chuckled as the porch was actually a veranda going all the way round the house.

The lady knocked on the door two hours later and said, all done, but by the way, it's not a porch it's a ferrari!!

Silly question, but why does the label have to be removed from a water bottle?

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

Woah....are you saying I remind you of a dumb lady??????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its in case you write all your notes on the inside of the label and stick it back on! Im guessing! Although why you cant have coloured juice Ive not yet figured out - maybe in case you sneak something in the bottle that the colour hides. Im guessing some idiot mustve been up to all these tricks, hence the regulations now!

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Leger wrote:
Silly question, but why does the label have to be removed from a water bottle?

People believe its because some students may replace the label with one that looks like the real label but complete with key facts hidden in the small print.

My belief though is that people could memorise acronyms to the words already on the bottle (acronyms are how I remember linked things).

Truth is that if you have time to stop writing for long enough to take a drink or go to the toilet in an exam then you've probably failed it.

Toilet, thats another one. If you have to go during an exam the toilet that you are taken to will not be the same one that you had access to before you entered the exam rooom/hall.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hey good point on the coloured water Jo.

Writing that cannot be seen through a particular colour... Classic... Then again, how does it work anyway as the bottle, like any pencil case has to be kept at your feet, not on the desk.

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

Shamus wrote:
Leger wrote:
Silly question, but why does the label have to be removed from a water bottle?

Truth is that if you have time to stop writing for long enough to take a drink or go to the toilet in an exam then you've probably failed it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unless its one of the AAT ones I did which gave you two hours and I finished in 15 minutes (and got 'exceeded' on all available areas, though it still narks me I dont know the percentage! Although I know they are going down the given you the mark route soon with their exam results!)
Did you just go into the ACCA exams Shaun and spend the first few minutes just writing down all the acronyms you had learned?

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

Shamus wrote:
Hey good point on the coloured water Jo.

Writing that cannot be seen through a particular colour... Classic... Then again, how does it work anyway as the bottle, like any pencil case has to be kept at your feet, not on the desk.

Kaplan centres must be slacking as they allow water bottles on the tables and all I got from my son was moans and groans about taking the label off as they didnt pick up on it with other people.

Ive never been allowed to take a pencil case in - had to juggle all the contents, glasses case, inhaler, little pot of sweets so the inhaler doesnt give me the shakes (as Im allergic to the inhaler), the bottle of water and tissues. In fact I seem to recall the inhaler was stuffed down my cleavage as I couldnt carry everything. wink

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Cheshire wrote:
Did you just go into the ACCA exams Shaun and spend the first few minutes just writing down all the acronyms you had learned?

Actually, thats exactly what I did in one of the exams.

I broke no rule as I took nothing in with me but there are no rules against writing stuff down in the answer book once the exam has started and you have fifteen minutes where you can write in the question book before you are allowed to open the answer booklet so I busily put the acronyms that I wanted to cover against relevant questions.

Wasn't a great pass but it was still a pass in a year when only 28% of students got through that paper.

The health warning on that though is just because a way of learning works for me does not mean that it will work for others and everyone needs to find the method that works for them.

p.s. If you can pass a two hour exam in fifteen mins Jo I think that you're pegging yourself at completely the wrong level... That said, doing exams that are below you can be quite fun. Occassionally I spend a couple of hours doing old multi choice papers like others would do Soduku's... I know, very sad case.

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

Shamus wrote:
Cheshire wrote:
Did you just go into the ACCA exams Shaun and spend the first few minutes just writing down all the acronyms you had learned?
Actually, thats exactly what I did in one of the exams.
I broke no rule as I took nothing in with me but there are no rules against writing stuff down in the answer book once the exam has started and you have fifteen minutes where you can write in the question book before you are allowed to open the answer booklet so I busily put the acronyms that I wanted to cover against relevant questions. Oh Shaun - it was by no way a criticsm - I think its a great idea and one I told my son to do with his. No idea if he listened to me! I actually suggested he also draw up his little T accounts and head them up and mark with a x on the debit or credit side just for the odd ones he might get stuck on, even with his DeadClic! Every little helps as that monstrous organisation beginning with a T suggest!
Wasn't a great pass but it was still a pass in a year when only 28% of students got through that paper. A pass is a pass. Although I still like to get 98% if I can, lol
The health warning on that though is just because a way of learning works for me does not mean that it will work for others and everyone needs to find the method that works for them.

p.s. If you can pass a two hour exam in fifteen mins Jo I think that you're pegging yourself at completely the wrong level... Better than the ACIB Economics exam when I did the whole exam in the LAST 15 minutes as I went a complete blank for the first 2 hours and 45 minutes! That said, doing exams that are below you can be quite fun. Occassionally I spend a couple of hours doing old multi choice papers like others would do Soduku's... I know, very sad case. probably more interesting than Soduku's although there are way more fun things you could be doing!

VinceH · Expert

Huh? Why the downer on Sudoku puzzles? They're a great way to exercise the mind's ability to work and think logically.

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

I dont really! I used to do Killer Sudokus or Kakuros, although not had the time lately.

Eilef · Senior Member

What's Deadclic ?

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

Acronym for remembering debits and credits.
Dead - Debits (increase) expenses; assets and drawings
Clic - Credits (increase) liabilities, income and capital

Dead easy! Thought everyone had heard of that TBH.

Eilef · Senior Member

No but then I haven't really been involved for very long I know the pearls method

Cheshire · Master Book-keeper

I just thought that it was taught on all the courses from the outset. Doesnt matters though as PEARLS works just as well - whichever helps you individually is the best really.

Eilef · Senior Member

Passed my BA7 exam in just 52 mins.

Time to sort out my AICB and practice license now.