By Leo Norris, Head of Education Delivery, Chartered Accountants Ireland
Exams can be stressful; especially when trying to balance a work and study routine. As CAP2 students prepare for the final weeks of revision in the run up to exams, here is a list of some essential tips to help alleviate stress and keep you on track.
Practice, Practice, Practice
When preparing for exams, there’s no doubt that practice makes perfect.
The good news is that there are many resources available to help you gain vital exam preparation. First off, CAP2 students have access to a practice paper per subject which is hosted on Cirrus, our online examination platform. Students are permitted four attempts on the practice paper before the exam.
If you haven’t used Cirrus for an exam before, practice papers on the platform are a great way to familiarise yourself with the technology or remind yourself of the structure. You can take the time to navigate the paper, learn how to add tables, rows and shortcuts, and make sure you are confident with the application before the big day.
You should use all four practice paper attempts and make sure you get the full use out of each attempt. Remember, even opening and closing the application counts as one of your attempts, so use them carefully and wisely.
Changing strategy?
In addition to this, students also have access to sample papers, which provide exam standard questions, along with the solutions that students will be expected to work towards during their summer exam. If you’re a student that likes to have the solution beside you while you’re attempting exam questions; I would urge you to change strategy today. Keep the solution well out of reach until you’ve made a decent attempt at the question or paper. Then when you go to correct, ask yourself two questions; where do I need to improve on knowledge, and where can I improve on exam technique?
Remember also that the mock exam papers from last month are still available to review on the Institute website (mocks 2022 page – drop down from ‘Current Students’ menu), if you didn’t get a chance to undertake them at the time. In addition to the mock papers, the solutions, the exam marking schemes, along with videos covering solutions recorded by course lecturers are also available as a resource.
A broader study of these materials along with the pre-exam preparation videos and materials on the Learning Hub and the Competency Statements will allow students to focus on time management and identify examinable topics.
The nature of open book exams
Unlike CAP1, the CAP2 exams are open book. This means that students will be allowed to have their notes and a folder on their desk with them. Notes are not permitted on walls or within Microsoft or Excel and should be printed out in advance of the exam.
Although the exams are open book, students still need to study and practice before the big day. It is vital that students have the base topics across each subject covered. If you plan on writing out notes for the exams, make sure to watch lecturer Mike Farrell’s recording on Study Notes and Management, which is now available in the revision sessions on the Learning Hub. The goal is to show you can apply the knowledge learned, not to prove you can transcribe text from another source.
Remember, when practicing exam style questions use only the same resources that you will have on the day of the exam.
Before your exam
Before you sit your exams, here is some essential information you should keep in mind:
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Your exam timeslot will be sent to you on 13 June.
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In the week leading up to the exam, you should test your equipment, even if you have experience with online examinations with the Institute. Do a test in advance of each exam sitting.
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If your computer fails while testing, let someone on the exams team know about the issue prior to the exam.
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You will not be able to use a keyboard, mouse or second screen on exam day, so it’s a good idea to follow the same setup from this point on – wherever possible. You’ll be amazed the difference this will make to your speed and confidence.
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Read any messages that may appear on your screen during the exam carefully; the Institute will only send important notifications, so be sure to read them thoroughly.
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You may be asked to complete a room scan during any exam. This must be done properly by showing the full desk, under the desk and the whole room.
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Students should be sure to look over the exam rules on the Institute website, to ensure you have all the correct resources and information ready for the big day.
When it comes to studying, it can often be difficult to balance your work and study life. Here are some key insights to make the process easier and more efficient:
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Review the assessable topics and relevant guidance as per the Competency Statement as available on the Learning Hub.
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Attend the relevant CAP2 subject revision sessions – at time of writing these are still ongoing.
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Work through the relevant study material.
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Attempt the relevant practice papers.
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Read the examiner commentary in past Professional Examinations Committee reports, which contain exam questions and solutions. These can be found on the Institute’s website.
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Identifying highly examinable syllabus areas is not a mystery – you don’t need to know everything and scoring 50 marks out of 100 is very achievable!
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It's a good idea to have read all education/exam articles from Student Newsletter and The Bottom Line from the Accountancy Ireland team.
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Know your support team. In the lead up to exams, students can expect numerous emails from the exam team. Make sure to save the address CAP2exam@charteredaccoutants.ie to keep up with important updates and reminders.
The CAP2 exams are taking place from 20-24 June 2022. Results will be published on Friday 5 August.
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