As the summer exams approach, students are gearing up for a critical phase in their academic journey. Bryan Rankin, Head of Student Operations at Chartered Accountants Ireland, sheds light on essential but overlooked resources that can significantly impact exam readiness
It’s March, and we’re getting closer to summer exams.
In previous articles for The Bottom Line, we’ve talked about some key supports that are being made available online – sample papers, sample solutions and practice papers that are hosted on the online exam platform Cirrus.
In the past, we’ve also talked about the importance of undertaking your mock examination (starting with CAP1 in April 2024) as an essential dry-run exercise for the main exams; this is as true as ever.
At this stage, students will know that all their education materials are hosted in the Learning Hub. However, at the start of each subject in the Learning Hub, there’s an introduction section with some often-overlooked articles and documents that can help students make the most of their study sessions.
Learning Journal
Let’s start by looking at the Learning Journal.
In the introductory section, a consolidated Learning Journal lists the topics covered from start to finish across the subject.
The Learning Journey also contains a detailed breakdown of the key learning objectives for each session, links the lessons back to the Competency Statement and directs you to the relevant chapter in the textbook.
It also places each session in the wider context of the subject and often touches on the practical application of learning principles in the business world.
We recommend printing the Learning Journal and placing it at the front of your study notes folder.
Many students use the Learning Journal to track progress through the subject, log potential areas of weakness, and assess proficiency.
Don’t miss the ‘Lecturer’s Tip’ at the end of each journal, which often contains important information on how a question might be structured in the main exam.
Eight steps to online learning success
Next up in our review of useful resources on the Learning Hub is an article called Eight Steps to Online Learning Success.
We think it’s so useful that we’ve included it at the start of every subject!
Online learning has enormous benefits for professional-level students but demands particular focus and diligence, and can be quite different from what students are familiar with. With lots of practical advice, this brief article will set you up well for the weeks of revision that lie ahead.
Study plan
While on the topic of revision, we’ve also given you a concise study plan tailored to each subject. Students should consider this essential reading.
The document will help you to create your own study programme, and points to subject-specific topics that regularly arise in exams and explains how to maximise exam performance.
The study plan is available in the introductory section of each subject on the Learning Hub.
Terminology lexicon
CAP2 students will be aware that CAP2 exams take a step up in complexity as well as duration, and the exam questions often require longer, discursive answers.
The wording of questions may dictate a particular treatment. For example, asking you to ‘critically evaluate’ will require a different exam response from a question starting with ‘outline’.
To this end, CAP2 students can avail of a lexicon of exam terminology that explains what the examiner is looking for in each case.
This may be added to your notes and referred to during the CAP2 exams, which are open book.
Discussion forum
The last resource to mention – and perhaps most important of all – is the discussion forum.
If you have any questions about course materials, perhaps a solution that you don’t fully understand or want to ask a lecturer an academic question, please use the forums.
Members of our academic team are ready and waiting for your question, and everyone gets a prompt response.
Not only will the question and lecturer response help your studies, but it will also help many students who didn’t even think about that question or haven’t reached that point yet. Everyone’s a winner!
There are only a few rules to follow when using the discussion forums:
- Post your query in the relevant discussion forum session number and thread;
- Don’t create your own discussion thread; and
- Always keep it professional.
If your query relates to exams, you’re better off contacting the exams team at CAP1exam / CAP2exam / FAEexam @charteredaccountants.ie.
Now you know the benefits of the above learning resources as well as where to find them in the Learning Hub, it’s over to you to utilise them.
Not only could they make a difference in your exams, but the resources might also make your learning experience more efficient and even enjoyable.
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