HOW TO PASS ICAN EXAMS WITH FLYING COLOURS

Have you been writing ICAN exams for ages? The following tips might help you succeed this time.

1. Change your mindset/orientation: Many people are of the belief that ICAN has set out to fail students in order to keep collecting exam fees from them. This notion is at best the greatest lie of the 21st century. I have friends that passed all the exams at first attempt. If they could, you can. You need to change your mindset about this. ICAN will not deny you of your success if you merit it.

2. Prepare ahead: One secret to achieving success in life is to prepare ahead. It is never to early to start your preparation. You should start preparing for the next diet even before the results of the one you just wrote are released.



3. Adequate coverage of the syllabus: If you always read the examiners report, you would have discovered that the examiners keep complaining that candidates do not cover the syllabus. Never try to guess the areas that will be tested. You need to cover every inch of the syllabus. If you are writing financial reporting exams, make sure you cover all the IFRSs and IASs that will be tested. It is better to go into the exam knowing a reasonable amount about most of the syllabus rather than concentrating on a few topics to the exclusion of the rest.

4. Use the right resources: Make sure you use the right materials in your preparation. You can easily download ICAN materials on their website. Try to combine them with ACCA materials because I have noticed that they are beginning to set their questions in a manner similar to that of ACCA. You can also watch free videos on www.opentuition.com. BPP and Kaplan materials are good.

5. Practice tons of past questions: Try to practise as many past questions as you can lay your hands upon. Questions are not manufactured from thin air. They are rather adapted from past questions, recycled and modified to reflect current circumstances. Past questions will get you acclimatised to the pattern in setting questions over the years. You can download ACCA past questions for additional practise. You could possibly download all the pathfinders on the ICAN website.You will get to know the common pitfalls of students by going through them. Practising as many exam-style questions as possible will be the key to passing ICAN exams. You must do questions under timed conditions and ensure you write full answers to the discussion parts as well as doing the calculations

6. Attend the right tutorial: There are many tuition houses out there claiming to be the best. Please make sure you gauge them very well before making your decision. I recommend PYE, Risk-Free and Wyse because I know they are very good. I personally believe in self-study though. I always read for professional exams on my own. But that is partly because I have an accounting background. Please attend tutorials if you think you need it.

7. Study Buddies: You can reach out to those writing the same papers as you.You can form study groups and meet to revise and practise questons. Make sure you team up with the right people, or else...

8. Pray as if you will not read and study as if you will not pray: If you believe in God, please make sure you pray as if your life depends on it. I cannot rule out the fact that prayer changes things. You need God's help to succeed, not only in ICAN exams but in every aspect of your life.

9. Composure on the exam day: Make sure you are composed on the days of the exam. Do not fidget. Make sure you get to the venue as early as possible. For the exam proper, make sure you allocate your time effectively and attempt every part of every question you have chosen to answer. Think carefully before you pick from the optional questions. Make sure you write legibly. There will always be some easy marks. Go for them before the complicated ones. Also, you must also follow the requirements of each question exactly.

10. Post-exam: Make sure you do not feel bad after the exam. Just forget about it. If you found it difficult, chances are that other candidates did too. Start preparing for the next one if it is not your last paper for the diet. Also do not try to compare your answers with those of other candidates. There is nothing you can do to change what you have written. The only thing to do now is to pray.


"success is inevitable when opportunity meets preparation"


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