Tag Archives: AF exam revision

CII AF exams: a week to go

You’ve got around a week to go before your CII AF exam – what should you be doing to maximise the time you have available? Here are our top 5 tips to make the most of this important time.

Tip 1 – don’t panic

No one ever goes into a CII AF exam thinking they are over-prepared. It just doesn’t happen. Sure, some people will be better prepared than other people – but nearly everyone will be wishing at this stage that they’d done more work. Regard it as a necessary part (unfortunately) of taking any degree standard exam – which is what a Level 6 CII AF exam is. Acknowledging and understanding this does, hopefully, reduce the nervousness a little.

Tip 2 – Practice past CII AF exam papers

You will find the two most recent published CII AF exam papers on the CII website (click on the link on the right-hand column of each subject):

Click here for AF1

Click here for AF4

Click here for AF7

Although probably not quite exam standard, you will also have received a case study workbook if you have chosen the enrolment or enrolment plus option from the CII for the AF1 and AF4 exams. These provide a range of case studies to practice on.

We all should know by now that practising past exam papers under exam conditions is one of the best ways to prepare for a exam. If you haven’t already completed these exam papers under exam conditions, then this is the time to do it.

Let me be clear what I mean by exam conditions. The AF1 and AF4 exams both have 160 marks and these exams last for 180 minutes. So if you don’t have a 3 hour block of time to spare, complete 40 marks (a short case study) in 40 minutes. This gives you a feel about what time pressure you will face in the exam and what it feels like to stare at a blank piece of paper and have to come up with the answers the CII would like to see.

There are also other benefits:

1. It will help you to learn. You learn best by making mistakes so make as many of these as you can before the exam!
2. They help you to practice the all important exam technique. You will not get this by simply reading through the question and answers provided for you. Remember, that most people that pass the exam don’t know any more than those that fail – they just answer the questions better. For more information, click here.
3. You can get some idea about what might be in the exam you sit. Let me explain. Examiners need to test across the syllabus so although some themes will be consistent between exams, the specific technical bits are likely to differ. For example, AF1 will test on income tax but if the last paper tested the tax position of P11D employee benefits, your exam might test on self-employed income tax.

AF1 – further exam tips and analysis of past AF1 key topics

AF4 – what get’s examined

AF7 – further exam tips and analysis of a past AF7 paper and tips on technique

Tip 3 – AF exams: revise in small chunks

OK, I get it. For many people, the last week before an exam is head-down full-on cramming. But it isn’t just about how much revision you do – it’s how effective it is.

Even if you are cramming, work on the basis of 20-30 minutes of study followed by a 10-15 minute break. Make your break something completely unrelated before returning to your studies. For the science behind this, click here.

Tip 4 – Don’t start trying to read a study text from cover to cover

Understand that you will go into this exam with gaps in your knowledge – everyone will! With a week to go before the exam, this is not the time to do loads of reading. By all means use the AF7 or the R0 study texts as a reference source to check-up on points – especially those that you don’t come across in your day to day activities. The end of chapter summaries, for example, are also useful. But your main focus should be on completing questions at this stage.

Tip 5 – Focus on your AF exam technique

If I had to give just one tip, this would be it. Many people that fail an AF exam do so because of poor exam technique. Here’s what to focus on:

1. With a case study, read the questions FIRST before looking at the information provided. Your brain is then better able to connect the information provided with the question being asked.
2. Look at the verb in the question. List or state require a one or two word answer. Explain, describe or outline will require a longer answer that links information to the client’s circumstances.
3. Use the information provided – the examiners have given it to you for a reason. Every bit of information should be used in some way so think to yourself: ‘how am I supposed to use this information?’.

Prepare well, stay calm and I hope this helps with your preparation.

 

Ian Patterson

Ex-examiner and author of the CF8, J07 and AF6 CII study texts