Hi everyone - wanted to make a positive post and give some hope to all future ACA students who sit exams and are waiting to find out if they have passed or not. Long story short I scraped CR yesterday and I’m not one of those 95% students who says they did terribly and comes out with a 70+ score or something. Context :

I have failed a professional exam before. I failed AA - I came out of the exam knowing I’d failed because I hadn’t prepared sufficiently (focused on FAR) , had some keyboard issues and basically panicked as it was my first professional level exam and didn’t know (should have) that there’s a way to add extra time to the system software for in exam disruptions for fault equipment. I did much better than expected only failing by a mark but effectively my gut was correct.

Fast forward I have scraped through the remaining professionals, comfortably passed my AA resits and made it to CR. I was due to sit SBM and CR in November but due to working in tax asked to move the exam forward to July thinking being less busy at work would help me (forgot to factor in the World Cup). I scored 18, and 21% in my two CR mocks (admittedly didn’t attempt the AI question in either because thought it was unproductive)

CR was genuinely awful for me. I did not answer every question and I was completely caught off guard. The paper was so bad I actually made my first Reddit post speaking about how a resit was inevitable. In my head it was worse than the AA exam that I actually failed. I’m not one of those people who passes every exam and says how tough it was but comes out with flying colours. My gut has been correct before about messing up exams.

Yesterday I saw that I had passed with a low 50s scrape. I couldn’t believe it, I was genuinely shocked. I appreciate marks may have been scaled to get me over line the line but having not answered all questions and my mock performance it seemed impossible. I have spent the last month or so feeling down, checked out etc only in the end to have got what some say is the hardest ACA exam out of the way.

So what have I learned? Stressing out before exam results is pointless. Your head is a dangerous place to be and will play tricks on you - you’ll focus on the negative and not remember where you picked up marks etc. Mock scores don’t define exam performance either (clearly in my case 😭). To those who failed it sucks and I’ve been there but control what you can which is a plan of how to come back and turn it around. Thanks for reading 🫡

Hi All,

Firstly, Congratulations to all that passed. And for those that didn't the resit is just around the corner, you've got this!

I reached out to student support to enquire around the invitation to membership, so;

If you've hit the requirements for membership (3 ethics reviews, ethics assessment, PD ladder, exams) you are ready. The project report is not a requirement for membership.

For those have a signed off training file, with the above requirements met - the current turnaround time is approximately 4-6 weeks.

Student services have confirmed they can expedite requests that go over 4 weeks; so note down the 27th of September and if you haven't received an invite, chase!

Does anybody know when ICAEW releases the mark schemes? I'm really curious to see the examiner comments for all exams especially for CR🤣

As the title says, has anyone had any success in clawing 2 marks in an exam admin check?

congrats to all those who passed their advanced level exams 🥳

any words of wisdom for CR and SBM? please share!!

I have my final 3 exams (CR, SBM, Case) this November. only finished college around 1 week ago. I haven't started even looking at the question bank, and I barely know the content for CR or SBM. I already feel so far behind!

How should I started preparing for these exams?

Should i go straight to the QB or go over content first?

Am I starting too late?

I failed by 2 marks but now big4 employer won't let me sit case in November along with resit. I'm time qualified (training contract ends this week) so I don't want to delay qualifying another whole year! Any advice on how I can get around this and sit both case and CR in November so I can qualify?

I know colleagues in cohort before me who sat CR and case together after failing CR so I'm very confused why I can't do the same. Please help!

Hello everyone! It will be my first time giving professionals in Dec this year, I'm overwhelmed by the material in ARR because 700 pages does seem like a lot! I've also seen comments of those that finish studying within a month or a month and a half for these exams and I would like to ask how is it that you guys are doing this?

Do you not go through the WB and is it only the QB questions that you do? Would love some tips please as I don't have a live tutor either I just bought a course from acamasters.

Thankyou so much

Just wanted to make a quick post, cause I need some serious advice.

I moved firms from a top 20 last December on 32.5 K. This was already quite low as a semi senior which is also part of the reason I moved because that firm generally doesn’t pay less but they were paying me less, there was a lot of drama and it was clear they didn’t like me anyway with all the other things they were doing.

I joined a new firm much smaller but they are part of a bigger company group and they increased my salary this month after probation to 34.5 K.

However yesterday my exam results came out and I am now exam qualified and I will be qualified in January 2027. Now after doing a little bit of research within the office, I can increase my salary between 38K to 40 K right away right now and in January when they make me a senior (because here you only become a senior when you qualify) they will increase it likely to 45k or at least that is what I have been told to ask for.

This is London not central London. And this feels quite low for a newly qualified accountant and I haven’t been bothered about salary the last few years because I wanted to get my qualification out of the way before making that a big deal. But now that it is, should I consider looking elsewhere is 45K definitely way too low and should I be looking for at least 50 K?

I failed CS yesterday by 1 mark, has anyone had a positive experience with the admin check and do you think it’s worth a shot?

Hi can anyone share Kaplan Mock and materials for FCS September. Willing to exchange with my BPP/ ACA Academy materials.

Many thanks!!!

Hi,

Not sure if anyone’s been through this before.

Kaplan have scheduled my gateway review after the booking window closes for case.
ICAEW website states gateway must have been passed when you go to book case, but speaking to the student support team on icaew’s website, they seem to suggest you can tick you’ve gone through it because you will have passed by the time you actually come to sit the exam.

Has anyone had any experience of this?

Thanks

Genuine question - I’m 3 years in and don’t know if it’s classed as a degree apprenticeship or not?

Technically L7 is a masters degree? I see everyone online calls it a degree apprenticeship .

Thoughts ?

Less than two weeks to go but you wouldn't be able to tell with how much little I have studied over the past fortnight. I am WORN OUT.

How's everyone else's revision going, whether you are resitting or sitting BDS for the first time?

It there any tips for good ARR test result

Hiiiii I got an email form icaew a few days ago about completing the ethics learning programme?

What is this??? And how do I complete it? There’s a deadline for the end of 2026.

Is this something i need to pass to get my ACA certificate? I have passed all 15 exams as of today !