How to pass your ACA exams first time

Studying for the ACA can be notoriously difficult. The exams can be difficult, and most people will be working whilst trying to revise. As a new ACA student, you need to make sure you prepare yourself to be in the best position to succeed.

Set yourself up for success

Your preparation for passing exams doesn’t begin when you start your revision. If you make sure from day one that you are on top of your notes, that you have all of your materials lined up and you have set yourself up with somewhere quiet and relaxing to work, then you will be a step ahead before you even start revising. You will find it easier to stay ahead when you don’t first have to catch up.

Work out how you work

Do you find it difficult to get yourself started with revision? Do you find it easy to sit down and work for hours but find yourself not being very productive?

Different people work differently, so it is vital that you figure out how you work best. If you struggle getting started, make yourself a schedule where you block out your time and stick to it. If you find it easy to get going but lose focus and end up sitting there staring into space, you might benefit from planning short, regular breaks into your revision. There is no one size fits all answer, so work out what works for you, and make your revision fit your way of working. Don’t be put off by hearing about how others are approaching their revision.

Don’t let perfection be the enemy of success

The ACA is an incredibly practical course. One of the reasons that people can find it difficult is that the course material does not respond well to wrote learning. You need to actually understand the content.

Because of this, going through example questions – even if you don’t really know what you’re doing yet – is almost certain to be a better way to learn than spending hours and hours reading textbooks and making notes. Our revision guides contain all the notes you need, and hundreds of worked examples to make sure that you actually understand the content and can apply your knowledge when it comes to the exam.

Don’t shut yourself off from the world

Yes, the exams are stressful and intense. Yes, you need to work hard to pass them. But no, you don’t need to lock yourself in a room and stare at your notes until you go cross-eyed. Make sure that you take time to switch off from revision. Get some exercise, see a friend, do something that relaxes you. It might seem like you don’t have the time, but taking these short breaks will make you vastly more efficient when it comes to getting you head down and doing the real work.

Our Ace Accountancy ACA Revision Guides contain all the notes that you need to pass your exams, along with detailed exam tips, and lots of examples with detailed explanations that you can work along with to consolidate your knowledge.