It's revision season across the UK and at PayStream, our accountants are gearing up for their professional exams. As a Chartered Management Accountant I thought I'd share a few of my study tips for helping getting through the next few weeks (as a student and a parent!).
- Plan a treat for when they're over; even if it's something as simple as trip to the cinema, give yourself something to look forward to that makes you feel that the study is all worthwhile.
- Get out of the house to revise; don't tie yourself to a desk for hours, vary where you study so you don't get stuck in a rut. One of my favourites was on a walk while someone else asked me questions from flash cards.
- Post it's! Put them on the fridge, bathroom mirror or back of the front door, you'll be amazed how seeing some key facts when you're just going about you're daily routine will stick with you.
- Practice past exam papers; it familiarises you with the structure of the paper, the style of the examiner and the language needed to pass the exam.
- Never study hungry; make your study time count, ensure you concentration is at its peak by eating fruit and water before and during revision periods.
- Give the phone a rest; calls, texts, social media will all wait whilst you study. Putting your phone on silent or giving it to someone else to mind will lessen the temptation to reply whilst revising.
- Prepare a timetable; this will help you plan your time and ensure the syllabus is covered. This helps with the temptation of avoiding the subjects you don't like.
- Spread your exams out; an increasing number of exams are taken through computer based assessment meaning you can sit them at any time of year. With this comes the temptation to sit multiple exams close together but remember, most professional qualifications also require a minimum period of experience before you can qualify so try and spread exam sittings out evenly so your practical experience keeps at the same pace with your exams.
- Don't leave the exam hall before the end of the exam time; even if you've finished the paper with an hour to spare you can't change a mistake if you realise you've made it when you're on the way home.
- No post-mortems; try not to compare answers or look back at books after the exam, you can't change it so relax and go enjoy your treat!
And finally, best of luck!