P5这门课在历次ACCA考试中的通过率都不算高,3月份28%的通过率更让它雄踞ACCA难度榜第一位。今年我们来看一下考官对3月份P5考试的看法,以及对考生准备考试有什么建议。
P5考卷分为两部分:Section A and Section B。Section A是一道50分的必答题,Section B由三道25分的选答题组成,要求考生从中选出两道进行解答,考卷总分100分,50分通过。
在这次考试中,Question 3尤为被考生青睐,值得注意的是,考生的时间管理技巧相比以前也有了较大的提升。
而针对考试中存在的问题,P5考官提出了以下几条建议,希望各位ACCA的小伙伴们认真听取,合理安排自己的学习和考试。
第一:认真阅读考官文章及历次考试的考官报告
“use the examiner’s reports and approach articles to ensure that they have the right overall attitude to P5”
第二:培养案例分析能力,减轻纯知识记忆
“as one goes through the levels(say from F2 to F5 to P5)this balance changes,from pure memory to more analysis.”
第三:理解基础知识,以不变应万变
“the first step to passing P5 is to have a good grasp of the basic knowledge.”
值得一提的是,这次P5考试中考到了return on capital employed、the Building Block model、target costing这些基础知识,但相当一部分考生并没有很好的回答,暴露出基础知识不牢的弱点。
第四:理论联系案例,分析结合背景
“the need throughout the examination to relate or illustrate points by using the information relating to the business in the question scenario.”
第五:所答要为所问,不要“驴唇不对马嘴”
“This issue leads directly to the well-worn advice to candidates to‘answer the question asked'.”
接下来,我们依次看一下考官对四道考题的分析。
Question One
这道题要求考生思考the performance reporting system of a service company and its proposed reward schemes。
这道题共由5个Part组成,前三部分围绕分析the current indicators used at a strategic level by the company,后两部分重点在the reward schemes of the business。
Part(i)requested an evaluation of the links between the mission and the indicators.
很多考生都能指出the mission statement,但是很少考生能够showed appreciation of the structure of the mission and how certain goals were subsidiary to an overall aim。许多考生因为分析the indicators和the mission的联系较准确,也拿到了相对不错的分数。
Part(ii)required a detailed consideration of how performance measures are put together.
考生在这道题中最大的问题是答案深度不够,导致最后只能得到个位数的分数,用考官的话说原因就是“they failed to develop their answers”。例如,很多考生已经识别出某个indicator的计算存在问题,但是很少有考生尝试去量化这个问题的影响。
在这道题中考到了return on capital employed的计算,这是一个很基础又很重要的指标,但是很多考生不知道它的计算方法,暴露出了基础知识薄弱的弱点。
Part(iii)required a general evaluation of the presentation of the business’dashboard of indicators.
这道题中,很多考生是因为列出了相关的indicators才拿到一些分数,但由于没有分析结合案例背景,导致分数偏低。
Part(iv)required an explanation of certain detailed parts of the Building Block model.
这道题存在的最大问题是,考生没有准确理解题意,答非所问。考官明确要求考生回答问题”explain…as required by the CEO”,提示考生答题要紧贴CEO的需要,但是很多考生只是把机械学习的知识照搬到了考卷上,结果很显然,分数不理想。
Part(v)required two proposed reward schemes to be evaluated
考生在这道题中的表现不错,很多考生能够用the Building Block model concepts合理分析这两种奖励机制。
特别需要注意的是,在P5考试第一题中有4分的professional marks,考生可以通过考试前做题总结来拿到这4分。
Professional marks具体的要求是suitable report headings,an introduction,a logical structure,signposted by the good use of subheadings in the answer,and a clear,concise style。
Question Two
第二题是相对较简单的,考察的是the use of target costing and Kaizen costing at a manufacturer,共分为3个小部分。
Part(a)of the question required a basic calculation of the cost gap.
很多考生这道题都拿到了不错的分数,但也有考生对理论理解不够深刻,只是计算了总的成本而没有计算出单个产品的成本,而单个产品的成本其实是更有意义的,甚至有的考生都不知道cost gap的计算方法,结果得分很低。
Part(b)of the question required candidates to apply the target cost method to the scenario to give advice about performance improvements.
这部分存在的问题主要是考生对案例中存在的问题分析不到位,而在案例中一般会有一些点是必须要在答案中分析的,抓到这些点的考生会得到较高的分数。
Part(c)of the question was fairly well answered with candidates demonstrating a fair understanding of Kaizen costing and its application.
Part(c)主要考察的是Kaizen costing的理解和应用,基础知识较好的考生会拿到不错的分数。
Question Three
Question Three主要考察对外部商业环境的分析会对performance measurement of a retailer有什么影响。
Part(a)considered the use of such an analysis on specific factors for the company in the scenario.
能够把案例中的例子跟所学知识结合起来分析的考生都能够得到不错的分数。
Part(b)asked for an evaluation of the suitability of indicators currently in use for an expansion into a different country.
这部分存在的问题是考生对题意理解有误,有的考生是基于现有的环境对indicators进行分析的,与题目的要求相差很远,虽然写了很多,但是不得分。
Part(c)of the question required the identification of new key performance indicators for part of the scenario
这道题拿高分的要点在于point new indicators and discussion as to the relevance or reasoning for the choice。仅仅罗列出new key performance indicators而没有相应的分析得分会比较低。
Question Four
第四题考察的知识点在于divisional performance measurement.
Part(a)required an analysis of the reasons for the performance of a manager being measured differently from the division’s performance.
再次强调,解答这类考题一定要指出案例中存在的问题,然后对存在的问题进行合理分析。
Part(b)required a calculation of the relevant profit to judge the manager’s performance in order to assess their suitability for a bonus payment.
如果对所需要计算的指标理解正确的话,这部分分值是容易拿到的。
Part(c)required an evaluation of the suitability of economic value added as a divisional performance measure.
考官表示对考生在这道题上的表现很surprising,因为考生过多的关注于对indicator背后的理论的长篇大论,却没有针对案例背景分析指标是不是适合,所以很多考生这这里分数不高。
最后,祝大家早日攻克P5这个拦路虎,早日出坑!
版权声明:本文为泽稷网校ACCA研究院独家原创稿件 未经授权,禁止转载
点击在线咨询泽稷老师,ACCA中文宝典免费领,更有机会获得海量免费ACCA学习资料。