MyCIMA

Bit of help and advice please

Posted: Wednesday 17 February 2010 by JenniferLouise
Replies : 12
Keywords: studying

Hi,

I completed my AAT in Summer and I've now come to start CIMA. I worked in practice for 2 years and I've now been in industry for 2 years and passed all AAT exams on first attempt (if this will help at all).

I'm going to do it via BPP's basics plus course which is a mixture of paper and internet based home study.

However, I've come to enter for my exams in May 2010 and I'm not sure whether to do all three E1, P1 and F1 or just 2 of them?

Can anyone speak from experience and give me some advice or tips?

Many thanks.

Jen

Further question

Posted by JenniferLouise on Wednesday 17 February 2010 11:57

Hi,

Just on a further note, can anyone advise whether to use BPP or CIMA study?

Many thanks.

Advice

Posted by David Williams on Wednesday 17 February 2010 12:29
Hi when I first started CIMA at my local college they did 4 exams at a time which I found too much for me, I think 3 is manageble, also its good to build on the costing / finance you have learned from AAT so if you decide to drop then I would recommend focusing on those. Definately use BPP, ive used CIMA and the text books are mega in comparison, they do cover everything but I have personally found BPP brilliant, I would suggest the CDS also, audio and software, They arent too expensive and you can pick things up a lot easier than pure reading.

Hi.

Posted by Suraiya Marikar on Thursday 18 February 2010 10:55

Have you started using the BPP basics plus course? How do you find it? I intend to get a distance learning package too, but I'm not sure which package to choose from, in the case of BPP. Both the basics online and the basics plus sound good. I noticed that the only material missing from both of these packages is the study wallet. I'm not even sure what this contains..

I also looked at Kaplan's and that sounds good too...

Does BPP offer assessments at the end of every chapter and do you get feed back from the tutors?

Would appreciate a little help and advice please...planning to sit for F2 this May and I am very nervous.

Hi

Posted by JenniferLouise on Thursday 18 February 2010 11:29
Hi, I got the CIMAstudy course highly recommended by a colleague so my work have purchased this along with all the CIMA material from Elsevier.

A word of advice from the other side of the exams

Posted by Adrian Rutter on Monday 22 February 2010 12:46

Although you'd all know the 2010 syllabus requirements better than me, since my studies were a while ago, I'd be cautious about sitting only two papers and picking up the third later. You'll then have an 'odd' paper that you could of course sit in November but otherwise could delay your picking up on the Management level as a whole.

So unless it's really impossible to study three papers now, my advice is to study Operational level as a package and sit all three together ready to move tidily on to the next level. Your AAT success is a great foundation for your CIMA studies.

FAO Jen

Posted by Lucy D on Tuesday 23 February 2010 15:19

Hi Jen,

 I too have just finished AAT and completed the 3 stages in just under 18 months so used to working hard. My initial thought was to sit the E1, P1 and F1 in May. However, I have been on the BPP E1 and F1 courses and they are a completely different standard to AAT. I felt that I more than understood the AAT (and found it quite easy if I'm honest)  and that it would be no problem in sitting 3 exams if I put the effort in but I've since decided to sit 2 exams. I studied on saturday from half 8 unitl 7 in the evening and felt like I had got no where. The questions are far more difficult than AAT.

Maybe if you go for the 3 we can help each other!

Lucy :)

Posted by JenniferLouise on Friday 26 February 2010 12:08

Hi Lucy,

Help sounds wonderful!! It's so strange studying from home and not really having a study buddy.

The work just seems of such a higher standard than AAT, I agree!

x

Help needed!

Posted by Rachel Thomson on Sunday 28 February 2010 16:45

Hi Jen and Lucy

I too am finding CIMA much harder than AAT. I'm doing P1, E1 and F1 in May and I'm really struggling. I look at the answers and haven't got a clue lol I've just bought the BBP passcards and they seem to be helping me remember stuff.

Any tips on getting through alive would be very much appreciated.

Rachel

help needed!

Posted by David Williams on Sunday 28 February 2010 17:22
Hi I would look for a CIMA book called mind mapping they sell them on the cima publishing or probs get one from ebay, really helped me get through the exams as there is soo much to learn and its a great way to get a whole chapter or subject down on the one page

help needed

Posted by Lucy D on Sunday 28 February 2010 20:16

I've officially given up on any tiny little thought I had on sitting 3!

I've been doing consolidated statements today, a calculation when doing AAT with Kaplan I could do with my eyes closed! It seems with these BPP books there is very little guidance and the way taught in the class example is no where like the standard needed for the practice exam paper.

 Thanks David for your response, i'll be googling these straight away! 

 

FAO Jen

Posted by Simon on Sunday 07 March 2010 19:26

Hi Jen,

I never did AAT but I did complete the Certificate level of CIMA (with BPP).  I am now currently studying CIMA operations level ready for May Exams.  I definitely think doing all 3 papers is viable (I am currently doing this now). 

The key to my studying is to try and understand the material first before getting ahead of myself by trying to remember everything the first time I read it.  Once I have understood the material, its just a matter of re-reading to try and absorb it and remember it.  The good thing about BPP above all is their new online lectures which basically is a video (similar to youtube) which has a tutor narrating and teaching you the course material.  You can rewind, pause and re-do the whole lecture at your own pace. 

which books are better BPP or KAPLAN?

Posted by Gamuchirai Chimanzi on Wednesday 10 March 2010 09:11
Can someone please advice me on which books to buy BPP or Kaplan??