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Planning study: organisation and techniquesMandy Garnham, 26 February 2019, 12:30 pm.
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Record session
Planning study: organisation and techniquesMandy Garnham, 26 February 2019, 12:30 pm
Today’s aim
1. To help students on the current ICSA programme with:
• Organising study and time management
• Reading, note taking and writing skills
2. Provide guidance on:
• How to use past exam papers when preparing to study and pass the exam
• Using examiners’ comments to help you prepare
Agenda
For students studying on the ICSA current programme
• Study planning and motivation
• Study techniques: reading, note taking and writing skills
• Exam questions: what you can learn from past exam papers
Mandy Garnham, Learning Support Manager
• Student experience, guidance and advice
• Delivery of study support and webinars
• Online learning
The study text
Things to remember:
• Check the ICSA bookshop online
to make sure you have the most
recent edition.
• Plan out your study so you cover
all the chapters up to the exam.
CSQS study support
Study planner up to June 2019
Sample study planner
The purpose of a study planner is to help you:
• Follow a structure at every study session
• Test yourself at frequent intervals and track progress
• Make notes and study aids as you go along
• Break down the study text into manageable sections
Making time for study
Which days?
Tuition Providers
A tuition provider can offer support and guidance right up to the exam and increase
your chances of passing.
• Look at the list of registered tuition providers on our website.
• Link on the ICSA website
Tuition options
• Face to face classes - Options for face-to-face tuition (mainly London, Jersey,
Guernsey and Isle of Man) Online classroom and distance learning wherever
you are located.
• Distance learning with notes, online lectures etc.
• Online classroom live
• Marking of mock exams/questions
Apps to help you study
Making time for study
Which days? Time of day?
Making time for study
Which days? Time of day?
How long?
Making time for study
Which days? Time of day?
How long? Fit more in?
Making it happen
Setting study goals
Overall aim:
• How many exams do I attempt this year?
• Last exam for the current programme is June!
• What is a realistic number of hours to study per week?
• What resources do I need to achieve this?
Setting reminders
Use reminders to prompt you about:
• Important tasks to do today to ensure that you achieve this week’s goals
• Study sessions that you have scheduled
• Revision times
• Face to face tuition
Your checklist
• Enter for your exam (1 April for June exam)
• Buy your ICSA study text
• Draw up your study plan
• Get to know the exam you are sitting
Study techniques
Approaches to study
Study techniques
A common pitfall of getting back into study is
spending too much time on each subject/chapter in
the study text. Many students who mistakenly go
down this route, feel like they are not making
progress.
Making the most of your time
The syllabus can help you plan out your route of study
Divide your time into ‘critical’ material and ‘chronological’ material. In some study
periods, you will want to focus on very important material so you are memorising
key information such as the UK Corporate Governance Code. In other periods of
study time, you will need to go through the chapters, make clear notes and revise
concepts.
Approaches to study
Action plan: the little and often method
• Start with an overview of the topic
• Go back to details later on once you have grasped
the main components of the topic
• Set specific goals for each session: if you don’t you
end up wasting time recapping unnecessarily
• At regular intervals, spend a few minutes checking
what you have learnt
Reading techniques
Speed reading:
Common problem: finding it hard to concentrate
Tips:
1. Read faster to focus (speed reading). Don’t take
time to pause or regress.
2. Build up your reading time gradually
Reading techniques
Skimming:
• Skimming the text to get an overview or the main argument
• Look for the main point in each paragraph
• Look for key words and check meaning
Reading techniques
Scanning:
• Consider a question you would like answered
• Scan the text for key words or items related to your search
• Make a note of what you find/where you can find it again.
Reading techniques
Detailed reading:
• Develop questions to explore
• Practice recalling the main points of what you have read
• Re-read the text and make notes
Approaches to study
Note taking
• Organise and structure your notes – saved on computer or notebook
• Separate the information using headings/different documents
• Keep a record of your information source – note page number of study text
• Leave space to add information later, use short sentences and abbreviations
• Use postcards as a glossary
Note taking
Types of notes you may take:
• Outline notes: basic overview of what you have read
• Summary notes: more in depth and detailed
• Flow diagrams: to help you show developments of
processes
• Mind maps: linking topics and arguments, making
connections
Write in your own words!
Note taking
End of topic/chapter conclusion
• Write a chapter summary in your own words
• Bring together and simplify essential pints
• Taking out the ‘padding’
• Explain how this applies to your subject area
Writing skills
Think about the rubric you may see in the exam which may
give you ideas about how to prepare. Some examples:
• Evaluate: look at the validity of a claim and look at its
effectiveness
• Discuss: Write about in detail, taking into account different
issues or points of view. (e.g. Corporate Governance: discuss
the factors that can affect decision-making and board
effectiveness)
• Advise: Provide recommendations and offer solutions (e.g.
Corporate Law: advise X on any other legal petitions he may be
able to make and the remedy he might expect to secure)
Writing skills
Writing a report is quite common in ICSA exams. But what is expected?
• You will normally be writing in response to a request for information
• You will most likely be informing the reader
• You may be identifying options and recommending a solution/route to take
Sticking to your plan
• Use the syllabus as a checklist, plan your ‘route’
through the study text
• What are your ‘tasks’ as you go through the
study text? Reading? Creating an outline of a
specific process or framework? Reviewing
notes? Memorising concepts?
Sticking to your plan
• Choose a good time and location to study.
• Survey the time available and don’t discount smaller pockets of time
• Follow your checklist and stay on task. If you get stuck on a concept or problem,
make a note on your checklist, ask for help if you need to (check the list of RTPs
on the ICSA website). If you do fall behind, try to schedule an extra hour to catch
up. But don't panic: your study plan is a guideline, not an absolute.
• Take sample problems from past papers, noting how and why techniques are
implemented.
Sticking to your plan
• Note similarities and differences among problems. This helps to cultivate the skill
of thinking flexibly. How and why does a solution work? How else could a
problem be solved? How does the knowledge you are acquiring relate with other
concepts?
• Keep a list of key principles/theories/legislation and major concepts. As you
study, jot down items that you need to memorise. Review this material whenever
you a few minutes spare.
Review of past exam sessions
What the examiner has said…
Financial Decision Making:
• Not all candidates were fully prepared to competently tackle the more challenging
computational elements of certain questions. For example … some candidates struggled
with the calculations and techniques required for investment appraisal …not all candidates
were able to perform calculations using sensitivity analysis … there were errors in terms of
the timing of cash flows and computing the present value of an annuity.
• It is also difficult to achieve a pass grade if entire sections of a question or entire questions
are not being answered. There are still a number of cases where entire parts of questions
are not attempted.
• Some candidates may assume that a very good answer to one question (often compulsory
question 1) will lead to a pass. However, candidates are advised that one very good
answer does not guarantee an overall pass grade
What the examiner has said…
Corporate Governance:
• As in past sessions, some candidates included information in answers which did not
address the actual question set. This wastes time during the exam and limits the marks
awarded, as marks can only be given to content which is relevant to the question set.
• The higher-scoring candidates were those that could demonstrate a wide range of
governance knowledge and had a good working knowledge of the UK Corporate
Governance Code and who answered the questions as set. There were some excellent
scripts overall.
What the examiner has said…
Corporate Law
• A large majority of scripts not reaching the required standard for a pass evidenced one or more of the
following:
• candidates not reading the facts given in scenarios accurately; candidates not reading the
question requirements accurately; incompleteness, in that not all parts or aspects of a question
were dealt with; absence of sufficient legal detail/limited knowledge of the law; and absence of
explicitly reasoned application of legal rules and principles to the facts.
• Detailed legal knowledge is needed to pass the examination and the ICSA Corporate Law study text
contains the legal knowledge needed to answer all questions on the examination well.
• Candidates also need to exhibit legal skills and are encouraged to develop those skills by attempting
to answer past examination questions available on the ICSA website. Candidates should attempt
questions before consulting the answers as skills are developed by working out the answers.
Exam Preparation
• Know the requirements of the exam – look at past papers
• Practice an exam question – write up answers in timed conditions
(handwritten)
• Attend the examiner webinars – early May
Connecting with ICSA
Talk to other ICSA students via:
The ICSA LinkedIn student group
Things to be considering now…
1• Log on to MyICSA, look at syllabus and past papers
2 • Plan when you’re going to study in each week/manage commitments
3 • Identify times when you can read the study text/make notes/revise
4• Register for June exam by 1 April
5• Options for tuition or revision classes
Contacts
If you have questions about payments, registering for exams, your exam centre or
accessing any online details and logging into MyICSA, please contact our
Members and Students team at:
[email protected] or 020 7580 4741
My contact details for webinars: [email protected]
Thank you