How to study well during the holidays!

Revising during the holidays can be tricky. If you celebrate Christmas, you may find yourself reading through the CIMA pre-seen between canapés and carols, or practising a CIMA mock exam whilst tucking into a mince pie. But have no fear – there IS a way to study during the holidays and get that all important pass in the New Year!

So, read on to find out how to revise well and still keep that festive spirit!

How are CIMA Case Study exams marked?

CIMA’s Case Study marking can be tricky to get your head around. I’ve spoken to countless students who found it difficult to understand why they’d failed their Case Study. Often, students receive a ‘fail’ mark even when their results show they have a reasonably good understanding of all subject areas.

So, what can you make of your Case Study results? With the February Case Studies looming, it's a good time to explore what CIMA are looking for in order to grant that allusive ‘pass’!

Find out what our MCS November students thought about the CIMA exam!

For our Astranti November students, the exams are all finished and it's time for a moment of relaxation. The ink had barely dried on the student's handwritten notes, however, when we sent out a survey to get their thoughts on the exam, our materials and any golden nuggets of advice for future students.
What we found was eye opening, to say the least! Take a look at our results below:

How have management students performed in 2017?

Take it from me, as a CIMA student, it's important to know how other students are performing so you can asses your own approach to revision. So, do you know how CIMA Management students been doing with their exams so far this year? Are you aware of what they are finding difficult or what they are succeeding in? No?

Read on to find out...

Is your CIMA exam just around the corner? Try these top tips!

Your CIMA exam can come around quickly. One minute you are signing up for the exam and thinking to yourself, 'this is a long time away – have I booked this exam too far in advance?'.

But before you know it, those months have turned into weeks….which is where these tips come in handy!

Read on to find out our top four tips to help make the most of the time you have left.

This student qualified after years of failure. Find out his secret...

Trust me, signing up for an online course will mean the difference between you passing and failing your exam. When striving to succeed in a CIMA exam, going it alone without the support of an online tutor, is not a good idea - as one of our recent graduates will contest!

Tim*, who spent four years trying to pass the Strategic Case Study exam, managed to finally achieve  his pass on the August 2017 sitting. How did he manage this after failing for so long? Read on to find out!

Online studying guarantees CIMA success! Here's why...

Do you ever find it difficult to fit in your CIMA course around your busy working life? If you do, you should seriously consider online learning for CIMA.

All of Astranti's CIMA materials are online. This means no classrooms, no waking up at the crack of dawn for an early morning class or dashing to a late evening session after a hard days work. Online courses and materials mean you can study in your own time, at your own pace and in your own way. 

As a tutor for the CIMA qualification, I know this is THE best way to study if you want to master the CIMA syllabus and achieve that all important pass. Here's why...

Thinking about getting your mocks marked? Here's why you should!

When you are revising loads, it can be tempting to go it all alone and rarely get feedback from a qualified marker. If this is you, then don't let it continue! Getting feedback and having an experienced outsider's perspective could really make the world of difference. Don't believe me? Read on and see why!

A MUST READ guide to CIMA's practical experience requirements!

There's an element to the CIMA qualification that you MUST know – the practical experience requirement. This is an ESSENTIAL part of the qualification and a great opportunity to gain valuable experience along the way and show employers that you can use your knowledge and skills in the professional world!

Here at Astranti, we've got you covered for the theory side of things – but that's not the only aspect we can help out with! We're also here to help provide a MUST READ comprehensive guide for the practical aspect! Take a look at our key points below.

How can YOU make the most of the night before your exam?

It's the night before your CIMA exam and you're nervous and unsure how to proceed. Should you stay up and try and cram in as much extra revision as possible? Should you get an early night? Should you go for a run to try and clear your mind?

We've all been there - it can be a tricky decision. Many of us end up buckling under the pressure and trying to revise as much as possible until the early hours - but time and time again studies have shown this is not the best approach. Read on to find out how you can make the most of your pre-exam evening and set yourself up for CIMA success the next day!

Manage your time to guarantee exam success!

Good time management is essential for succeeding in any occupation - but to succeed as a CIMA qualified account, excellent time management needs to become second nature to you!

Of course, you want to get qualified so that you can kick-start your career - but you should also see your CIMA revision as an opportunity to perfect the time management skills that will be so essential to you as you progress. Read on to find out how to manage your time and master your CIMA revision!

Three top tips to avoid distractions!

I have been teaching students for years now and know that not every tip works for every student. Some students, for example, may find it easiest to revise through videos - whilst others hate the idea and much prefer study texts! There are a few tips, however, that apply to everyone and can simply make the world of difference when it comes to passing!

This is one of them - when you are revising, limit ALL distractions. Sounds simple, but it's easier said than done!

So, how can you limit your distractions? Here's three things that I personally do...

Here's how to use algorithms to succeed in your CIMA revision...

What is one of the most important inventions of the 20th Century? Computers. It seems that in the modern day the whole world is computerized - your CIMA exams will even need to be sat using a computer! We rely on computerized systems so much because they are infallible, in a way that other human-controlled systems are not.

Sometimes, when work or revision is stressful, we all wish we could perform tasks as well as computers can. But what can we learn from these devices and how can this help your CIMA revision? Read on to find out...

Part 2: Mock exams

I'm sure you know how important it is to take mocks before your real CIMA exams, however, many students fail to make the most out of their mocks, and I don't want you to be one of those students! 

In Part 1 of this blog post, I discussed the ways to make your revision questions dynamic, interesting and engaging. Well, now it's time to turn our attention to mock exams - so keep reading to find out the best techniques for using mock exams as part of your CIMA revision!

Part 1: Revision Questions

Sometimes, CIMA students condense their revision so that they go straight from learning subject material to taking mock exams, without any testing in between. This inevitably leads to bad performance in the mocks which can mean a poorer performance in the real exams. Don't make this mistake!

There are many dynamic and interesting ways you can test yourself as you revise - read on to find out how you can make your revision questions fun!

How can videos help with your CIMA revision?

When I was at school, one of my favourite subjects was physics. There was a catch, however – I only really understood the theory when the lesson included a video. This could be cars whizzing around a racetrack to demonstrate the doppler effect, dolphins communicating underwater to show the differences in their communication or, my very favourite, a simulation of a rock being thrown through space and whizzing past all of the planets in our galaxy. With videos, physics suddenly jumped out of the dull textbooks and became alive – and the same can be said for videos and your CIMA revision!

So how can videos help your revision? Here's four reasons why!

Tailor your revision to suit your learning type!

Everybody is different and we all learn in different ways. Experts agree that there are four main learning groups into which individuals fall - visual learners, audio learners, linguistic learners and physical learners.

Read on to find out more about these different learning groups and how your own learning type could effect which type of study material is best for you!

Why accountancy is a great career choice...

I'm sure you know how tough studying for CIMA exams can be. Revising in the evenings, in the early mornings, even during your lunch breaks - it seems like you're always working. What's more, some of the material can be really difficult to understand. Even the most hardworking students might sometimes question - is all this really worth it? 

Well the answer to that is 'yes it is'! Top accountancy jobs are among the highest paid jobs in the world, meaning your hard work will quite literally 'pay off' as you progress through your career. 

Check out our four fun accounting facts below - they're guaranteed to put a smile on the face of all prospective CIMA accountants! 

This great quote from Steve Jobs will make an impact on your revision!

Few people have experienced as many roller-coaster highs and lows within their career as Steve Jobs has. After being fired from his own founding company Apple, Jobs spent years trying to launch a new sleek computer called the Cube. The plans didn't take off, although Jobs did eventually return to Apple when the company was financially flailing. Instead of driving Apple into the ground, as many thought he may, Jobs instead took the company to new heights. A fantastic role model for everyone who is afraid of failing and making mistakes, Job's never ending resilience and talent for spotting opportunities ultimately carried him through to success.

So what do Steve Jobs and studying for your CIMA exam have in common? The answer lies in this quote from Jobs: “if you look really closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” The same can very much be said for your CIMA qualification! With this quote in mind, here are four things that you can be doing in order to create your own CIMA 'overnight' success.

Four top tips for your last days of revision!

Have you ever felt like time is sometimes going too fast? Even though revision is possibly not the most exciting time of your life, time really does seem to fly by until suddenly you are waking up and it is almost the day of your CIMA exam!

With the big day approaching so fast, what kind of things should you be doing? Here are our top four tips to make stress your new best friend!

On the move? Here's how to study...

Sometimes it feels as though students' other commitments prevent them from studying as hard as they should. Well, this doesn't have to be the case - not all CIMA revision has to be done at a desk. In fact, you can learn well no matter where you happen to be, as long as you are prepared. 

Here's how to revise when you can't get to your computer... 

Organise yourself to improve your revision!

You can’t be a good accountant if you aren’t organised. Revising for your CIMA exams is the perfect way to prepare yourself for the high levels of organisation and time management that you will need to consistently retain throughout your career as an accountant. With this in mind, what changes can you make to help yourself stay organised ahead of your CIMA exams?

Can I cram for an exam and still pass?

Working life can be stressful enough without the burden of CIMA exams. While trying to juggle other responsibilities, it’s incredibly easy for working CIMA students to think ‘I can always do my revision another time’. But can you leave your revision until the last minute and still get the results you want from your CIMA exams?

Four tips to help change your revision...forever!

Have you ever walked into the self help section of a book store? If you have, then you may have noticed that there are a good number of books claiming to perform near miracles in a very short amount of time. Become happier in six days? Sounds good! Stop smoking after one session with a hypnotist? Sign me up! Learn how to grow your own money tree? This book comes with free saplings to get you started!

Okay, so maybe some of these aren't exactly the real deal – but it doesn't stop a lot of books from claiming to change your life in under a week. As great (and easy) as it sounds, the effects are unlikely to last long term. In order to see real results, you must keep working on your goals consistently. How can we do this? We have some great tips from one of the most successful self help gurus - no money trees included!

This memory trick will help you ace your CIMA exams…

When revising for CIMA exams, memory power is very important. In many ways, exams are like sophisticated memory tests – if you can remember all the material from the CIMA syllabus and apply it correctly in your CIMA exams, you are on the path to success! 

The following technique will help you to unleash your full memory potential, including the power to remember everything you need for your CIMA exams! 

Why online learning is the best!

At Astranti, all our CIMA materials are online. This means no classrooms, no being up at the crack of dawn for an early morning class or dashing to a late evening session after a tiring day of work. It also means that there are no heavy books to carry and no study texts to suddenly lose when you need them most! Although online learning does have its drawbacks, there are a lot of advantages to studying with me, myself and I. Here's four reasons why we believe that online learning will be the future.

Mocks = Success!

Imagine that you are about to take your driving test. You've practised all the manoeuvres, driven along both quiet country roads and busy city streets and spent more than your fair share of free time memorising all of the different parts of the car. However, on the day itself, you do not pass the test. Why could this be? Well, one of the reasons could be that you haven't practised a trial driving test. You've become so used to driving along, chatting to the instructor and knowing that it's okay to make mistakes, that you are not fully prepared for what the test will actually be like.

In the same sense, not taking mocks when preparing for your CIMA exam could cost you exam success. Why are these so important? It's actually for a number of reasons. Read on to find out more!

Staying calm whilst waiting for results.

After months of hard work and nights watching the moon as you do your revision late into the night, the CIMA case study exams are finally over for May! How do you feel? Excited for your result or anxious and fearing the worse? If it's the former, then great! We are sure that you will all get the result you deserve and enjoy the celebrations that will soon follow. But what happens if you are feeling a little nervous? We have some tips that may just help...

Prepare for your CIMA OT exam with this handy guide.

Are you preparing for your CIMA OT exam? It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, with so many different topics and possible questions! If you are feeling like you are not sure which route to take, have no fear. I was speaking to an examiner the other day and they told me about a route through the exam that will navigate you towards success!

Get up to date with KEY information from the Examiner's Report!

One of the best things that I've found you can do when revising for the exam is read the Examiner's report - after all, they will be the ones looking at your exam paper in May! In order to help you get started, we have collected some of the key themes from the February Examiner's Report. The full report is available right here: MCS February 2017 Examiner's Report. We suggest that you read through this yourself very carefully - it could really help you get that pass.

Revision Skills: Which type of learner are you?

When I first started secondary school, one of my teachers really enjoyed creating mind maps when we were learning. If you are not sure what these are, think of lots of colour, information and thin, wiggly lines connecting everything together. Mind maps often start with one word in the middle and link in all of the topics that are related to this. Let's take CIMA, for example. Topics that link to this could be the case study material, key theories and Ethics.

Many of the students enjoyed using the mind maps, but they didn't do much for me. Why is this? Well, it could be because we all have different learning styles. One method of learning may do wonders for one student, while it could be a disaster for another person.

We all have different learning styles. Research has shown that there are up to eight different types – here, we will look at the main four. Which one are you? Read on to find out.

A revision guide just for you!

I was speaking to a student recently who narrowly failed the exam. Why was this? He had good intentions and studied the material, but unfortunately his planning let him down. With so much information needed for the Case Study exam, it can sometimes be overwhelming. It's tempting to give more attention to certain theories or texts, but this needs to be more balanced.

Fear not, however, if you struggle with this – Astranti have a general study plan right here. Don't worry about sticking to the exact dates, as I know that you are all very busy, but this can be used as a helpful guide for your CIMA journey.

Humming to the tune of success...how music can help with revision!

Flashcards, pens every colour of the rainbow, chunky neon yellow highlighters….there are many tools that we use when revising for the CIMA exams. Some of you may prefer to write in plain black and on snow white paper, whilst others will pin notes all over the house to remind themselves of the key areas of the syllabus.

A trio of materials to combat the CIMA exam!

It's not long until the CIMA pre-seen is released! How is your revision going? Do you feel like your mind is blossoming with knowledge or do you currently feel like a stick in the mud who is feeling a little overwhelmed? Have no fear, we are here to help!

Our very first piece of advice would be to start your revision now. Yes, right now, before you start reading that 900-page book, begin studying origami or planning a walk that will take you as far away from the CIMA exam as possible. But without a pre-seen available from CIMA yet, how can you start revising? Well, we may have the materials just for you! The answer is in our Ethics pack, Course Videos and Study Texts. With these three, we have a trio to combat CIMA!

Exam Success: Is it down to luck or hard work?

It's a fact of life that some people seem to have been born lucky. If they are running late, for example, their train or bus is magically running late too. They are never without an umbrella on the day it rains out of the blue or they always have just the right pair of sunglasses in their bag when the sun is shining bright.

Another example of luckiness is when people pass their exams with flying colours...or is it?

A lot of students will come out of the exam and say that the final result is down to luck. If they pass with flying colours, it is because they had a lucky charm on their exam desk. If they don't do so well, their reason for failing is attributed to a simple lack of luck.

How eating well can help you prepare!

So the Case Study exam is not far away..how are you finding it?

We know that revising is important for learning the theory. But what about looking after ourselves? If you want to do the very best you can, here is an extra tip for you: what you eat can have a huge impact on your preparation! Countless studies have shown that eating healthily can improve concentration, memory and overall well being.

Interested in the food fiends and brain favourites? Read on…