THE CIPFA EXAMINATION

1
THE CIPFA EXAMINATION

• OR
• MORE TO THE POINT
• HOW TO PASS

2
THE BASICS

• STUDY GUIDES
• TEXTBOOKS
• ADDED VALUE COURSES
• WORKSHOPS
• REVISION COURSES
• PAST QUESTIONS

3
EXAMINATION STRATEGY

• WHAT DO YOU WANT?
• TO PASS?
• TO WIN A PRIZE?
• NOT TO FAIL?
• WHY DO YOU WANT TO PASS?
• FOR YOURSELF?
• FOR YOUR SPONSOR?
• FOR SOMEONE ELSE?

4
EXAMINATION STRATEGY

• WHAT IS YOUR LEARNING STYLE?
• INDEPENDENT?
• DEPENDENT?
• WHERE DO YOU LEARN BEST?
• HOME?
• WORK?
• COLLEGE?

5
EXAMINATION STRATEGY

• HOW DO YOU LEARN BEST?
• READING?
• DOING QUESTIONS?
• BEING TAUGHT?
• WHAT GETS IN THE WAY OF LEARNING?
• FAMILY?
• SOCIAL LIFE?
• WORK?

6
EXAMINATION STRATEGY

• WHAT ARE WEAKNESSES?
• NUMBERS?
• READING?
• LISTENING?
• WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?
• WHAT FLOATS YOUR BOAT?

7
STARTING A MODULE

• WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SUBJECT?
• WHAT DONT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SUBJECT?
• HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PASS?
• BREADTH VERSUS DEPTH

8
DOING SEVERAL MODULES

• EXAMPLES ADM, AA, GPP
• THINK ABOUT STRATEGY
• THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW DONT WORRY
  ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW
• BALANCE
• EFFORT, EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS
• QUALITY NOT QUANTITY

9
REVISION

• BREAK EACH MODULE INTO TEN PARTS (KEY AREAS)
• LOOK AT PAST EXAMINATION PAPERS (KEY AREAS)
• WHAT ARE THE COMMON AREAS? WHAT COMES-UP EVERY
  TIME?

10
REVISION TECHNIQUES

• STAGE ONE - 10 BY 10
• 1 MODULE, 10 KEY AREAS, 10 PAGES OF NOTES PER
  AREA
• STAGE TWO 10 BY 5
• 1 MODULE, 10 KEY AREAS, 5 PAGES OF NOTES PER AREA
• STAGE THREE 10 BY 1
• 1 MODULE, 10 KEY AREAS, 1 PAGE OF NOTES PER AREA
  (IDEAL FOR 1 HOUR BEFORE EXAM)

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OK BUT WHAT IF?

• I STILL DONT UNDERSTAND A SUBJECT?
• FIND ANOTHER RESOURCE
• I CANNOT DO QUESTIONS FAST ENOUGH?
• TAKE ONE QUESTION, KEEP DOING IT, AND AGAIN, AND
  AGAIN

12
THE EXAMINATION

• READING TIME
• DONT READ THE COMPULSORY QUESTION YOU HAVE TO
  DO IT ANYWAY
• WORK OUT WHICH QUESTIONS YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DO
• PLAY THE PERCENTAGES GAME, E.G. 2 QS, WHICH
  ARE YOU GOING TO GET BEST MARK FROM

13
THE EXAMINATION

• DONT START WRITING IMMEDIATELY YOULL ONLY
  REWRITE THE QUESTION
• DO THE EASY QUESTION FIRST POINTS IN THE BAG
• DO PARTS OF QUESTIONS YOU CAN EASILY ANSWER
  MERGE LATER

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THE EXAMINATION

• DO PARTS OF QUESTIONS WITH HIGH MARKS 50 OF 10
  IS HIGHER THAN 50 OF 5
• BRAIN GONE ON WALK-ABOUT?
• STOP YOULL ONLY WRITE RUBBISH
• PUT YOUR PEN DOWN, TAKE A DRINK, GO TO THE TOILET
  TAKE A 2 MINUTE BREAK

15
THE EXAMINATION

• CHECK THE QUESTION EVERY 10 MINUTES OR YOU WILL
  WRITE WHAT YOU THINK HAS BEEN ASKED NOT WHAT HAS
  BEEN ASKED
• ONLY ANSWER WHAT HAS BEEN ASKED NOT EVERYTHING
  YOU KNOW

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THE EXAMINATION

• IF IN DOUBT PLAY PERCENTAGE GAME IF YOU THINK
  YOU KNOW THE ANSWER YOU PROBABLY DO
• IF YOU DONT KNOW THE ANSWER USE COMMON SENSE
  DONT GUESS
• NEVER LEAVE EARLY, DONT GIVE-UP, YOU CAN BE 50
  WRONG AND STILL PASS

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OVERALL CONSIDERATIONS

• CAN YOU OPERATE YOUR CALCULATOR(S)?
• DRESS FOR COMFORT NOT FASHION
• EAT BEFORE TAKE WATER WITH YOU
• KNOW THE EXAMINATION ROOM
• BE EARLY

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AND FINALLY.

• BE CONFIDENT
• STAY FOCUSED
• GIVE IT YOU BEST SHOT
• IF YOU WANT A GOOD RESULT BAD ENOUGH YOULL GET
  IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO REALLY WANT IT