I was on the same boat as you, failed CT4 twice with FA but somehow managed to pass in this sitting. (I was so convinced after taking the exam I had failed because I hardly wrote much in the last 4 questions in this paper...looking at the examiner’s report, you can even find the word ‘disappointing’ for each of the comments for the last 4 questions)
Are there any topics you are having trouble with? i.e. exposed to risk/Markov jump process/significance tests?
For me before taking CT4 the 3rd time I had always skipped the exposed to risk question because I never understood the topic. And then I realise maybe the ETR question is the one which will push me from a FA to a pass. So when I studied for the 3rd time I just gathered all the questions I can find on exposed to risk (past papers, Q&A bank, assignments, tutorial questions) and try to work out some logic on them. Eventually I managed to find a set of rules/logic which allow me to apply to all these ETR questions and get the answer. (I guess its same as how people use the Lexis chart to figure out how to do these questions, but then again I didn’t understand how the Lexis chart work so I had to make up something that works for me).
So I guess my advice is you should concentrate on individual topics which you had trouble with during the last exam. (sometimes I might think I know a topic well, and able to understand the past papers, but may find myself struggle in the real exam as the question look so different…so this is the time I realise maybe I didn’t know that topic that well afterall and can work on it in the next study session.) For me I tried to do all the past papers I can find (not just CT4, but also the old 103 as well) and also redo’ing some of them as well. I was nearly up to the point where I can “remember” the answers to the past paper questions.
Another thing is if you have problems understanding ETR and find the ActEd notes not easy to understand (i.e. Lexis chart), another choice would be to think of your own method of solving these questions. At the end of the day all the ETR are quite standard in how they ask the questions (i.e. working out how to change from one age label to match a different age label.), it’s a matter of going through all the possible combinations they can ask you and trying to find some pattern. This certainly worked for me cause I am now able to do the ETR questions in my own way, which I think was the 5% I needed to get a pass.
I hope I didn’t confuse you even more….
Anyway the CT4 pass rates have just fluctuate so much in the last few sittings, 27%, 63% and now 39%. I originally thought if I didn’t pass this time I will just take it every time until I get a nice paper similar to last april….
