I am planning on finishing the whole course by the end of February so I can leave the whole of March and most of April for revision. I have almost reached chapter 11 at the moment so do you think it's realistic that I'll finish by the end of February? I have been studying whilst working 2 jobs but I will be leaving both jobs in 2 weeks' time so hopefully I'll have more time to study. I don't really want to rush through the course to the point that I won't be absorbing anything but do you think 2 months is enough? I am thinking of applying for the exam sometime this week or the week next but if other people think that it's an unwise decision, I will have to have a re-think. Thank you.
You are most probably ahead of many. 2 months is a good aim but don't run out of steam. Plan how you will revise too. Re-read notes Q&A qns Exam practise Mock These are all the stages you will need to get thru'. If you've had marking, you may already have found your weak spots. Or you have a gut feel for things you dislike. Don't risk cherry picking and hope these types of qn don't arise. Revise these early and try to bring them up to standard
I revised by making flashcards of the important points (ie formulae, definitions, proofs) and then doing past papers (CT1, 102, A1) in topics. So on a night I'd revise one chapter by testing myself on my flashcards and then did a whole bunch of exam questions on that chapter from the different exam papers - I'd find by the 3rd question I was up-to-speed and seeing all the patterns. Think I spent a good month doing this - and found the exam very straightforward as the questions are very similar each year.
So really a month is sufficient for revision just before the exam (providing the right revision technique). Do the exams ever have any catches, like do they deliberately trick you on some things? That's what I'm afraid of, when I see something unfamiliar I tend to panic.
Find a way to control the panic. These 'curve balls' are often the qns which differentiate those that pass and fail. One technique is to read the question, collate the key figures you will need, then before embarking, re-read the question to make sure you have picked everything out. Don't be afraid to write on the exam paper so you know what you've already picjed out. Then as you work, leave an audit trail of what you are trying to achieve. You may then at least pick up method marks if things start going wrong for you. Remember if you find it hard, others are likely to so you need to do the very best you can with it. Don't dwell on it unnecessarily. You may be better off moving on to other questions if time starts to be an issue on a qn you are finding hard. And there's no obligation to do qns in order. Just be clear which you are answering and keep track of where you've got to. This isn't subject specific advice, it will help on all.
Oh yes! Especially underline the key words like: interest or discount accumulation or present value force, convertible or effective rates Easy to get the wrong thing especially at the start of the exam when you're panicked! And the more questions you do the better you'll be prepared!
That has definitely been my biggest problem. Many times I'm like 'where on earth have they got this from' and 'why on earth are they trying to find this' when it specifically mentions it in the question! But normally under exam conditions, to counteract this problem I highlight key facts and figures which in my studying I haven't done so What I also normally do, and it seemed to work at A-levels, is for each question decide firstly what the bottom line of the question is, recall what chapter this involves, collate the relevant facts and figures and just throw them into an appropriate formula. And beg that something good happens. But with some questions I often have trouble making a start with the answer, as in something quite basic that I can't seem to work out then eventually throws a spanner into my workings. But I guess I just need some time to consolidate all the material and hopefully things will turn out well. End of ramble.
