Tutorial

[ryan11]

Folks, I am studying for CA1 for the september 2013 attempt and was wondering if CA1 tutorials will be good help in passing this huge subject.

I want to know the views of those who took Tutorials and felt that they could have failed without it, even re takers who didnt take tutorials earlier and passed after enrolling for them ( even those retakers who did tutorial and didnt pass the first time)

I will mostly enrol for an online tutorial, if someone took online pls advise if they would advise to go for a regular face to face tutorial and why.

 

[td290]

Everyone's experience with CA1 is different. I found that reading the chapters and then trying to learn the chapter summaries was the most effective way of approaching it. I did attend some tutorials but beyond some nice mnemonics and the opportunity to meet people I didn't really feel they helped that much.

 

[ryan11]

Everyone's experience with CA1 is different. I found that reading the chapters and then trying to learn the chapter summaries was the most effective way of approaching it. I did attend some tutorials but beyond some nice mnemonics and the opportunity to meet people I didn't really feel they helped that much.

I was not even looking at tutorial for those things, my main reason was that they may advise the technique to know what the exam question is asking, which area of the core reading is being asked and will be there on the examiners marking schedule.

Come to look at it, many people who fail were actually good with the core reading and could have re produced it and matched the points on the marking schedule and passed, only if they knew which area the exam question was testing.

does it mean the tutorials dont cover the exam question technique, or it is something that can be learned even without a tutorial.

I am trying to save my precious time, dont want to retake it in april, prepared to do what it takes to get it over with in one shot.

All advices from all the members are welcome.

 

[Edwin]

I was not even looking at tutorial for those things, my main reason was that they may advise the technique to know what the exam question is asking, which area of the core reading is being asked and will be there on the examiners marking schedule.

Come to look at it, many people who fail were actually good with the core reading and could have re produced it and matched the points on the marking schedule and passed, only if they knew which area the exam question was testing.

does it mean the tutorials dont cover the exam question technique, or it is something that can be learned even without a tutorial.

I am trying to save my precious time, dont want to retake it in april, prepared to do what it takes to get it over with in one shot.

All advices from all the members are welcome.

Hi ryan11 I'm also writing in September and I was quite frustrated at my inability to identify the part of Core reading being referred to. Even though practise does help, I recommend getting ASET which gives hints on how to match questions to Core Reading ontop of a deep focus on exam technique. Up to now I think it's worth my money. I haven't done any tutorials tho. Hope we both pass!

 

[ryan11]

Hi ryan11 I'm also writing in September and I was quite frustrated at my inability to identify the part of Core reading being referred to. Even though practise does help, I recommend getting ASET which gives hints on how to match questions to Core Reading ontop of a deep focus on exam technique. Up to now I think it's worth my money. I haven't done any tutorials tho. Hope we both pass!

Hi Edwin, good to know another fellow preparing this hige subject, I hope we can share some best practices together.

I will look into getting myself the aset, although I feel in CA1 which is so big, more materials may not be a good idea, and felt trying something which I havent done ever ( tutorials).

 

[ryan11]

Can any tutor pls advise whether it is better to get a tutorial or the aset to get cracking with the exam question techniques, in identifying which part of core reading it is testing and hence what would likely be present on the marking schedule.

 

[bystander]

What a tutorial can give you is support that not everyone is sailing through and to know which qns typically give peers most trouble. That can be helpful if you can master the trickier topics and could make a difference in the exam, having seen the mistakes others make.

 

[td290]

Thinking about this further, it is true that the tutorials discussed some issues surrounding how to approach questions, e.g. what is required when a question asks you to state, list, outline, discuss or describe something, and the likely mark allocations. And just knowing that others have the same difficulties as you can be good for morale. So there are some benefits, which you will need to balance against the work that you could do in the number of study days you would have to give up.

Personally, I would be wary of assuming that people who know the Core Reading well are failing because their points don't match up with the mark scheme. You will see people panicking about this on the forums when they practise questions and think they should have got marks for things that aren't mentioned in the examiners' report. When people actually fail though, a far more likely explanation is that either they didn't know the course terribly well (and it's a lot to learn!) or their time management was not very good. Get these two things right and much of the rest will follow.

 

[moreoomph]

I knew the course inside out and attended a tutorial for my first sitting - I failed!

When resitting I submitted assignments which I sat under exam conditions. I was convinced I had done really well in the first one - I actually got about 30%. From the marking, I was able to identify the areas of the course which I was missing in different types of question. I concentrated on this and I passed on the second sitting - I think that marking (and using the feedback constructively!) is much more beneficial than the tutorials for this subject.

 

[ryan11]

I knew the course inside out and attended a tutorial for my first sitting - I failed!

When resitting I submitted assignments which I sat under exam conditions. I was convinced I had done really well in the first one - I actually got about 30%. From the marking, I was able to identify the areas of the course which I was missing in different types of question. I concentrated on this and I passed on the second sitting - I think that marking (and using the feedback constructively!) is much more beneficial than the tutorials for this subject.

I feel this is the thing, while we accumulate all the possible study materials, we usually dont wake up to practicing exams under exam conditions.

I am with you with the exam conditions practice, but do you think it works only with the assignments, how about Substitute the past papers for the assignments and check my answers against the examiners report.
Somehow I felt that the assignments are not much of representative of the questions asked in the exams, and past exams are.
Do you think the assesement of the assignments by the Acted tutors makes the difference, makes one take a hard look at those areas which one is missing from the core reading??

Basically what is it that the pass rate among the assignment takers is better then the general cohort/non assignment takers.

 

[Edwin]

ryan11, always do all past papers under exam conditions. PLEASE

 

[Edwin]

Hi Edwin, good to know another fellow preparing this hige subject, I hope we can share some best practices together.

I will look into getting myself the aset, although I feel in CA1 which is so big, more materials may not be a good idea, and felt trying something which I havent done ever ( tutorials).

Ja, I'm sure tutorials will be helpful even though I have never done one. Whatever comes my strategy has always been;-

1) Learn the material with the aim of making it yours
2) If in doubt of what study approach to take, CHOOSE THE HARDEST METHOD.

 

[tiger]

I've found the approach to CA1 & the STs different to the CTs.
- I spend more time on past questions and question practice than the core reading.
- with essay type questions it's harder to be objective self-marking. I don't use X series marking because the deadlines don't suit my schedule but I do use mock exams.
- concepts and questions can run across sections and chapters of the course. I find the block tutorials (6-8 weeks before exam) useful to make sure you understand the key concepts, and with exam technique (even if sometimes it's a refresher on what I heard 6mths previously).

 

[cjno1]

The simplest piece of information you need to know is that ActEd statistics show that people who take the tutorials have more chance of passing the exam than those who don't.

I've always attended tutorials and I think they're very valuable. You get different perspectives on how people approach questions and this can help you with how you structure your own answers. It also gives you an opportunity to ask a tutor directly about any issues you're having with the material and get lots of question practice. I would definitely recommend them.

 

[Katherine Young]

A lot of great advice coming through here! One thing this discussion illustrates is that there's no magic recipe when it comes to studying. Everyone has their own preferences.

I think tutorials are good for helping you understand the most important areas of the course. They also giving you a "big picture" for (let's face it) an enormous amount of study material. Hence they're great for helping you to focus your study.

We also give out useful memory aids, as well as hints and tips for exam technique.

On the other hand, ASET is a great way of getting question practice while also getting comments on the exams themselves. They also give you ActEd's tips for how to approach each question. We include some of the examiners' comments too, so you can be sure it's a balanced perspective.

 

[ryan11]

A lot of great advice coming through here! One thing this discussion illustrates is that there's no magic recipe when it comes to studying. Everyone has their own preferences.

I think tutorials are good for helping you understand the most important areas of the course. They also giving you a "big picture" for (let's face it) an enormous amount of study material. Hence they're great for helping you to focus your study.

We also give out useful memory aids, as well as hints and tips for exam technique.

On the other hand, ASET is a great way of getting question practice while also getting comments on the exams themselves. They also give you ActEd's tips for how to approach each question. We include some of the examiners' comments too, so you can be sure it's a balanced perspective.

Thanks Katherine, true I have been getting some very good feed back on this thread, different things have worked for different people, and I feel more lost now then when I asked the question, coz at that time I was wanting to know only about tutorial but sure I will do what it takes to pass CA1.

I feel the good old statistics can help me out a bit, if you can give me the statistics about the % of candidates who passed and took a tutorial, and the %age of candidates who passed and took the assignments marking (this one I think is about 80%?)

It sure will be one of the 2 for me, tutorials or assignments, but not both, more is not always better.

 

[ryan11]

I tried to look up what series Y assignments are, could not find them anywhere, can some one tell me the difference between series X and Series Y and where can I find series Y.

Additionally, I have the solutions for series X in my material, in this case how will getting my assignments marked add more value, I can still write them under exam conditions and self evaluate from the given solutions.

 

[tiger]

I think the Y-series assignments are for people who have already done the X-series, and are only available for the autumn sessions. (open to correction on this).

In terms of having the solutions already and self-marking, yes you can do this. However as I mentioned before, there is an element of subjectivity with self-marking essay style questions. I tend to be generous with my marking
It's worth doing also so then you have a benchmark when you're self-marking past papers and so on.

 

[Katherine Young]

Not quite Tiger.

Y assignments used to be available every session for every student (but were particularly recommended for re-sitters).

To replace these, we now offer the Additional Mock Pack, ideal for students who are retaking and have already sat Mock Exam A, and for those who just want some extra question practice.

With regards to Ryan's marking question, the markers provide plenty of additional comments to help you. (Mind you, you'd need to make sure you don't look at the solutions while you're writing your answer, or they won't be able to give you many tips!)

Finally, with regards to your request for statistics, we don't have this at a subject-specific level. The data simply isn't credible enough (see CT6 ). What we can say, is that doing tutorials and having mocks and assignments marked does indeed improve a student’s chance of passing.

 

[moreoomph]

I feel this is the thing, while we accumulate all the possible study materials, we usually dont wake up to practicing exams under exam conditions.

I am with you with the exam conditions practice, but do you think it works only with the assignments, how about Substitute the past papers for the assignments and check my answers against the examiners report.
Somehow I felt that the assignments are not much of representative of the questions asked in the exams, and past exams are.
Do you think the assesement of the assignments by the Acted tutors makes the difference, makes one take a hard look at those areas which one is missing from the core reading??

Basically what is it that the pass rate among the assignment takers is better then the general cohort/non assignment takers.

You can practise past paper questions but without reliable feedback I found it much harder to judge where I was. Maybe I was kidding myself a bit as when I thought I had a good point which wasn't on the marking scheme, I assumed I would be given marks for it! The marking schemes released are narrow and don't typically contain all the answers which would gain marks (nor the correct allocated marks for each point or how many points you actually need) - I think I was told this at the tutorial. The mock papers are also good as you need feedback and a detailed marking scheme.

I appreciate the assignments are not typical exam questions but the same themes come into the questions. I.e. if the question is on ACC, you need to include all the ACC material as well as data, etc. This range will be covered on assignments.

After I had the assignment feedback and learned what topics were related for different questions, I went back and did all the past papers and hit the mark scheme a lot more often than before.