By now you’re sure to know that I highly recommend undertaking past and mock papers as a study technique, but you might not know exactly all of their benefits.
As part of my Accounting Exam Accelerator Programme, I discuss every revision method you could imagine, hoping to find the one or group of them that work best for you.
There are a whole host of study techniques to take advantage of when studying for your accounting exams, many of which I also endorse, with individuals having their own unique learning styles or ways in which they learn best.
I continually stand by my claim that past and mock papers are the ultimate revision tool, because they enable you to test yourself, deepening your knowledge in a way that no other method can.
Rather than simply taking my word for it, I’ve collated a list of all the ways in which you can benefit from utilising past and mock accounting exam papers.
1. Time Management
When you use past or mock papers, you are given the opportunity to work out your schedule for how much time is designated to each question and section of the exam.
I outline general timing tips in my blog How To Efficiently Prepare Yourself For Your Exam, but these aren’t set in stone; one of the benefits of attempting an exam under timed conditions is that you can see where you could spend more or less time to maximise your marks.
2. Accurate Preparation
Nothing else will prepare you for an accounting exam like following the exact format, structure and time-constraints will.
By pushing yourself to practise what is essentially the real deal, you are ensuring that you know pretty much everything there is to know about what is coming your way on exam day, eradicating any nasty surprises you could encounter that would be likely to leave you flustered.
3. Active Revision
Testing your knowledge through exam-style questions actively engages your brain and requires you to solidify your knowledge, rather than simply looking through your notes.
Instead of aiming to remember what is in front of you, you’ll be partaking in recall of memory and using it in exam questions that require application, not just knowledge.
This will also allow you to see what you struggle to remember and you might benefit from intaking that information in a new way – my blog 6 Study Techniques To Help You Ace Your Accounting Exam covers different way to remember information and is a useful read if you want other ways to learn.
4. Online Mock Exams
As part of your academic accounting journey, online computer-based exams are something you will more than likely undertake, but you might not have encountered them before.
Practising the format means that you know exactly what to expect for when you come to sit the real exam, and because of the more complicated nature of these tests, it’s beneficial that you experience it rather than just learning about it.
My blog What To Know About Your Online Accounting Exams identifies exactly what you can expect, making it a great read before you attempt a computer-based mock exam.
5. Mark Scheme Comments
Taking a required mock exam might seem frustrating at first, but it gives the rare opportunity to gain feedback on your performance without it counting towards your end grade.
You get to receive personalised feedback that details exactly what you did well, where you went wrong and how to improve, which should then put you in a better position for when you attempt the real thing.
If you’ve sat the exam in your own time as a revision method, there are still ways of benefiting from your answers, as you can utilise the mark schemes available online to compare against what you wrote and see if, how and where you lost marks.
6. Exam Technique
Knowing the syllabus is one thing, but putting your learning into practice is a whole other skill that can be tricky to master.
You can truly hone in on your exam technique when working with past papers and build the invaluable ability to answer questions in the required way.
We all know that practice makes perfect, so keep trying your hand at past papers and you’re sure to see an improvement in your skills and have a higher chance of succeeding on the big day.