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- Member PM.Dip
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I've done one exam at a centre, the manual level II and there weren't any questions that required a "narrative" answer. Does the level III have any questions that require a "narrative" type answer?
The reason I ask is for my last assignment (9) for manual level III with Ideal Schools I got 86% (when I've been used to 90%+ up till then) and it has been the written answers where I lost the marks mostly. The tutor remarked "your numerical work is good but your narrative lets you down". Of the final question that required writing he wrote "this is far too brief - see the approach of the suggested answer". I can understand what he means. Little did he know I had almost lost the will to live by the time that last question came around. I hate narrative answers. I almost answered with "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do.........."
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Hi Peasie
You've lost me - have tried google translate - hello earth is all i get and then the translator didnt like the rest.
As a toffee my message would be "nil satis nisi optimum"
Regards
Martin
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Can't answer the question for you Peasie but for Acorn2oak the latin is 'boilerplate text' a piece of latin prose with no particular meaning used to fill space and look impressive.
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Lorem ipsum etc
yeah - you come across it on websites when the webmaster is still waiting on information from the company to input. looks a bit more proffessional than 'site under construction' or so a webmaster believes.
Peasie> sorry dont know - let us know when you get there - are you going to try icb mock first?
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- Member PM.Dip
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I will be doing the mock online at some point. Daft as it may seem I want to get as high a mark I can in even the mock exam as the result will remain on my results page forever (even if the only people to see that page are me and the ICB). I'm doing a lot of past papers first and one thing I've noticed is the two most recent paper available on the website are the two hardest. I haven't tackled them yet as I'm doing the exams in date order. But up until those two they followed a set pattern. I suppose it is a good thing they are harder now. A lot more varied. Means I may have to go over my notes again to refresh my memory.....although as they are narrative type questions I may not bother. 
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Hi Peasie
I did as many of the mock papers for level 3 manual as I could. Whilst they are good revision I found they weren't that great preperation for the exam since it is in different format. I took the online mock exam a day or so before I took the exam and so glad I did.
It would be great shock if you did the past papers then took the exam, I wouldn't say it is any harder but because the format is different it could be quite a shock.
Mike
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If I was to sit one of the older exams I would be confident of getting a distinction. With these latest ones I wouldn't even get a pass mark so I'm clearly not ready to sit them yet. And that's with me being able to have papers laid out all over the large desk and tick things off on the paper to make sure they're included. Definitely not looking forward to it whereas I was enjoying doing those older style exams.
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Peasie said:
“If I was to sit one of the older exams I would be confident of getting a distinction. With these latest ones I wouldn't even get a pass mark so I'm clearly not ready to sit them yet. And that's with me being able to have papers laid out all over the large desk and tick things off on the paper to make sure they're included. Definitely not looking forward to it whereas I was enjoying doing those older style exams.”
Hi Peasie
I totally agree with you, I took my manual level 3 exam at a centre not long ago and I thought it was awfull.
I felt that there was very little space to do any workings. All I had was a small white board and I ran out of space on that.
I wear varifocal lenses and usually have to adjust my computer screen but I couldn't so I had to tilt my neck to see the screen properly and had neck ache at the end.
I also found it difficult to move back and forward between the screens all the time as current questions related to past screens, whereas with a paper in front of you it is much easier.
I do feel that I got some questions wrong because of this e.g I picked up the wrong figure from a previous screen.
Having said all that perhaps if I had done an online mock exam I would have been better prepared but there wasn't one available at the time.
The good thing about it is that you know if you have passed there and then- which I did with 87%
so it wasn't that bad for me in the end although having done so much work I expected to get in the90s.
I think it would be better to take the exam online but have the exam paper in paper on your desk, so that you can easily flick between questions and you could use this for any workings and tick off items as you go through, and then enter the answers on the computer.
What do you think?
Regards
Gail
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Tbh I found the actual questions in the new style exam slightly easier. I was scoring high 80s to low 90s in the past papers. When I took the online mock I got 79% but got 99% in the exam :)
What you have to understand is there are lots of questions in the exam, but they are related to each so as you answer them you can move back and forwards through them. I found it more difficult adjusting to the format of the exam rather than the content of the questions.
Mike
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I agree with Mike that the actual questions in the new style examinations are easier. If you keep doing the calculations on the white sheets provided, the need for going back and forth can be reduced. I have taken all my manual exams in new format and have consistently scored 99% from Level I to III.
The best thing about the new style exam is the transperancy. If you have answered something wrong you will come to know in the Free Report. In the home based examination, if you lose marks, you are in dark why you lost marks.
Another good feature of the new style exam is that you get your 'Passed' notification instantly and your marks on Institute website same day at about 11PM. As against this, in case of home based exam, the waiting period for the result is unbearable.
My only advice to those taking the new style exam is to attempt the online mock a day or two before your actual exam. It really helps as far as the format of exam is concerned.
Edited at 02 Jun 2011 04:13 PM GMT
Edited at 02 Jun 2011 04:21 PM GMT
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Hello,
there are some great results achieved at this level - congratulations everyone!
Having done every past paper I could get in preparation and I honestly struggled with some of the most recent paper based ones, I finally declared myself 'ready'. (Thank you Peasie you were great support). I must say that doing the past papers really helped my understanding improve dramatically but the best preparation for the actual exam was doing the mock which gives a simulation of the experience of sitting the online exam. I was really chuffed to find I got 92% but I am not sure how I would have got on if I had not done the online preparation first.
Although the centre staff were very helpful and supportive I did find the environoment challenging. The old style moniters in a fixed position and limited desk space was hard with varifocals. I really must say I struggled with the wipeboards and felt tip pens. I longed for my paper and pencil so I could keep track neatly. At the end of the day we are all subject to the same conditions.
Just done my level 2 computerised mock eek. The materials Training Link provided were really good and I will also get my Sage beginners, intermediate and advanced certificates. I don't yet work in this world and have no prior experience of commercial accounts software so I found this very useful.
Edited at 01 Jul 2011 10:08 AM GMT
Edited at 01 Jul 2011 10:09 AM GMT
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