Time Management In ACCA Exams: How To Attempt Questions Under Pressure In Nepal’s CBE Format 

Are you an ACCA student attempting the ACCA CBE exam in Nepal? Then you might be thinking about how to attempt exam questions to achieve success with a high score. As ACCA CBE formats are designed to assess both skills and speed of students, you require a proper exam strategy to attempt the exam without mistakes. Your chance of committing mistakes is high even if you have prepared well for the exam. It is due to poor time management, exam pressure, and improper time allocation to attempt each question. 

In this blog, we provide detailed guidelines for attempting the ACCA CBE format exam by applying proper time management strategies. We explain how time management works in various types of ACCA questions and effective time allocation strategies for ACCA students in Nepal. Also, we provide the golden rule of passing difficult questions and ways to handle pressure during exams. 

How Time Works In ACCA CBE : The 1.8 Minutes Per Mark Rule

The value of time is equally important in ACCA CBE exams. Allocating time according to marks is important for attempting each and every question within time. As you get a total of 3 hours, or 180 minutes, for a 100 mark paper, following the 1.8 minutes per mark rule can be helpful. 1.8 minutes per mark rule ensures you take 1.8 minutes to attempt 100 questions within 180 minutes.

Spending extra time on single questions means you are losing time to attempt other questions. The 1.8 minutes in the exam looks as below:

The above table describes how you should allocate time for each mark in questions. If you exceed the time as allocated, follow the “Drop the Pen” rule and proceed towards attempting the next questions. 

Types of ACCA Questions and Their Time Trap

You require attempting to answer ACCA questions by knowing their time traps and implementing the best exam strategies. As you are required to attempt three sections, following different exam strategies for each section is important. 

Best Time Allocation Strategy for Any ACCA Paper 

ACCA students in Nepal can minimize the common time traps during exams by following smart time allocation strategies. Using smart allocation of your subject knowledge and implementing it through time allocation helps in attempting every question during the exam. Along with dividing the sections and allocating time for each mark, you can also follow the strategy below:

• Start with easier questions to build confidence: Always start your exam by attempting easy questions first and mark their completion. This helps you to secure marks and complete sections of questions in quick time. 
• Aim to complete the first 20-25% quickly: While starting with easy questions, you need to aim to complete 20-25% of questions quickly. It gives you enough time to analyze questions and solve another section. 
• Pass questions: If you are stuck on a question for more time than you have allocated, pass the question while marking it to attempt later. Sticking to the same question consumes extra time and makes it overdue for answering other questions.
•  Attempt all questions: Attempt all questions for a high success rate. Revise your answer and attempt the questions that you have left to attempt later. 

When to Move On: The Golden Rule of Passing

Most ACCA students get stuck on the single questions for a longer time and face time constraints later. This reduces time to attempt other questions, and students end up losing marks that they could secure. 

Knowing when to move on is important. Following the golden rule of passing helps students to skip questions for later attempts. While the normal time for attempting a question worth 1 mark is 1.8 minutes, you should skip a question if you get stuck on a single question for more than 2 to 3 minutes. 

Skipping questions does not mean leaving without an attempt. Attempt the remaining question at the end. If you don’t know the answer, use the “own figure rule” by following steps and a logic-based process, as it helps in obtaining partial marks. 

Reading Time Strategy for Nepal’s CBE Exam Centers 

You require a proper reading time strategy for ACCA exams conducted in Nepal’s CBE exam center. The following structured reading time strategy helps you in the ACCA CBE exam:

• Use the initial 5 to 10 minutes to navigate the screen and system. Check computer keyboards and mice before starting. 
• Revise the key concepts and ideas you memorize 
• Before attempting the questions, analyze the questions and divide them into easy, medium, and hard sections. Start attempting questions that are easy. 
• Use reading time for planning ideas for solving questions instead of solving them at first. 

How to Handle Blank-Mind Moments Under Pressure 

Exam time pressures are common for students, especially those attempting ACCA exams in Nepal. Although students have prepared properly, they may face blank-mind moments due to nervousness. During such a situation, being calm and handling the situation while maintaining a good presence of mind is important. You can follow the step below to handle blank-mind moments under exam pressure:

• Stop writing and try to keep calm with 30 second pause
• Try taking deep breath with 3-4 times repetition
• Stretch your body or drink water to relax your mind
• Try to attempt exam by skipping a question or reading requirement again
• Start with questions you can attempt
• Build confidence and try to reattempt recalling your study and revisions. 

Practice Drill That Builds Exam Speed

Practice makes you perfect. So regular practice and revision are important to build exam speed and improve your result. Some important practice drills that you can follow to increase your ACCA exam speed include:

• Practice and attempt past exam papers following real exam strategies
• Take frequent mock tests for simulating real exam
• Follow the 1.8 minutes per mark rule from the beginning to build a habit in the exam.
• Revise your answer and know your weakness to improve later
• Try to reduce question-solving time gradually
• Repeat solving questions regularly to familiarize yourself with the process and remind yourself every day

Conclusion

Time management when attempting the ACCA examination is critically important for attempting all questions and getting overall success in the exam. Following proper rules and smart strategies such as allocating time, avoiding time traps, and skipping or passing questions for later attempts is important. Also, handling blank-minded moments during an exam is important to recover your pace and awareness in the exam.

Practicing for the ACCA exam by revising past papers and taking mock tests also helps in improving speed and minimizing attempt time in your ACCA. For more information and guidance to manage ACCA exam time or improve your skill and speed through mock tests and practice, contact Seed Financial Academy. Seed Financial academy is a platinum-approved ACCA partner that assists you with highly trained and qualified experts for an increased success rate in exams. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best time management strategy for ACCA CBE? 

The best time management strategy for ACCA CBE includes scanning or reading the questions thoroughly and mentally calculating their difficulty level. Attempt questions on the basis of their difficulty by starting with easy questions first. Use the 1.8 minutes per mark rule and skip questions to attempt later if you are stuck for more than 2 to 3 minutes. 

2. How many minutes per mark in ACCA exams? 

You are required to follow the 1.8 minute per mark rule when attempting questions in ACCA exams. Following the rule ensures that you complete all 100 marks questions within 3 hours or 180 minutes. 

3. How to pass ACCA exams on the first attempt?

You can pass ACCA exams on the first attempt with regular practice, revision, and attempting mock tests. Practicing past papers and mock tests helps you to get familiar with real exam context. Also, a proper exam strategy with proper time management is critically important for success on the first attempt. 

4. How can I practice ACCA time management in Nepal? 

You can practice ACCA time management in Nepal by adhering to the 1.8 minutes per mark rule from the practice and mock test phase. Getting familiar with computer systems for computer-based exams and setting a timer when practicing gives you an idea about your progress. Regular past paper practice and revision are strictly important for better performance and results on your exam.