Wednesday 19 October 2016

Learn from the Examiner's how to pass OCS!

Don't waste time - it's vital you make the most of this last period before the exams start

With this in mind, I am going to share with you the key points from the latest OCS Examiner's Report - learning lessons from those who mark and assess the exam themselves could be all the difference between a pass and a fail this November. For every sitting I analyse the report and to share the key findings, and there is almost always one or two points which resonate with a lot of students. 

The examiner's get tired of having to repeat themselves on where students are going wrong, so here are some of the key themes from the latest OCS report so you do not make the same mistakes:

Applying knowledge

An early point made in the report was about candidates being able to apply their knowledge: “In some tasks it was clear that candidates had knowledge of a particular area, but were unable to apply it effectively to the case study. It is important to prepare for this examination by studying previous case studies and practice putting knowledge into context by answering past questions.”

Wednesday 12 October 2016

How to Listen to Music and be able to pass your Management Exams

Did you know, that listening to music could actually increase your productivity and improve your memory?

Past research has proved that a quiet and calm environment is the best way to revise. However, many students do actually like to have background noise. According to a recent study listening to music during revision can improv your mood which in turn increases productivity and helps students to revise for longer. This is something I certainly find whn tackling a pre-seen or writing our CIMA study texts!

Here are five tips on the best way to listen to your music:

1) Classical music is the best genre. Often calm and flowing, classical music rarely has lyric to distract you. Try it out, Beethoven could be all the difference between a pass and a fail!

2. The lower the music the better – listen to music at a moderate volume. Despite the temptation to be dancing around your revision to whatever anthems are top of the chart, try not to blare them out. You will be in a revision environment, not a nightclub!


3. Create a playlist prior to revision – you do not want to spending half your revision time sifting through your music trying to find a song you want to listen to. This can be a fun and easy revision break, the last thing you want to do is to be distracted by which song you want to hear next. 


4. Listening to music on the radio can be distracting. Particularly with all the adverts between songs and the discussion - stick to a playlist!


5. Set your playlist at 40-50 minutes - when the music stops you know that its time for you take a study break. A break is important to relax and allow everything you have learnt to settle in, time your music around these breaks!


For more advice on your revision tecnhiques, take a look at our course videos. This includes tips on managing your time, planning your answers, and writing style.

http://astranti.com/cima/operational/ocscourse/videos.html