F4 Law

[nhy]

Hi everyone

I am very concerned with F4 exam which i am taking in June.
My problem is English! English is not my first language and have done A-levels and degree in Mathematics! I have never taken essay type exams!

Looking at answers to mock exam questions, and revision questions I could never write the way they do! I understand the concept of law etc in my head but I can't write!

All my friends taking F4 are English and they don't share the same problem :(
Just wanted to speak to someone who has same problem....

Good luck everyone!

[shatorna]

My first language is English and I too share the same concern, the answers provided for the questions are soo mush I would like some advice on how to approach answering these questions in an attempt to gain fill marks.

Please advise:)

[Mark]

Hi

My 1st languge is English but I too find it quite hard to take the study material and turn into something which I can make enough sense of to write an answer to the exam questions. I do think its a case of getting past the legal jargon and seeing what is actually being said and examined in a way that is easily understood. This is easier said than done I think!!

I sat paper 2.2 (the old F4) in June 2007 and failed by 6 marks which was devastating as this paper although may appear to be straightforward is a very wordy one and cant really be backed up by anything other than cases which I find hard to recall under pressure!!

I would be grateful to anyone who can give perhaps some tips on how to get through and pass!!

Thanks

Best wishes to all.

[shatorna]

I read this osmewhere but is yet to try, its pretty simply and is the ISAC approach

I - Identify
S - State
A - Apply
C - Conclude

Even attempting to use this i still cannot produce enough materials as in the revisio kit.

Any advise will be appreciated.

All the best!

[Kelly]

Hi guys,

I did the old syllabus for F4 it was 2.2. My tutor told me that we should bear in mind that we are studying to become accountants not lawyers..
The answers to exam answers are way over ther top, you'll never be able to reproduce such answers: - due to the time constraints, and the knowledge of application that is used, these answers are written by lawyers.
Even so, there is no reason why you cannot pass, remember what Shatorna has written, the ISAC approach is the best.
There are usually more marks available for questions given i.e. a 10 mark qn will probably have 12-15 available,. (You will only receive 10) which is one reason why the exam answers are so long.
As long as you understand the scenario, are able to identify the point of law and apply it, then reach a conclusion, that's it..
Hint: There are more marks available for identifying and application of point of law.
Hope this helps
Happy studying
Kelly

[Kelly]

If you have difficulty in remembering case names, don't worry. If you can remember what the case was about, and the judgement, that's all you need. Don't make up any cases, the markers know, and they don't like it.

Having said the above it is best to remember just one case name the Soloman V Soloman case, where companies were recognised as separate legal entities from their owners.

You really don't need more than say 6 or 7 cases, but make sure they are different points of law: There's no point in remembering say 6 contract law cases, and then struggle with remembering any corporate law cases. Balance, and I found the best way for me to remember a case was to find some piece of info that I found interesting, remember that one and the judgement, and applied it to the necessary qn.
Hope this helps
Kelly

[Payal]

if u read the case a couple of times, you tend to remember it. the main aspect is remembering the gist of the case. so after reading a case, try to summarise the case in ur own words and u will surely remember it. Law is logical so approach it with an open outlook and u will find it interesting.

[Veronique]

Hi everyone,

I think F4 exam pose a problem for everyone whether your first language is English or not. The answers are too long and I agree that they were prepared by lawyers. The advise of using ISAC will be helpful. In regards with different cases, when I repeat them it helps to remember them.

Thanks for everyone and good luck!

[registoni]

English is not my native language, though I studied 2 years at university at bachelor degree in a english speaking country. I found that for me the only way to be able to reproduce answers in the correct way that will earn you enough marks to pass is the following:
- write down the answers over and over from a revision kit (I use xxx's) you will find that many issues are covered in several questions so after a while (after writing more than 50-60 pages) you just memorize the phrases and word constructions and some cases of course (you won't notice as you hand will just do the paper for you :cute:)
That's a hard way, but i think is the only way (I just wish only If I had several more days for revision for F4!) .
The cases which i think are of most importance to F4 are the following:
- carlill v carbolic smoke ball - basic of agreements : offer, acceptance, intention, advertising
- adams v lyndsell - "postal rule"
- Central London Property trust v HIGHTREES HOUSE 1949 - promisorry estoppel
- solomon v solomon - corporation veil, company as separate from its owners
- Donoghue v Stevenson - duty of care
- capparo industries v dickman 1990 case - professional negligence, duty of care of auditors
- ADT v BDO Binder Hamlyn (1996) - the same of above
- Barings plc v Coopers & Lybrand (2003) - the same as above

for more information on most cases go to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org) or here (http://www.plf-group.com/cats.cfm?cat=26) for professinal negligence of auditors

I believe citing these cases will be of great use to everyone this comming Tuesday.
Good luck to everyone and to me of course

[dee]

The majority of ACCA students are not native English speakers. Also ACCA's plans of having its qualification proliferate globally do not fit with writing perfect Queens English so I would think the examiners have been told not to penalise gramatically incorrect English (or at least, not much!). So I wouldnt worry too much about it. As long as you make your points.

An examiner marks an exam script much quicker than you probably think, so he/she is really just looking/scanning for key facts/figures/phrases/...etc.

Also, reading your post, your English seems perfectly fine.