TARC ACCA 2005: Review on acca Text book BPP vs FTC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Motivation Quote~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~Sometimes it takes a lot of rain before you get your rainbow!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Just FOcus On The Key Topics That You Know And Ignore What You Don't!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The glory is not in never failing but in rising again everytime you fall!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~YOU MAKE THE FAILURE COMPLETE WHEN YOU STOP TRYING!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, December 10, 2004

Review on acca Text book BPP vs FTC

We run the rule over the BPP textbooks for the December 2004 and June 2005 exams

Paper 1.1
PREPARING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (INTERNATIONAL STREAM)
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1674 X
Strengths – Good introduction to double entry system
Weaknesses – Less analysis on regulation
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 1.2
FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR MANAGEMENT
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1661 8
Strengths – Part C on Costing Systems the pick of this text
Weaknesses – none
PASSPOINTS: 10/10

Paper 1.3
MANAGING PEOPLE
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1662 6
Strengths –Covers the relevant theories and models
Weaknesses – Needs more people approach to people based paper
PASSPOINTS: 8/10

Paper 2.1
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1663 4
Strengths – Very helpful chapter round ups at the end of each chapter
Weaknesses – Should have bigger exam-bank of questions
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 2.2
CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LAW (GLOBAL)
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1675 8
Strengths – More emphasis on corporate governance
Weaknesses – Corporate finance not as detailed as other sections
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 2.3

First Published Not yet published

Paper 2.4
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1665 0
Strengths – Individual Chapters are well explained and easy to follow
Weaknesses – At 30 chapters & 700+ pages it will take a long time to get through
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 2.5
FINANCIAL REPORTING (INTERNATIONAL STREAM)
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1676 6
Strengths – More emphasis on group accounts
Weaknesses – Another huge text for international students to get through
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 2.6
AUDIT AND INTERNAL REVIEW
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 16774
Strengths - More emphasis on Internal Controls. Good bank of questions
Weaknesses - none
PASSPOINTS: 10/10

Paper 3.1
AUDIT AND ASSURANCE SERVICES INTERNATIONAL STREAM
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1678 2
Strengths – Topical chapter on professional conduct.Similar to UK stream with balanced sheet replaced by Substantive testing
Weaknesses – none
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 3.2
ADVANCED TAXATION
First Published Not yet published

Paper 3.3
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1669 3
Strengths – Section E on decision making is the best part of the book
Weaknesses – It does not come alive until then
PASSPOINTS: 8/10

Paper 3.4
BUSINESS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1670 7
Strengths – User friendly guide to Information Systems/Technology
Weaknesses – A dry approach to a dry subject
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 3.5
STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1671 5
Strengths – Excellent technique on how to approach case study
Weaknesses – none
PASSPOINTS: 10/10

Paper 3.6
ADVANCED CORPORATE REPORTING (INTERNATIONAL STREAM)
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1679 0
Strengths – Group accounts well integrated in Part B. Similar to UK edition but GAAP is replaced by Regulation & Corporate Governance
Weaknesses – none
PASSPOINTS: 10/10

Paper 3.7
STRATEGIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
First Published June 2004
Price £24.95
ISBN 0 7517 1673 1
Strengths – Corporate Expansion and Reorganisation is best section. Unfortunately it is the smallest
Weaknesses – Not as good as 3.5 or 3.6. Big difference in standard between chapter questions and examination bank questions
PASSPOINTS: 8/10

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Find out how the FTC Foulks Lynch textbooks faired under the microscope

Paper 1.1
PREPARING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 349 0
Strengths - Solid introduction to Financial Accounting
Weaknesses – Lack of MCQ’s
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 1.2
FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR MANAGEMENT
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 351 2
Strengths – Very strong on the costings chapters
Weaknesses – Is there a section on ledger accounting in the syllabus?
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 1.3
MANAGING PEOPLE
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 352 0
Strengths – Chapters on HRM the best in this volume
Weaknesses – Chapter on motivation needs to distinguish between content and process theories
PASSPOINTS: 8/10

Paper 2.1
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 353 9
Strengths - Very user friendly, written in a style that will still appeal to non-IT specialists
Weaknesses – Questions at the end of each chapter in some cases are below examination standard
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 2.2
CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LAW
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 354 7
Strengths – Excellent use of case material
Weaknesses - None
PASSPOINTS: 10/10

Paper 2.3
BUSINESS TAXATION
First Published Not yet published

Paper 2.4
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 358 x
Strengths – Numerical chapters explained in a simple step by step approach
Weaknesses – Real questions in 2.4 paper are much more complex
PASSPOINTS: 8/10

Paper 2.5
FINANCIAL REPORTING (UK)
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 359 8
Strengths – Strong attention to detail in a very factual subject
Weaknesses – None noticed by this observer
PASSPOINTS: 10/10

Paper 2.6
AUDIT AND INTERNAL BEHAVIOUR
First Published August 2004
Price £
ISBN 1 84390 361 x
Strengths – Readers should go straight to the updates to find likely examinable topics
Weaknesses – A dry text for a dry subject
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 3.1
AUDIT AND ASSURANCE SERVICES (UK)
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 363 6
Strengths – Develops the knowledge gained in paper 2.6 by introducing the audit implications of Accounting Treatment
Weaknesses – Not much difference between 20 and 15 mark answers
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 3.2
ADVANCED TAXATION DECEMBER 2004 ONLY
First Published 2003
Price £23
ISBN 0 7483 6268 1
Strengths – Solid examination standard questions and answers at the end of each chapter
Weaknesses – There are 11 chapters on income tax alone, this is more a reflection of the syllabus
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 3.3
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 366 0
Strengths – Chapters on decision making and pricing the pick of this text
Weaknesses – Lack of longer numerical questions and answers likely to feature in Section A
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 3.4
BUSINESS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 367 9
Strengths – Good coverage of information strategy/ information technology
Weaknesses – Needs more focus on scenario questions
PASSPOINTS: 9/10

Paper 3.5
STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 368 7
Strengths – Covers all of the relevant strategic models
Weaknesses – Lacks examination focus
PASSPOINTS: 8/10

Paper 3.6
ADVANCED CORPORATE REPORTING
First Published 2004
Price £
ISBN 1 84390 369 5
Strengths – Mergers and Acquisitions and group accounts are the main strengths
Weaknesses – none
PASSPOINTS: 10/10

Paper 3.7
STRATEGIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
First Published August 2004
Price £23
ISBN 1 84390 371 7
Strengths – Globalisation and exchange rates are well covered
Weaknesses – Capital Asset Pricing Model will be hard to follow for those with no prior knowledge
PASSPOINTS: 9/10