Paper PM (it is not called F5 any more) is one of the Applied Skills exams and all of the Applied Skills exams are of a similar level of difficulty (which is greater than the level of difficulty of the Applied Knowledge exams i.e. the first four exams). Obviously some people find some exams harder than others but Paper PM is not any more difficult.
One of the biggest reasons for people failing is that for many it is their first ACCA exam (because of exemptions) and they assume that having been to university that ACCA exams will be easier than university and therefore do not study enough. That is not the case – the exams are university level. Those who were exempt from the earlier exams should have covered all the topics at university but often have not. At university the people teaching know what will be in the exam, but that is not the case for the ACCA exams.
For all the advanced ACCA exams there is no ‘quick’ way of passing. It means studying all of the topics properly (and our lectures are a complete free course covering everything needed to be able to pass the exam well) and then practicing past exam (and other exam standard) questions by buying a Revision Kit from one of the ACCA Approved Publishers and attempting every question. Far too many people leave studying until the last minute, and only practice a few past exam questions, which is not enough.
Only about 50% of the questions in the exam require calculations – the rest are theory/discussion. The exam is testing that you understand the topics and have not simply learned ‘rules’.
The word processor and spreadsheet should not present a problem provided that you practice using the resources on the ACCA website (and the last chapter in our free lecture notes discusses this and has links to the relevant resources).
Obviously different people find different topics easy or difficult. Variances are important and are more advanced that in Paper MA, but again although students who were exempt from Paper MA should have studied basic variances at university, many have not which therefore makes it harder for them.
All the exams after the first four are of the same duration and I am afraid that is just something that one has to accept.
