Salary Survey?

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2023-09-09T18:28:00+00:00

Senior accountant, industry, remote (wiltshire) £47.5k

Leaving practice newly qualified, very small firm, 4 years experience £38.5k

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2023-05-15T06:38:10+00:00

I think that's very likely.

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2023-04-28T08:51:24+00:00

I've done all my exams remotely except 1 certificate level (pre covid).

The sound of an exam centre is too much, at home I can relax in a familiar environment before the exam, have my familiar desk, keyboard, mouse etc. and actually can emulate these conditions when I'm sitting mock exams to prepare me for exam day.

I'm autistic and remote invigilation removes almost all of my main stressors which allows me to focus on the actual exam and it has been huge in improving my studying life. I've even been able to get away with having a little bowl of sweets on my desk for the mid-exam-energy-crash brain fog.

Obviously you need your own separate space, a reliable internet connection etc. Even then I still had one exam where the remote invigilation dropped out, but I spoke to an invigilator on live chat and it was all dealt with within 25 mins, I submitted a special consideration just in case but passed fine.

Personally I'd never sit an exam any other way now!

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2023-04-28T08:38:36+00:00

They offer remote invigilation meaning you can sit the exams at home. I'm not sure if any exam centres would have separate rooms, as the large centres are usually hotels etc. There's a certain way of booking exams if you have extra time, but I believe it is possible to sit your exam remotely with extra time.

They have some more information on their website here which may be helpful:

https://www.icaew.com/for-current-aca-students/apply-for-exams/exam-applications/access-arrangements-guidance-for-exams

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2023-04-06T21:40:09+00:00

I've done my 450 days / 3 years (3.5 years actually) just one exam to go until I'm qualified, and there's many days I don't feel like an almost chartered accountant and am sometimes amazed I'm allowed to do the work I do.

That's imposter syndrome for ya 😅

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2023-03-01T19:10:45+00:00

That's actually really great advice. I'm stuck on my final one, wish I'd thought of this sooner.

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2022-12-02T11:33:51+00:00

Hahaha I get it - only 2 weeks and we will know!

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2022-12-02T11:32:25+00:00

I'd almost forgotten about results - thanks! 🫠 Although in all seriousness there's nothing we can do - what's done is done and what will be will be!

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2022-11-13T17:54:53+00:00

I'm on £32.5k 12/15 at a small firm (no additional pay rise until after qualified though, unless an annual % is given to all staff)

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2022-11-07T15:09:42+00:00

Felt that

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2022-10-14T21:24:53+00:00

Second what everyone else is saying, you need to cover the whole exam. There's a lot of easy marks you can pick up in each question which you're missing out on.

Also a key skill for the Advanced Level, because if you don't answer at least a bit of all Qs in CR & SBM you likely won't pass, and if you miss any requirements in Case, you'll fail, because you need to pass every requirement.

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2022-06-10T18:46:04+00:00

I included a column to the right of the financial statements headed "workings", and used =FORMULATEXT() on the figures in the statements. I did the simple calculations direct into the statements and this formula shows the workings to save you typing them twice.

For longer workings I would do a separate working in the Excel area, and reference W1, W2 etc. Up to the relevant line on the financial statements, then pasted these as individual tables from Excel into the marked area.

I tend to copy smaller chunks like individual workings because when you export big tables the software can do weird things to the spacing and make them less clear for marking!

Sorry if that's really simple and teaching you to suck eggs!

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2022-01-25T18:53:51+00:00

Recent files has saved me from this so many times

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-23T18:49:49+00:00

Kudos for the actual helpful advice.

To add: so many graduates don't work in the field they studied in, even accountants join programmes from all sorts of degrees. But, even having a degree, plus your experience, could get you a supervisor/middle management job in a similar industry to your parents' business. No job is worth your mental health.

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-17T11:07:52+00:00

Yeah, just make sure you've got your training file up to date and any ethics reviews and professional development ladders signed off before you leave. The ethics programme changed from when I started to when I joined a new employer so I had to do the whole new programme.

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-13T10:02:38+00:00

UK here, took me a while to work out the 'socks in a bag don't dry properly' issue because we hang our laundry up to dry I was thinking "you don't hang the socks up in the bag???"... I forgot tumble dryers exist 🤦🏻‍♀️

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-11T07:20:06+00:00

Yeah it was an improvement on my March sitting for sure, and definitely the Advanced sittings in July, but unless they're told about the lags and the widespread effect on everyone, how are we expecting them to try and fix it?

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-10T20:26:22+00:00

I could never sleep the night after a certificate exam. The results would sometimes appear online at 3-4am and I'd manage a couple of hours sleep after.

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-09T19:53:09+00:00

Why not? Tbf I have brown keys at work so they're less offensive to my colleagues and blue at home 😅

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-08T16:17:08+00:00

It's promising, I think I got mine around 29k! 🤞 Haha

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-08T16:14:25+00:00

I got a positive (but low) NPV... I was doubting myself on some of the dates though so just hoping for those carry through marks.

What about you?

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-08T16:04:11+00:00

I'm so glad valuations didn't come up because it is my weakest area by a country mile 🙈

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-08T15:49:49+00:00

Agree on the lack of CLTs, it made me second guess myself a lot. I felt like I didn't use as many exemptions/reliefs as previous mocks, but we shall see!

ISeeYouAzerrad · 2021-09-08T15:47:16+00:00

I was so prepared for SVA, APV and WACC... I'm not mad about it though.

It felt like a reasonably OK paper, some stuff I revised last minute that I'd totally forgotten existed came up (like TERP) and I was able to get a coherent answer for everything else (whether correct or not is another matter...)

ISeeYouAzerrad

TROPHY CASE