The ACCA Business and Technology (BT) foundation paper provides an overview of the business world. You will gain a better understanding of the world in which you will work as an accountant, as well as the business and accounting terminology you will require.
This is an Applied Knowledge paper, which is the first – and easiest – module of the ACCA qualification. To become an ACCA member, you must complete four modules in addition to your professional experience requirement:
Applied Knowledge:
- Business and Technology (BT)
- Management Accounting
- Financial Accounting
The ACCA Business and Technology (BT) paper is, as you can see, the first of the ACCA qualifications. ACCA exams can be taken in any order within each module, so one of the three papers you take first will be ACCA Business and Technology (BT).
In fact, we usually recommend that students take the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) exam first, followed by the ACCA Financial Accounting exam, and then the ACCA Management Accountant exam.
The ACCA Business and Technology (BT) paper is one of the easier ACCA papers to pass, with consistently higher pass rates:
According to experts, the most common mistake with ACCA Business and Technology (BT) is underestimating the paper. These pass rates are slightly higher than those of other papers, but only marginally. Thousands of students fail the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) exam each year.
How to Pass ACCA Business and Technology (BT): Exam Format
All three Applied Knowledge papers follow the same format. You have two hours to complete your 100-point ACCA Business and Technology (BT) exam. The passing rate is 50 percent.
This should serve as additional proof that this is a difficult paper. Although the majority of people will pass, many will have scores in the 50s, 51s, and 52s. This means that, even among those who pass, nearly half of all ACCA Business and Technology (BT) marks are missed. Would you hire a brain surgeon who has a 51% passing rate on their brain surgery exams?
But, whatever. Returning to the exam format.
-
The
ACCA Business and Technology (BT)
is divided into two sections:
- Section A — Objective Test Questions (OTs)
- Section B — Multi-task Questions (MTQs)
This is in contrast to the previous exam format, which was used for the old ACCA F1 paper in 2014, and consisted of one section with 50 questions worth two marks each.
Section A is, as the image shows, the largest section on the paper in some ways. Section A accounts for 76 percent of the total marks, with 30 two-point questions and 16 one-point questions.
Section B accounts for the remaining 24 percent of total marks available, with six four-point multi-task questions.
It's worth noting that the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) exam is no longer available on paper. The ACCA has been following a paper-based phase-out program for several years, with on-demand CBEs now being used for these exams all over the world.
This is better for you because you can take the exam whenever you want throughout the year ("on-demand"), and you can see your results right away because the papers are auto-marked.
Let's take a closer look at the various types of questions to see how you can pass the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) exam.
How to Pass ACCA Business and Technology (BT): Objective Test Questions
Each objective test question is a one- or two-mark question about a single scenario.
One-mark questions are typically shorter and do not include, or almost do not include, a background statement. Two-mark questions will most likely give you a little more of a scenario or background statement to work with. There is no partial marking, so on a two-mark question, you can only get a two (if everything is correct) or a zero (if anything is incorrect).
How to Pass ACCA Business and Technology (BT): Multi-Task Questions
As the name implies, multi-task questions require you to complete multiple tasks. These exercises may be linked to one or more scenarios and may contain a variety of question types.
Section B, unlike Section A, allows partial marking, so you can get 1.5 out of two marks if you get three parts of a four-part answer correct. These include multiple choice, multiple response, and multiple response matching, as well as number entry, hotspot, and gap-fill.
- Fill in the blanks with a numerical answer using number entry. You will be told exactly what format your response must take. These are uncommon in this paper, but you may encounter one.
- As your answer for the hotspot, select a point on an image. The cursor will show a "X" when you hover over an area. Simply place the X in the proper place on the diagram.
- You can complete sentences (fill gaps) in a given text by clicking on the gap and selecting a response from the dropdown box.
Here's an example of a question with a hotspot and a gap to fill:
Hotspot
<3>Gap-fill</3>How to Pass ACCA Business and Technology (BT): Syllabus Guide
The goal of the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) paper is to help you understand the business environment. You'll learn how various organizations can be structured, as well as the significance of accounting and other key business functions in running a successful, efficient, and ethical business.
ACCA Business and Technology (BT) is designed for students with no prior business experience, so it's a great place to start if you're new to business.
You'll learn about the different types of businesses, why they exist, and how they're structured. You'll learn how various stakeholders, people, and systems interact within the company, as well as how external factors affect it.
You'll also learn about critical issues that businesses must address in order to function efficiently, such as productivity, team behavior, and motivation.
Six key learning objectives are listed in the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) study guide:
How to pass ACCA Business and Technology (BT): Study Tips
Many of these pointers will be repeated as you progress through your ACCA. Adopt them now and form good habits beginning with ACCA Business and Technology (BT), and your path to full ACCA qualification will be much less stressful.
#1 – Leave longer than you think
As previously stated, ACCA Business and Technology (BT) is not to be underestimated because it is one of the easier papers. It's still not "easy." Students who devote insufficient time to their studies are one example of this attitude.
You must plan enough study time if you want to pass the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) exam the first time. We recommend devoting at least 12 weeks to each paper, with some study time every day. That may appear simple at first, but as you fall behind, it becomes difficult, especially if you are also studying and working.
Overlearning is one of the most scientifically proven methods for passing exams.
Many studies have shown that, as the old adage goes, learning beyond initial proficiency is extremely effective because your knowledge becomes automatic. You'll spend less time trying to remember answers and more time thinking critically and solving problems – all of which will help you pass exams.
Experts recommend devoting at least 25% of your total study time after you've mastered the material to put this into practice. Furthermore, guess what? That will require some time.
#2 – Don’t combine papers
If you believe that ACCA Business and Technology (BT) will be straightforward, you may be tempted to combine it with another paper and take it all at once. "I'll pass both now and be on my way to full ACCA qualification sooner," you reason.
But it doesn't work like that. Because that usually means you aren't devoting enough time to each syllabus, and as a result, you will fail. Then there are resits, which further complicates the situation and causes you to lose confidence, time, and stress.
We recommend that students take one paper per sitting, but the ACCA now offers four sittings per year. In our opinion, this is the quickest and least stressful way to pass the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) exam.
#3 – Study the full syllabus
The ACCA Business and Technology (BT) syllabus is extremely broad, and the questions are designed to test you in as many areas as possible.
If you do not cover the entire syllabus in your studies, you are very likely to lose marks in the exam. When a large number of students pass the ACCA Business and Technology (BT) exam with scores of 50, 51, and 52, those marks can mean the difference between passing and failing the exam.
#4 – Create a study plan
Making a study plan that outlines which aspects of ACCA Business and Technology (BT) to focus on and when is the best way to stay on track with your studies. This will ensure that you cover all of the material and that you don't run out of time for practice questions and a mock paper near the end of your studies.
#5 – Test yourself
You'll hear us say it a lot throughout your ACCA journey: practicing questions is the most important study technique you have. That is true for both passing ACCA Business and Technology (BT) and later papers.
Self-testing is the most effective method of learning (not just reading and writing notes, but actively testing your knowledge without looking at the notes). Self-testing is also supported by science, as it is based on the retrieval practice principle, which states that repeated self-testing significantly improves memory.
Self-testing can include practice questions, but you can also test yourself by explaining your notes to a friend rather than reading them, or by hiding your flashcards and attempting to remember what's on them.
Do you remember how painful it is to try to remember something? That is what self-testing is aiming for.
#6 – Understand how you learn
People learn in various ways. Understanding how you learn and designing sessions that work for you is a good habit to develop in ACCA Business and Technology (BT) and throughout your exams.
Kinaesthetic learners, for example, learn differently than auditory learners. Alternatively, some people learn best in groups, while others learn best alone. Are you unsure about which option is best for you?
#7 – Create a learning environment
Some people prefer to study in a coffee shop, while others prefer the peace and quiet of a library. Different strokes are used for different people. There are, however, a few guidelines to follow in order to create an environment in which you can effectively study ACCA Business and Technology (BT) and increase your chances of passing.
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