“Would you call a fisherman lucky who for years so studied the habits of the fish that with each changing wind he could cast his nets about them?”
Would you say, after such a man having caught a generous quantity of fish that, “Everyman has his fair share of luck and that his happened to be around the corner”, and by so saying; be oblivious to the fact that he adequately planned and prepared for such an outcome through the years of studying the fishes’ habits and the various variations in which he could cast his nets about them and in accordance with the change in wind?. The answer to these questions will be a resounding, “NO!”.
There so many fundamental keys to success and some might vary from situation to situation and from one individual to another. However, it is nearly impossible to substitute planning and preparation in attaining success – regardless of the activity or endeavour. For one to attain any significant level of success in any activity or endeavour of life; planning and preparation should be at the very core of such an activity or endeavour; otherwise; failure is inevitable. In other words, planning and preparation if effectively employed and executed can guarantee success in almost any facet of life and that includes but not limited to exams, work, business and life at large. In this article however, we shall focus on exams.
You might have heard of the infamous “ZICA Temunobe” phrase, which is mostly used in reference to how tough ZICA exams could be. And indeed, ZICA exams can be quite tough at times and they even become tougher if one hasn’t adequately planned and prepared for them. The good news however is that, with the right amount of planning and preparation, any exam is passable – and yes!, this includes rocket science exams.
The recommendation on how to plan and prepare for ZICA or any other professional exams, so as to ensure a comfortable pass, has always been as follows;
DURING EXAM PREPARATION
Study the whole syllabus
Avoid selective studying when covering the syllabus as this is what results in a majority of candidates being unsuccessful in exams. Ensure that you cover the whole syllabus thoroughly and that you are comfortable with all the areas of the syllabus.
Granted, covering the whole syllabus might not necessarily be easy for certain subjects but by starting your studies early and with the right amount of consistence and perseverance, it is possible to achieve this objective and the benefits therein of doing this could be of various fold. Covering the whole syllabus not only helps equip you with the requisite knowledge as regards the various aspects of syllabus but also helps you build the necessary confidence within yourself towards your exams.
Do lots of questions
As the saying goes – “practice makes perfect” and you definitely need to practice enough questions before having a go at professional exams.
For ZICA exams, you can achieve this by working through the questions in the ZICA Revision Kits or questions in the ZICA passed exam question papers which can be accessed on the ZICA website or through the ZICA App (N.B The ZICA App can be downloaded from Goggle play store or iSore). As regards passed exam question papers; where possible; I would recommend that you work through at least 5 years’ worth of passed papers prior to your exam sitting. If worked through thoroughly, such a quantity of passed papers will help you have an all – round perspective of how each area of the syllabus could possibly be examined.
Read the Examiner’s report
Learning is of two kinds – the first kind being learning from our own mistakes and the other kind being learning from other people’s mistakes.
The examiner’s report is basically a summary of the mistakes made by candidates in the sitting to which it relates and it’s quite unfathomable that most candidates will not take time to acquaint themselves with such valuable and insightful information; and by so doing; miss out on the opportunity to learn from their own and their predecessor’s mistakes.
It is also worth emphasising the fact that the information in the examiner’s report is not from any other source other than the chief examiner – and who else would you want to hear from, as regards exams, asides from the chief examiner himself?.
Reading through the examiner’s report you see two themes constantly being repeated and these are – insufficient coverage of the syllabus by most candidates (as discussed in “studying the whole syllabus” above) and candidates not understanding the question and its requirement (s) (as discussed in “Understand the question and its requirement” below).
On this premise, It’s highly recommend that candidates read the examiner’s report and acquaint themselves with various mistakes made by candidates in prior sittings as this could save such individuals a great deal of time and money.
Expand your studies
It is still good advice to make reference to various study material pertaining to the subject you intend to sit for. This not only helps you to have a broader perspective of the subject in one respect but also adds an extra dimension to your understanding of the subject in the other respect; and by so doing – improves your chances of passing your exams.
DURING THE EXAMS
As you might have probably gathered from your prior exams, planning and preparation does not end outside the exam room but also transcends into the exam room. On this basis, having discussed how planning and preparation can be applied during exam preparation, it’s just and fair that we also looked at how planning and preparation can be applied in the exam room (and the benefits therein) and this is as follows;
15 Minutes Reading Time
Use your 15 minutes reading time wisely by reading through the entire question paper’s requirements and sequentially numbering the questions you are required and/or would want to attempt – starting with the question you most comfortable with.
Understand the question and its requirement
Abraham Lincoln once said, “If I had six hours to cut down a tree. I’d spend the first four hours sharping the saw”.
Going by Lincoln’s principle, Its highly recommend that you spend at least a minutes or two of the total time you are supposed to spend on each question to read and analyse the question and its requirements so as to ensure that you understand exactly what the question is asking of you.
One of the many mistakes some candidates make is rushing into answering a question and half way through the question realise that they have overlooked some critical detail and/or instruction which might result in (a worst case scenario) crossing out everything they have written up to the point of realisation and starting afresh. This is usually detrimental to the candidate’s time and confidence and such mistakes can be avoided by simply investing a little bit of time in understanding the question and its requirements.
IN A NUTSHELL
Consider this; Jack Nicklaus, once the world famous golfer, explains he will not even pick up a club until he has a very clear image on the screen of his mind, showing exactly how the ball will fly through the air, how it will hit the ground and where it will roll after it hits, Nicklaus calls this “going to the movies” and he had become so proficient at it that he became known throughout the world. Fame and fortune was his for the asking.
You too can apply the Nicklaus principle – “going to the movies” by having a clear picture on the screen of you mind showing how exactly the semester will pan out, therefore, the subjects you intend to sit for, the books to study, what days to study, how many hours to devote to your studies in the days you study, when you expect to start the syllabus, when you expect to finish the syllabus and when you intend to start revising etc. Without this clear mental image, it’s not worth picking up the semester.
Above all that has been said, always remember to pray and put God at the centre of your activities and/ or endeavours.
Wishing you all the best in your future exams and good luck!.
REFERENCES: ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
– The Richest Man in Babylon by GEORGE S. CLASON. Name: Chota Munthali.
– Abraham Lincolns’ quotes (Source: Google). CA Zambia, Cert. in Taxation.
– You were Born Rich by BOB PROCTOR. E-mail Address: Chota_Munthali404@yahoo.com.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are the author’s and are not necessarily those of KPMG.