The Tensions are High

If you've come looking for a comforting article to ease your concerns going into the next week, heed my warning - this isn't the place for you. You see, zoloft would love to have me as a customer. As the results day is approaching in what seems like Ussain Bolt-like speeds, I'm reduced to a nervous sorry excuse for an audit associate. The waiting game has rendered my cynical persona delirious - and no pharmacist could cure my delusions. Who would have thought that ACCA exams could invoke a out-of-body, out-of-mind experience such as this? But I digress. 

The funny thing is, I believe I would make a great accountant - I tend to over-analyse everything. As such, I've taken the opportunity to weigh in on my perceptions of the last exam sitting in the grand scheme of things.

I've sat two papers in the past exam sitting: Audit and Assurance (f8) and financial reporting (f7). These exams have an average pass rate of 46% and 35% respectively. So based on these statistics alone, theres an 84% chance that I will be spending Monday morning on carrying out extraneous measures to avoid my performance manager. Also implied, there is an 84% chance that I will not pass my exams in the duration of the required tenure to apply for membership to the ACCA. In my firm, it's quite common for an associate to receive a promotion to senior on admission to ACCA membership. Along with this promotion comes a  60% pay increase. Without disclosing my earnings, I've come to the conclusion that the expected present value of the opportunity cost (six months of increased pay) of failing one of these exams will be quite substantial. Not to mention, there are certain potential employers that recruit and reward those with all first time passes. I suppose it might also be a good time to think about the consequences for those of you looking to get an honors degree from OBU. Needless to say, there is much riding on the line for every one of these devilish little exams. I wish I had kept that in mind when I was preparing. Instead the brain cells tumbling around in my cranium were as spaced out as the last bowl of honey nut cheerios floating lifelessly  around my spoon. 

So as your results come in - remember how f*cked you are if you don't pass.