icaew case study exam length

FAR - Full Series

Learn how to ace the aca certificate level exams, financial accounting and reporting (far) , classroom tuition, online tuition.

May 1, 2020

How to Pass the ICAEW ACA Case Study Exam

Updated: Feb 22, 2023

This article offers advice on how to pass the ACA Case Study exam. Written by a multiple prize-winning ACA tutor who scored 92% in the Case Study exam and won the ICAEW prize for the highest score in the world, this is essential reading for any student preparing for their Case Study exam.

How to Ace the ACA Case Study Exam

The Case Study is unlike most other ACA exams as there is very little technical content to learn. Therefore, students who are used to memorising technical concepts and then ‘smashing out the question bank’ will be perplexed when they are presented with 40+ pages of advance information and a Case Study exam paper seemingly testing nothing they have learnt in their other 14 exams.

However, the Case Study is actually very similar to the other ACA exams in that the three exam requirements are always the same, as are the mark schemes. By appreciating the consistency in the exam requirements and the mark schemes, you can develop your exam technique to ensure that you tick all the 'boxes' on the mark scheme and complete your ACA qualification in style.

In light of this, we believe that there are 5 steps to Case Study success:

1. Understand how Case Study is marked

2. Understand what each of the three requirements involve

3. Understand what information is provided in the Advance Information (AI) and what is provided in the exam

4. Learn the Case Study exam technique which ensures that you hit all the boxes on the mark scheme

5. Practice mock exams to master your exam technique

Step 1: Understand how Case Study is marked

The Case Study marking process is objective: there is a set marking key for each requirement and if a student’s report includes a point which is on the mark scheme, they will get the mark. This is not like an academic essay where the examiner forms an overall opinion of the piece of work and then decides whether it is good enough to pass; the Case Study marking grid is rigid. Whilst it can be frustrating that making a valid point which is not on the mark scheme does not score a mark, it does mean that the marking process is very transparent and easy to navigate. Below is an example from a Case Study mark scheme to illustrate what I mean by points and boxes.

Step 2: Understand what each of the three requirements involve

As explained above, the three requirements are broadly the same in each Case Study exam.

R1: Analyse the financial performance of the company

R2: Evaluate a financial proposal

R3: Evaluate an opportunity or issue

The mark scheme for each requirement is also the same. This makes the exam fairly predictable.

By having a look at recent past papers, you will soon start see the consistency in the requirements and build an understanding of what each requirement involves.

Step 3: Understand what information is provided in the AI and what is provided in the exam

In addition to the exam requirements and mark schemes being in the same format every time, the AI is also in the same format every time (albeit a different business with different issues).

By working through past Case Study exams, you will soon start to see that the AI always has the same exhibits with very similar types of information e.g. industry background, prior year accounts, key customers / suppliers, strategic goals and risks. Similarly, all the exams include the same exhibits with very similar types of information.

Having completed the exam, it is important to mark it and reflect on what information came from the AI and what came from the exam exhibits. You will soon start to see that the majority of mark scoring points come from the exam exhibits rather than the AI. You will also learn which types of information in the AI tend to be rewarded in the mark scheme and where in the mark scheme they are rewarded, i.e. which box.

Step 4: Learn the Case Study exam technique which ensures that you hit all the boxes on the mark scheme

Having understood what the exam requirements are and how they are marked, you need to develop an exam technique which ensures that your report includes the points which are included on the mark scheme. Fortunately for you, we have developed an exam technique which does this and it has resulted in two students winning the prize for the highest mark in the world (90% and 92%), another winning a prize for the highest mark in their region (88%) and another achieving the highest mark in their firm (81%)!

Given the practical nature of exam technique, it is not possible to explain this in text so you can watch a free class here which teaches you exactly how to ace Requirement 1 and get a prize-winning mark.

Step 5: Practice mock exams to master your exam technique

By this stage in your ACA journey, you will already know that question practice is key to success. Having learnt the prize-winning technique, you then need to practice mock exams on your case study business under exam conditions so that you master the technique and sign off your ACA in style!

Need Help Passing the ACA Case Study Exam?

Details of our live tuition, video tuition, mock exams and proforma reports can be found here .

About the Author

Kieran Doe is a Senior ACA Tutor at ACA Masters. Kieran won ICAEW prizes for his performance in Financial Accounting and Reporting, Tax, Financial Management, Audit, Business Strategy and Case Study. This is in addition to winning several prizes at university for various Accounting, Management, Business and Economics subjects.

Kieran’s tuition is based around the learning techniques and exam strategies which enabled him to win prizes for all the subjects he teaches. Under his guidance, several of his ACA students have also won ICAEW prizes.

Becoming a member

98% of the best global brands rely on ICAEW Chartered Accountants.

Visit Becoming a member
Pay fees and subscriptions

Your membership subscription enables ICAEW to provide support to members.

Fees and subscriptions

Member rewards.

Take advantage of the range of value added or discounted member benefits.

Member rewards – More from your membership
Technical and ethics support
Support throughout your career

Information and resources for every stage of your career.

Member Insights Survey

Let us know about the issues affecting you, your business and your clients.

Complete the survey

From software start-ups to high-flying airlines and high street banks, 98% of the best global brands rely on ICAEW Chartered Accountants. A career as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant means the opportunity to work in any organisation, in any sector, whatever your ambitions.

Everything you need to know about ICAEW annual membership fees, community and faculty subscriptions, eligibility for reduced rates and details of how you can pay.

Membership administration

Welcome to the ICAEW members area: your portal to members'-only content, offers, discounts, regulations and membership information.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an integral part of being a successful ICAEW Chartered Accountant.

The ICAEW Chartered Accountant qualification, the ACA, is one of the most advanced learning and professional development programmes available. It is valued around the world in business, practice and the public sector.

ACA for employers

Train the next generation of chartered accountants in your business or organisation. Discover how your organisation can attract, train and retain the best accountancy talent, how to become authorised to offer ACA training and the support and guidance on offer if you are already providing training.

Digital learning materials via BibliU

All ACA, ICAEW CFAB and Level 4 apprenticeship learning materials are now digital only. Read our guide on how to access your learning materials on the ICAEW Bookshelf using the BibliU app or through your browser.

Find out more

Take a look at ICAEW training films

Focusing on professional scepticism, ethics and everyday business challenges, our training films are used by firms and companies around the world to support their in-house training and business development teams.

Attract and retain the next generation of accounting and finance professionals with our world-leading accountancy qualifications. Become authorised to offer ACA training and help your business stay ahead.

CPD guidance and help

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an integral part of being a successful ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Find support on ICAEW's CPD requirements and access resources to help your professional development.

Leadership Development Programmes

ICAEW Academy’s in-depth leadership development programmes take a holistic approach to combine insightful mentoring or coaching, to exclusive events, peer learning groups and workshops. Catering for those significant transitions in your career, these leadership development programmes are instrumental to achieving your ambitions or fulfilling your succession planning goals.

Specialist Finance Qualifications & Programmes

Whatever future path you choose, ICAEW will support the development and acceleration of your career at each stage to enhance your career.

Why a career in chartered accountancy?

If you think chartered accountants spend their lives confined to their desks, then think again. They are sitting on the boards of multinational companies, testifying in court and advising governments, as well as supporting charities and businesses from every industry all over the world.

Why chartered accountancy?

Search for qualified ACA jobs

Matching highly skilled ICAEW members with attractive organisations seeking talented accountancy and finance professionals.

Volunteering roles

Helping skilled and in-demand chartered accountants give back and strengthen not-for-profit sector with currently over 2,300 organisations posting a variety of volunteering roles with ICAEW.

Search for volunteer roles
Get ahead by volunteering

Advertise with ICAEW

From as little as £495, access to a pool of highly qualified and ambitious ACA qualified members with searchable CVs.

Early careers and training

Start your ACA training with ICAEW. Find out why a career in chartered accountancy could be for you and how to become a chartered accountant.

Qualified ACA careers

Find Accountancy and Finance Jobs

Voluntary roles

Find Voluntary roles

While you pursue the most interesting and rewarding opportunities at every stage of your career, we’re here to offer you support whatever stage you are or wherever you are in the world and in whichever sector you have chosen to work.

ACA students

"How to guides" for ACA students

ACA student guide
How to book an exam
How to apply for credit for prior learning (CPL)

Exam resources

Here are some resources you will find useful while you study for the ACA qualification.

Certificate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Digital learning materials

All ACA learning materials are now digital only. Read our guide on how to access your learning materials on the ICAEW Bookshelf via the BibliU app, or through your browser.

Read the guide

My online training file

Once you are registered as an ACA student, you'll be able to access your training file to log your progress throughout ACA training.

Access your training file
Student Insights

Fresh insights, innovative ideas and an inside look at the lives and careers of our ICAEW students and members.

Read the latest articles

System status checks

Getting started.

Welcome to ICAEW! We have pulled together a selection of resources to help you get started with your ACA training, including our popular 'How To' series, which offers step-by-step guidance on everything from registering as an ACA student and applying for CPL, to using your online training file.

Credit for prior learning (CPL)

Credit for prior learning or CPL is our term for exemptions. High quality learning and assessment in other relevant qualifications is appropriately recognised by the award of CPL.

Apply for exams

What you need to know in order to apply for the ACA exams.

The ACA qualification has 15 modules over three levels. They are designed to complement the practical experience you will be gaining in the workplace. They will also enable you to gain in-depth knowledge across a broad range of topics in accountancy, finance and business. Here are some useful resources while you study.

Exam results

You will receive your results for all Certificate Level exams, the day after you take the exam and usually five weeks after a Professional and Advanced Level exam session has taken place. Access your latest and archived exam results here.

Training agreement

Putting your theory work into practice is essential to complete your ACA training.

Student support and benefits

We are here to support you throughout your ACA journey. We have a range of resources and services on offer for you to unwrap, from exam resources, to student events and discount cards. Make sure you take advantage of the wealth of exclusive benefits available to you, all year round.

Applying for membership

The ACA will open doors to limitless opportunities in all areas of accountancy, business and finance anywhere in the world. ICAEW Chartered Accountants work at the highest levels as finance directors, CEOs and partners of some of the world’s largest organisations.

ACA training FAQs

Do you have a question about the ACA training? Then look no further. Here, you can find answers to frequently asked questions relating to the ACA qualification and training. Find out more about each of the integrated components of the ACA, as well as more information on the syllabus, your training agreement, ICAEW’s rules and regulations and much more.

Anti-money laundering

Guidance and resources to help members comply with their legal and professional responsibilities around AML.

Technical releases

ICAEW Technical Releases are a source of good practice guidance on technical and practice issues relevant to ICAEW Chartered Accountants and other finance professionals.

ICAEW Technical Releases
Thought leadership

ICAEW's Thought Leadership reports provide clarity and insight on the current and future challenges to the accountancy profession. Our charitable trusts also provide funding for academic research into accountancy.

Academic research funding

Technical Advisory Services helpsheets

Practical, technical and ethical guidance highlighting the most important issues for members, whether in practice or in business.

ICAEW Technical Advisory Services helpsheets

Bloomsbury – free for eligible firms

In partnership with Bloomsbury Professional, ICAEW have provided eligible firms with free access to Bloomsbury’s comprehensive online library of around 80 titles from leading tax and accounting subject matter experts.

Bloomsbury Accounting and Tax Service

Country resources

Our resources by country provide access to intelligence on over 170 countries and territories including economic forecasts, guides to doing business and information on the tax climate in each jurisdiction.

Industries and sectors

Thought leadership, technical resources and professional guidance to support the professional development of members working in specific industries and sectors.

Audit and Assurance

The audit, assurance and internal audit area has information and guidance on technical and practical matters in relation to these three areas of practice. There are links to events, publications, technical help and audit representations.

The most up-to-date thought leadership, insights, technical resources and professional guidance to support ICAEW members working in and with industry with their professional development.

Corporate Finance

Companies, advisers and investors making decisions about creating, developing and acquiring businesses – and the wide range of advisory careers that require this specialist professional expertise.

Corporate governance

Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. Find out more about corporate governance principles, codes and reports, Board subcommittees, roles and responsibilities and shareholder relations. Corporate governance involves balancing the interests of a company’s many stakeholders, such as shareholders, employees, management, customers, suppliers, financiers and the community. Getting governance right is essential to build public trust in companies.

Corporate reporting

View a range of practical resources on UK GAAP, IFRS, UK regulation for company accounts and non-financial reporting. Plus find out more about the ICAEW Corporate Reporting Faculty.

Expert analysis on the latest national and international economic issues and trends, and interviews with prominent voices across the finance industry, alongside data on the state of the economy.

Financial Services

View articles and resources on the financial services sector.

Practice resources

For ICAEW's members in practice, this area brings together the most up-to-date thought leadership, technical resources and professional guidance to help you in your professional life.

Public Sector

Many ICAEW members work in or with the public sector to deliver public priorities and strong public finances. ICAEW acts in the public interest to support strong financial leadership and better financial management across the public sector – featuring transparency, accountability, governance and ethics – to ensure that public money is spent wisely and that public finances are sustainable.

Sustainability and climate change

Sustainability describes a world that does not live by eating into its capital, whether natural, economic or social. Members in practice, in business and private individuals all have a role to play if sustainability goals are to be met. The work being undertaken by ICAEW in this area is to change behaviour to drive sustainable outcomes.

The Tax area has information and guidance on technical and practical tax matters. There are links to events, the latest tax news and the Tax Faculty’s publications, including helpsheets, webinars and Tax representations.

Keep up-to-date with tech issues and developments, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data, and cyber security.

Trust & Ethics

Guidance and resources on key issues, including economic crime, business law, better regulation and ethics. Read through ICAEW’s Code of Ethics and supporting information.

Communities

ICAEW Communities

Information, guidance and networking opportunities on industry sectors, professional specialisms and at various stages throughout your career. Free for ICAEW members and students.

Discover a new community

ICAEW Faculties

The accountancy profession is facing change and uncertainty. The ICAEW Faculties can help by providing you with timely and relevant support.

Choose to join any of the faculties

UK groups and societies

We have teams on the ground in: East of England, the Midlands, London and South East, Northern, South West, Yorkshire and Humberside, Wales and Scotland.

Access your UK region

Worldwide support and services

Support and services we offer our members in Africa, America, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Greater China, the Middle East, Oceania and South East Asia.

Discover our services

ICAEW Faculties are 'centres of technical excellence', strongly committed to enhancing your professional development and helping you to meet your CPD requirements every year. They offer exclusive content, events and webinars, customised for your sector - which you should be able to easily record, when the time comes for the completion of your CPD declaration. Our offering isn't exclusive to Institute members. As a faculty member, the same resources are available to you to ensure you stay ahead of the competition.

Communities by industry / sector

Communities by life stage and workplace, communities by professional specialism, local groups and societies.

We aim to support you wherever in the world you work. Our regional offices and network of volunteers run events and provide access to local accounting updates in major finance centres around the globe.

Ukraine crisis: central resource hub

Learn about the actions that ICAEW members are taking to ensure that their clients comply with sanctions imposed by different countries and jurisdictions, and read about the support available from ICAEW.

Insights pulls together the best opinion, analysis, interviews, videos and podcasts on the key issues affecting accountancy and business.

See the latest insights
Making COP count

This series looks at the role the accountancy profession can play in addressing the climate crisis and building a sustainable economy.

Read more on COP28

Professional development and skills

With new requirements on ICAEW members for continuing professional development, we bring together resources to support you through the changes and look at the skills accountants need for the future.

Visit the hub

When Chartered Accountants Save The World

Find out how chartered accountants are helping to tackle some of the most urgent social challenges within the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and explore how the profession could do even more.

Read our major series

Insights specials

A listing of one-off Insights specials that focus on a particular subject, interviewing the key people, identifying developing trends and examining the underlying issues.

Top podcasts

Insights by topic.

ICAEW Regulation

Regulatory News

View the latest regulatory updates and guidance and subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Regulatory & Conduct News.

Regulatory Consultations

Strengthening trust in the profession

Our role as a world-leading improvement regulator is to strengthen trust and protect the public. We do this by enabling, evaluating and enforcing the highest standards in the profession.

Regulatory applications

Find out how you can become authorised by ICAEW as a regulated firm.

ICAEW codes and regulations

Professional conduct and complaints, statutory regulated services overseen by icaew, regulations for icaew practice members and firms, additional guidance and support, popular search results.

Training File
Practice Exam Software
Ethics Cpd Course
Routes to the ACA
ACA students membership application
Join as a member of another body
How much are membership fees?
How to pay your fees
Receipts and invoices
What if my circumstances have changed?
Difficulties in making changes to your membership
Faculty and community subscription fees
Updating your details
Complete annual return
Promoting myself as an ICAEW member
Verification of ICAEW membership
Become a life member
Become a fellow
Request a new certificate
Report the death of a member
Membership regulations
New members
Career progression
Career Breakers
Volunteering at schools and universities
ICAEW Member App
Working internationally
Self employment
Support Members Scheme
CPD is changing
CPD learning resources
Your guide to CPD
Online CPD record
How to become a chartered accountant
Register as a student
Train as a member of another body
More about the ACA and chartered accountancy
How ACA training works
Become a training employer
Access the training file
Why choose the ACA
Training routes
Employer support hub
Get in touch
Apprenticeships with ICAEW
A-Z of CPD courses by topic
ICAEW Business and Finance Professional (BFP)
ICAEW flagship events
Financial Talent Executive Network (F-TEN®)
Developing Leadership in Practice (DLiP™)
Network of Finance Leaders (NFL)
Women in Leadership (WiL)
Mentoring and coaching
Partners in Learning
Board Director's Programme e-learning
Corporate Finance Qualification
Diploma in Charity Accounting
ICAEW Certificate in Insolvency
ICAEW Data Analytics Certificate
Financial Modeling Institute’s Advanced Financial Modeler Accreditation
ICAEW Sustainability Certificate for Finance Professionals
ICAEW Finance in a Digital World Programme
All specialist qualifications
Team training
Start your training
Improve your employability
Search employers
Find a role
Role alerts
Organisations
Practice support – 11 ways ICAEW and CABA can help you
News and advice
ICAEW Volunteering Hub
Support in becoming a chartered accountant
Vacancies at ICAEW
ICAEW boards and committees
Exam system status
ICAEW systems: status update
Changes to our qualifications
How-to guides for ACA students
Apply for credits - Academic qualification
Apply for credits - Professional qualification
Credit for prior learning (CPL)/exemptions FAQs
Applications for Professional and Advanced Level exams
Applications for Certificate Level exams
Tuition providers
Latest exam results
Archived exam results
Getting your results
Marks feedback service
Exam admin check
Training agreement: overview
Professional development
Ethics and professional scepticism
Practical work experience
Access your online training file
How training works in your country
Student rewards
TOTUM PRO Card
Student events and volunteering
Xero cloud accounting certifications
Student support
Join a community
Wellbeing support from caba
Student conduct and behaviour
Code of ethics
Fit and proper
Level 4 Accounting Technician Apprenticeship
Level 7 Accountancy Professional Apprenticeship
AAT-ACA Fast Track FAQs
ACA rules and regulations FAQs
ACA syllabus FAQs

ACA training agreement FAQs

Audit experience and the Audit Qualification FAQs
Independent student FAQs
Practical work experience FAQs
Professional development FAQs
Six-monthly reviews FAQs
Ethics and professional scepticism FAQs
Greater China
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Australasia
Russia and Eurasia
South East Asia
Charity Community
Construction & Real Estate
Energy & Natural Resources Community
Farming & Rural Business Community
Forensic & Expert Witness
Global Trade Community
Healthcare Community
Internal Audit Community
Manufacturing Community
Media & Leisure
Portfolio Careers Community
Small and Micro Business Community
Small Practitioners Community
Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Community
Valuation Community
Audit and corporate governance reform
Audit & Assurance Faculty
Professional judgement
Regulation and working in audit
Internal audit resource centre
ICAEW acting on audit quality
Everything business
Latest Business news from Insights
Strategy, risk and innovation
Business performance management
Financial management
Finance transformation
Economy and business environment
Leadership, personal development and HR
Webinars and publications
Business restructuring
The Business Finance Guide
Capital markets and investment
Corporate finance careers
Corporate Finance Faculty
Debt advisory and growth finance
Mergers and acquisitions
Private equity
Start-ups, scale-ups and venture capital
Transaction services
Board committees
Corporate governance codes and reports
Corporate Governance Community
Principles of corporate governance
Roles, duties and responsibilities of Board members
Shareholder relations
Corporate Governance thought leadership
Corporate reporting resources
Small and micro entity reporting
UK Regulation for Company Accounts
Non-financial reporting
Improving Corporate Reporting
Economy home
ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor
ICAEW Manifesto 2024
Energy crisis
Levelling up: rebalancing the UK’s economy
Resilience and Renewal: Building an economy fit for the future
Social mobility and inclusion
Autumn Statement 2023
Investment management
Inspiring confidence
Setting up in practice
Running your practice
Supporting your clients
Practice technology
TAS helpsheets
Support for business advisers
Join ICAEW BAS
Public Sector hub
Public Sector Audit and Assurance
Public Sector Finances
Public Sector Financial Management
Public Sector Financial Reporting
Public Sector Learning & Development
Public Sector Community
Latest public sector articles from Insights
Climate hub
Sustainable Development Goals
Accountability
Modern slavery
Resources collection
Sustainability Committee
Sustainability & Climate Change community
Sustainability and climate change home
Tax Faculty
Budgets and legislation
Business tax
Devolved taxes
Employment taxes
International taxes
Making Tax Digital
Personal tax
Property tax
Stamp duty land tax
Tax administration
Tax compliance and investigation
UK tax rates, allowances and reliefs
Artificial intelligence
Blockchain and cryptoassets
Cyber security
Data Analytics Community
Digital skills
Excel community
Finance in a Digital World
IT management
Technology and the profession
Trust & Ethics home
Better regulation
Business Law
Company law
Data protection and privacy
Economic crime
Help with ethical problems
ICAEW Code of Ethics
ICAEW Trust and Ethics team.....
Solicitors Community
Forensic & Expert Witness Community
Latest articles on business law, trust and ethics
Audit and Assurance Faculty
Corporate Reporting Faculty
Financial Services Faculty
Academia & Education Community
Construction & Real Estate Community
Entertainment, Sport & Media Community
Retail Community
Career Breakers Community
Black Members Community
Diversity & Inclusion Community
Women in Finance Community
Personal Financial Planning Community
Restructuring & Insolvency Community
Sustainability and Climate Change Community
London and East
South Wales
Yorkshire and Humberside
European public policy activities
ICAEW Middle East
Latest news
Access to finance special
Attractiveness of the profession
Audit and Fraud
Audit and technology
Adopting non-financial reporting standards
Cost of doing business
Mental health and wellbeing
Pensions and Personal Finance
Public sector financial and non-financial reporting
More specials ...
The economics of biodiversity
How chartered accountants can help to safeguard trust in society
Video: The financial controller who stole £20,000 from her company
It’s time for chartered accountants to save the world
Video: The CFO who tried to trick the market
Video: Could invoice fraud affect your business?
Does Britain have a farming problem?
Budget 2024: does it change anything?
Will accountants save the world? With ICAEW CEO Michael Izza
Crunch time: VAT (or not) on poppadoms
Where next for audit and governance reform?
A taxing year ahead?
What can we expect from 2024?
COP28: making the business case for nature
COP28: what does transition planning mean for accountants?
What’s in the Economic Crime Act 2023?
ICAEW/CIPFA dual membership, cyber security trends, and economic renewal
More podcasts...
Top charts of the week
EU and international trade
CEO and President's insights
Diversity and Inclusion
Sponsored content
Insights index
Charter and Bye-laws
Archive of complaints, disciplinary and fitness processes, statutory regulations and ICAEW regulations
Qualifications regulations
Training and education regulations
How to make a complaint
Guidance on your duty to report misconduct
Public hearings
What to do if you receive a complaint against you
Anti-money laundering supervision
Working in the regulated area of audit
Local public audit in England
Probate services
Designated Professional Body (Investment Business) licence
Consumer credit
Quality Assurance monitoring: view from the firms
The ICAEW Practice Assurance scheme
Licensed Practice scheme
Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII)
Clients' Money Regulations
Taxation (PCRT) Regulations
ICAEW training films
Helpsheets and guidance by topic
ICAEW's regulatory expertise and history

Do you have a question about ACA training agreement? Our frequently asked questions could have the answers.

No. You cannot use the designatory letters ACA after your name until you are admitted to membership as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. ICAEW treats any inappropriate use of the ACA designation as a very serious offence.

It is a formal, written agreement between a student and an employer that is specific to your ACA training. It outlines the support you will receive from your employer while you study and what is expected from you in return.

Your training agreement is likely to cover;

start date and the length of time your training agreement will cover (eg, three years);
the number of exam attempts that your employer will support; and
the number of study days your employer will allow, and how your exams should be fitted in around your work.

For more information please refer to the Training Agreement: Overview

If you are based outside the UK, please go Find your route for more information.

There are four essential elements of the ACA qualification that need to be successfully completed to be eligible for ICAEW membership. These are: the 15 examinations , practical work experience , professional skills development plus ethics and professional scepticism.

You need to complete these elements while completing an training agreement for a minimum of three years with an authorised training employer. You also need to have regular appraisal/progress reviews every six months during that time with your employer. When you have completed these elements on your online training file and your employer has completed the final sign off, you will be invited to ICAEW membership after your training records have been processed.

Most ACA students will have a minimum of a three-year training agreement to achieve the 450 days of work experience required. However, some students may be eligible for a reduction in the length of a training agreement, including:

ACCA students or affiliates – you may be able to claim credit against some of the ACA exams and credit for previous work experience if you gained that experience while working for an organisation already authorised by ICAEW to train ACA students AND your experience was gained in the last two years. If this applies to you, you may be able to claim up to 12 months’ credit for work experience, potentially reducing your training agreement requirement to 24 months.
AAT students – if you have registered to study the ACA through the AAT-ACA Fast Track route , you may be able to claim credit against some of the ACA exams and up to 12 months’ credit for prior work experience if it was gained while you were in full-time employment and your employer was already an ICAEW authorised training employer.

The length of a training agreement is determined in accordance with the ACA student regulations and by agreement between the student and authorised training employer which is to provide the approved training.

A training agreement cannot be longer than five years, unless the student is training under a strategic degree or other programme offered in partnership with an ICAEW Partner in Learning.

ICAEW encourages students to stay with their employer for the duration of their training agreement where possible. If you change employer part way through, they must be an ICAEW authorised training employer (ATE) for your ACA training to continue.

In addition, any new employer could ask you to complete additional practical work experience or training to demonstrate your skills and also to help them recover any training costs. A training agreement at any new employer would need to be for a minimum of three months and include at least 65 days of practical work experience.

You cannot apply for ICAEW membership until you have fully completed all four elements of your ACA training agreement (and have had your completed training records signed off by your employer and verified by ICAEW). ICAEW encourages students to stay with their employer for the duration of their training agreement. If this is not possible then you will be required to re-register into another training agreement to complete the remaining time. Please be advised that if this is under three months then you will be required to register for a minimum of three months and obtain at least 65 practical work experience days. If you change employer before the end of your agreement, you must make sure that you have all of your training records signed off by that employer before you leave – to ensure you do not lose any experience and time you have already accumulated.

So as not to lose any time or practical work experience that you have gained so far, you must ensure that your online training file is up to date and all entries have been confirmed by your employer before they cancel the training agreement. Please be advised that your practical work experience entries need to be recorded until the date the training agreement is cancelled. Your employer will need to send ICAEW your training agreement cancellation form to us within four weeks of your departure. It is your responsibility to ensure they have done this.

Your new employer will need to submit your student re-registration form to ICAEW within four weeks of your arrival. It is your responsibility to ensure this happens.

Yes. To ensure you do not lose any time or work experience accumulated to date, you will need to ensure before you leave that your employer has confirmed/provided feedback for all entries on your online training file.

Remember your new employer cannot sign off any work experience you gained while you were working at your previous employer, so you must get everything signed before you leave. You should therefore always make sure that your records are accurate and up to date before you consider moving to a new employer.

Your employer will need to send ICAEW your training agreement cancellation form within four weeks of your departure date. Your new employer will need to send ICAEW your student re-registration form within four weeks of your start date. It is your responsibility to ensure your relevant employers have done this.

The following things need to happen:

The employer you are leaving must cancel the training agreement they have with you. This needs to be returned to ICAEW within four weeks of your leaving date.
You will need to complete a re-registration form with your new employer (who must be an ICAEW authorised training employer ). This form needs to be returned to ICAEW within four weeks of your start date.

Your new employer can only sign off development and ethical behavior evidenced by them ie, at your new place of work. So you will need to complete all the Professional Development Ladders and the ethics learning programme requirements with your new employer. But remember, you are not losing development; you just have to demonstrate it to your new employer. If you have the skills, then you should quickly be able to demonstrate them, so it should not delay the completion.

ICAEW regulations state that the Case Study exam cannot be sat until you are in the final 12 months of a training agreement. However, students can have completed their training agreement before sitting the Case Study. So, in this case, you do not need to extend your training agreement.

If you have not completed your practical work experience (PWE) within your training agreement, you would need to extend the agreement to ensure you accumulated enough PWE to meet requirements.

No. If you have completed your training agreement, you do not have to extend your agreement to complete the examinations. You are able to sit the remaining examinations as an independent student.

As soon as you have finished your training agreement, we strongly encourage you to complete your online training file and get this signed off by your employer. You do not have to wait until you finish your exams to get this done. If you submit your online file now for sign off and verification by ICAEW, it means that you can be invited into membership as soon as you pass your last exam.

No, you will be unable to submit your training file for final approval until your training agreement end date. You are required to complete a minimum three year training agreement and obtain at least 450 practical work experience days.

If you reach 450 days before the end of your training agreement, you must keep logging any more days in your online training file until the very last date of your training agreement. If you fail to do this, it will delay the verification of your online training file and can delay your membership admission.

Some individuals with previous professional qualifications (such as AAT, ACCA etc) may be eligible. For more details, please see Join us as a member of another body .

You will need to prove to ICAEW that you have successfully completed all the required components of the ACA.

ICAEW will have records of your exam history and will be aware of when you have successfully completed all the relevant exams.
Please complete all tabs of your online training file and ensure it has been signed off by your employer (along with the Audit Qualification tab – if applicable)
It is your responsibility to ensure your employer has submitted your records to ICAEW for verification.

You have a 12-month eligibility window to join ICAEW. This date starts from your training agreement end date or the date you received the results for your final ACA exam (whichever is the latter). During these 12 months you will need to submit your training file for verification, allow time for any queries (which in peak times can be up to 12 weeks), get your file verified, apply for membership and join into ICAEW membership.

You are able to access your training file by going to your dashboard, there will be a link which takes you to the training file. Alternatively you can login to the ICAEW website then change the URL to www.icaew.com/trainingfile.

Please call/email the student support team and request the manual forms to complete your training file.

This will usually mean that you have not recorded practical work experience until the end date of your training agreement, please be advised that if you have re-registered into a new agreement midway through your training make sure that you have recorded up until the previous agreement was cancelled as well.

Student support team

The student support team is here to help. We recommend that you contact us via our Live Chat or chatbot Mia first.

Read out this code to the operator.

Jag's Journey

Sharing my life experiences including the Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) qualification

How to Master the ICAEW ACA Case Study Marking Key

Four blogs into the ACA Case Study and you might just start to think that I am slightly obsessed with this exam. The ACA Case Study is so different to any other of the 15 ACA exams that I feel there is so much to discuss for this exam. I was not planning to go into detail about the Case Study marking key. However, I have recently realised many who are independently studying or who are taught by different providers may not have all these details or the same level of understanding. In order to pass the ACA Case Study, you do really need to understand how it is marked . Today this is exactly what I will delve into.

You may also want to refer to the other three ICAEW ACA Case Study blogs: ICAEW Case Study Made Easy , ICAEW Software Testing and How Much Preparation is Enough? .

Aca case study marking key terms, maximum marks and marking, different ways to fail the icaew aca case study, overall assessment criteria, executive summary (es), requirements – generic aca case study marking key, marking yourself, aca case study wrap up.

If you are unaware of the exam structure for the ACA Case Study exam, I would recommend reading the Made Easy blog before reading details about the Case Study marking key. You essentially need to know the report you are required to produce is split into an executive summary and three equally weighted requirements .

This will overlap with the ICAEW Case Study Made Easy blog where I have briefly touched on the marking key. The ACA Case Study marking key can be explained using the following terms: “ boxes ” and “ diamonds “, where boxes are skills assessment boxes (SABs). The meaning of these will get clearer as we go on but to give a quick explanation, the Case Study marking key is split into 40 boxes :

The executive summary has 6 boxes (2 for each requirement)
Each requirement (r1, r2 and r3) has 11 boxes
There is one final box for the overall assessment criteria

ICAEW ACA Case Study marking key diamonds

Within each box, there are diamonds /bullet points that you need to hit to get marks. The maximum mark for each box is 6 marks . Each box will have up to six “diamonds” that are up for grabs from your answer. For example, one diamond could be met by stating revenue increased by x amount/(y %) based on the case study numbers. This will make more sense once you start looking at mock exams for the ICAEW ACA Case Study.

The Case Study marking key is not completely straight forward. It is not one mark per one diamond. Here is how it works:

From the table above you can see you do not benefit from getting more than four diamonds as you will be capped at 6 marks . You may be in fact wasting time and time is definitely of the essence in the ACA Case Study even if it is 4 hours . However, it is difficult to know whether a point you make is a valid diamond or not so it is perhaps best to aim for 5 diamonds at most in each box of the Case Study marking key.

aca case study marking key diamond catcher

What makes the ACA Case Study very different from the other exams is that there are no predetermined correct answers . I have been told only after assessing the first say 100 papers are the diamonds and the marking key put together. You need to write what everyone else writes so state the obvious and work together when preparing beforehand! This ACA Advanced Level Telegram group (essentially WhatsApp without phone numbers) where you can connect with other students may help.

The maximum marks for the ACA Case Study is 240 marks . Remember, there are 40 boxes and the maximum mark is 6 per box. You may think as the ICAEW ACA Case study exam is 50% to pass , you just need 120 marks to pass. Again, the Case Study really is not that straightforward. 120 marks across the whole paper will not cut it. You actually need 50% in each requirement (including the executive summary) to pass. Getting 66 marks in requirement 1 but 20 marks in requirement 3 is a no go. However, this is not the only way to fail the ACA Case Study…

The below ways to fail which I will touch upon are less black and white than the 50% in each requirement criteria. This is a very grey area and is not nice for anybody in this position. I have come across candidates who have achieved 50% in each requirement and still failed. Below outline the other potential reasons why one could fail the ACA Case Study exam:

As mentioned, achieving less than the overall 50% pass mark.
Achieving less than 50% in each individual requirement and being deemed incompetent often. You really need to show you can produce a strong report to be on the safe side. In each requirement, you should ideally be getting over 50% competent grades (CC or SC) which means six or more boxes. Five SCs (30 marks) and the remaining ID/IC grades (6 marks) would get you above 50% in the requirement (33 marks) but may not be enough to pass.
Missing out parts of the report. If you score above 50% in all requirements but have missed out 4-5 skills assessment boxes, you are likely to fail. There cannot be gaps in the report. A fail could also be for writing poor conclusions and recommendations throughout.
This exam is all about balance . If you have too many NA and ID grades, this could also be a factor of failure.

Essentially, the examiner wants to see that you can write a complete and balanced report. If you do not do as ICAEW say in this exam you will be punished and you will fail. This really is a grey area , especially as for those marginal scripts there is re-moderation to decide which scripts pass and which fail. It does seem quite harsh as surely getting 50% would be enough but examiners will only want to pass a good quality report. Further marking details can be found here from ICAEW and is definitely worth a read.

ACA Case Study Marking Key

This one box will look as follows (imagine the dashes are diamonds):

If you meet all four diamonds, you will show you are clearly competent and should get 6 marks.

The executive summary is essentially meant to summarise each of the three requirements and provide the conclusion and recommendations. It is at the start of the report so if somebody did not have time to read the full report, they would be able to understand exactly what is covered by reading the ES. The Case Study marking key for the ES is as follows. Note this is very generic and may differ case study to case study:

ICAEW in recent years have been very clear that you cannot simply copy and paste the report into the executive summary. The two must differ otherwise you will not score any marks and this could result in failure! Spot the difference below…

aca case study mark scheme executive summary

I will keep this much more generic and do all three requirements in one. Through these boxes you will need to demonstrate that you can: assimilate and use information; structure problems and solutions; apply judgement and form conclusions and recommendations.

If you have not started any mocks yet, this may all look like gibberish to you. Trust me on this one, once you have been through a mock or so, you will be very grateful for the above tables. For the requirements, you essentially get two boxes for the appendices, two for each of the sub-requirements stated in the question and then two for the conclusions and recommendations. Keeping this in mind when you write your report is crucial to doing well.

If your ACA Case Study is marked by somebody else, I would highly recommend going through this yourself afterwards. This will really help you to understand what kind of points scores diamonds and which do not. You can also see where you are perhaps going overboard or not writing enough .

What I think is very beneficial about going through the Case Study marking key is that you will spot where things are in bold. You may have noticed this above. If “and figures” is written in bold, it means you cannot get the diamond without any numbers. Where I slipped up initially is that I was not including figures or sometimes comparative figures that were needed. You also sometimes must write the £ and % change to get a diamond. It really is worth going through this to maximise your diamond potential.

Hopefully this blog has stressed to you the importance of timings . If you get too many NA boxes, you are likely to fail. This means you cannot just miss areas out and move on but you do need to do it all . If you want help with your timings as well as planning sheets and help with requirement 1’s appendix, join my journey. I will be sending these out to you for free within a few days of joining.

Understanding the Case Study marking key is essential to do well in this exam. I can recall going through this for a full morning in college to make sure we really understood the marking key. If you do not have a solid understanding of this, as well as the different ways to fail, you may just do so. Hopefully this blog has been insightful and helped in some way. I would even suggest taking those generic marking keys into the exam with you so you do not miss anything out.

Pingback: ICAEW Case Study Made Easy - How to Pass ACA Case Study - Jag's Journey
Pingback: ICAEW ACA Case Study - How Much Preparation Is Enough? - Jag's Journey
Pingback: The Weekend Before Sitting ACA Advanced Level Exams: Last Minute Tips - Jag's Journey
Pingback: How Difficult/Hard REALLY are the ICAEW ACA Exams? With ACA Exam Difficulty Ranking and Proven ICAEW ACA Pass Rates - Jag's Journey
Pingback: New ICAEW Exam Software Testing Experience - Exciting ACA Case Study Opportunity - Jag's Journey

For exclusive Case Study tips, sign up to The Profit Room , our free student learning community!

Case study mock exam pack. relevant practice..

As we have explained on the other Case Study pages on this website, Case Study is fundamentally unlike the other ACA papers because it is marked with a unique "closed form" markscheme in which you can only attract credit if the idea in your exam answer matches the points on the finalised ICAEW markscheme. This is a potentially harsh marking approach and without a good understanding of what points are likely to be on the markscheme, you'll be relying on luck to pass. The other important aspect of preparing for Case Study is that it is a long, 4-hour exam (the longest of all the ACA papers) and one where you must pass all the different elements of the examination (Executive Summary, Requirement 1, Requirement 2 and Requirement 3) or you will be failed by the examiners, no matter how brilliant the other parts of your response may have been. We have therefore created our live Mock Exam Pack to give you 5 opportunities to practise your planning, timing and general exam technique, all within the context of learning points which are likely to be given credit in your own exam. As experienced creators of Case Study Mock Exam Pack since 2013, we have a very good understand of what points are likely to score, so we build these into our full markscheme examples. We also provide example model answers where we write up all our ideas, under the right headings and making the points nice and snappy, creating examples that are actually achievable by a good candidate in the time available. We round off the Mock Exam Pack with detailed Tutor Debrief videos of all 5 Mocks, and a supporting set of over 400 quick-fire questions on the Advance Information so that you can actively learn the content rather than just reading and re-reading the Advance Information yet again! Scroll down the page to learn more about our Mock Exam Pack. July 2024 Mock Exam Pack release schedule Mock 1 - 7 June 2024 by 23.59 UK time Mock 2 - 14 June 2024 by 23.59 UK time Mock 3 - 21 June 2024 by 23.59 UK time Mock 4 - 28 June 2024 by 23.59 UK time Mock 5 - 5 July 2024 by 23.59 UK time The release dates for our November 2024 Mock Exam Pack will be 20 September, 27 September, 4 October, 11 October and 18 October 2024

Prepare to pass.

We have no idea why certain other tuition providers allocate so much course and homework time to past paper Case Study examples. Okay, so doing past papers is obviously of some benefit, but for us, it makes much more sense to focus on the live Case Study Advance Information which will provide the basis of your examination attempt. Using our Mock Exam Pack, you get 5 opportunities to hone your exam technique while also learning about likely scenarios for the real exam (simply not possible by doing past papers!). With our expertly-prepared markscheme grids, we can help you understand what sorts of point to make in your own answer, again all based on points that can actually be tested in your exam (simply not possible by doing past papers!). Our commentaries on our marking grids also explain how we put the Mocks together and what we were trying to test, enhancing your knowledge of the live set of Advance Information.

Some stats on our Mock Exam Pack.

The July 2024 edition of our Case Study Mock Exam Pack will be the 25th edition of the Mock Exam Pack since our first Mock Exam Pack was published in 2013. This means we have accumulated vast knowledge and experience, which we distill into our student-focused approach and realistic question papers.

>100,000

Taking into account our 5 question papers, 5 marking grids, 5 example student-standard model answers and our other tips and tricks content, each Mock Exam Pack contains over 100,000 words of content (about the same length as a novel!). All lovingly prepared under extreme time-pressure to help you as much as possible.

Practice makes perfect.

Since passing Case Study is all about exam technique rather than technical brilliance, it is vital that you do plenty of practice before the exam to work on things like time management, writing style, interpretation of the question and, most important of all, understanding the points that are likely to be on the final ICAEW markscheme. Because if your idea doesn't match the final ICAEW markscheme, you won't get any credit for your point! Harsh, we know, which is why we have got your back through our Mock Exam Pack.

Fully updated for 2024

As always, we will carefully work through the learning points from the 2023 past papers to ensure that our advice and example markschemes are fully up-to-date, ensuring that you are exposed to points that are likely to score. The Case Study examiners are always subtly evolving the examination so it is important that we keep on top of this "cat-and-mouse" game!

Key Points Summary

To make the most of the "open-book" nature of the Case Study exam, we will provide you with our Key Points Summary PDF, an alphabetically-organised summary of key "re-useable" points from the Mock Exam Pack. This will avoid you taking too much content into the exam as everything will be nicely condensed and organised for you. On the day, you must of course use your judgement when using any pre-prepared ideas, but our Key Points Summary PDF will put everything at your fingertips so that you can make your choices as quickly as possible!

Supporting video content

Making the most of advances in technology, recent editions of our Mock Exam Pack have been provided with supporting video content, allowing us to go into certain areas in a bit more detail than in a purely PDF format. Our online platform also allows us to provide over 400 quick-fire questions on the Advance Information so that you can learn it inside-out.

What our students say.

I bet your tutor team are probably feeling more of a strain than us students when it comes to the Case Study exam, seeing the huge amount of work that fits into six weeks. It's rather impressive, particularly with the Mock Exam Pack, the on-demand videos and the patience of the tutor, to go through things over and over again. I honestly feel that you leave no stone unturned for Case Study. I find the on-demand videos so useful. I feel it helps to refresh points in my head. Thank you as always.

I have just got my results for Case Study and I'm really happy to say that I managed to pass with 60% on my first attempt. I am really glad that I came to you guys for my first attempt, which allowed me to adequately prepare myself both content and skill wise for the exam day. Thank you very much for all your help (via TIS and e-mail conversation) throughout the past month and a half!

Thank you, and in particular to my tutor, for helping me pass my Case Study resit in November. The approach to technique and having 5 different Mock Exams based on the live set of Advance Information really helped and I felt so much more prepared going into this exam than the first time. I've already recommended the book and technique to others in my office. Thanks again.

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for your help and materials over the last three exams, as I had some great news on Friday that I passed my Case Study exam first time!! I was delighted to pass with 63% and found your books, Mock Exam Pack and TIS scripts really helpful towards this result. I shall be thoroughly recommending you to my colleagues!

Finally passed the Case Study exam. Thank you so much for all of the content, especially the Mock Exam Pack. Thank you again!

My son passed his Case Study exam and it went really well. He qualified on Friday, so very proud! He said without a doubt, that the Cracking Case book and Mock Exam Pack got him through. We only found out about you near to the exam day, but he only read your book and studied the Mock Exams. Thank you so much, I wish everyone knew about you!

I passed the Case Study exam with 58% - thank you very much for the help!

Thank you for the tuition course. I managed to pass Case Study with a score of 78%, an improvement from 46% on my first attempt. I will recommend your course to fellow colleagues. Thanks again.

I passed Case with a mark of 61. Thank you for all your help and support - will definitely recommend you to others!

I passed my Case Study exam!! So happy and relieved, thanks very much!

I have passed Case Study at the first attempt only because of your company. Coming from academia, I had tremendous trouble accepting what the other tuition providers were doing or how they attempted to provide tuition. The combination of the Cracking Case book and the Mock Exam Pack can yield results if the student is willing to spend the required preparation time.

I received my Case Study results today and achieved a pass mark of 74 which is higher than I ever imagined!! I didn't even think I would be able to pass let alone anything else. The skills and techniques you taught were invaluable. The Mock Exam Pack was incredibly useful to get plenty of practice in before the main exam and the ERP was a very helpful summary of the Advance Information which saved me so much time in the exam. This was my first time sitting Case and I am so glad I chose to invest in the materials that you provide.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, having passed my retake Case Study exam in July 2018. I took your online course and I will definitely recommend TIS to any student. I feel the feedback on a real time Mock Exam was very helpful. I got a good idea of how to hit points in the markscheme and how to write precise short points, in order to stick to the tight time window for this exam.

Happy to confirm that I passed Case! I found it a particularly tough exam so I don't know where I would have been without your mocks and guidance! Thank you again for all of the help!

I passed the Case Study exam and now have no more ACA exams to take!! Thank you so very much for the Mock Exam Pack, as well as the very useful TIS feedback that you gave me for the July 2018 sitting. I learned so much about the Case Study exam technique from your Mock Exams and am very grateful for all the help you have given me. Thank you again.

I just wanted to say thank you so much for your Case Study materials/Mock Exam Pack/TIS marking & feedback and personalised help - I passed with 63, compared to the 38 first attempt that I had with [XXXXXX]. Many thanks again!!

Many thanks to you. I purchased your Mock Exam Pack for the November 2019 sitting. I succeeded in my Case Study exam and increased my mark from 32 to 57. Thanks a lot!

I bought your Cracking Case book and your Mock Exam Pack and they were worth every penny. I passed Case Study first time around. They gave me lots of tips about the best way to tackle the Case Study and what examiners wanted me to produce on the day. I would definitely not have passed the Case Study with just the notes and training I received from my previous tuition provider. I would recommend your books and Mock Exam Pack to anyone. Thank you for all your help. Much appreciated.

I failed Case twice (with another provider) and did the True Taste Limited Case in November and finally passed! The course that you offered was exceptionally useful as the hints and tips provided by [tutor name] allowed you to get under the business and treat it as if it's your own. The Mock Exams also allowed me to stick to time and practice over and over again and gave me good guidelines on how to set the Appendices and the markscheme gave you a good indication on whether I'm hitting those dreaded 40 Boxes.

I'm delighted to say that I passed my resit with the result of 65. I purchased your Cracking Case book, Exam Room Pack, Mock Exam Pack and TIS service for 2 Mock papers. Many thanks for your very helpful study materials and advice! Your methodology is indeed far superior to what I have seen previously.

I have purchased the Cracking Case book and the Mock Exam Pack. I cannot thank you enough for helping me pass Case Study following the process mentioned in the book (gospel-holy bible) along with taking a personal positive attitude and determination whilst attempting the 5 Mocks. I cannot stress enough how thankful I am since this was my sixth attempt, and your company was there for me at every query I made, showing a high level of professionalism.

I found Cracking Case and the Mock Exam Pack very useful in my preparation for my exam!

Thank you! I am now a newly qualified accountant after passing my Case Study exam last Friday with 81% (first time). The Mock Exam Pack and techniques you taught me on the course really helped boost my confidence going into the exam.

I am pleased to say I passed with 80 marks! I can’t be more grateful your team for all the help in the study materials and I couldn’t imagine a better way to prepare! I have been a loyal user of your materials (esp the Exam Room Notes) for the Advanced Level examinations and they’re SUPER useful (scored 81 for CR, 70 for SBM and CS score abovementioned), so a HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to the tutors for the hard work and dedication especially with such a challenging time for the Case Study paper.

I recently purchased your Case Study Mock Exam Pack – brilliantly written and very funny! Thanks!

Many thanks for your help. The Mock Exam Pack and the TIS was very useful.

I got a 78 overall first time thanks to purchasing your Case Study materials! Definitely much more on the ball and clued up about the requirements and how to pass than my other provider. Will definitely recommend you to anyone doing Case Study.

Thank you so much, the Case Study Mock Exam Pack materials have been most helpful. Appreciate all your hard work.

Thanks for providing all the Case Study Mock Exams - they've been really helpful

Thank you so much for writing these Case Study Mocks (particularly during these unprecedented times). I have used your materials for BPT and all my Advanced Level exams and have always found them incredibly helpful!

The Mock Exam Pack was really helpful for my preparation – thank you!!

I’d just like to thank your team for their support and assistance in preparation of the August Case Study Exam. Through your help I managed to obtain a first-time pass (62%) and your Mock Exams were a real game changer for me, helping me feel extremely prepared when sitting for the exam. Due to the Mock Exams, I was extremely familiar with the Advance Information and was very comfortable under exam conditions too. Thanks so much!

I just wanted to personally send a note to express how grateful I am for your service! I bought the 5 Case Study Mock Exams for my resit. Confidence was at an all-time low after I failed the first time round with a 44% result, but the Mocks were massively helpful in my revision. The variety of questions were excellent for practice and the answer packs and markschemes were very thorough, targeted and exam technique focused and because of your help, I managed to get 80% in the Beal exam!

I found the Exam Room Pack very useful. In fact, once I’d read through it and could navigate it fairly proficiently, I didn’t really use anything else in the actual Case Study exam! The Mocks were invaluable too as the scenarios which came up in the real exam appeared in the Mocks in some way, shape or form. Thanks again.

I just wanted to send a massive thank you for helping me with the Case Study exam - I passed with 73%! Thank you so, so much for all your support ... of course, the 5 Mock Exams are THE KEY as these truly helped me so, so much in the exam. Doing the exam was just like doing Mock 6 for me and I was so well-practiced that it didn’t seem daunting, but just another practice test! I have already been suggesting to my juniors to definitely reach out to you when their Case Study exam time comes!

Thanks so much for the book and the Mock Exam Pack. I got 78% and could not have done it without your business. The book made sense and the Mock Exams got me match fit.

Having tried and failed with one of the Big Two providers I was very worried I would never pass. I was recommended your "Cracking Case" book and Case Study Mock Exam Pack and I am happy to say due to you, I have received a regional prize and cannot thank you enough. I would recommend you to anyone sitting the Case Study exam. The Mock Exam Pack is fantastic - I actually enjoyed doing them as I knew they were productive practice and I couldn't have felt any more confident when entering the exam room thanks to you.

I will certainly be recommending your resources - I don't think I would have been sufficiently prepared had I not purchased the Mock Exam Pack.

I have found your resources to be of great help and I will gladly pass on my recommendations to other ACA students.

Hope I pass Case Study using your book and Mock Exam Pack. I am using another tuition provider's Mock Exams but luckily last week I bought your Case Study Mock Exam Pack. They are very very helpful and I believe the best.

I passed my Case Study exam which was my 2nd attempt (first time with you) and scored 66% compared to my 1st attempt in November 2018 scoring 34%, so almost doubled my mark! The Cracking Case book was invaluable, I used it to create all my plans for the Mock Exams and used the key tips going forward for the actual exam. It really helped and it's amazing how you compile so much into one book. Everybody should purchase this book!

Both of the exam scenarios were in your Case Study Mock Exam Pack which was really helpful.

I just wanted to say thank you. I bought the July 2019 version of the Cracking Case book, Mock Exam Pack and Exam Room Pack for the July 2019 Case Study sitting - pleased to say I passed first time!

Thank you for taking the time to prepare the Mock Exam Pack and Cracking Case resources, I found them very useful.

When I sat Case Study previously, I received no valuable technique or high level tips (something your materials are full of) on the courses I attended with [XXX]. I actually enjoyed revising for the exam this time (using your method) as I had a clear approach when attempting past papers; the Mock Exams were fantastic. I received a "mock pack" of 2 Mock Exams from [XXX] which was 8 pages long so it was such a relief when I saw how detailed (198 pages in total) and focused the 5 Mock Exams provided by you were.

When I sat Case Study previously, I received no valuable technique or high level tips (something your materials are full of) on the courses I attended with [XXX]. I actually enjoyed revising for the exam this time (using your method) as I had a clear approach when attempting past papers; the Mock Exams were fantastic. I received a 'mock pack' of 2 Mock Exams from [XXX] which was 8 pages long so it was such a relief when I saw how detailed (198 pages in total) and focused the 5 Mock Exams provided by you were.

I was with another tuition provider through my employer but was really struggling to get to grips with Case Study, particularly as I have a learning difficulty that made learning past paper sets of Advance Information a real challenge. Your Mock Exam Pack and Advance Information walkthroughs made all the difference. I ended up passing with 83% and don't think I could have managed any kind of pass without your materials.

I'm ecstatic to say I passed the Case Study exam and want to say thank you to Paradigm Shift for preparing the Mock Exam Pack as this played an instrumental part in me passing the exam!

I have found the Mock Exam Pack and the Masterclass Live sessions to be really useful and will be recommending these to my colleagues in the year below.

Thank you for all your help. The Mock Exam Pack and the Exam Room Pack are both very useful and have really helped me prepare for the exam.

Wanted to pass on the great news to say I passed CR and Case! Thank you for your support and words of encouragement. Wanted to say those free sessions I was able to attend and the other 1-hour sessions were super useful and to the point! Additionally, the Mocks for Case gave me the confidence I needed to sit the exam. Continue what you are doing!

Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful Mock Exam Pack - finally passed this exam with 75% and I'm thrilled!

Just wanted to say I passed with 60% and couldn't be happier. The Masterclasses and Mock Exam Pack were vital to me passing and I wasn't anywhere near passing before I purchased them. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!

Just emailing to say I passed and wanted to thank you guys for making such useful materials! Honestly would not have passed without the Mock Exam Pack.