You don’t need a tutor to pass your SCS exam.
Why…
In today’s revision blog I’m going to tell ya!
Caveat – of course the tutors are important – I’m not saying you never need them!
But hear me out.
It took me 6 years to finally pass my CIMA … and I failed loads of my exams along the way 🙃
But I passed my SCS first time!
After qualifying in 2013, I started coaching CIMA students.
I soon realised the Strategic Case Study exam was my favourite exam to coach, so I created SCS specific resources and pre-seen materials which have helped my students generate a 92.8 average pass mark!
As a CIMA Revision Coach, I’m on a mission to get you qualified!
I know exactly how to teach SCS students, so they pass!
Both re-sitters and 1st time sitters.
Like I said I’m not bashing the tuition providers, you can read about the difference between me and a tutor in last weeks blog > here <
We need the tutors to teach the syllabus – but for Strategic Case Study there is no syllabus!
But that doesn’t mean I recommend you self study alone!
Honestly guys, you can revise however you choose, I used BPP for most of my exam and self-studied a few so I know we have different needs (and budgets) during our CIMA journey.
But studying alone becomes isolating and un-motivational.
You get stuck in a revision rut or you procrastinate so much and tell yourself “I’ll revise tomorrow!”
I know cos that was me!
And I don’t want you feeling low or unmotivated and revising this exam alone!
It’s your final CIMA exam … ever! 🤓
How fricking exciting is that! 😜
You deserve to pass and get your ACMA letters after your name!
I want you to PASS you last exam!
And I want to show you why you don’t need a tutor to pass your SCS exam 🤓🤓
Remember the SCS exam is all about demonstrating your strategic understanding.
These are my 3 main reasons why you don’t need a tutor to pass your SCS exam:
Number 1: You need specific exam techniques.
To be able to demonstrate your strategic understanding you need to write about it over and over in a 3 hour window.
Actually a 59 minute window (three times!)
And that takes skill.
The tutors focus too much on the technical refresh elements and not the exam skills you need.
Imagine if you had exam techniques which helped you pick the key parts of the question, make relevant points, expand your relevant points for more marks and/or made great pre-seen links.
Or if you’re a bag of nerves on exam day – you need techniques which help you focus (like a robot) – calm your exam day nerves, trust your accounting common sense and have self-belief that you can actually pass this (without your notes or reading the study text)
What I call the non-technical exam techniques are ridiculously important in the SCS exam – more so than any other CIMA exam.
The tutors don’t teach you enough of these or focus on them enough – it frustrates me (can you tell!)
Number 2: It’s not a technical exam.
It’s really not a technical exam.
In my opinion it’s 80% non-technical and 20% technical (these are my numbers not CIMA’s)
To PASS your SCS you need to have the exam techniques which demonstrate your Strategic understanding!
🙃 NOT just the technical knowledge! 🙃
You get 1 mark if you define WACC (or gearing or NPV) but you get 3-5 marks when you explain how WACC impacts *this* business case, why *your board* care and how you can increase *our* profits with {insert unseen question}
🤓 That’s what I teach you! 🤓
Your tutor is too busy teaching you a perfect model answer (which took them two weeks to write) – you don’t need that!
{Don’t get me started on model answers and how crap they are!!! I might have to write a blog on this next week!}
Back to my point… SCS is not a technical exam!
I want you to learn HOW you can understand the unseen question ~ brainstorm your relevant points ~ and answer the question smartly and demonstrate YOUR Strategic understanding ~ within 59 minutes!
You don’t need to regurgitate all of the technical frameworks and models again (you’ve already done that in your objective tests or FLP route)
I want you to learn and focus on the SCS non-technical exam techniques – deal!
Number 3: It’s about what you think.
The tutors don’t teach you how to think!
They focus too much on the pre-seen and the models & frameworks … and what they think!
🤓 I want to know what you think! (Because you get marks for this!)
I can’t stand trying to learn someone else’s opinion – it’s so hard!
And remember the tutors sat their exam years ago and have a lot of technical knowledge to be able to create their opinions on.
It’s just not realistic for you to copy their opinion!
🤓 You need to learn your SCS opinion!
A key part of getting ready for your SCS exam day is to brainstorm and think (a lot) about what you’re going to write – why – and how.
Of course, the questions might ask you about a technical model: How can gametheory impact this decision?
I know if a tutor was in front of you, they would spend 22 minutes talking to you about gametheory (which is boring and overwhelming cos you know you’ll never remember it!)
and then 8 minutes giving you a few links to the pre-seen and a few ‘I can’ statements! 🙃🤦🏻♀️
Instead I want you to focus on what you think of gamethoery and how you think it will impact the *our* business (insert pre-seen)
Reminder: YES! You get marks for saying what you think!
Hopefully you get what I mean!
{And if you’re resitting your SCS you know exactly what I mean!}
They are my 3 main reasons why you don’t need a tutor to pass your SCS exam!
I should have warned you how passionate I am about this exam!
🤓 Yes of course I’m biased – because I have an amazing SCS Course which teaches you the exam techniques that actually work.
🤓 Yes – I know I can talk to you about my SCS Mountain Climb course and how my students get an average of 92.8 marks when they revise using this course (have a look here if you want!)
No – I’m not a tutor – I won’t refresh your E3 ~ P3 or F3 knowledge base
And you might need a little refresh if it’s been years since you sat those exams (But I have a bonus treat for you to help with that – when you join my SCS Course)
I coach differently and it works.
🤓I love the SCS Exam and I coach with passion ❤️💪🏻
💪🏻 Passion so that YOU pass your last CIMA exam!
💪🏻 Focused coaching so that you pass and get your life back
💪🏻 Specific SCS exam techniques so that you learn a new way (that works)
And most of all – we have revision fun!
Lucy is one of my previous SCS students (who got 102 on her 1st sitting by the way!) said:
“Helen was so enthusiastic about the case, it was infectious, She made sure I knew the case inside and out, without me even realising I was taking it!”
I want YOU sending me whatsapp messages like this on SCS results day:
Or … 😜😜🤓🤓
Okay – you get it – and I’ve gone off track from my blog (opps!)
There are lots of reasons why you don’t need a tutor to pass your SCS exam.
I wanted to write today to educate you, open your eyes even, and help you explore other options
(especially if you are a re-sitter)
If you want to see how I coach SCS students – you’re very welcome to join my next free Masterclass:
🤓 How to pass your SCS with 100 marks (without cramming or crying) > click here to join <
Thanks for reading and I’ll catch you over on Linkedin for more daily revision support 🤓❤️