CTA Exams
Hi Guys,
I am in the process of booking for my Advanced Technical - IND but l don't know the study method l should go for that will help me to pass. I don't have enough to fund for the tuition so l am thinking of using Tolley's Distance Learning.
Has anyone use Distance Learning before and did it work for you?
I did my CBE paper on my own and passed both of them.
Please kindly advice me.
CTA Studier
I am in the process of booking for my Advanced Technical - IND but l don't know the study method l should go for that will help me to pass. I don't have enough to fund for the tuition so l am thinking of using Tolley's Distance Learning.
Has anyone use Distance Learning before and did it work for you?
I did my CBE paper on my own and passed both of them.
Please kindly advice me.
CTA Studier
Scroll to see replies
Original post by DonDuck
Hi CTA Studier
Will this be your first CTA exam (other than the CBEs)? What previous qualifications have you done? Like for example are you ACA or maybe you’ve sat the ATT papers?
Will this be your first CTA exam (other than the CBEs)? What previous qualifications have you done? Like for example are you ACA or maybe you’ve sat the ATT papers?
This is not my first exams. I have done ACCA and completed it. Working in a practice
Original post by CTA Studier
This is not my first exams. I have done ACCA and completed it. Working in a practice
Forgot to mention that this will be my first CTA exam
Hello,
I’m currently doing ACA/CTA joint program and just have my advanced papers and CTA to pass.
My tuition is mostly through Kaplan but I have done distance learning before and, honestly, found it better than Kaplans lectures.
If you’ve already sat and passed other exams through distance learning, plus you’re already qualified, I think you’ll be fine with distance learning!
Best of luck
I’m currently doing ACA/CTA joint program and just have my advanced papers and CTA to pass.
My tuition is mostly through Kaplan but I have done distance learning before and, honestly, found it better than Kaplans lectures.
If you’ve already sat and passed other exams through distance learning, plus you’re already qualified, I think you’ll be fine with distance learning!
Best of luck
Original post by Miarb383
Hello,
I’m currently doing ACA/CTA joint program and just have my advanced papers and CTA to pass.
My tuition is mostly through Kaplan but I have done distance learning before and, honestly, found it better than Kaplans lectures.
If you’ve already sat and passed other exams through distance learning, plus you’re already qualified, I think you’ll be fine with distance learning!
Best of luck
I’m currently doing ACA/CTA joint program and just have my advanced papers and CTA to pass.
My tuition is mostly through Kaplan but I have done distance learning before and, honestly, found it better than Kaplans lectures.
If you’ve already sat and passed other exams through distance learning, plus you’re already qualified, I think you’ll be fine with distance learning!
Best of luck
Hi Miarb383,
Thank you for your great advice.
I will go ahead with the distance learning in that case.
Best of luck to you as well.
I don't think think that was great advice.
CTA is a whole different ballgame when it comes to studying. The syllabus is huge - it's much worse than any of the accountancy exams.
The two CBE exams you did (law and ethics, you'll have been exempt from accounting) are really easy. TBH, you could have guessed your way through ethics. These exams are not reflective of the 'real' CTA exams.
AT IND is one of the least awful written papers (I'm assuming you work in the personal tax team of a practice, rather than something like VAT or CT), but you'll still benefit from tuition. You're actually really late to be registering now - CIOT will let you sign up by the end of March for an extra £100, but all of the tuition providers (Tolleys, BPP and Kaplan) have already finished their 'taught phase' classes and are about to move onto their 'revision' classes.
Is there any reason you have to sit now in May? I'd be tempted to hold off until the November sitting, especially as you're self-funding and can't afford to be doing resit after resit.
Honestly... don't underestimate how much harder CTA is than ACCA/ACA/CA. You can self-study for ATT, but Tolleys selling materials only to people for CTA is setting them up to fail.
CTA is a whole different ballgame when it comes to studying. The syllabus is huge - it's much worse than any of the accountancy exams.
The two CBE exams you did (law and ethics, you'll have been exempt from accounting) are really easy. TBH, you could have guessed your way through ethics. These exams are not reflective of the 'real' CTA exams.
AT IND is one of the least awful written papers (I'm assuming you work in the personal tax team of a practice, rather than something like VAT or CT), but you'll still benefit from tuition. You're actually really late to be registering now - CIOT will let you sign up by the end of March for an extra £100, but all of the tuition providers (Tolleys, BPP and Kaplan) have already finished their 'taught phase' classes and are about to move onto their 'revision' classes.
Is there any reason you have to sit now in May? I'd be tempted to hold off until the November sitting, especially as you're self-funding and can't afford to be doing resit after resit.
Honestly... don't underestimate how much harder CTA is than ACCA/ACA/CA. You can self-study for ATT, but Tolleys selling materials only to people for CTA is setting them up to fail.
Original post by fossie
I don't think think that was great advice.
CTA is a whole different ballgame when it comes to studying. The syllabus is huge - it's much worse than any of the accountancy exams.
The two CBE exams you did (law and ethics, you'll have been exempt from accounting) are really easy. TBH, you could have guessed your way through ethics. These exams are not reflective of the 'real' CTA exams.
AT IND is one of the least awful written papers (I'm assuming you work in the personal tax team of a practice, rather than something like VAT or CT), but you'll still benefit from tuition. You're actually really late to be registering now - CIOT will let you sign up by the end of March for an extra £100, but all of the tuition providers (Tolleys, BPP and Kaplan) have already finished their 'taught phase' classes and are about to move onto their 'revision' classes.
Is there any reason you have to sit now in May? I'd be tempted to hold off until the November sitting, especially as you're self-funding and can't afford to be doing resit after resit.
Honestly... don't underestimate how much harder CTA is than ACCA/ACA/CA. You can self-study for ATT, but Tolleys selling materials only to people for CTA is setting them up to fail.
CTA is a whole different ballgame when it comes to studying. The syllabus is huge - it's much worse than any of the accountancy exams.
The two CBE exams you did (law and ethics, you'll have been exempt from accounting) are really easy. TBH, you could have guessed your way through ethics. These exams are not reflective of the 'real' CTA exams.
AT IND is one of the least awful written papers (I'm assuming you work in the personal tax team of a practice, rather than something like VAT or CT), but you'll still benefit from tuition. You're actually really late to be registering now - CIOT will let you sign up by the end of March for an extra £100, but all of the tuition providers (Tolleys, BPP and Kaplan) have already finished their 'taught phase' classes and are about to move onto their 'revision' classes.
Is there any reason you have to sit now in May? I'd be tempted to hold off until the November sitting, especially as you're self-funding and can't afford to be doing resit after resit.
Honestly... don't underestimate how much harder CTA is than ACCA/ACA/CA. You can self-study for ATT, but Tolleys selling materials only to people for CTA is setting them up to fail.
Thanks for your concern
I am not doing exam in May because l know what it takes to sit for CTA.
I am only using Tolley distance learning to get myself ready for the revision classes towards the exams.
I am not under-estimating CTA if that's what you are thinking.
Original post by CTA Studier
Thanks for your concern
I am not doing exam in May because l know what it takes to sit for CTA.
I am only using Tolley distance learning to get myself ready for the revision classes towards the exams.
I am not under-estimating CTA if that's what you are thinking.
I am not doing exam in May because l know what it takes to sit for CTA.
I am only using Tolley distance learning to get myself ready for the revision classes towards the exams.
I am not under-estimating CTA if that's what you are thinking.
I think the other poster certainly is underestimating CTA - by the sounds of it, they haven't done the CTA training yet, only the ACA exams, and those ones are a lot easier. There's a marked difference between accountancy exams and CTA exams.
Distance learning in Tolleys speak means all of the materials and some practice exams. It does not include tuition or revision. Are you saying you plan to buy the distance learning materials and to pay for revision classes (part 2), but not the tuition classes (part 1)?
Original post by timmieZ
Hello CTA Studier,
Have you chosen Kaplan or Tolleys distance learning? How do you like them? It seems that you sit November 2022? When have you started to prepare for the exam?
Have you chosen Kaplan or Tolleys distance learning? How do you like them? It seems that you sit November 2022? When have you started to prepare for the exam?
Original post by timmieZ
Hello CTA Studier,
Have you chosen Kaplan or Tolleys distance learning? How do you like them? It seems that you sit November 2022? When have you started to prepare for the exam?
Have you chosen Kaplan or Tolleys distance learning? How do you like them? It seems that you sit November 2022? When have you started to prepare for the exam?
I went for Trolleys for awareness and AT IND. I’m sitting those in Nov and I’m not too confident that I’d pass. What about you?
I registered for the distance learning with Tolley. Started reading months ago. I later booked for a booster course and it’s even very helpful. CTA is very intense but with much dedication and support you will be fine. Regarding the knowledge l will say 50% okay at the moment. Going through questions day by day has been helping as well. My only problem is the exam4 that we are using for the exam.
Original post by Sooblessed88
I went for Trolleys for awareness and AT IND. I’m sitting those in Nov and I’m not too confident that I’d pass. What about you?
I registered for the distance learning with Tolley. Started reading months ago. I later booked for a booster course and it’s even very helpful. CTA is very intense but with much dedication and support you will be fine. Regarding the knowledge l will say 50% okay at the moment. Going through questions day by day has been helping as well. My only problem is the exam4 that we are using for the exam.
Original post by CTA Studier
I registered for the distance learning with Tolley. Started reading months ago. I later booked for a booster course and it’s even very helpful. CTA is very intense but with much dedication and support you will be fine. Regarding the knowledge l will say 50% okay at the moment. Going through questions day by day has been helping as well. My only problem is the exam4 that we are using for the exam.
Sweet! When you say booster course do you mean the revision course from Trolley? Which ones are you sitting in Nov? Are those the first non CBE ones you sitting? I actually forgot when I started reading exactly but I too started reading months ago and going through questions thesedays. But the scope is way too broad! I downloaded exam 4 as well but it seems super school :/
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by Sooblessed88
Sweet! When you say booster course do you mean the revision course from Trolley? Which ones are you sitting in Nov? Are those the first non CBE ones you sitting? I actually forgot when I started reading exactly but I too started reading months ago and going through questions thesedays. But the scope is way too broad! I downloaded exam 4 as well but it seems super school :/
The booster course is not Tolley. It’s called Taxbooster and it is very intense. I am sitting Adv Technical Individual in Nov.
Original post by CTA Studier
The booster course is not Tolley. It’s called Taxbooster and it is very intense. I am sitting Adv Technical Individual in Nov.
Original post by Sooblessed88
Sweet! When you say booster course do you mean the revision course from Trolley? Which ones are you sitting in Nov? Are those the first non CBE ones you sitting? I actually forgot when I started reading exactly but I too started reading months ago and going through questions thesedays. But the scope is way too broad! I downloaded exam 4 as well but it seems super school :/
I have done the 2 CBE and passes both
Original post by CTA Studier
The booster course is not Tolley. It’s called Taxbooster and it is very intense. I am sitting Adv Technical Individual in Nov.
Hey, how did your one go? I think I might be able to scrape a pass if I’m very lucky. There were bits I was quite unsure about though (especially in the first part of the exam)
Original post by Miarb383
Hello,
I’m currently doing ACA/CTA joint program and just have my advanced papers and CTA to pass.
My tuition is mostly through Kaplan but I have done distance learning before and, honestly, found it better than Kaplans lectures.
If you’ve already sat and passed other exams through distance learning, plus you’re already qualified, I think you’ll be fine with distance learning!
Best of luck
I’m currently doing ACA/CTA joint program and just have my advanced papers and CTA to pass.
My tuition is mostly through Kaplan but I have done distance learning before and, honestly, found it better than Kaplans lectures.
If you’ve already sat and passed other exams through distance learning, plus you’re already qualified, I think you’ll be fine with distance learning!
Best of luck
Hi I know this is quite a while since you posted but I am on board to do the joint programme and i wanted to know how hard it is?
Original post by CTA Studier
The booster course is not Tolley. It’s called Taxbooster and it is very intense. I am sitting Adv Technical Individual in Nov.
Which brings me to my next point. Many people DO pass CTA using distance learning with Tolley or Kaplan. But they are not the majority. They are the self funding students, working full time, maybe moms having kids and returning to work. But the passes you see posted on Linkedin and forums are mainly people age around 25 who are doing full taught courses sponsored by employer. The pass rate for distance learning is much lower than taught courses mainly because of the reasons WHY those people are distance learning. If you want to juggle a heavy job and family with study, you put in for the exams 3 months in advance , but you dont know what will crop up and you might not have a straight run of work and study. Distance learning students also take longer to pass since they are doing other things as well. Wheras students on the expensive taught courses are employer sponsored usually with study leave from work so they have nothing to do but study. And a good taught course will help you immensely since it is better than trawling though 1200 pages of study manuals.
So I would say, if you have the money and time (or your boss will give you study leave) go on a decent taught course with Kaplan, Tolley or BPP . If you love videos, BPP is the best for you, they also have the best tutors.
Many distance students doing advanced technical combine distance learning with a revision course to consolidate and some mock exams with tutor feedback.
I do not think it will be easy to pass the case study via distance learning. It is a crazy paper. Write for 3 hours on one question, including all taxes. You need yourself some decent tuition unless you are report writing in your job
TaxBooster hasn’t been around for long, but the tutor is ex-Kaplan, so isn’t “new” so to speak.
You get what you pay for. Yes, the tutor is chaotic and is prone to rescheduling things all the time, but the courses are intended to supplement ‘real’ courses with BPP, Tolleys and Kaplan, not replace them. Anyone only doing a TaxBooster course and not a full taught course elsewhere is setting themselves up for a fail.
The cost of a TaxBooster course will get you maybe three hours with one of the higher end private tutors out there. (Private tutors are excellent, but hugely expensive - again, you get what you pay for.)
I know some people in real life who got through their resits with help from TaxBooster and swear blind by it. Others, not so successful.
Some tutors attract very Marmite-y opinions.
But I do take your point that if you’re the sort of person who likes a rigid schedule, a TaxBooster course may not be for you.
You get what you pay for. Yes, the tutor is chaotic and is prone to rescheduling things all the time, but the courses are intended to supplement ‘real’ courses with BPP, Tolleys and Kaplan, not replace them. Anyone only doing a TaxBooster course and not a full taught course elsewhere is setting themselves up for a fail.
The cost of a TaxBooster course will get you maybe three hours with one of the higher end private tutors out there. (Private tutors are excellent, but hugely expensive - again, you get what you pay for.)
I know some people in real life who got through their resits with help from TaxBooster and swear blind by it. Others, not so successful.
Some tutors attract very Marmite-y opinions.
But I do take your point that if you’re the sort of person who likes a rigid schedule, a TaxBooster course may not be for you.
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