How not to fail?

[barney]

Hi, I work in Pensions but am worried that many people in my workplace have had difficulty passing ST4. Many people are sitting in this April and most of them have already failed it at least once. Why?!! There's nothing excessively difficult in the course when you work in Pensions.

 

[Calum]

There's nothing excessively difficult in the course when you work in Pensions.

I suspect the answer is contained within your question. It can be a lot easier to screw something up when you think you already know it. Case in point - I did quite a lot of linear algebra before starting my current course, thought I knew it, and ended up barely scraping 60% in the exam in December. Unhappy bunny, but lesson learnt.

 

[didster]

Part of the problem may be that some people think only in terms of a UK context (or whatever jurisdiction that they're in). Another may be not answering the specifics of a question but instead going off writing loads on a similar topic you know lots about.

If you find it's easy great for you. I, on the other hand, found it a bit disappointing that my supposed area of expertise, pensions, was the only subject I failed (ST4 once and SA4 twice but the latter may have to do with unfamiliarity with the UK environment).

Good luck.

 

[bystander]

I suspect the issues are twofold:
i) you are blinkered because you are used to your own office views/approach
ii) you know too much, forget the obvious and go into too much detail and therefore potentially lack breadth of answer.

If its any consolation I bet there is a similar phenomenon life people from life offices with ST2.

No easy answer except study examiners reports to find points that to you are so obvious you don't think to write them down. Start from these and build up your answers to the more complex unusual ideas at the end of your answer....And don't run out of time by getting carried away.