Case Study is fundamentally unlike the other ACA papers.
Case Study is marked using a unique competency-based "closed-form" markscheme in which the marker is essentially performing a "matching" exercise, comparing whether your idea matches anything on the finalised ICAEW markscheme.
If the point is on the markscheme, you get credit. If not, you get nothing.
Actually, it is worse than that because you will have taken time to write a point (which may well be a great business idea) but you haven't been rewarded ... and you can't get your time back!
Clearly, Case Study needs a very different approach to the other ACA papers so, since 2013, our popular Cracking Case book has provided a practical, student-focused approach to help you learn what to do to tackle this strange exam.
Following the announcement by ICAEW of a change to the marking approach applied to Case Study (candidates will now be assessed based on the total number of marks obtained rather than being required to separately pass all 3 Requirements and the Executive Summary), we will not be releasing a Cracking Case book in 2023 as much of our content on exam technique and time management will need to be amended for this change.
We will return in 2024 after 2 sittings under the new approach, allowing us to discuss technique with students and review 2 past papers set under the new approach.
Drawing on our core value of Honesty, Cracking Case is based on our own unique approach to Case Study. We have developed this process over the years by focusing on what actually works from a practical point of view, even if this sometimes may require advice that sounds strange.
Case Study is a strange exam, so sometimes strange advice is needed!
When studying for Case Study ourselves, we were presented with various somewhat "jargon-filled" planning techniques and resources. While these seemed plausible at first sight and no doubt work for some purposes (such as writing reports in the real world), these techniques based on taking the "official" or "corporate" line on what Case Study requires did not really seem to work for us, or for others.
We therefore started again, trying to work as practically as possible and being honest about what you actually need to do to maximise your chances of passing.
Sometimes this means holding back on good ideas in your response, sometimes it means "playing the game" a little by going for the easier marks/wins. But that's just how it is, so that is how we work.
The 2024 edition of Cracking Case will be the 11th anniversary edition of the book. This means we have accumulated vast knowledge and experience, which we distil into our student-focused approach.
All 6 of our Case Study prize winners (global prize winners and regional prize winners) have been trained based on the technique set out in Cracking Case, whether on a self-study basis or taking part in our Live Online Course.
We have always written Cracking Case with students in mind, so we ensure that all advice is practical and workable within the constraints of the exam room.
Cracking Case also provides extensive discussion of what to do in the pre-exam period. This includes explanation of our popular Planning & Reminder Sheets which are designed to provide quick reference reminders for use under time pressure.
As always, we will carefully work through the learning points from the 2023 past papers to ensure that our advice is fully up-to-date. 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!
After the July 2024 sitting, we will make a free PDF download available for the benefit of November 2024 candidates. In this update, we will highlight any key learning points from the July 2024 past paper.
We are pleased to provide all purchasers of Cracking Case with a £40 discount on the cost of our full Case Study Mock Exam Pack for the relevant sitting. Cracking Case should help you understanding how to prepare and plan, and our live Mock Exam Pack will then allow you to put this theoretical learning into practice by completing full Mocks under time pressure, based on the live Case Study business. A killer combination of resources!
Cracking Case includes our popular and student-focused Planning & Reminder Sheets, which are designed to keep you focused on mark-scoring points and managed your time well. We include plenty of reminders of ideas that often score, based on our detailed analysis of the ICAEW past papers.