Business success is largely predicated on collecting data on activity and utilising this to make plans, take decisions and assess and control performance. The ACCA F5 Paper aims to provide the knowledge and techniques, such as activity based costing, required to do this. These principal ideas and capabilities can be found at the F5 Paper microsite in the Examiner’s Guidance and the “Syllabus and Study Guide”.

There are five parts to the syllabus, A to E. Management and specialist cost techniques are examined in Area A. This concentrates on the different types of approach to costing needed for “just in time” manufacturing and other recent business concepts. An examination of decision making methodologies is provided by subject area B. This teaches students how and when to use the appropriate decision making approach, perhaps transfer pricing, according to the prevailing time frames, pricing and risks.

Section C concentrates on budgeting. Through this subject area, students are given a grounding in four of the primary techniques for quantitative budgeting and taught how to decide which of these will be of greatest assistance to management when planning, coordinating and controlling activity. Interestingly, the area also looks at behavioural budgeting, giving an appreciation of how budgets can be used as objectives to motivate performance.

Area D covers standard costing and variance analysis, both essential aspects of the management accountant role. Accountants are able to assess and manage performance, pinpointing and rectifying issues, by using knowledge of standard costing systems and calculating materials mix and yield variance. Finally, Area E, performance measurement and control, gives the student the insight needed to properly view the performance of an organisation from all necessary angles.

Not surprisingly, a detailed knowledge of the syllabus should help students go much of the way to achieving the Examiner’s aim for the F5 Paper. Reference to the Examiner articles and interviews will help clarify this.  These resources allow the Examiner to provide study tips and highlight problem areas such as inadequate subject knowledge, failing to interpret data, not connecting answers to the exam questions and not presenting an opinion. Furthermore, suggestions are given on effective revision. The F5 paper microsite on performance management accounting; a blueprint for achieving exam success!