R04
Clairebear512
Member
in CPD & Exams
Would anyone like a study buddy for R04? I am starting to study for this mid September. Claire
Comments
Hi Claire, how are you finding it so far? I've just started it and really struggling to get into it! All the DB stuff just gives me headache!
Does anyone have any study guides/notes/ past papers they can send over? In return I can give anyone this years Redmill Advance docs for ro4
Thanks, Tom
Hi Tom,
I've not started yet, waiting on my book arriving and then I will make a start. Do you have a date in mind for the exam?
Claire
Not sure yet - I know a lot of people like to book the exam and work towards it - I like to have a good idea i'll pass and then book it! I'd like it before the Christmas rush though!
If you want, let me know your email address and i'll send over some things I have that might help you
Sarah
Hi Sarah, I got the Cii book last week but haven't started yet, but more than happy to buddy up for this.
Claire
Hi all
Would you guys mind if i joined with regards to studying by any chance?
@sophiehutchings95 You are more than welcome.
Claire
@Royals430 How did you get on today?
Claire
Hi
I've just started studying and have gotten to Chapter 2.2, so I've still have quite a way to go! Would like to take the exam before Christmas but I'm finding this quite tough going. Seems to be much harder than either R03 and R02. Would you mind me joining your study group?
Mark
@harpoon More than happy for you to join the study group. Remember to set yourself realistic goals for your exam date, don't put yourself under a crazy amount of pressure, especially at this time of year.
Claire
I got 58% and am retaking next week.
There were a lot of questions on trustees (DB schemes) which I was surprised by as its not heavily focused on in the book (CH4/E onwards). I think I was asked about 4+ questions on this and was pretty much the difference between me passing/failing.
If anyone is stressing over the multi-selection questions, they were a lot easier in the real exam
Please can someone with the 2019/2020 syllabus send me the practice paper they provide on the ‘getting started’ section!
Thanks
@Royals430 What's your email address an I will send it over or can I attach it here?
@Royals430 Sorry to hear about your result - it really is the luck of the draw sometimes with the questions isn't it! Best of luck with the retake.
If you're also looking for the updated study text, the CII publish all their textbooks online if you didn't know - https://www.cii.co.uk/learning/support/cii-study-texts/
I've also got the 2019/20 PDF which is an easier format than the website, happy to email it to you if you want, just drop me a message with your email address.
I'm doing the exam in just under two weeks, I'm worrying that I'm not going to have time to put all the study in that I'll need as I've definitely not done enough yet! Fingers crossed, hopefully I can get it done first time.
Good luck to you too!
how do you guys study?
Can i give you my email address please and you can let me know when you're studying?
Great thanks
How do you guys study?
@sophiehutchings95 Yeah, of course. We can set up a study plan and set ourselves goals for when to read a section/chapter by?
Finally got R04 under my belt last week, and before I forget everything I learnt I thought I’d share a few things!
Firstly, it’s a massive book for only 50 questions, 39 of which are single answer questions. Make sure you go over every single section. This sounds obvious but for an exam which relies on elimination, it’s key. Make your guesses a 50/50 guess instead of a 25/75 guess by just knowing that 1 little thing relative!!
Secondly, CH4 and 5 are very similar. The content is exactly the same the way it’s laid out, but there are subtle differences between the DB and DC schemes! If you become really steady on these chapters which is a bulk part of the exam, you’ll be fine with the multi-selection questions as CH8 is basically a recap of CH4/5!
Good luck!
Well done on passing it. I've been told it's one of the harder ones (although I did better in that one than any of my other R0 exams!!).
I think it's worth more than 10 credits as well, so timing is also an important factor - that hour doesn't last very long. Fortunately there don't seem to be very technical calculations (but I would still learn some of the basic ones, eg calculating max PCLS from a DB scheme using commutation factors).
I'd also buy some extra question sets. I bought some from the CII but other providers are thought highly of, especially BrandFT. I can't speak for them as I've not used them, but the CII ones were very useful for me
I have got ro5 and was just thinking of doing cemap but then again I want to be an ifa?
What would you guys think?
@Abbas78600 I would maybe park R01 for just now, it took me 4 times to pass it. I think it would be a good idea to tackle the others then go back to R01. I had to have a break from R02 as I failed it twice and I studied for another exam and passed that one.
> @Abbas78600 I would maybe park R01 for just now, it took me 4 times to pass it. I think it would be a good idea to tackle the others then go back to R01. I had to have a break from R02 as I failed it twice and I studied for another exam and passed that one.
Shal I leave ro1 till the right end after ro6. I will be going for ro3 then ro4 is this a good choice.
You will forget so much stuff you already know if you move away from it! I would suggest skim reading the whole book again and take note of any areas you’re not familiar with. You just need to fill in the gaps!
Purchase the BrandFt exams, 3 exams for like £30. If you’re getting around 58/62% in these you’re ready. The 3 exams will covers most areas in the book and not repeat questions, so don’t be put off if you get less in the 3rd exam. Go through the wrong answers and smash the real thing!
I managed to pass R04 on Wednesday, thankfully! It was a real odd mix of questions for me, somehow managed to pull at least half of them from my very weakest areas!
Luckily also had a lot of questions of calculating LTA with primary protection/protected TFC entitlement, and calculations on commuting PCLS and subsequently reducing the scheme pensions, and that was one of my stronger areas.
There was also a couple of questions on calculating threshold income and adjusted annual income for tapering the annual allowance, so I definitely recommend familiarising yourself with the calculations that might come up, as they’re easy points to get when you know how to do them.
Death benefits also came up repeatedly, make sure you have the differences between DC/DB schemes and pre and post 75 death down.
Do as many test papers as you can, the Brand ones are good (and I can send 2019/20 to anyone who wants them) and also the question pack on RevisionMate is perfect for knowledge testing.
I’m going straight into R05 now, trying to get it done in the next couple of weeks so I can do R06 in January.
Good luck everyone!
@laura0604 Well done! You must be so happy
Can you please send me the Brand test papers. x
Well Done @laura0604
Hopefully we can chat over Christmas as i'm also aiming to take R06 in Jan.
You'll be fine with R05, its just retention to information! Go fill your brain!
Speak soon
For those of you who have passed R04, how many months did you give yourselves to pass the exam? The exam dates only go up to February and I think that is unrealistic a goal to set myself. What do you all think?
Claire
I think it really depends on you and how you study best/how much time you are able to spend studying.
I read about two chapters of R04 back in August, then a load of stuff came up both at work and at home that meant I had no time or inclination to study for about 6 weeks but I really wanted to get the exam done and I knew I would need time pressure to motivate myself so I booked it in October giving myself about 3.5 weeks to study, and I did most of the work in the 3 days (& nights!) before the exam.
I am 100% a crammer though, and this is the way I learn best, but it definitely won't be a good or healthy way for most people!
I think everyone learns differently and what is effective for one person would be the total opposite for someone else - personally I read the whole text book and then do every test on RevisionMate/Brand tests, referring back to the text book to go over every question I get wrong and also every question where I'm not totally sure of the answer. It's laborious but thorough - it works for me but isn't for everyone.
I got my feedback through yesterday and I got 37/50 or 74% so even though lots of the exam I got on the day was on my weakest areas, because I'd gone through every area of the syllabus so thoroughly it was enough for a fairly secure pass, even if I was hoping for higher mark - a pass is a pass at the end of the day!
RevisionMate have a study planner where you can put in a start date and exam date, and it will breakdown the chapters into the hours of study it recommends and give you dates to have completed the chapter study by - that could be useful for you to keep track of how you are getting on and how much you have left to do?