Question

Mitigating circumstances

My March 2024 AAA exam had errors on Q1. It asked you to use exhibit 5 even though they only went up to 4. It had incorrect group/company names. Also used wrong reference numbers/exhibits. All in all a very confusing, unclear and inaccurate question which accounts for 50% of the paper.

ACCA have since acknowledge the variant issues. I too noted these in my mitigating circumstances.

Yesterday I got my results and I got 49%.

I feel utterly deflated as I did not have the full opportunity to showcase my ability on this paper, wasting valuable time just trying to work out what to answer and using which exhibits. I have been awarded a marginal fail of 49% with no breakdown or clarification of % score increase(if there even was one applied).

I did receive another email straight after my results which I have never had before, asking me if I want to appeal the mitigating circumstances costing £30.

What is the process? Everyone is telling me not to bother as never have they seen an appeal be upturned. However this is also the first time they have seen ACCA get an exam question so wrong.

It has made me even more anxious for my upcoming final exams as it doesn't seem fair. I have lost complete faith in ACCA.

I am unsure what to do next as the cost of £200 to resit the paper and the time and delay it will cause. All because the question in the paper was wrong to no fault of my own.

Answer 1

Hi Gabrielle,

I had the exact same issue in my exam and I also got 49.  

I have done the appeal and paid £30.  I have done on the basis that I'm not expecting it to be overturned and will be re-booking my exam in June.  However, if it does get overturned then it's a bonus.

I do feel that we have reasonable grounds for appeal given the question accounts for 50 marks of the question.  Also like you I spent far longer than I should have done on section A, due to re-reading everything which had an impact on the rest of the paper where I ran out of time.

There is no harm trying, it's whether you are willing to gamble £30. Good Luck.