By Rizwan Maniya | ACCA APM Specialist | 17+ Years of Teaching Experience

Make Your APM Drafting Easy

Rizwan Maniya’s

expert insights into mastering technical marks in ACCA APM can be crucial to your success. With over 17 years of experience in teaching ACCA APM and having guided my students to secure over 25 nationwide positions in APM from various countries globally, as well as teaching more than 10,000 students, here’s what I’ve observed both from my teaching experience and from referring to ACCA resources, including *"Read the Marker's Mind"* documents, examiner reports, technical articles, and past papers. These strategies will help you maximize your technical marks in ACCA APM.

Guidelines To Easily Secure Technical Marks In The APM Exam

  1. One Valid Point for One Technical Mark: From my extensive experience with ACCA APM, I’ve observed that technical marks are awarded for valid points that uniquely fulfill the specific requirements of the question. A unique point should offer a distinct insight that directly addresses the ACCA APM question requirements. This can be articulated in a single sentence or expanded over a few sentences, depending on the level of explanation required. As long as the point meets the need of the requirement, it should earn a technical mark.

  2. Developing Points Also Earn Technical Marks: In ACCA APM, if you expand on a unique point by adding a developing point, you can earn additional technical marks. Each developing point must convey a distinct, non-repetitive message that continues to address the specific ACCA APM question requirements. By integrating these points within a paragraph, you can accumulate multiple technical marks, depending on how many unique insights you’ve provided.

  3. Uniqueness and Relevance for Technical Marks: The essence of earning technical marks in ACCA APM lies in presenting points that are both unique and relevant to the question. Whether these points stand alone or build on earlier points, each should offer new insights that satisfy the ACCA APM question’s requirements. This focus on uniqueness and relevance is critical in aligning with the ACCA examiner’s expectations.

  4. Structure and Presentation for Marked Requirements (Technical Marks): For a 10 or 13 mark ACCA APM question, aim to present a corresponding number of valid, unique points to maximize technical marks. These can be standalone or developing points, and they’re most effectively presented in well-structured paragraphs.

    - Paragraph Structure: When writing a unique point in your ACCA APM answers, dedicate a paragraph to it, whether that’s one sentence or a few. If you have a developing point that adds something new and meets the requirement, it should be included in the same paragraph. This approach ensures that a single paragraph might earn multiple technical marks.

    - Standalone Points: For standalone unique points, it’s best to write them in separate paragraphs. This helps maintain clarity and organization in your ACCA APM answer, with each paragraph potentially contributing multiple technical marks if it includes both unique and developing points.

  5. Earning Easy Technical Marks by Explaining Models, Techniques, or Methods: In ACCA APM answers, it’s often beneficial to start with a brief explanation of any model, technique, or method mentioned in the question, such as Just-in-Time (JIT). This straightforward step can secure at least one easy mark before you proceed to the main elements of your ACCA APM response. By doing so, you demonstrate your understanding of the concept and then focus on addressing the core subject or object of the ACCA APM question.

  6. Earning Technical Calculative Marks: On the technical calculative side of ACCA APM, marks are typically awarded based on the relevance and correctness of individual calculations. Generally, it’s one mark per relevant calculation that contributes to the final answer. For instance, in a question requiring the calculation of Economic Value Added (EVA) in ACCA APM, you might earn one mark for adding back advertising costs, another for adjusting interest after tax, and so on, with each step in the calculation process potentially earning a mark. Additionally, one mark is usually awarded for the final calculation of the EVA itself. Therefore, for a seven-mark ACCA APM question, aim to perform six distinct, relevant calculations plus the final EVA calculation, ensuring that each step contributes to the accurate final answer.

Guidelines to Easily Secure Professional Marks in the APM Exam

Guidelines to Easily Secure Professional Marks in the APM Exam

  1. Section A: 10 professional marks are allocated to the Section A question (10 out of 50 marks), and all four professional skills—Communication, Analysis and Evaluation, Professional Skepticism, and Commercial Acumen—will be assessed.

  2. - Section B: 5 professional marks are allocated to each Section B question (5 out of 25 marks per question). Three of the four skills will be tested (excluding Communication). It’s possible that all three skills—Analysis and Evaluation, Professional Skepticism, and Commercial Acumen—will be tested, or only two of them. Among these, Analysis and Evaluation is a major skill and will be tested across all APM questions.

1. Communication Skill

  1. Report Format and Structure: Marks are awarded for the general report format and structure, including the use of headings, subheadings, and an introduction. Approximately 1 mark is allocated for this aspect.

  2.  Style, Language, Clarity, and Effectiveness of Communication: Marks are given for the style, language, clarity, and effectiveness of communication in relation to the content of the report and how well the answer is tailored to the question scenario. Multiple marks will be available, typically ranging from 1 to 2 or more, depending on the quality.

  3. Adherence to Specific Requirements: Marks are also given for fulfilling specific instructions outlined in the question. For example, if the question requests the provision of only two KPIs, adhering to this requirement will earn marks under communication. Approximately 1 mark is typically awarded for this.

2. Analysis and Evaluation Skill

  1. Link to Examination Verbs and Objects/Elements: A straightforward way to secure marks in Analysis and Evaluation is by closely aligning your answer with the examination requirements, particularly the verbs (e.g., evaluate, analyze) and objects or elements specified in the question. By ensuring that you fulfill the need of the verb and address all relevant objects or elements of the question, you directly contribute to earning marks under this skill.

  2.  Covering All Aspects of the Requirement (Evaluation Skill): Covering All Aspects of the Requirement (Evaluation Skill): To excel in Evaluation, ensure that you use a systematic and logical approach, and also cover all necessary aspects related to the requirements by thoroughly using the scenario provided. This means incorporating all relevant information from the scenario, such as issues, positives, and negatives, to offer a balanced view that directly addresses the question's requirements

  3. Appropriate Use of Data and Information (Analysis Skill): To excel in Analysis, it is important to effectively utilize data and information to support discussions and draw conclusions. Students should also have the confidence to identify and mention when data is limited or missing, noting that additional information may be needed for a complete analysis.

    Note:     Multiple marks will be available for a well-written, quality answer, depending on how effectively the skill has been demonstrated. A good, well-structured response can attract high marks for this skill.

3. Professional Skepticism

  1. Adopt a Questioning and Challenging Attitude: A key aspect of professional skepticism in APM is maintaining a questioning and challenging attitude. Candidates should be prepared to challenge statements or assumptions presented in the scenario. This means not fully relying on the information provided without scrutiny. For example, if the scenario includes statements from the production manager or CEO claiming that business operations are satisfactory or that customers are happy, it’s crucial to demonstrate the ability to probe further. Investigating whether these statements are accurate or supported by evidence shows a strong application of professional skepticism.

  2. Variability of Application: The application of professional skepticism will vary from question to question or scenario to scenario, as it depends entirely on the specifics of the question and the scenario. Candidates need to apply skepticism where it is most relevant based on the details provided.

4. Commercial Acumen

  1. Effective Use of Examples from the Scenario: The easiest way to earn marks for Commercial Acumen is by effectively using examples from the scenario to support your statements. This involves linking your answer to specific details provided in the scenario. By doing so, you demonstrate a strong understanding of the business environment and its implications, which is key to displaying commercial acumen.

  2. Relevance, Plausibility, and Practical Considerations: Students should ensure that whatever they write is relevant to the context of the scenario, plausible, and grounded in practical considerations. This means that the points made should be realistic, credible, and directly applicable to the situation described in the scenario.

Important Notes

1. Summary for Easy Marks

  1. Analysis and Evaluation: The simplest way to secure marks under Analysis and Evaluation is by fulfilling the need of the requirement—this means addressing the verbs (e.g., evaluate, analyze) and answering all the objects or elements in the context of the business scenario.
  2. Commercial Acumen: The easiest way to earn marks for Commercial Acumen is by effectively using examples from the scenario to support your statements.

2. Distribution and Flexibility of Professional Marks

It’s important to note that there is no defined marking allocation skill-wise for these professional marks. The examiner will assign marks based on how well the student has demonstrated their skills across the areas of Communication, Analysis and Evaluation, Professional Skepticism, and Commercial Acumen. For example, a student who may not effectively demonstrate Professional Skepticism but excels in Analysis and Evaluation, as well as the other skills, can still potentially achieve full professional marks.

3. Official Past Paper Answers

The official past paper answers are always good to read from a knowledge perspective as they are detailed and lengthy, but it's important to remember that replicating those answers verbatim in the exam will not necessarily ensure a pass. It’s beneficial to study these answers, provided that you don’t get confused into thinking that you have to replicate the same level of detail under exam conditions. In an exam situation, you are not expected to write in such a detailed manner.

4. No Single Right Answer in APM

In APM, there is no one right answer. The key is to have the right approach. Whatever you write should be well justified according to the need of the requirement.

Disclaimer: The strategies and observations provided here are based on my extensive experience teaching ACCA APM and are derived from public ACCA resources such as

Read the Marker's Mind documents, examiner reports, technical articles, and past papers available on the ACCA Global website. While these strategies align with the current understanding of how technical marks are typically awarded, it’s important to note that marking practices can evolve, and the final judgement always rests with the ACCA examiners during the actual examination. As new information or changes in examiner expectations emerge, I will adapt these observations and update them accordingly to ensure they remain relevant and effective.