Today I looked for the first time at the example final exam in the course pack. It really got me anxious. I got the same “numbers anxiety” I had before both of my Financial Accounting exams in the Fall term.
All the concepts that are covered in the exam are pretty much familiar and related to our course work during the module: standard cost system, activity based costing, transfer prices, management control systems, variance analysis, and all other sub-concepts entailed. However we were working on the cases in groups and had all materials available on hand. The actual exam is in closed book/notes format, and we will have to work individually.
The sample exam has total about 20 questions. Our actual one will probably have less, because the example one was designed as take home exam and had 24 hours allowed for completion, whereas our final is going to be in class, only two and a half hours. Still looking at the nature of questions I realize that I will have to review everything we have studied, because none of the questions I was able to answer off the top of my head.
On Saturday we have our study group meeting to discuss and work on the example and to prepare in any way we can for the Managerial Accounting exam. I hope it will help us to formalize and crystalize everything, OK -not everything, but most of what we have learned in the course (hopefully at least something). The time is very short, especially given that I will have to find time for preparation for Global Perspectives too. Admittedly, given its open book format I will spend less time on that preparation than on Accounting.
Professor told us that the exam content: narrative and all accompanying exhibits with numbers, and tables, and diagrams, will be available to us online 24 hours before the exam. But the actual questions will be revealed only at the exam. We can anticipate the kind of questions based on the example exam, but still actual application of the accounting principles we have learned, and calculations will be done in class. I’d better go to sleep now, to be productive tomorrow for the study group and individual studies.
I already announced to the family, as I usually do before the finals week, that I would be unavailable and irresponsive for the next few days until the end of exams. Even more coffee and chocolate – the upside of the stressful week in part-time MBA life, I guess 
Disclaimer: The pictue at the top of this post is not mine . It is from End Anxiety Disorder website
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
i’m a part time mba student in NYC getting ready for my last final can you email me a copy of your sample final to help me study for my final exam?
I don’t have a copy of the exam, it stayed with professor.
Final exam in accounting 1
I am an MBA student too and have my final in Managerial Accounting coming up next week. Just like you, I feel comfortable with everything we’ve learned thus far, but then our professor passed out a ‘sample’ exam that he’s given in the past. It’s basically 3 pages of information on a company with tables, and “employee comments” and then he asks only one or two questions at the end. But to arrive at those final answers, there must be a ton of calculations performed by extracting the relevant data from the writeup. We have four hours. I looks to be a brutal exam. I wish I could find examples of more accounting finals.
Sorry, I don’t have sample exams to share. Wish you luck at the exam!