ACCA candidates at the professional level are often reminded by the examiner that they can't rely solely on course notes - "wider reading" is necessary to form a deeper, more robust knowledge base with which to tackle studying and, ultimately, the exam.
In terms of the paper P4 Advanced Financial Management, wider reading ought to include the Financial Times and the Finance and Economics section of The Economist. There are also a number of textbooks recommended by the previous examiner, reviews of which will be posted here in due course. In this post, however, I'd like to bring your attention to a free course that includes readings and lectures and is absolutely free.
Owners of iPhones and iPads can download Apple's iTunes U app for access to thousands of free online university courses. One which is particularly insightful for P4 (or very ambitious F9) students is Yale University's Financial Markets course (link for those reading this from an iOS device).
This full course offers an Ivy League, Nobel laureate professor's introduction to financial markets, how they operate both in theory and in practice. Robert Shiller is a legend in finance and economics, and that Yale and Apple are giving this away for free is certainly to be commended.
This is an undergraduate course at Yale, however it often goes to much higher levels intellectually than P4 does (even though ACCA suggests the professional level papers are set at postgraduate degree levels).
How does it fit into my P4 studying?
This course certainly does not replace materials produced with the explicit intention of helping you pass P4. However, driven students may enjoy it as a means of providing greater context and intellectual depth to their P4 studies. In particular, I recommend checking out this course at two stages:
1. Upon completion of F9. If you enjoyed studying F9 but are unsure whether P4 is the right paper for you, I'd suggest that if you find Robert Shiller's introductory lectures interesting you are the type of candidate who will enjoy P4.
2. Upon completion of P4. P4 is a demanding exam, however if you truly want to work in treasury or financial management, a sound grounding in financial markets and economics is necessary and this course will go some way to filling in the gaps left after the ACCA exams. The course is entirely free so there is really no reason not to.
In terms of the paper P4 Advanced Financial Management, wider reading ought to include the Financial Times and the Finance and Economics section of The Economist. There are also a number of textbooks recommended by the previous examiner, reviews of which will be posted here in due course. In this post, however, I'd like to bring your attention to a free course that includes readings and lectures and is absolutely free.
Owners of iPhones and iPads can download Apple's iTunes U app for access to thousands of free online university courses. One which is particularly insightful for P4 (or very ambitious F9) students is Yale University's Financial Markets course (link for those reading this from an iOS device).
This full course offers an Ivy League, Nobel laureate professor's introduction to financial markets, how they operate both in theory and in practice. Robert Shiller is a legend in finance and economics, and that Yale and Apple are giving this away for free is certainly to be commended.
This is an undergraduate course at Yale, however it often goes to much higher levels intellectually than P4 does (even though ACCA suggests the professional level papers are set at postgraduate degree levels).
How does it fit into my P4 studying?
This course certainly does not replace materials produced with the explicit intention of helping you pass P4. However, driven students may enjoy it as a means of providing greater context and intellectual depth to their P4 studies. In particular, I recommend checking out this course at two stages:
1. Upon completion of F9. If you enjoyed studying F9 but are unsure whether P4 is the right paper for you, I'd suggest that if you find Robert Shiller's introductory lectures interesting you are the type of candidate who will enjoy P4.
2. Upon completion of P4. P4 is a demanding exam, however if you truly want to work in treasury or financial management, a sound grounding in financial markets and economics is necessary and this course will go some way to filling in the gaps left after the ACCA exams. The course is entirely free so there is really no reason not to.
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