How to use spreadsheet functions for the ACCA CBE Strategic Professional Exams

[@cwhittle8397]

Hi Steve, I would like to inform you i completed my ACCA exams passing APM and no doubt in part due to your help. So thank you very much

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Great to hear! Well done. :)

[@md.minhazulhaqacma3265]

Excellent good delivery.

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Thank you kindly!

[@vanshika8868]

Hey Steve ! Very helpful one query though can I copy the financial information in the tabular format to the spreadsheet would save ton of time in calculating ratios for AFM , thanks !

[@SteveWillisACCA]

The last time I tried the copy-paste didn't preserve the table form when copied into the spreadsheet--but maybe this has changed. They are updating the exam system regularly. But copy/pasting individual figures works--you can try this and see if it's faster for you.

[@sameerayarlagadda1303]

Hi, I wanted to know if it is possible to insert a row or a column in between in case we miss out and want to add later in this spreadsheet like how we do in excel?

[@SteveWillisACCA]

You can do it, but not as easily as in Excel: there is no, 'right-click-insert-row." So you need to grab the range of cells, cut and paste it down one row, and then fix all the formulas. Exam tech advice: Leave an extra row at the bottom of any working so you can park an extra calculation in your range without having to do the, "Cut-paste-tweak formula" move.

[@sameerayarlagadda1303]

@@SteveWillisACCA Thank you 👍

[@1627esther]

Dear Steve, many thanks for your great video which is really helpful, really appreciate! just one query I have is whether the format painter function is available in exam? it seems it cannot be used in CBE practice platform. Thank you very much

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hi Esther! Glad you found the video helpful. Occasionally bugs get introduced into the practice platform as it's regularly updated as a replication of the real exam system. But rest assured, if it's there in the real exam, it will work.

[@ikhwanhaziq8138]

Still can use in WP right for calculation in sbr? If using spreadsheet, do I need to add formula to the formula box?

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hi, best to do calculations in the spreadsheet, and then refer to the figures in your write up. It's not a good idea to use your calculator and then type the result into the cell--this will waste time and has a higher risk of a typo. Just use the spreadsheet functions. However, if you do your calculations in the WP, make sure you show your workings so you can get partial credit if your approach is correct but there is a glitch somewhere in the equation.

[@melodymadanzi2790]

Hey Steve, can I merge cells.Lets say I am commenting on viability of a project in investment appraisal, the statements are maintaining one cell thereby making it larger.How do I spread it.

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hi, there is no benefit of merging the cells. Just write you assessment in a cell at the bottom of the spreadsheet, under the NPV result, and what you write will just show up over the cells to the left. But make sure you don't block what you write with a figure in a cell next to it--the markers can't resize.

[@tajwartasin7744]

sir, what is the short cut to insert currency symbol in our calculus in afm especially in hedging, as most of the time i need to change the currency from domestic currency then again to the foreign currency or vice-versa?

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hi there, use a cell to label what you are doing, then do the math in the next cell without currency format. E.g. in Cell B2 "Amount to borrow in 3 months Base currency" B3: [calculations] C2 "Amount to borrow in 3 months Counter currency" C3 [calculations] -- Does this make sense?

[@tajwartasin7744]

@@SteveWillisACCA I got that sir, but I was expecting some shortcut, I mean is there any formula?

[@SteveWillisACCA]

@@tajwartasin7744 I'm not completely following the question it seems--can you give me a section of a past exam question that you are referring to? Or email me a spreadsheet with your question stw24456 AT gmail

[@tajwartasin7744]

@@SteveWillisACCA sir i did sent u an email from ([e-mail]) but u did not respond , sir i had another question can we use this formula in the exam for blacksholes> =normsdist to find ND1 or ND2

[@Kanjar772]

Can you add rows

[@SteveWillisACCA]

You need to do it manually--copy a range of cells down one row to make a new row--this is one of the limitiations of the CBE spreadsheet.

[@allmyresourcesmeans8550]

Hi Steve Can we use these in applied skills exams...

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hello! Yes, you can use NPV, IRR, MAX, MIN, SUM, SQRT in applied skills, no problem. You don't need MIRR.

[@allmyresourcesmeans8550]

@@SteveWillisACCA Thank You...

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Anytime :)

[@exploreworld94]

Hi . its my first time attempting CBE paper and only 1 paper left AFM in my ACCA qualification but i am worried how i will attempt this because need some technical skills and more time management.

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Use the past exams in the practice platform as simulations: try them with the clock running and practice your time management there.

[@achuthanunnirajendrakumar6135]

Hi Steve. Will using these functions lead to loss of marks for workings, due to the own figure rule? Thanks

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hi, no loss of OFR--the marker will look in your cell and check your formula. If you are linking to something you did in another cell (cost of equity, discount rate, etc...) it will be assumed correct.

[@achuthanunnirajendrakumar6135]

@@SteveWillisACCA Thank you steve.

[@sidrajawaid3411]

Hello, I wanted to know that in exam formula of MIRR there is no reinvestment rate we use investment amount . If in the question reinvestment rate is not given how can i calculate MIRR USING SPREADSHEET? OR WILL I HAVE TO USE THE FORMULA MANUALLY

[@sidrajawaid3411]

Please reply quick as i have my exam in june 🙏

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hi Sidra, if there is no reinvestment rate, then use simple IRR. You only need MIRR if the reinvestment rate is different than the financing rate.

[@sidrajawaid3411]

Sir the formula in the spreadsheet requires to put reinvestment rate for calculation what should i do about that?

[@swapnilkulkarni4254]

ACCA+Data analyst+ coder- python How is this combination?

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Powerhouse combo :)

[@rachidatounkenfueche5804]

Good evening sir Pls sir i wish to know where i can get the practise CBE F6 questions i dont know the way about Thanks sir

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hi there, Tax is not my specialty, but I will work up one question to show the exam technique soon.

[@rachidatounkenfueche5804]

@@SteveWillisACCA thank you sir

[@cwhittle8397]

Dear Steve, Thank you for all your great webinars. The query I have is that when I go onto the practice platform for NPV calculation I get £54183813 [=NPV(B7,B5:D5] and not £544,524.55 as you get and I also get when I copy the same formular into Excel. Is it clear to you where I am going wrong?

[@cwhittle8397]

Also when I attempt the IRR again I get a figure 64736951 and not 7.6% as you get and I also get when I attempt in Excel. I am not sure why the results I am getting on the practice platform is so strange.

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Can you please send me the numbers you are using?

[@helenhollands8486]

@@SteveWillisACCA when i do this in Excel I get the correct answer but in the ACCA spreadsheet i get the same answer as C Whittle?!

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Hi Helen, I just checked the practice platform vs Excel--NPV works exactly the same. With the NPV function, you don't include the year 0 cash flow. Just include the years 1--5, etc, in the function. Then subtract the year 0 cash flow from the result of that function. The NPV function starts discounting from the first cell in the range of cells you add to the function.

[@cwhittle8397]

@@SteveWillisACCA Thank you. It's very odd, because I did not include year 0, only the 3 years 1 - 3. But I opened up the same practice platfom today and figures have now changed and look correct. I really hope this does not happen during the exam.

[@envibit]

The live exam platform (just sat FM exam) lacks most of the Practice Platform spreadsheet features. To name few critical: no color cell references when entering/editing formulas, you're flying blind; copy/paste a range of cells doesn't move references to the cells, breaking the links; undo function (naturally when you try to undo the earlier copy/cut mess) is not intuitive, if not broken.

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Thanks for your observations. But control Z doesn't work anymore? It did when I tested the platform. And yes, copy pasting does not preserve the relative cell addresses.

[@itscrush5857]

No sir acca does not provide irr function in real exam atleast not in the specimen

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Don't worry, it works fine. In the specimen exam spreadsheet, type -10, 10, 10, 10 into cells A1 to A4. In cell A5 type exactly '=IRR(A1:A4)' (without the quote signs.) The function will return 0.849... Maybe you are trying it on numbers that are not feasible, ie you need at least 1 negative number in the range of cells for it to work. Please give it another try.

[@emeldahlebitsomosung3887]

@@SteveWillisACCA so Steve you mean that the examiner marks me right when i use IRR function instead of that long formular?

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Correct. The same marks are given.

[@itscrush5857]

@@SteveWillisACCA sir i tried i think its just for proffesional exam and not skill i tried a lot in for f9 exam i didnt worked

[@SteveWillisACCA]

Please check the examiner's reports.