Cracking Case - How to Pass the ACA Case Study (2020)

I don't normally write reviews but I felt that the previous 1 star reviews were too harsh for what I find to be an excellent book. As a student that opted to self-study for Case Study to have the flexibility to mix and match resources from different providers, Cracking Case is invaluable to me. Lots of practical advice and I appreciate them including context on how the mark scheme has evolved over time PLUS tips on the correct writing style for case and time-saving tips and tricks.Granted, it does not make for light reading (472 pages) but it took me less than a day to read and analyse it cover-to-cover and all the advice is incredibly practical. I love it and it came highly recommended by seniors that have bought Cracking Case before (and passed their Case Study exam, of course). Best to pair it with the Mock Exam Pack to really get the most out of it.My only complaint was the condition of the book when I received it (bottom right of the book is damaged!!!) and the fact that I only received the book less than 2 weeks before the exam despite ordering it 2 months ago, which has more to do with Amazon than ACA Simplified to be honest. Extremely unhappy with Amazon, happy with ACA Simplified.

I was miserably struggling with Case before I got my hands on this gem of a book. It has all the knowledge you need to prepare for the exam, they have devised each and every technique after giving so much thought about what works best for the student and most importantly, their advise is practical and efficient! There is a chapter dedicated to each requirement and one for Executive Summary, which helps so much because you know what to focus on for each answer. They also break the mark scheme down for students to be able to understand it and grasp what the examiners are actually looking for. Their exam planning strategy is invaluable.Trust me, if you are looking to spend your time efficiently studying for Case and having a clear, time-saving exam technique(which is vital to pass Case), this book is without doubt your life-saver!

Content of the book is good but it’s unacceptable for this company to continue to use the unedited referencing system which has been used for donkeys years despite a new referencing coming into place from November 2018. Yes I understand it’s going to be a big expense to overhaul the books referencing but the measly explanations provided on page 18 as to why this hasn’t been done is insulting. ‘We haven’t updated to ensure consistency for students who may have used earlier editions of this book or out other case study resources’. I know many student accountants but I know nobody that hasn’t been attempting case for 2 years straight. My advice would be to update all of your resources or risk falling behind other tuition providers. This approach is perceived by me to be lazy and it appears that once upon a time you developed a good product that you now churn out every year with a new cover for an overinflated price. The book layout is confusing, please spend time and money to update it as this book is and has been for two years, outdated.

I spent a lot of money on this textbook, because I am sitting my case in August and money is no object when it comes to passing.However, I am really disappointed in this book. I don't think its very helpful at all. It repeats points all the time. IF they took out the repetitive points, I'm pretty sure this book would only be about 20 pages. The narrative is also really annoying, its not concise and clear, it just a lot of waffle. You can tell they have definitely written this book in a very short period of time because of all the waffling. It feels like a student trying to type as much text as possible to beef up the their answers.I wouldn't spend my money on this particular item. Texts on Advanced Reporting and Strategic Business Management are a little bit more helpful as they are good for open book. I wouldn't bother with this Cracking Case, save your money.

This book helped me pass the case study and I couldn’t pass without it! With this exam being all about exam technique rather than knowledge, this book takes your step by step on the best way to methodically answer and structure your answers as well as giving insight into common themes and tricks to do under pressure. The case study exam is hard to revise for as each case study is completely different but this book makes you do effective revision and teaches you how to pass, which is a much better way of revising for this exam than the way other tuition providers teach. I highly recommend this book to any sitting this exam!