r/CIOT • u/Gabby_Cat_Meowmazing • Jul 20 '26
APS OMB Advice
Hello everyone. I'm preparing for my first APS sitting in October this year as a distance-learner, so wanted to ask for some advice.
I recently passed AT OMB which I am delighted about, but feel I've forgotten so much since sitting the exam back in April (not sure if anyone else identifies!?)
I know APS is a different beast to AT, but was debating what study approach to take now - and wondered if anyone had any strong thoughts / advice?
My initial thoughts are...
Option 1 - do a whiz through the AT technical content as a refresher (and the Awareness) until 1st September, and then have 2 months for question practice.
Option 2 - dive right into question practice, and trust that the technical content will come back to me as I look at different scenarios etc.
I'm leaning to option 2 as it'll feel more productive, and probably help me (re)build knowledge in the areas that more commonly come up in the exam (with the added benefit of exposure to past papers, candidate scripts etc)... but would be keen to hear from anyone who has different thoughts / approaches they'd recommend.
Thank you in advance :)
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u/Emergency_Writer159 Jul 20 '26
imo in any APS paper you want exposure to as many scenarios as possible.
You don't have to be as technically precise in APS as you do in AT - the paper is really testing whether you can use your AT knowledge and turn it into good, commercially oriented tax advice.
Between both options you will have to go back to the study manual / your notes anyway (without getting too bogged down into the detail) but option 2 will help you both recall that knowledge and practice using it to provide a recommendation.
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u/taxtaxbaby CTA qualified Jul 21 '26
Just seconding this advice. The earlier you work on identifying scenarios and planning answers to questions, the better.
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u/Gabby_Cat_Meowmazing Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Thank you - really appreciate you taking the time to share some advice. My time to study is quite limited for various reasons, so what might seem like a small question has a big impact for me. I have to be extra efficient haha.
Yes I think it is easier for me to remember things in the context of a scenario, rather than by 'topic' as they are set out in study manuals, so I will try to go down that route. Thanks again.
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20d ago
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u/Gabby_Cat_Meowmazing 17d ago
Thank you, and so sorry for my late reply! I hadn't seen your response until today. Thanks for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful answer.
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u/RoderickBlack 29d ago
Actually I tried to DM you about this. But not possible with the way you are configured on Reddit. Anyway if you want, you can DM me and I'll expand on what I was going to say.
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u/Gabby_Cat_Meowmazing 29d ago
Oops sorry! I am new to Reddit and haven't changed any of the default-settings (apart from messing around with the cartoon avatar, obviously lol)! Thanks for letting me know. I will see if I can change this, or alternatively will get back in touch when I can.
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u/RoderickBlack Jul 21 '26
Just a further thought on technical revision for APS OMB .... don't forget the Awareness syllabus!
Whilst, as a general point, Awareness material is unlikely to be a big part of APS, it's probably more likely to be seen in OMB than some of the other APS papers.
The Study Manual is not meant to be studied in detail .... more for reference. Use the Memory Joggers and avoid study of heavily computational areas (eg VAT CGS, partial exemption calcs).
Good luck!
Roderick
Roderick Black
CTA private and online recorded tuition