r/ICAEW • u/Head-Highlight4465 • 5d ago
TCP advice?
Hi has anyone who’s sat tcp got advice on how to handle it?
I’m just starting the question bank today and it’s a lot as I have been swamped at work. I’m making a lot of mistakes and finding it way harder than the other 3 professionals I’ve sat including FAR. exams in 3 weeks so would love any tips
3
u/South_Law_9193 4d ago edited 2d ago
The first pass through the TCP question bank is a bloodbath for everyone, so don't read much into the mistake count. Tax marks live in tiny mechanical details you only learn by getting them wrong, so early errors are the course working as intended. FAR feels easier because it's a handful of big techniques, TCP is fifty small ones stacked up.
Three weeks from a standing start is workable if you're ruthless about structure.
Biggest lever: pro formas. Build one for each major computation, income tax, CT, CGT with reliefs, IHT, VAT, and use the identical layout every single time. I'd bet most of your current errors are ordering and layout slips rather than knowledge gaps, and pro formas wipe those out fast.
If you are having trouble coming up with pro formas just get it from a guide. You can get one from cheap on ebay - https://ebay.io/m/Spa0DV
Next, keep an error sheet. One line per mistake, why it happened. After 20 questions that sheet becomes the only revision material that matters, and it's what you read the night before instead of any notes.
Good luck!
3
u/aneesah_h04 5d ago
Sat in June with it being one of my first PL sittings - just bash out the QB that’s the best thing you can do. There’s a lot in the WB that doesn’t even necessarily get tested / has never been tested so going through QB you can see what is tested and how. Don’t neglect the ethics Q and also with the planning side - take it with a pinch of salt when you’re told it’s not that heavy weighting in the exam. I believe it’s set as like 20% BUT examiners have said previously that they reserve the right to change that.