Performance Management (PM) essentials on one page

What is PM about?
Performance Management provides you with the skills required to apply management accounting techniques to information for planning, decision-making, performance evaluation and control.

PM: an overview

Flowchart illustrating an overview of the skills and techniques required for the PM exam

Steps to success

  • If possible, study with an approved learning partner and with approved learning content
  • Study the whole syllabus
  • Ensure you understand methods rather than just focusing on how to do the calculations
  • Practice exam style and standard questions, to time, using the ACCA Practice Platform
  • Develop your skills in answering constructed response questions
  • Attempt at least two full exams under exam conditions, debrief your answers, then focus your revision on weaker areas.

Key resources

Tackling the exam

Section A (30 marks)

  • 15 objective test (OT) questions, each worth 2 marks.

Section B (30 marks)

  • Three OT cases with five OT questions worth 2 marks each, 10 marks per case.

Tips for answering OT questions

  • Read the question and scenario carefully
  • Adhere to the rounding instructions for “Fill in the Blank” questions
  • Answer all questions.

Section C (40 marks)

  • Two scenarios which relate to one or more requirement(s).

Tips for answering Section C questions

  • Be strict in allocating 36 minutes to each question
  • Always read the requirement(s) first
  • Approach numerical questions logically
  • Show all workings – do not simply “plug” results of calculations
  • Structure narrative answers around an answer plan
  • Use headings, clear paragraphs and concise sentences
  • Attempt all requirements.