Professional skills marks in Advanced Performance Management
APM has 20 professional skills marks: 10 in the Section A case study, which examines all four skills, and 5 in each Section B question.
Section A
10 marks across all four skills
Each Section B question
5 marks, at least two of analysis and evaluation, scepticism and commercial acumen
The skills
Communication, Analysis and evaluation, Scepticism, Commercial acumen
What each skill asks of you
Communication: a clear, objective answer in the format asked, pitched at the reader, such as the board.
Analysis and evaluation: using the figures and facts given to find causes, weigh options and reach a judgement.
Scepticism: questioning claims, assumptions and figures in the scenario, and saying what evidence you would want.
Commercial acumen: practical recommendations that fit the organisation and its market.
How the course practises them
Every written question here ends with professional skills parts that name the skill and what earns the marks in that scenario. Mia reads them like any written part: she shows which criteria your answer meets, in your own words, and what to add.
Try 3 questions
Short questions in the course’s own format, not ACCA’s: the exam itself is all written.
Question 1 · Course practice question · Strategy and stakeholders2 marks
Strategic planning, stakeholders and risk
The Marlow pension fund holds 28% of the voting shares of Orwell Co, enough to block any special resolution. It has held the shares for twelve years, has told the board that it does not wish to be consulted on operational or strategic matters while dividends continue at the current level, and has not attended a general meeting in that time. Orwell Co's board manages its stakeholders with Mendelow's matrix.
How should the board manage the pension fund at present? (2 marks)
Question 2 · Course practice question · Performance reporting2 marks
Management reports and commentary
Norcott Co sells online in two regions. Its management report shows the group's average order value as the simple average of the two regions' average order values, and says the group figure rose this year.
Last year the North region took 1,000 orders with an average value of $48, and the South region took 600 orders with an average value of $78. This year North took 1,000 orders averaging $50, and South took 200 orders averaging $80.
By what percentage did the group's average order value, defined as total sales value divided by total orders, change this year? Give your answer to one decimal place, as a negative figure if it fell. (2 marks)
$
Question 3 · Course practice question · Mission, CSFs and the pyramid2 marks
Objectives, CSFs, the pyramid and the planning gap
At Norcott Co's furniture factory, the paint shop manager reports, for each batch, the hours between the batch arriving in the paint shop and leaving it. Norcott Co uses Lynch and Cross' performance pyramid to link its measures to its strategy.
Which pyramid measure does this report, and on which side of the pyramid does it sit? (2 marks)
20: 10 in Section A and 5 in each of the two Section B questions.
Is communication marked in Section B?
Section B questions examine at least two of analysis and evaluation, scepticism and commercial acumen. All four skills, communication included, are examined in Section A.
Unofficial practice for the ACCA Advanced Performance Management (APM) exam, not affiliated with ACCA. ACCA is a trademark of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which does not endorse this course. Every question here is original. No VAT is charged.