Case study on why we study ACCA

Prepared By:Dipock Mondal ID#BBA070360590 Department of Business Administration Northern University, Bangladesh

Date of Submission: 31 March 2010

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Introduction:ACCA is an international education system for us. It is a great opportunity for us to achieve an international certificate in our country. It is very easy education system and it's cost very low and also comfortable fro our student's. The priority of ACCA in our country is so high and not only in our country but also the world. In Job sector it is also most required.

WHY ACCA?We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management. Both our reputation and influence are respected worldwide by employers, governments and the profession itself. ACCA has been around for over 100 years, which means our growth is backed by a solid history. Our reputation for excellence in qualifications and training is acknowledged around the world, which will have a positive impact on your reputation in the profession. Our qualifications are examined in over 170 countries and based on international accounting standards. But going global doesnt mean that one size has to fit all. We offer adapted papers in financial accounting and auditing, and variant papers that test local law and tax. So you can feel confident knowing that you will have a globally-recognized qualification that will also be relevant locally too. As a professional you will be expected to ensure your knowledge and skills are relevant to the constantly changing needs of the market. Professional development will play a major part in your career, giving you opportunities to further enhance your skills and knowledge. And we will be supporting you on your way to qualification and beyond.

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STUDY OPTIONS:Choosing how you are going to study will be one of the most important decisions you make during your time preparing for the ACCA Qualification, CAT or Dip FM exams. Will you study with a tuition provider, or at home? How do you decide, from all the institutions offering tuition, which will be most suitable for your needs? There are numerous tuition providers and a wide variety of different study methods, so selecting the one which is right for you can be difficult. Taking recommendations from friends and colleagues can provide some guidance, but what is suitable for one individual may not be the best option for another. If you choose to study with a tuition provider, ACCA strongly recommends you opt for one which is approved under ACCA's Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition programmed, as you can be sure:

Official PublishersACCA works with two Official Publishers who publish a range of materials to support students studying to take the ACCA and CAT Qualifications. The textbooks are prepared by the Publishers and then reviewed by ACCA's examiners to ensure syllabus coverage. In addition to textbooks, BPP and Kaplan produce exam practice kits which are invaluable to students when preparing for exams. Professional Ethics: Values, ethics and governance are essential skills for finance professionals. As an ACCA student, your ethical and professional development starts from day one - as soon as you have registered with ACCA. If you requested to receive a CD-ROM version of the post-registration information - sent to you soon after you registered as a student - it included a video presentation which focuses on the importance of professionalism. The film sets out the rights, responsibilities and obligations of the professional accountant. (If you received a printed version of the post-registration information, it included a written transcript of the video). You can view the video again by visiting my ACCA on the ACCA website, or on the student and affiliates channel of ACCA.TV . Based on the content of the video, we would now like you to test how much you

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have learnt about professionalism by answering a few multiple-choice questions.

International Admission Fees System :ACCA Qualification student & MSER fees Initial Registration Subscription Duplicate card Re-registration fee Exam/Exemption June 2010 Knowledge Skills Professional 55 69 81 69 69 11 69, in addition to any amounts unpaid at the time of resignation/removal.

Affiliate subscription fee :Your first annual affiliate or member payment needs to be made by 1 January following the date on which you received your final exam results. Affiliates are entitled to pay a reduced affiliate subscription for up to three years.Affiliate fees Subscription Permanent subscription Re-instatement 99 189 44

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Admission to membership fee :Annual subscription fee Member Member (reduced rate) Admission to membership fee Payable on successful admittance to membership 189 189 44

How to pay fees :Payment can be made online by credit or debit card by logging on to my ACCA . Payment can also be made by:

Fess System in our Country:*CAT Tuition fees (Pass Guarantee Scheme)1. GBC Admission Form : 300+Vat4.5%=313/2. GBC Admission Fee (Untill Pass). 4. Package Tuition Fee (T1-T4):28,000+Vat4.5%=29,260/5

: 10,000+Vat4.5%=10,450/-

3. Package Tuition Fee (T1+T3):20,000+Vat4.5%=20,900/-

(Untill Pass). 5. Package Tuition Fee (T1-T9):50,000+Vat4.5%=52,250/(Untill Pass). 6. Package Tuition Fee(CAT+Part-2): 80,000+Vat4.5%=83,600/- (Untill Pass). *ACCA Tuition Fees(Pass Guarantee Scheme) 1. GBC Admission Form : 300+Vat4.5%=313/2. GBC Admission Fee (Untill Pass). 4. Package tuition Fee (F2+F3): 20,000+Vat4.5%=20,900/(Untill Pass). 5. Package tuition Fee (F4-F9): 45,000+Vat4.5%=47,250/(Untill Pass). 6. Package tuition Fee (F1-F9): 60,000+Vat4.5%=62,700/(Untill Pass). 7. Package tuition Fee (P1-P5): 35,000+Vat4.5%=36575/(Untill Pass). : 10,000+Vat4.5%=10,450/3. Package tuition Fee (F1-F3): 30,000+Vat4.5%=31,350/-

Registration deadlines:31 December for June exams 15 August for December exams. You only need to complete the exam entry form if you intend to sit paper-based exams, or paper-based exams and CBEs. If you only wish to sit CBEs you do not need to complete the exam entry form and should contact your licensed CBE centre for details*.

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Mature student entry route (MSER) exams:The following exams are available via CBE:

MMA Management Accounting (equivalent to F2) MFA Financial Accounting (United Kingdom) (equivalent to F3) MFA Financial Accounting (International) (equivalent to F3).

*CAT Subject Code:1. T1 Recording Financial Transactions. 2. T2 Information for Management Control. 3. T3 Maintaining Financial Records. 4. T4 Accounting for Costs. 5. T5 - Managing People & System. 6. T6 Drafting Financial Statement. 7. T7 Planing Control & Performance Management. 8. T8 Implementing Audit Procedure. 9. T9 Preparing Taxation. 10. T 10 Managing Finance. *ACCA Subject Code: 1. F1- Accounting in Business. 2. F2 Management Accounting. 3. F3 Financial Accounting. 4. F4 Corporate & Business Law. 5. F5 Performance Management.

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6. F6 Taxation. 7. F7 Financial Reporting. 8. F8 Audit And Assurance. 9. F9 Financial Management.

CAT(UK) Fees: 2010CAT Registion /Annual Subscription /Re-registration Fees : GBP 60.00 CAT Examination Fees (T1-T4) : GBP 38.00 (Per Subject). CAT Examination/Exemption (T5-T10) : GBP 49.00 (Per Subject)

ACCA(UK) Fees: 2010ACCA Rgistion /Annual Subscription /Re-registration Fees : GBP 69.00 ACCA Examination/Exemption Fees (F1-F3) : GBP 5.00 (Per Subject). ACCA Examination/Exemption Fees (F4-F9) : GBP 69.00 (Per Subject). ACCA Professional Level Exam Fees (P1-P5) : GBP 81.00 (Per Subject).

ACCA QUALIFICATION:This section contains information and resources for the CAT Qualification. Click on an area for associated resources:

Essential information: information on being a CAT student, including important dates and fees, and how to update your contact details Exams: past exam papers, examiner reports, technical articles and syllabus and study guides Practical experience requirements CAT graduates Transferring from CAT to ACCA

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CBE closing dates:Computer-based exams (CBEs) are available for the Introductory and Intermediate Levels of the CAT exams. You must be registered as a CAT student and be in receipt of your student ID card before you can enter for CBEs. Introductory Level

T1 - Recording Financial Transactions (UK) T1 - Recording Financial Transactions (International) T2 - Information for Management Control

Intermediate Level

T3 - Maintaining Financial Records (UK) T3 - Maintaining Financial Records (International) T4 - Accounting for Costs

CAT CBE extended registration closing date An extended registration closing period will be available if you wish to attempt CBEs for the Certified Accounting Technician syllabus outside the normal published registration closing dates. These dates are: 1 January - 28 February for the June exam session; and 16 - 31 August for the December session. The rules and regulations of the CAT CBE extended registration deadline are:

It is only available for you to sit CBEs between:o

1 January and 31 March, if you also wish to sit paper-based exams at the forthcoming June exam session; and 16 August and 30 September, if you also wish to sit paper based exams at the forthcoming December exam session.

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ACCA will only accept web registrations for this process. Declarations, documents and fees must be submitted by the licensed CBE centre and not by individual students. Exam entries cannot be changed once submitted to ACCA.

Procedures The following steps must be taken:

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You should complete an online registration and take note of your reference number. The centre submits a form to ACCA, to include the reference numbers by:o o

28 February for the June exam session; or 31 August for the December exam session.

A pre registration is created for you to enable you to sit the CAT CBEs. You sit your CAT CBEs. The centre will submit, on your behalf, the web declaration forms, photos and supporting documentation for registration, along with exam entries and fees by the extended deadlines of:o o

31 March for the June exam session; and 30 September for the December exam session.

ACCA will complete the registration and process the exam entries. You will then have your actual registration numbers confirmed.

Please note that this service is only applicable to CAT CBE students who wish to sit paper-based exams at the immediate exam session after attempting their CBE exams. All other students, i.e. those not requiring to be registered for paper based exams at the next session, should submit their registrations through the usual process, at least six weeks prior to their CBE session.

Exams:We provide a number of online resources to help you with your studies, including:

Syllabus and study guides: to help you plan your study and to provide detailed information on what could be assessed in any exam session Past papers: to prepare you for the types of questions you might face Examiner reports Technical articles: on key examinable topics to support your study

Simply click on the relevant paper to find the resources you need.

Paper 1 Recording Financial Transactions Paper 2 Information and Management Control Paper 3 Maintaining Financial Records

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Paper 4 Accounting for Costs Paper 5 Managing People and Systems Paper 6 Drafting Financial Statements Paper 7 Planning - Control and Performance Management Paper 8 Implementing Audit Procedures Paper 9 Preparing Taxation Computations Paper 10 Managing Finances

CAT graduates:To apply for Certified Accounting Technician status you will need to have successfully completed the Certified Technician exams and satisfied:

ACCAs practical experience requirements; or achieved a NVQ Level 4 in Accounting.

Achieving full CAT status will make you stand out from the crowd to employers, provide you with a sound foundation in accountancy, and acts as a perfect way to enhance your prospects. When you have satisfied the criteria for Certified Accounting Technician status, ACCA will confirm that you may refer to yourself as a Certified Accounting Technician and you will be able to use the letters CAT after your name. The fee to apply for CAT status is 50. This fee should be sent with your application form which is sent automatically after CAT exam results have been released. You should complete this form and send it to ACCA with your TTR forms or NVQ certificate. BUT WHY STOP THERE? The CAT qualification could be your stepping stone to the ACCA Qualification and membership of the global body for professional accountants. The knowledge, skills and practical experience you have gained studying the CAT qualification can exempt you from certain papers and count towards the practical experience requirement of the ACCA Qualification. In a few easy steps you could be studying for the 'ACCA' letters after your name and an exciting, rewarding career as a qualified finance professional.

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Transferring from CAT to ACCA:The ACCA Qualification is your passport to reaching the highest levels in any organisation and as a CAT graduate you have the knowledge, skills and practical experience to get off to a flying start. You will be automatically transferred to the ACCA Qualification register when you have successfully completed your CAT exams, unless you chose not to select this option when you originally registered as a CAT student or you are registered as a student of the ACCA/FAP CAT Joint Examination Scheme*. You will be awarded exemption from the Knowledge module of the Fundamentals Level (F1, F2 and F3) and will not be charged an additional registration fee or exemption fees. You can still opt in for automatic transfer to the ACCA Qualification providing that you put your request in writing to ACCA Connect before sitting your final CAT exams. If you did not opt for an automatic transfer to the ACCA Qualification and wish to continue with the ACCA Qualification exams, you will need to submit an ACCA Qualification registration form and pay the relevant registration fee. Once transferred to the ACCA Qualification register, you will be subject to the Bye Laws, rules and regulations applicable to ACCA Qualification students, details of which will be sent to you on transfer. Passing the remaining ACCA Qualification exams and gaining three years relevant experience will lead to ACCA membership. The experience you have already demonstrated to become a Certified Accounting Technician will count towards the work experience you need for ACCA membership. Get to study materials and information fast. We realise it can be challenging studying for ACCA or CAT exams. So we've tried to help by cutting through the volume of information which is available and take you straight to the resources which are going to help you pass your exams.

ACCA QUALIFICATION:This section contains information and resources for the ACCA Qualification. Click on an area for associated resources:

Essential information: information on being an ACCA student, including important dates and fees, and how to update your contact details Exams: past exam papers, examiner reports, technical articles and syllabus and study guides Professional ethics module: how to be an accountant thats good, and

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understanding the concept of professionalism

Practical Experience Requirements (PER): information and resources on performance objectives, workplace mentors and your PER annual return Transfer to membership: benefits of membership and how to transfer to ACCA membership.

Computer Based Exams (CBE):1. How many computer based exams (CBE) are available within the ACCA and Certified Accounting Technician qualifications? 2. What are the main differences between computer-based exams and paperbased exams? 3. What are the benefits of computer-based exams versus paper-based exams? 4. How is it best to prepare for the Knowledge module exams? 5. Are section weightings for Computer Based Examination the same as the paper based?

F1 Accountant in Business:To develop knowledge and understanding of the business environment and the influence this has on how organisations and accountants operate, and of the role of the accountant and other key business functions in contributing to an efficient, effective and ethical organisation, and to build knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of effective management.

Syllabus and study guideChanges to the exam style for Paper F1 To ensure that Paper F1, Accountant in Business complements the exam style of the other papers in the Fundamentals level, Knowledge module and to ensure that the syllabus can be fully examined, ACCA is changing the style of exam questions for Paper F1 to include a greater proportion of scenario-based questions to better test comprehension and some application. This will apply to computer13

based exams with immediate effect and paper-based exams from December 2008. The pilot paper has also been amended to reflect these changes. Any student preparing to take Paper F1 should familiarise themselves with the new exam style for Paper F1. Questions included in the sample computer-based exam are similar to those in the equivalent paper-based pilot paper. Therefore the given rationale for each answer in the pilot paper should also be relevant for questions within the sample computer based exam..

Exam timetables:ACCA exams extend over an eight day period with one session of exams each day. The exams are held concurrently in five different timezones. Starting times in each of these timezones will be: Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 08:00 10:00 14:00 15:00 17:00

Local starting times will be set falling out from these base start times for every centre. Details of local start times can be found against each centre on the exam centre list accompanying your exam entry form (when this is sent to you). To find an exam centre near you please visit the exam centres database.

ACCA Qualification CAT Qualification DipFM DipIFR

ACCA Qualification:June 2010 sessionMonday 7 June Tuesday 8 June Wednesday 9 June Thursday 10 June Friday 11 June F6 Taxation F4 Corporate and Business Law F3 Financial Accounting P6 Advanced Taxation P7 Advanced Audit and Assurance F8 Audit and Assurance P4 Advanced Financial F9 Financial Management Management F2 Management P5 Advanced Accounting Performance Management

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Monday 14 June Tuesday 15 June Wednesday 16 June

F5 Performance Management F7 Financial Reporting F1 Accountant in Business

P1 Professional Accountant P2 Corporate Reporting P3 Business Analysis

December 2010 sessionMonday 6 December Tuesday 7 December Wednesday 8 December Thursday 9 December Friday 10 December Monday 13 December Tuesday 14 December Wednesday 15 December F6 Taxation F4 Corporate and Business Law F3 Financial Accounting P6 Advanced Taxation P7 Advanced Audit and Assurance F8 Audit and Assurance P4 Advanced Financial F9 Financial Management Management F2 Management P5 Advanced Accounting Performance Management F5 Performance P1 Professional Management Accountant F7 Financial Reporting P2 Corporate Reporting F1 Accountant in P3 Business Analysis Business

CAT Qualification:June 2010 sessionDate Monday 7 June Tuesday 8 June Wednesday 9 June Thursday 10 June Friday 11 June Monday 14 June Tuesday 15 June Wednesday 16 June Exam Papers T1 and T6 Papers T2 and T7 Paper T3 Paper T4 Paper T5 Paper T8 Paper T9 Paper T10

DipFM:June 2010 session Date Monday 7 June Tuesday 8 June Exam Module A Exam Module B Exam

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DipIFR:The examination for the Diploma in International Financial Reporting will be held on the following dates in 2010:

10 June 2010 9 December 2010

Your examiners:ACCA examiners are experts in their field, highly qualified individuals with many years of relevant post-qualifying experience. This can be in practice, industry or academia as best suits the relevant subject. This section contains lists of ACCA's examiners for forthcoming exam sessions.

ACCA Qualification CAT Qualification DipFM

ACCA Qualification:June 2010 exam sessionExam paper Paper F1, Accountant in Business Paper F2, Management Accounting Paper F3, Financial Accounting Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (BWA) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (CHN) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (CYP) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (ENG) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (HKG) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (LSO) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (MLA) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (MYS) Examiner Bob Souster David Forster Nicola Ventress John Kiggundu Zhidong Chen Pambos Ioannides David Kelly Paul Kwong Kin Ning Umesh Kumar Louise Ellul Cachia Caruana S Thalmalingam

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Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (PKN) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (RUS) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (SGP) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (VNM) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (ZAF) Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law (ZWE) Paper F5, Performance Management Paper F6, Taxation (BWA) Paper F6, Taxation (CHN) Paper F6, Taxation (CYP) Paper F6, Taxation (CZE)

Muhammad Haroon Mumtaz Robert Souster Erin Goh-Low Soen Yin Robert Souster Jopie Pretorius Emmanuel Magade

Ann Irons* Terry Brick Kit Chung George Poufos Milena Hrdinkova Betty Kwok Yuk Sim and Shirley Fu Me Paper F6, Taxation (HKG) Yuk Paper F6, Taxation (HUN) Attila Csutora Paper F6, Taxation (IND) N Rangachary Paper F6, Taxation (IRL) Delma Carey Paper F6, Taxation (LSO) Nthoto Ramalefane Paper F6, Taxation (MLA) Mark Grech Paper F6, Taxation (MWI) Andrew Chioko Paper F6, Taxation (MYS) Shareena Othman (Cheong Shaw Gor) Paper F6, Taxation (PKN) Nusswan Rustomjee Paper F6, Taxation (POL) Jan Czerniawski Paper F6, Taxation (RUS) Natalia Denisova Paper F6, Taxation (SGP) Damien Hong Chin Fock Paper F6, Taxation (VNM) Warrick Cleine Paper F6, Taxation ( UK ) David Harrowven Paper F6, Taxation (ZAF) Jennifer Roeleveld Paper F6, Taxation (ZWE) Georgina Masike Paper F7, Financial Reporting Stephen Scott Paper F8, Audit and Assurance Pami Bahl Paper F9, Financial Management Antony Head Paper P1, Professional Accountant David Campbell Paper P2, Corporate Reporting Graham Holt Paper P3, Business Analysis Steve Skidmore Paper P4, Advanced Financial Management Shishir Malde* Paper P5, Advanced Performance Shane Johnson Management Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (CHN) Shirley Fu Me Yuk Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (CYP) Alexis Tsielepis Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (HKG) Betty Kwok Yuk Sim and Shirley Fu Me

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Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (IRL) Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (MLA) Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (MYS) Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (SGP) Paper P6, Advanced Taxation ( UK ) Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (ZAF) Paper P6, Advanced Taxation (ZWE) Paper P7, Advanced Audit and Assurance

Yuk Louise Langan Kevin Catania Richard Thornton Jenny Lim Rory Fish Jennifer Roeleveld Steve Matoushaya Lisa Weaver

CAT Qualification:June 2010 exam sessionExam paper Paper 1 Paper 2 Paper 3 Paper 4 Paper 5 Paper 6 Paper 7 Paper 8 Paper 9 (GBR) Paper 9 (IRL) Paper 9 (LSO) Paper 9 (MYS) Paper 9 (SGP) Paper 10 Examiner Clare Estlin Nigel Coulthurst Ronnie Patton Nigel Coulthurst Beverley Lee Chris Pyke Stephen Jay Brian Pine Keith Molson James Skehan Masebolaoa Sebolaoa Yong Siew Chuen Frances Wong Lai Yong Charlotte Bower*

DipFM:June 2010 exam sessionExam paper Module A Module B Ronnie Patton Peter Atrill Examiner

Computer based exams:Computer-based exams (CBEs) are available for the ACCA Qualification (Papers F1-F3) and for Introductory and Intermediate papers of the CAT Qualification. Sitting CBEs provides the following benefits:

Flexibility - You are not restricted to June and December paper-based

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exam sessions as you can sit CBE at any time of year. CBE also offers flexibility for re-sits, which you can take at any time. There is no restriction on the number of times you can resit the exams by CBE.

Instant feedback - Your result is displayed on the computer screen at the end of the exam. Results - Your results are uploaded by the licensed centre and will be transferred to your ACCA account within 72 hours.

How does CBE work?

Find a CBE centre offering the exam(s) you wish to sit by CBEs. You will need to pay the CBE centre directly for the exams you wish to sit. Prior to the exam, the CBE centre will set up time-restricted access to the exams. (The exam must be sat on the scheduled date and time). On the day of the exam, your identity will be checked by the invigilator against the ACCA registration cards, further validity and eligibility checks are carried out, and then the invigilator instructions will be read out. You are then asked to start the exam software and input validation details into the software. This will further check your identity and eligibility to sit the exams. Instruction screens will be displayed and you may then start the exam when advised to do so by the invigilator. Once the exam is started, the questions are displayed on screen and the answers are input directly onto the CBE software. On completion of the exam, the final percentage score is calculated and displayed on screen. You will be asked to print two copies of the Provisional Result Notification; one copy is retained by the CBE centre and the other is for your records. The CBE centre uploads the results to the CBE system and these will be transferred to your records with ACCA within 72 hours. Exam format Preparing for the exams CBE demonstration Progression information for CBE students

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Exam format:

CAT - Introductory level Each exam is of two hours' duration; contains 50 questions; is out of 100 marks with a pass mark of 55%; and contains two-mark MCQ's only CAT - Intermediate Level Each exam is of two hours' duration; contains 50 questions; is out of 100 marks with a pass mark of 50%; and contains question types: MCQ's, multiple response questions, multiple response matching questions, and number entry questions - all worth two marks ACCA Qualification (F1-F3)/MSER exams MMA and MFA Each exam is of two hours duration; contains 50 questions (40 two-mark questions and 10 one-mark questions); is out of 90 marks with a pass mark of 50%; and contains question types: one and two mark MCQ's, one and two-mark multiple response questions, two-mark multiple response matching questions and two-mark number entry questions.

CBE question types

Multiple choice (MCQ) (two marks) - where you are required to choose one answer from four options by clicking on the appropriate radio button'. Multiple choice (MCQ) (one mark) - where you are required to choose one answer from either two or three options by clicking on the appropriate radio button'. Multiple response (two marks) - where you are required to select more than one response from the options provided by clicking the appropriate tick boxes (typically choose two options from four). Multiple response (one mark) - where you are required to select more than one response from the options provided by clicking the appropriate tick boxes (typically choose two options from three). Multiple response matching (two marks) - where you are required to indicate a response to a number of related statements by clicking on the 'radio button' which corresponds to the appropriate response for each statement. Number entry (two marks) - where you are required to key in numerical responses to a question shown on screen.

Variant / accounting and audit standards:

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Tax and law variantsIn a number of countries, you have the opportunity of taking exams based on national tax and law referred to as variant papers. You will have chosen your variant papers when you completed your initial registration form and you will not incur additional fees for choosing to take a variant paper. Due to national requirements, variant papers are not offered for all Joint Examination Schemes. In such cases where the variant is not available, the UK variant will be offered for tax papers and the English or global variant for the law paper. ACCA Qualification Variant papers are available for:

F4, Corporate and Business Law F6 Taxation P6, Advanced Taxation

Please check the tax and law variants table in the related documents section for details of where variant papers are available. ACCA has a variant paper covering global corporate and business law - you should choose this option if you intend to work in a region where ACCA does not offer a national law paper. CAT Qualification Variant papers are available for:

T9, Preparing Tax Computations.

A choice of local tax variant papers are available in Hong Kong, Ireland, Lesotho, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and the UK. Changing your variant paper If you wish to change your tax and law variant papers please remember to do so by 15 April if you are sitting exams in June and 15 October if you are sitting exams in December. You can change your variant papers through myACCA, your Joint Examination Scheme national body or by contacting ACCA Connect.

Accounting and auditing standards:You have the option of taking the accounting and auditing papers based on international standards or UK standards, and for the ACCA Qualification you will also have the option of taking the papers based on national standards in certain 21

countries. You can select which standards you wish to follow for each individual accounting and audit paper - for example, you may wish to study UK accounting standards and International standards of auditing. ACCA Qualification The following papers are based on International standards for financial reporting and auditing:

F3, Financial Accounting (or MFA for students registered under the MSER) F7, Financial Reporting F8, Audit and Assurance P2, Corporate Reporting P7, Advanced Audit and Assurance.

In Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK, these papers have been adapted for national accountancy practices. If you live in a country where there are no adapted national standards then you should choose either the International or UK standards. If you live in a country where adapted national standards are available, you should choose between International or the national adapted standard. The tax variant you chose at the time of registration will be used to determine the accounting and auditing standards you can attempt. You will need to select which accounting and auditing standards you wish to be examined on when you enter for any of the accounting and auditing papers by completing the Examination Entry Form. The accounting and auditing table in the related documents shows the standards you will be offered, based on the tax variant you selected. CAT Qualification The following accounting and auditing papers can be taken based on international or UK standards:

T1, Recording Financial Transactions T3, Maintaining Financial Records T6, Drafting Financial Statements T8, Implementing Audit Procedures

Special arrangements:22

As part of ACCAs Equal Opportunities Policy we can also make special arrangements for you if you are disabled or have special requirements. As part of this policy and in accordance with the UK Disability Discrimination Act 1995 we actively strive to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged due to a disability when they access our exams. ACCA is committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to benefit from suitable exam conditions in accordance with their specific requirements. Our dedicated team of exam administrators work continuously with both students and exam centres to ensure that the appropriate exam conditions are in place to help all candidates demonstrate their competence in the disciplines being assessed in our exams. In many instances additional time to complete exams, provision of a scribe or reader, enlarged text on question papers and many other reasonable adjustments are arranged in order to achieve this. Each and every request is dealt with on an individual basis by our experienced team, focused on ensuring that no candidate is disadvantaged during the exam process. ACCA also provide a clear grievance procedure in line with the requirements of the UK Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to ensure any issue raised by a student is resolved fairly and without unnecessary delay. ACCA continually monitors the effectiveness of these policies and procedures to ensure that our disability awareness is of the highest standard and that our students benefit accordingly. You may have submitted information regarding a disability on your Initial Registration form and if so, we will already have a record of your requirements. However, if your circumstances have changed since the time of your registration, it may be possible for special arrangements to be made for you. If you need special facilities then please notify the exams department in Glasgow. In such cases, medical evidence of the nature of the disability must also be submitted. ACCA Exams Department 2 Central Quay, 89 Hydepark Street, Glasgow G3 8BW, United Kingdom tel: +44 (0) 141 582 2000 fax: +44 (0) 141 582 2222 e-mail: students@accaglobal.com

HOW TO ACHIVE PASS MARK: WHAT IS THE PASS MARK?1. What is the pass mark for the examinations? 23

50% for all exams which is 45/90 for the Fundamentals Knowledge module exa 2. What are the styles of questions set in the ACCA qualification? Exams vary in their structure and style. For detailed and specific guidance on this candidatescnadidates should refer to the individual syllabuses and study guides on the ACCA website. Most examinations will consist of a mix of computational and written questions. Certain subject areas lend themselves better to written questions than others, but in testing a particular area, both computational and written theoretical questions may be set so you should be prepared for both. 3. Are the questions in the paper based Knowledge module exams the same as in the computer based exams? Both exams, paper based or computer based will cover the same syllabus areas and will have the same number of questions. The difference is in the style of question - the paper based exam consists of multiple choice questions only and the computer based exam consists of a variety of styles including multiple choice, number entry, multiple response or multiple response matching.

4. Are more practice questions available? The ACCA website includes a full sample exam for both the paper-based and computer-based versions. In addition ACCAs approved publishers include practice questions and practice exams as part of their study materials. These materials are intended to support both paper-based and computer-based exams and therefore include CDs and/or online materials to support revision for computer-based exams

5. I would like to know why I can no longer access past examination papers for F1 - F3? As a tutor, and indeed a previous marker, I know that a major factor of exam success is practice of past exam questions and, as a result of not having access, the hurdle for most students becomes higher? The questions for the F1, F2 and F3 exams can be the same questions as those that from the question bank for computer-based exams (CBE). As such, they are part of a large bank of questions that are used on a regular basis and so cannot be released. ACCA also wishes to discourage the temptation for candidates to simply commit to memory a large bank of past questions and answers in the hope that these are repeated in live exams. It is more important that they are aware of a representative range of styles and type of exam style questions and prepare for exams in a more formative way. This is best achieved by practicing on formative style questions from the study materials and by self testing their knowledge from interactive exercises supplied within these tuition materials and where relevant, in class. In order to help students prepare for their exams, there is a pilot paper available for each of the exams. The pilot paper is available in both paper format and CBE format.

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Furthermore, after each session, the examiner for each of papers F1 to F3 produces an examination report that releases up to three questions in which students performed badly, together with an explanation of what went wrong. Over time this can be a useful additional bank of questions. The examiners each reviewed the initial question banks by the Official publishers (BPP Learning Media and Kaplan Publishing). Thus, using these texts gives confidence that the students are practising questions of the right type and right standard. A technical article has been written to help with answering multiple choice question types. A further article is available soon showing the full range of resources available in preparing for these papers. This article emphasises the importance of working longer questions in preparation for F2 and F3 exams as this allows students to perform better on the questions that test application, as well as smoothing the transition to the equivalent Skills module papers. In summary, without providing actual past exam questions, there are a number of resources available to students to assist them in passing these Fundamental Knowledge papers.

6. Why have ACCA made all the papers at Fundamentals level contain compulsory questions only? Allowing any degree of choice at the Fundamentals level might have encouraged some students to avoid learning certain aspects of each syllabus, on the grounds that they could avoid answering a question on this topic in any given paper. ACCA's view is that all the subject areas within the nine subjects are 'fundamental' to the work of an accountant. Therefore, only including compulsory questions within examinations at the Fundamentals level will encourage students to study more broadly to gain a more rounded knowledge and understanding of all subject areas within each syllabus.

7. What should I do to make the best use of the additional 15 minutes of reading and planning time? Reading and planning time was introduced to the ACCA three hour examinations as a way of helping candidates prepare and organize themselves better for taking their exams. The main purpose is to ensure that candidates have time to read requirements carefully so that they are clear on what examiners are asking for something that most examiners find that students are often not good at and regularly comment on in their reports. Using the time productively can help a candidate make the appropriate choice of questions to answer, where choice exists and can help a candidate gain a better understanding of the material contained in each question. This is particularly helpful in answering case study questions, where quickly reading the information can help candidates with identifying key pieces of information that may be relevant. For more information there is an article on reading and planning time published in student accountant 25

8. Does the published pass rate include CBE? No, at present it is only written paper 9. Under the online marking system piloted in June 2009, markers have scripts allocated to them on a completely random basis rather than being allocated most or all the scripts from individual exam centres. Could this make it more difficult for markers to achieve consistency, particularly where candidates from a centre may take similar approaches to questions or have a similar perspective on issues as a consequence of being more likely to have been taught together? It is felt that randomising the allocation of scripts will make it much easier to achieve marker consistency across examination centres and it will make it much easier for examiners to monitor and ensure that markers are marking consistently and comparably with each other.

Pass rates:There is no quota for passing a set number of students each sitting, as evidenced by the variable pass rates in all recent sittings. Instead, those who reach the required standard in a given exam will get through. This is best achieved by detailed practise of past exam questions, use of examiners reports and student accountant articles, as well as good initial study of the material through home study or a course.

ACCA Qualification CAT Qualification DipFM

ACCA Qualification:The current ACCA Qualification syllabus was first examined in December 2007. Pass rates for the old syllabus (from June 2003) are also included here. Paper Dec 2007 Jun 2008 Dec 2008 Jun 2009 Dec 2009 F1 81 83 67 73 66* F2 56 51 59 57 58* F3 67 48 50 55 64* F4 42 46 39 43 42 F5 34 28 30 41 52 F6 50 45 53 61 51 F7 40 33 42 30 39 F8 43 32 43 34 40 F9 40 42 40 42 37 P1 53 49 53 48 49 P2 48 48 54 44 58 P3 56 49 52 50 48 P4 31 36 36 30 41

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P5 P6 P7

42 28 33

37 36 33

43 41 39

32 37 37

42 39 39

* Results achieved by students for paper based examinations and computer based examinations during the period of 1 August 2009 to 31 January 2010.

Professional scheme - pass ratesPaper 1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Dec 2007 81 56 67 42 34 50 40 43 40 53 48 56 31 42 28 33 Jun 2007 46 40 47 53 47 60 37 44 33 35 38 43 54 55 44 38 Dec 2006 53 40 47 47 40 44 45 43 31 32 33 41 55 44 43 35 Jun 2006 48 43 59 55 47 52 37 48 38 30 33 43 51 50 52 37 Dec 2005 61 51 42 51 43 50 44 53 39 30 40 42 46 52 52 49 Jun 2005 44 50 53 48 44 52 37 51 41 39 39 50 51 50 50 44 Dec 2004 47 54 55 51 45 52 41 52 45 39 40 48 52 54 56 46 Jun 2004 45 41 52 49 47 54 38 47 45 39 43 44 52 54 54 45 Dec 2003 44 57 48 63 52 48 39 50 42 44 42 45 54 55 53 49 Jun 2003 48 46 59 50 50 47 39 48 52 40 39 41 54 53 53 44

CAT Qualification:The current Certified Accounting Technician scheme syllabus was first examined in June 2004. Pass rates for the old syllabus (from June 2002) are also included here. Paper 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Dec 2009 64* 65* 62* 63* 42 57 58 30 59 36 Jun 2009 63 65 59 59 54 57 46 33 65 42 Dec 2008 77 33 45 37 41 82 55 46 73 60 Jun 2008 60 35 62 37 40 83 52 42 70 61 Dec 2007 60 42 53 27 45 80 59 48 67 76 Jun 2007 56 38 62 33 56 50 41 45 74 56 Dec 2006 54 34 41 32 64 76 35 41 59 74 Jun 2006 67 51 54 48 61 74 49 33 64 61 Dec 2005 67 53 54 36 57 74 47 42 69 69 Jun 2005 48 62 50 44 52 75 46 38 64 59

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* Results achieved by students for paper based examinations and computer based examinations during the period of 1 August 2009 to 31 January 2010. Paper A1 A2 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 Dec 2003 63 72 52 41 54 76 39 32 65 59 67 67 67 78 51 62 64 41 42 50 42 48 Jun 2003 76 67 74 58 58 73 40 43 54 53 40 Dec 2002 59 70 68 54 60 64 44 41 64 55 40 Jun 2002

DipFM:Paper DA1 DA2 DB1 DB2 Dec 2009 36 83 31 54 Jun 2009 49 68 53 88 Dec 2008 30 60 45 76 Jun 2008 55 74 46 71 Dec 2007 39 73 54 75 Jun 2007 49 66 47 73 Dec 2006 37 77 51 71 Jun 2006 52 66 77 76 Dec 2005 41 60 57 75 Jun 2005 49 72 69 74

EXAM RESULT:ACCA's exam sessions take place over an eight-day period in June and December, with one exam scheduled each day. Our exams are held at the same time throughout the world to ensure maximum security; which involves operating over five separate time zones. We also take into account local time differences.

Receiving your exam resultsThe quickest way to receive your exam results is via email. Don't forget to register for this service through myACCA and to make sure you keep your e-mail address up to date. 28

Receiving your exam results:Make sure you can access your exam results as soon as they are available by registering to receive your exam results online. All you need to do is visit myACCA , check to make sure we have an up-to-date email address for you and opt in to receive your exam results via email. You have until 12.00 BST on Friday 20 August to subscribe. And when you have subscribed to the online exam results service you will then continue to receive your exam results online until you have completed all your exams or decide to unsubscribe from the service. We will start to despatch exam results via email the week commencing Monday 23 August and you will also be able to access your results via myACCA Exam results will be sent via post to all students from Wednesday 25 August. So if you haven't already done so, why not subscribe to the online exam results service today and then wait for your exam results to arrive in your inbox on 23 August. Result!

About your results:Section A - EXAMINATION RESULTS The mark attained for each paper attempted at the last session of examinations is shown overleaf. Please read the following notes for additional information. ACCA Qualification candidates The pass standard in all papers is 50 %. All passes remain valid for ten years from December 2007. MSER candidates The pass standard in papers MFA and MMA is 50 %. You must pass papers MFA and MMA within four consecutive examination sessions following registration, calculated from the first examination session you are eligible to sit. If you do not attend a session, this will still be counted as one of the four sessions. If you have completed the MSER examinations this session, you have been transferred to the ACCA Qualification register. This is reflected overleaf. If you have failed to complete the MSER examinations in the time available, you have automatically been transferred to the CAT Qualification register and further information in this regard will follow under separate cover. 29

CAT Qualification candidates The pass standard for each level is as follows:

Introductory Level papers - 55 % Intermediate Level papers - 50 % Advanced Level papers - 50 %

All individual paper passes will be retained.

DipFM candidates The pass standard in all papers is 50 %. All passes in individual papers will be retained. Project titles for the next sitting are included. Projects, together with completed Project Submission Forms, must be received by the date stated. Administrative Review ACCA has a range of procedures in place which reviews the academic judgements made by examiners and these ensure that the final results are robust. However following publication of the results if you do not feel that your result reflects your perceived performance, you may request an Administrative Review under the following circumstances:

ACCA 's procedures have not been properly applied in arriving at your mark you have received an absent mark but you were present at the examination you were not present at an examination but have received a mark.

If you wish to request an Administrative Review, please complete the form which you will find in student accountant and submit it to the return address at the bottom of this form within 15 days from results release date, enclosing the appropriate fee. ACCA will carry out an Administrative Review of all processes followed to determine your final mark. You will receive written confirmation of the outcome of the Review in week commencing 22 March for February results and week commencing 20 September for August results. If your mark is amended as a result of the Administrative Review, you will receive a refund of your Administrative Review fee and an amended examination entry form, if applicable. If on receipt of your Administrative Review you believe that ACCA did not apply its procedures properly you may appeal to the Examination Appeals Committee by submitting your appeal in writing to Head of Examinations within 10 working days of the issue of your Administrative Review by ACCA and submitting the 30

required fee. Your appeal will be forwarded to the Committee for consideration. Please note that candidate scripts remain the property of ACCA and will not be returned under any circumstance. Section B - EXAMINATION STATUS This statement shows your examination status following the most recent examination session and includes all exemptions awarded and CBE passes achieved before the date stated. Students holding provisional converted passes in P1 and P4 must pass either P1 or any outstanding option other than P4 in addition to twelve other papers in order to complete the exam requirement of the syllabus . Section C - ETHICS The Professional Ethics module is a mandatory element of the ACCA Qualification for students registering or re-registering from 1 January 2007 . The module - which is interactive - can be accessed through myACCA . If the Professional Ethics module is not mandatory for you to complete but you would like to do so, simply log into myACCA and follow the link to the Professional Ethics module. To take the Professional Ethics module you must be eligible to sit a Professional level paper. If you have opted in to complete the Oxford Brookes BSc in Applied Accounting and have not yet submitted the research and analysis project, you are required to complete the Professional Ethics module prior to submitting the project. If you do not have regular access to the Internet you can request a CD-rom or paper version of the Professional Ethics module. Please note that a handling fee will apply. To order please contact:

by telephone:+44 (0) 141 582 2000 by fax: +44 (0) 141 582 2222 by email:info@accaglobal.com quoting 'Request for Professional Ethics module' in the subject title In writing to: ACCA Connect 2 Central Quay 89 Hydepark Street Glasgow G3 8BW

Your status for the Professional Ethics module will show as completed on the statement overleaf where you have either completed the module online, or your "module completion form" which accompanies the CD-ROM and paper version of the Professional Ethics module has been submitted and recorded by ACCA, by the date shown in the examination status section of the form. Section D - PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT (PER) STATUS 31

This section shows the performance objectives you have achieved and recorded with ACCA as at the date of this status report. In order to be eligible to apply for ACCA membership, you need to achieve all nine Essentials and at least four Options performance objectives. If you are using the online trainee development matrix (TDM), any additional performance objectives you have achieved since the date of this report will be reflected online. If you are using the paper TDM, you will have the opportunity to update your performance objective status on your annual PER return. You can access the TDM and online annual PER return through myACCA . Alternatively, you may use the paper annual PER return that is dispatched with your annual subscription demand. This section also shows the time (in months) that you have accumulated and recorded in a relevant accounting or finance role. To be eligible for membership you are required to complete 36 months in a relevant role. This information can also be updated on your annual PER return. Section E - OXFORD BROOKES STATUS Your current status on the Oxford Brookes University degree is detailed in this section. If you wish to study towards the degree, and are eligible to do so, you must opt in prior to attempting Papers F7, F8, or F9. If you intend to take the research and analysis project after 1 August 2008 you will be required to undertake the Professional Ethics module prior to embarking on the project, irrespective of your date of registration. Section F - YOUR PROGRESS TO MEMBERSHIP This section shows your progress towards ACCA membership. To be eligible for membership you must complete all 14 examinations, 9 Essential and 4 Options within the performance objectives and have a minimum of 36 months experience in a relevant accounting or finance role. If you registered with ACCA after 1 January 2007 you must also complete the Professional Ethics module.

How we process your results:The life of an ACCA exam paperWe go to great lengths to ensure that each exam paper is rigorously checked and tested so that it fairly and accurately tests the abilities of well prepared students. This section explains the process involved when setting and checking all ACCA exam papers.

Setting the exam papersACCAs exam papers are set by a team of Examiners and subsequently checked by a panel comprising the Examiner, an Assessor, Subject Co-ordinator and Exam 32

Sitter. Each Examiner is responsible for setting the question paper, writing the suggested published answers and producing a marking scheme. No member of the team is permitted to teach students who may be sitting any of the papers for which he/she is responsible. Examiners are required to report to us any attempt made by a student to discuss future papers with them. Once an exam paper has been drafted, it is reviewed by an Assessor whose job it is to ensure that the questions are relevant to the syllabus and that the paper is fair and balanced throughout. The Assessor also ensures that the suggested answers and marking schemes are suitable for publication. Next, a Subject Co-ordinator examines the agreed version of the question paper, suggested answers and marking scheme to ensure that they have been set in accordance with the standards required for that level of the exams. The Subject Coordinator also checks to see that the exams are consistent with previous exam sessions, avoid unnecessary overlap with other papers and ensure progression. Once the paper has been fully considered, it is attempted by the Exam Sitter our examiners dont expect you to sit a paper that they are not prepared to sit themselves! The purpose of this is to ensure that the paper can be completed by an average student in the time available. The Exam Sitter then produces a report outlining in detail any problems encountered sitting the question paper. At all stages, the Examiner, Assessor and Subject Co-ordinator for each paper works with ACCAs full-time team of Education Advisers who co-ordinate and monitor the papers throughout the process, providing an additional level of quality assurance.

Marking exam scriptsEach Examiner co-ordinates a team of Qualified Markers responsible for marking candidates scripts. Markers meetings are held as soon as possible after the final paper for each exam session to discuss potential problems and establish a clear marking strategy. To ensure fairness in the marking of scripts, the marking team does not know the identity of the candidates. We do not set a target percentage of candidates to be successful at each exam sitting. Your results in each and any paper are totally uninfluenced by any previous exam record, or the performance of other candidates. Examiners and Markers pay particular attention to borderline scripts and the need to ensure consistency between exam markers.

Exam certificates:ACCA issues certificates for certain ACCA and CAT exams twice a year after the exam results are released. Please see below for a summary of exam certificates awarded. 33

ACCA QUALIFICATION Certificate of Achievement Students are awarded a Certificate of Achievement if they achieve a pass mark of 85% or above for individual passes in Papers F1, F2 and F3. Fundamentals Level Certificate Students are awarded a Fundamentals Level Certificate when they have successfully completed all of the exams in the Fundamentals level of the ACCA Qualification (Papers F1F9). Professional Level Certificate Students are awarded a Professional Level Certificate when they have successfully completed all of the exams in the Professional level of the ACCA Qualification (P1P3 and any two of the Options papers from P4, P5, P6 and P7). CAT QUALIFICATION Introductory Level Certificate Students are awarded an Introductory Level Certificate when they have successfully completed all of the Introductory level exams (Papers T1 and T2) of the CAT Qualification. Intermediate Level Certificate Students are awarded an Intermediate Level Certificate when they have successfully completed all of the Intermediate level exams (Papers T3 and T4) of the CAT Qualification. Advanced Level Certificate Students are awarded an Advanced Level Certificate when they have successfully completed all of the Advanced level exams (Papers T5T7 and two of the three options papers from T8T10) of the CAT Qualification. Passed Finalist Certificate Students are awarded a Passed Finalist Certificate when they have successfully completed all of the papers of the CAT Qualification. DIPFM Students are awarded an exam certificate only when they have successfully completed all the Diploma in Financial Management papers.

Prizewinners:At ACCA we believe outstanding exam achievement deserves recognition. Students who achieve 85% or above for papers in the Knowledge module (F1F3) will be issued with a Certificate of Achievement in recognition of their success. Cash prizes sponsored by major employers and educational institutions will be awarded to candidates attaining the highest mark worldwide under the Skills module of the Fundamentals level and Professional level. Medals will be awarded to candidates who achieve Affiliate status and have attained the highest aggregate marks worldwide for papers in the Professional level Essentials and Options

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module papers (P1P7). The above awards will only be given to those candidates who achieve the highest marks on their first attempt. Prize-winning students will normally be notified about three weeks after the publication of results. In countries where ACCA has offices, branches and student societies, or Joint Examination Scheme arrangements with the national accountancy body, additional local prizes may be awarded. In addition, a number of prizes are awarded from trust funds.

Administrative reviews:ACCA undertakes many checks and controls during the marking process to ensure that all exam results are accurate. Before marking starts, all markers attend a meeting with the examiner to discuss the exam paper and agree a detailed marking scheme. The examiner moderates the marking process closely and, at the end of the marking period, each examiner is required to review a sample of marked scripts for their paper. This is to ensure that the marking scheme has been applied consistently by all markers. In addition, the examiner pays special attention to scripts where marginal marks have been awarded. At each session, ACCA also has a team of script checkers who ensure that each question on your script has been marked, that the correct marks have been transferred to the results sheet, and that the total for the final mark is correct. Altogether, there are nine independent checks during the marking process to verify that data returned to ACCA by markers is correct. Any discrepancies that are found during this process are investigated and resolved before results are finalised. Once your results have been added to your student record, and your entry options have been created for the next exam session, ACCA then conducts further checks at the printing stage to ensure the printed results are accurate before they are released. The quality controls applied at each stage of the marking process ensure the integrity of ACCA's results data. However, ACCA recognizes that students may sometimes feel that their results do not reflect their perceived performance in the exam. In response to this, you can request an administrative review of your results if you:

receive an absent mark but you were present at the exam and submitted an exam paper were not present at an exam but received a mark for your paper feel that ACCA's quality controls have not been applied properly in arriving at your mark.

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The administrative reviews allow ACCA to ensure transparency and fairness, and are available for all qualifications that are assessed by exam. However, this is not a re-marking service. As part of the administrative review you will receive information on whether or not you reached the pass standard in each question attempted. This will take the form of P (Pass) or F (Fail) - actual marks will not be disclosed. This change to the service is in response to requests from students and tuition providers. It will provide an indication as to where a good understanding of a topic area has been demonstrated, and should assist with revision in cases where students have failed an examination. No additional fee is being charged. If you would like an administrative review to be undertaken you must request it within 15 working days of the results release date. Should an error be found in the review, you will receive the corrected mark before the exam entry closing date for the next session. Your mark will be adjusted to reflect your true result. Please note that your mark may be lowered if an administrative error had inflated your original mark. If your mark is amended as a result of the administrative review you will receive a refund of your review fee and a revised Examination Entry Form, if applicable. If on receipt of the outcome of your administrative review you believe that ACCA has not applied its procedures properly you may appeal to the Exam Appeals Committee. To do this you should submit your appeal in writing to the head of examinations within eight working days of the issue of your administrative review by ACCA. The appeal date for the December 2009 session is 5 April. Your appeal will then be forwarded to the Committee for consideration. If you would like to request an administrative review please complete the form (see 'Related documents') and submit it to: Examination Operation Services, ACCA, 2 Central Quay, 89 Hyde park Street, Glasgow G3 8BW, UK. You must enclose the appropriate fee (per paper):

CAT - Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced Level (per paper) - 40 ACCA Qualification Knowledge Module (per paper) - 40 ACCA Qualification Skills Module (per paper) - 45 ACCA Qualification Professional Level (per paper) - 50

The deadline for requesting an administrative review of your December 2009 results is 15 March. You will receive written confirmation of the outcome of the review from ACCA in the week commencing 22 March.

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RULES & REGULATIONS:The disciplinary procedures cover matters such as professional misconduct, misconduct in exams and breaches of regulations which include any actions likely to bring discredit to you, ACCA, or the accountancy profession. The rules governing disciplinary procedures for students (and members) are set out in ACCAs Bye-laws and Regulations. All registered students are bound by these Bye-laws and Regulations. If you wish to make further enquiries about matters which may be subject to disciplinary procedures, please write to our Professional Conduct Department at our London office in the UK. ACCAs Rulebook, which contains the Bye-laws and Regulations, is available for reading online, or at ACCA offices. Principles related to misconduct in examinations are reproduced here for easy reference.

Your obligations:It is the duty of every member, firm or registered student to co-operate throughout the course of the investigation. If the Assessor concludes that a prima facie case amounting to liability to disciplinary action has been made out against the registered student, he or she has two alternative courses of action: a. to refer the matter to the Disciplinary Committee; or b. to rest the matter on the registered students file. This option is reserved for complaints which the Assessor believes renders the registered student liable to disciplinary action, but which are not serious.

Liability to disciplinary action:A registered student is liable to disciplinary action, whether or not he or she was a registered student at the time of the offence, if he or she falls within any of the circumstances set out in Bye-law 8. These include being guilty of misconduct in the course of carrying out his or her professional duties or otherwise, or breaching any regulation, in particular, the regulations set out here. Misconduct includes

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(but is not limited to) any act likely to bring discredit upon the registered student, ACCA, or the accountancy profession.

Misconduct in an examination:a. The Supervisor is empowered to discontinue the examination of a registered student suspected of misconduct and require him or her to leave the examination room b. A registered student found guilty of contravening an examination regulation may be disqualified from any examinations for which the results have not yet been issued, barred from sitting examinations for a specified period, removed from the student register, and/or be liable to such other penalty as the Disciplinary Committee may determine. A registered student found guilty of a breach of the examination regulations will normally be removed from the register c. Publicity will always be given to the Disciplinary Committees decision and in all but exceptional circumstances the registered student will be named. ACCA reserves the right to withhold the results of a registered students examination while a complaint against him or her is under investigation or consideration d. The Examination Regulations and disciplinary procedures also apply to registered students sitting examinations for internally examined courses.

Rights and obligations:The following information is taken from regulation 8 of the ACCA Rulebook. It is important that you read this information as it outlines what activities you are permitted and not permitted to do as an ACCA student. (1) A application of the Charter, bye-laws and regulations Upon and following admission as a registered student, the Charter, the bye-laws and the regulations made pursuant to the bye-laws for the time being in force shall insofar as applicable to them apply to and bind every person so admitted for so long as he is a registered student and, insofar as the Charter, bye-laws and such regulations so provide, thereafter. (2) Permitted activities of ACCA students (a) A CCA students of the Association may not claim to be members of the Association, nor may they be, or hold themselves out to be, in public practice, or a partner, director or controller of a firm or a member of a limited liability partnership which carries on public practice. ACCA students are, however, permitted to provide basic bookkeeping services for reward, either directly to the public or for an accountant, provided that they do not refer to their studentship or potential membership of the Association. Such service may be provided by the 38

ACCA student acting in a self-employed capacity, or as an employee. Basic bookkeeping services are defined as: (i) T he recording of basic accounting data up to and including the preparation of accounting records to trial balance stage (aa) bank accounts (bb) cash (cc) sales ledger and purchase ledger (ii) Payroll (aa) wages (bb) PAYE, National Insurance deductions (iii) VAT or its equivalent. (b) A ny accountancy services, other than basic book-keeping services, can only be provided for reward by an ACCA student working for, and under the supervision of, a person who, in the opinion of Council, is suitably qualified and/or suitably experienced. The ACCA student may undertake such work either as an employee or as a self-employed person. (c) T he provision of basic book-keeping services directly to the public cannot constitute approved accountancy experience, for the purpose of regulation 3(a)(ii). However, basic book-keeping and other accountancy work undertaken under supervision may constitute approved accountancy experience. (d) A n ACCA student or affiliate who wishes to provide basic book-keeping services may obtain or seek such work by direct approaches to existing or prospective clients by mail or any other means unless prohibited by law in the country in which the student operates and subject to the requirements in paragraphs (e) and (f) below. (e) A n ACCA student may inform the public of his book-keeping services by means of advertising, or other forms of promotion, subject to the general requirement that the medium should not, in the opinion of Council, reflect adversely on the ACCA student, the Association or the accountancy profession, nor should the advertisement or promotion material, in the opinion of Council: (i) as to content or presentation, bring the Association into disrepute or bring discredit to the ACCA student, firm or the accountancy profession; (ii) discredit the services offered by others whether by claiming superiority for the ACCA students services or otherwise; (iii) contain comparisons with the services offered by others; registered students rights and obligations (iv) be misleading, either directly or by implication; (v) fall short of the requirements of the Advertising Standards Authority as to 39

legality, decency, honesty and truthfulness. (f) A advertisements and other promotional material may refer to the basis on which fees are calculated, or to hourly or other charging rates, provided that the information given is not misleading. (g) Where ACCA students provide services pursuant to the above rules, they are subject to the same rules of professional conduct which apply to members who provide such services. (h) R regulations 8(2)(a)(g) do not apply to ACCA students: (i) who are members of one or more of the UK or Irish Institutes of Chartered Accountants, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants or The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting and who hold practicing certificates or the equivalent status from such bodies; or (ii) who are authorized for appointment as company auditor under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1989; or (iii) who are resident outside the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey and Dependencies, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland, and hold a professional accountancy qualification which confers the right to practice in their country of residence. A CCA students falling within these categories are permitted to engage in public practice (although, in respect of category (iii), in their country of residence only) provided that they describe themselves only as members of the professional bodies to which they belong (if any) and not as students of the Association. (3) MSER students The provisions of regulation 8(2) apply to MSER students in respect of their permitted activities.

Exam regulations:Taking your ACCA exams is part of your journey towards becoming an ACCA professional accountant and we therefore expect you to act in a professional manner when taking your exams. The following rules on conduct apply to students completing projects or sitting paper-based and computer-based exams, as well as those taking internally-assessed ACCA courses. 1. You are required to comply in all respects with any instructions issued by the registrar, exam supervisor and invigilators before and during an exam. 2. You may not attempt to deceive the registrar or the exam supervisor by giving false or misleading information. 3. You are not allowed to take to your exam desk, possess, use or intend to use while at that desk, any books, notes or other materials except those 40

authorised by the registrar. If you are found to have taken to your desk, or possessed while at that desk, unauthorised materials which are relevant to the syllabus being examined, it will be assumed that you intended to use them to gain an unfair advantage in the exam. In any subsequent disciplinary proceedings, it shall be for you to prove that you did not intend to use the materials to gain an unfair advantage in the exam. 4. You may not assist, attempt to assist, obtain or attempt to obtain assistance by improper means from any other person during your exams. 5. You are required to adhere at all times to the Instructions to Candidates, which you receive with your Examination Attendance Docket. 6. You are required to comply with the exam supervisors ruling. Supervisors are obliged to report any cases of irregularity or improper conduct to the registrar. The supervisor is empowered to discontinue your exam if you are suspected of misconduct and to exclude you from the exam hall. 7. You may not engage in any other unprofessional conduct designed to assist you in your exam attempt. 8. You are not permitted to remove either your script booklet or your question paper from the exam hall. All exam scripts remain the property of ACCA. 9. Once the exam has started, you are not allowed to leave the exam hall permanently until the end of the session and then only when instructed by the supervisor. These regulations are reproduced on your Examination Attendance Docket you should take time to familiarise yourself with them. In order to be eligible to sit your exams you must sign your docket confirming your agreement to comply with these regulations.

Disciplinary committee:When a complaint is referred to the Disciplinary Committee, the Professional Conduct Department will notify the registered student of the date when it proposes to hear the case. The registered student is entitled to be heard before the Committee and is permitted to be represented and to call witnesses and crossexamine witnesses called against him or her. The disciplinary hearing will normally be held in public. If the Disciplinary Committee is satisfied that the complaint has been proved wholly or in part, it can make any one or more of the following orders: 1. that he or she be removed from the student register; 2. that the period specified in the order shall not be reckoned as part of the registered students approved professional experience; 41

3. that he or she be declared ineligible for such period as shall respectively be specified in the order to sit such examination or examinations of ACCA (or such part or parts thereof) as shall be specified in the order; 4. (iv) that he or she be disqualified from such examination or examinations of ACCA (or such part or part thereof) as shall be specified in the order not being an examination (or part thereof) the result of which shall have been duly notified to him or her by ACCA prior to the date of the order; 5. (v) that he or she be severely reprimanded, reprimanded or admonished. In addition, the registered student may be ordered to pay costs (see later section on costs). Sometimes a registered students conduct may be investigated under these disciplinary procedures after he or she has taken ACCA examinations, but has not yet received the results. In these situations, the results will be withheld until the case has been concluded. If the registered student is removed from the ACCA student register, the examination results will not be released.

Appeal committee:If an order is made by the Disciplinary Committee against a registered student, he or she has 30 days, from service of the notice of the Committees findings, in which to appeal. His or her notice of appeal must be in writing addressed to the Professional Conduct Department and must state the grounds of appeal. If the registered student appeals against the findings made by the Disciplinary Committee, the appeal hearing will be a fresh hearing. The Appeal Committee may affirm, vary or set aside the decision of the Disciplinary Committee, and may substitute any other order that the Disciplinary Committee could have made.

Costs:The Disciplinary Committee and the Appeal Committee may order the student to pay a sum by way of costs to ACCA. Where the Disciplinary Committee orders that a student be removed from the student register, and that student appeals against such a finding, he or she must ensure that he or she pays any costs so ordered by the Disciplinary Committee before his or her appeal is heard. Failure to do so will result in the notice of appeal being treated as invalid.

Publication of findings:The findings and orders of the Disciplinary and Appeal Committees are always published in ACCA's publications accounting & business and student accountant. Press releases are also sent to local, national and professional press. In all but exceptional circumstances the registered student is named. As these hearings are 42

held in public the press may attend. ACCA has no control over what may be published in the press.

EXPERIENCE: Practical Experience Requirement (PER):In order to become an ACCA-qualified accountant you will need to complete the practical experience requirement (PER) as well as passing your exams and the professional ethics module. It is a key component of the ACCA Qualification and will help you to:

apply in practice the knowledge and techniques gained through your studies towards the ACCA exams observe and be involved in real-life work situations that help you to develop the skills, attitudes, and behaviors that you will need to possess as a qualified accountant develop your judgment, encouraging you to reflect on the quality of your work and how you may improve your work performance in the future.

Employers expect ACCA members to show high levels of knowledge and ability in the workplace, and to behave ethically. The PER provides a framework for ACCA trainees to gain this knowledge and ability. It does this by setting you a range of performance objectives to achieve and ensuring you gain enough experience in one or more relevant roles, demonstrating that you have the abilities and maturity required to become a member - making you a more valuable employee.

What do I have to do?To begin achieving your PER, you need to be working in an accounting or finance-related role. You may feel that the opportunities to achieve your PER in your current role are limited, but you should consider the options available to you before you decide to seek alternative employment. If you are a full-time student or are not working in a relevant role, you may want to start thinking about what steps you will need to take in the future to gain the practical experience you need in order to become a member. There are four components to your PER:

completing three-years' employment in an accounting or finance-related role(s)

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achieving the nine Essentials and any four Options performance objectives to the satisfaction of your workplace mentor recording and reporting your PER progress through the trainee development matrix (TDM) making a PER return each year.

You can gain your practical experience before, during or after completion of the exams. There is no time limit to gaining practical experience and applying for ACCA membership. However, the performance objectives are closely linked to the exam syllabus and it is recommended that you co-ordinate your study and practical experience achievement. You should aim to get your employer's support to help you gain the PER and you will also need to work closely with your workplace mentor.

Three years' practical experience:It doesn't matter what sector or organisation you work in ACCA trainees work in every sector and size of organisation. Whats important is to look for the opportunities to help you meet your PER and to obtain a total of 36-months' (three years') experience in a relevant role, or roles. Ideally, this means that you have a job where the majority of your time is spent on activities and tasks that are accounting, finance, audit and assurance related, or in other related technical areas such as taxation, insolvency, and forensics. If your job includes only a small amount of accountancy and finance work it can count, as long as you pro rata the time you spend on these activities. For example, if only a quarter of your working time (equivalent to three months) during the year is spent in an accounting capacity, you may only claim three months as relevant time in your PER annual return. This may mean that it will take you more than three years to accumulate the relevant experience, because some of your experience is not relevant. Your experience doesnt have to be gained in a single role or one continuous period and relevant experience gained prior to joining ACCA may be counted, providing it can be verified by a workplace mentor.

Performance objectives:Performance objectives are ACCA's indicators of effective performance, and set the minimum standard of work that you are expected to achieve and demonstrate in the workplace. They describe the kinds of work activities you may carry out, and the values and attitudes you are expected to possess and demonstrate as a trainee accountant.

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They also include information about the work outcomes you must produce and the quality of your work. If you have ever taken part in a performance management or appraisal process at work, you may find ACCA's performance objectives are similar in structure to those work-related objectives and expectations agreed by you and your manager. Performance objectives are divided into key areas of knowledge which are closely linked to the exam syllabus reinforcing that any knowledge developed through the exams will have a clear application in the workplace. You will demonstrate your achievement of the performance objectives to your workplace mentor by answering three unique challenge questions for each performance objective. You will be required to achieve 13 performance objectives in total:

all nine Essentials - performance objectives one to nine, and any four Options - performance objectives 10 to 20.

Professionalism, ethics and governance

1. Demonstrate the application of professional ethics, values and judgement 2. Contribute to the effective governance of an organisation 3. Raise awareness of non-financial risk

Personal effectiveness

4. Manage self 5. Communicate effectively 6. Use information and communications technology

Business management

7. Manage on-going activities in your area of responsibility 8. Improve departmental performance 9. Manage an assignment

Financial accounting and reporting

10. Prepare financial statements for external purposes 11. Interpret financial transactions and financial statements

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Performance measurement and management accounting

12. Prepare financial information for management 13. Contribute to budget planning and production 14. Monitor and control budgets

Finance and financial management

15. Evaluate potential business/investment opportunities and the required finance options 16. Manage cash using active cash management and treasury systems

Audit and assurance

17. Prepare for and collect evidence for audit 18. Evaluate and report on audit

Taxation

19. Evaluate and compute taxes payable 20. Assist with tax planning

Recording experience:The trainee development matrix (TDM) is an online tool specifically for ACCA trainees (students and affiliates) to plan and record your achievement of the practical experience requirements (PER). It will help you through every stage - from planning your development, targeting performance objectives, and writing the answers to your challenge questions through to having these questions reviewed and signed off by your workplace mentor. It will also help you maintain a virtual CV, charting your employment and career progress. You will also need to use it to complete your annual PER return. You can access your personal TDM through myACCA, it can be found within the Practical Experience Requirements section and will launch in a new window.

Approved EmployersIf your employer is a gold or platinum ACCA Approved Employer - trainee development stream, you may be exempt from using the TDM to record and 46

report achievement of your performance objectives. This is because ACCA recognizes that your employer already has a robust training and development programme in place. However, it is important to confirm that your employer has this level of approval and whether they want to claim exemption from the TDM for their employees. Please note that it is your employer - not you - who decides whether to claim exemption from using the TDM for recording the achievement of performance objectives. And even if your employer decides to use the TDM exemption, you will still need to use the TDM to submit your annual PER return.

Need more information?See the 'Approved Employer TDM exemption FAQs' in 'related documents'.

Are you a trainee leaving an Approved Employer?See the 'Approved Employer PER summary form' in 'related documents'.

Annual return:As part of the PER, every trainee is required to submit an annual return stating what practical experience they have obtained, if any, in the last 12 months. The purpose of the annual return is to help you and ACCA track your practical experience and your progress towards gaining ACCA membership. It also allows ACCA to assist you by developing products and services to help support your training and development. Even if you are not currently working in a relevant role, for example if you are a full-time student, you must make an annual PER return. How do I make an annual return? To complete your annual return select the annual return button in the online TDM this can be accessed through myACCA. There are various sections you need to complete depending on your working status but the whole process will only take you a few minutes. The annual return allows you to:

view or confirm the performance objectives that have been signed off to date by your workplace mentor(s) if relevant to your circumstances confirm the time (in months) that you have been in a relevant role since your last annual return confirm that the information you have given is true by signing a declaration and agreeing that you are committed to your development and

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to ACCAs Code of Ethics. When do I have to do my annual return by? The closing date to make your annual return is 1 January each year. But this does not mean that you have to wait until December to make your return, you can complete your annual return online at any time during the year. For example, if you know that you will be studying full time for the rest of the year and will not be in a relevant working role, you can make your annual return now, stating that you have no relevant work experience to record at this time. I am not working do I still need to make an annual return? Yes. All trainees are required to complete an annual return, including those studying on a full-time basis, those working in a non-relevant role, and those not working for other reasons, such as ill health. I have already made my annual return for this year but have more experience to declare what do I do? If you need to, you can make more than one annual return in a year, however please be aware that your most recent entry will overwrite what you declared previously, so make sure your latest entry includes any previous information entered. You can record as little as one months experience when you make your annual return if it is relevant it will all add up to the 36 months required. PER audit ACCA reviews trainees' workplace achievement. Non-completion of the annual reporting requirement, lack of recording, and continued non-achievement of performance objectives (where you are in a relevant role), will be among the factors taken into account when selecting trainee records for review. Trainees' online TDM or paper-based records will be subject to the same levels of PER audit.

ACCA Careers :Hundreds of thousands of people choose a career in Accountancy, opening up a wealth of opportunities for them. We take your career progression seriously and want to ensure we support the development of your employability. ACCA offers many career options in terms of roles and sectors, and our worldwide qualification and global standards, enables you to develop a rewarding career internationally too. ACCA Careers is here to support the many choices you may face at every stage in your career. In collaboration with leading experts in their field, ACCA Careers provides comprehensive guidance, insight and tips to ensure that whatever decision you make, you have the right information to help you.

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What's new on ACCA careers

Emotional Intelligence in the workplace: listen to our pod casts from the CIPD Read the CIPDs guide to using Emotional Intelligence at work, in the second in a series of articles on Tactical Skills Get up to 32% off careers and self development books with Foyles and ACCA Careers Find out about what Tactical skills you can make use of in your accounting career to help with engagement and high performance Read the CIPDs guide to Managing Yourself and your Reactions in the first in a series of articles on Tactical skills

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Foyles ACCA and Foyles have joined forces to bring you a must read selection of books to help you get the perfect job or progress your career in accountancy. Accenture Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Accenture is an expert within organizational design and development and will be bringing a wealth of knowledge and insight on business development and performance management. The first of a series of articles will cover Green Talent and The New Talent Equation. GAA Pweb GAA Pwe