Latest from PQ magazine
A weekly round-up of the latest news from the world of accountancy, brought to you by PQ Magazine, the leading magazine for part-qualified and passed finalist accountants.
Week commencing 15 December 2008
In bed with the examiners
CIMAFuture, the new 2010 chartered management qualification, was unveiled at the recent Lecturers’ Conference in Warwick. PQ magazine was the only magazine present, and the story is our exclusive lead story in the latest PQ magazine (it will be hitting your letterboxes this week). “The changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary,” according to CIMA education chief Robert Jelly. There are, however, some dramatic changes at the final professional competence level where TOPCIMA and PER become much more integrated. We gave our readers the news first – for a full rundown of the changes you need to see our latest issue! Go to pqmagazine.co.uk to sign up for your free magazine.
ICAEW success – if you say so!
Some 3,727 ICAEW students walked into the exam halls recently hoping to progress their careers – some 2,100 walked out as newly qualified ACA members. The results show pass rates of between 71%–79%, but despite all the hard work the ICAEW seems to be struggling to put a positive spin on the idea of qualifying. The ICAEW is trying to manage the introduction of a new syllabus. Few students are ‘stuck’ at the old level but the emphasis seems to be on the new syllabus now. Some 60% of students managed a pass in all three papers under the new syllabus. However, of the 3,500 students who sat the new ACA a whopping 500 failed everything! How will their firm be treating them this Christmas under the antiquated contract process? See next month’s PQ magazine for an even better insight into the results.
Just a bunch of moaners!
AAT exam sitters have been accused of being a bunch of moaning whingers – by fellow students. Some PQs felt that to claim the AAT was ‘breaching their human rights’ to a professional qualification was a step too far! Students should expect the exams to be testing and time consuming, they were told – they are supposed to be a test. “Everyone should just stop moaning,” said one AAT. Some of that moaning might have been justified, however, as the AAT has admitted one exam venue was closed due to ‘extreme weather conditions’. The affected candidates will be re-entered for the June 2009 exams, without further cost. Some students felt that wasn’t good enough. For the story in full go to the study zone on pqmagazine.co.uk.
Awards deadline looms
The PQ magazine awards deadline has been extended to 26 January. That means there is still time to get you name up in lights and attend the funkiest awards of 2009! The venue has been booked – it’s going to be at Quaglino’s – and the date set for Monday 23 February. Send your entries to awards@pqmagazine.co.uk and you could be walking down the red carpet with us! See page 12 of the latest issue of PQ for all the categories.
Feeling stressed?
It has all gone pear-shaped and ‘it makes me feel sick’, said one respondent in a recent ICAEW survey! Chartered accountants aren’t coping very well with the downturn and some 45% of ACA members are stressed out – and Christmas isn’t helping. Unachievable targets, poor management and no work-life balance are the reasons why things are so bad. While the ICAEW sells the idea of the qualification ‘opening up international opportunities’ it appears workplace stress is more likely to affect ACAs working outside the UK. The longer hours that these accountants are forced to work is taking its toll.
Give us feedback
Keep us on our toes and focused, pleaded CIPFA’s E&T director at the recent NSF conference, sponsored by PQ Magazine. He admitted that the institute doesn’t always get things right first time, adding: “But what helps us is your feedback.” He also revealed that pass rates have been improving and his spies have told him that early indications are that this trend is continuing. Ranges of enhancements to the Student Learning Centre were also announced for August time.
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