Incorporating NQ magazine
September 2021
www.pqmagazine.com/www.pqjobs.co.uk
ACCA ACTION PLAN IS HERE ACCA will offer students who have their Strategic Professional exam sitting disrupted because of technical issues the chance to sit another sitting “in the immediate days following exam week”. The remote invigilated contingency exams will run from Saturday 11 September to Wednesday 15 September. ACCA explained: “Students will be able to re-attempt their exams within the same two-week window of that sitting.” Previously this contingency had been only available for Applied Skills exam papers, but from September they will now cover all the Strategic Professional exams, too. This was one of the demands PQ magazine’s Graham Hambly took to a recent meeting with ACCA head of UK Claire Bennison and director of customer service Leigh Currie. During the meeting ACCA acknowledged having contingency exams for the higher levels was a good idea and promised to explore it as an option – well they have, and have now made it happen.
PQ magazine also called for a clear action plan, and ACCA has one of these too! It has agreed an action plan of system reviews and enhancements to ensure it can mitigate the risks of future disruptions. It said: “We have an agreed action plan of system reviews and enhancements that takes us to the September exam session and will provide reassurance to all out students and employers.” Included in this plan is full endto-end testing ahead of September,
alongside a range of ‘continuous improvement activities’. For those taking RI exams ACCA has introduced a new interactive system test for all students, so they can check they meet the minimum requirements needed to take an exam remotely. ACCA is currently planning for centre-based exams in September in the UK. Working with partners Pearson Vue and the British Council, it has reviewed venues that had issues in June. Some
centres will not be used again, with improvements being put in place for others. When it comes to power, all the larger sites will be signed off by a qualified electrician to ensure there is no repeat of the power and cabling issues seen earlier this summer. ACCA will also ensure all machines are connected to the same network, a network diagram will be provided, and relevant testing done as close to the session as possible. As PQ magazine suggested, photographs will be provided by each exam centre, with new checks covering social distancing and cabling. In an effort to end the ‘Monday problems’ a British Council technician will be strategically located at major venues on the first two days of exam week. Finally, ACCA believes its feedback survey post-exams captures the issues that need to be addressed. This means it is vital sitters complete them.
Due to the growing demand for e-learning and the need for additional quality learning solutions in a number of markets around the globe, CIMA is expanding access to its CGMA Finance Leadership Program to markets outside of the UK. It will offer a new and alternative route to study and earn the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation and become a CIMA member. The CGMA Finance Leadership Program is a digital platform that
offers comprehensive e-learning and assessments covering the Operational, Management and the Strategic levels of the CIMA qualification. It is based on the same syllabus as the CIMA Professional Qualification, practical experience requirements and Code of Ethics. Students that use the CGMA Finance Leadership Program learn finance, accounting, business, people, leadership and digital skills online, in a fully digital environment, and are assessed and tested continuously as they learn. This
new learning experience includes scenario-based learning, simulation assignments, interactive exercises and videos to ensure that students can fully understand and master the content. Students also have access to mock Case Study exams to help them build confidence ahead of the official exams. The Program is an all-inclusive bundle that includes registration fees, tuition expenses, exams fees, and dues. Students can opt for one, two or three-year subscriptions depending on how much time they
believe they will need to complete the CIMA qualification. The price is £1,995 for one year, £2,995 for two years, and £3,995 for three years. There is currently a discount for current CIMA students who wish to join the Finance Leadership Program. CIMA told PQ magazine that they are looking at the opportunities to adopt this approach in the UK and are working through how best to respond to the interest they are getting from students, employers and universities requiring selfserviced e-learning.
NEW ROUTE TO CIMA MEMBERSHIP
