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School of Accountancy graduates achieve exceptional results in SAICA ITC professional exams

09 July 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Pixabay

Graduates in the University of the Free State School of Accountancy achieved exceptional results in the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Initial Test of Competence (ITC). The UFS achieved an 81% pass rate in the April ITC exam for first-time writers of the BAcc Honours and PGDip (Chartered Accountancy) programmes, compared to the national average of 70%.

The ITC examination is the first of two qualifying professional examinations required to qualify as a chartered accountant (CA(SA)) in South Africa and is written by graduates shortly after completion of their formal university studies. There are two sittings for this examination annually, and the April exam is the first for 2021.

“These results were attained despite the very challenging circumstances of the emergency remote teaching environment during 2020 and is testament to the quality of our CA programme and the hard work and dedication of the staff of the School of Accountancy,” said Prof Frans Prinsloo, Director: School of Accountancy. He added that, “the results confirm the ‘quality’ / ‘excellence’ of our CA programme, and reinforce similar observations made by the SAICA monitoring team following their 2020 full visit (which included a detailed evaluation of our CA programme)”.

Transformation of chartered accountancy profession

Seventy percent of UFS graduates passed the April 2021 ITC examination, including 38 African and 3 Coloured graduates, while 10 out of 13 of the Thuthuka Bursary Programme graduates of 2020 passed. More than 60% of UFS graduates who passed the examination are black (i.e., African, Coloured, and Indian), with a pass rate of 73% compared to the national average of 52%, which include first-time and repeat candidates. The results are testimony of the interventions put in place to contribute to the transformation of the chartered accountancy profession.

Student-centred teaching approach

The School of Accountancy follows a ‘student-centred’ teaching and learning approach. During the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching was predominantly remote and was adapted to include ongoing, clear communication about the academic programme, comprehensive teaching materials containing additional explanations, learning notes, comments, cross-references to theory, and step-by-step learning guides per topic to enable students to navigate their learning.

Other interventions have also been put in place to support students financially via the school’s INTRABAS unit, mentorship and peer support initiatives, detailed tracking of student participation and performance, follow-up with students, and regular ‘check-ins’ with the student body to consider the student voice and ensure the relevance of the teaching offering.

The UFS is looking forward to the journey of our candidates and their contributions to the world of work.

News Archive

Shimlas shock Tuks by staying calm

2016-02-19

Prop Ox Nche was one of the substitutes who had a huge impact against Tuks in Pretoria on 15 February 2016. Nche and other Shimlas substitutes helped their team wipe out a massive deficit. Photo: Johan Roux.

He has never been involved in a match like this in his rugby career.
This is what Neil Claassen had to say about his team’s performance on 15 February 2016, when the Shimlas came up with one of the biggest fight-backs in the history of the Varsity Cup in Pretoria. According to the Shimlas Captain, his bench had a great impact, and this helped in shocking Tuks with 47-46 towards the end. This came after Tuks had been leading 43-15 in the 44th minute.

Great fighting spirit
The Shimlas' fighting spirit, and a new Varsity Cup points system in which converted tries may count up to 11 points, enabled them to wipe out this deficit.
“It was a tough match, especially after being so far behind,” Neil said.
“Coach (Hendro Scholtz) told us during half-time (when we were 15-36 behind) that we should stay calm."
“We weren't completely out of the game. We knew that if we eliminated unnecessary mistakes, we could make it.”

Impact from bench
This is the second consecutive match - the other was against Ikeys in Cape Town - where the Shimlas’ substitutes swayed the match. “The bench made a big difference,” Neil said. “We also scored an 11-point try, which helped a lot.”
The Shimlas’ fullback, Marco Mason, was named Player of the Match. He succeeded with a tricky conversion to gain victory for his team.

Injuries
The eighth man, Nardus Erasmus (knee) and flanker, Fiffy Rampeta (eye socket), sustained injuries, but should be able to play in the first home game against the Madibaz on 22 February 2016. The injured scrumhalf, Zee Mkhabela (concussion), could return for this match.
Shimlas are second on the log, with nine league points after two away matches. Maties has ten league points.

Young Guns get stuck
The University of the Free State (UFS') Young Guns got stuck 8-14 against Tuks in Pretoria on 15 February 2016.
Vishuis, the UFS's residence team, will start their onslaught in the residence league against Dagbreek in Stellenbosch on 22 February 2016.

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