SAICA apologises for challenges experienced during the 1 December 2021 APC examination sitting
SAICA has launched an immediate investigation into the technical difficulties experienced during yesterday’s 2021 APC sitting. The Institute is deeply sensitive to and regrets the impact these difficulties have had on candidates. SAICA would further like to assure all affected candidates, as well as the Institute’s stakeholders and the general public that we are assessing all available options to ensure that candidates will be given every chance to be fairly assessed. We will also consider how this will affect some of the SAICA examination processes.
“It is with deep regret that SAICA acknowledges that the December APC sitting was marred by a myriad of technical challenges around the country which had a negative impact on candidates writing the assessment. The challenges included leased hardware and ancillary equipment as well as Internet connectivity issues at examination venues which compromised the APC eWriting software,” says Freeman Nomvalo, SAICA Chief Executive.
“SAICA sincerely apologises to all examination candidates, their families and other affected stakeholders for the significant stress that these difficulties have placed on candidates, and would like to assure all our stakeholders that this matter is receiving priority attention by the SAICA Board based on recommendations by the relevant governance structures. SAICA understands the impact this has had on the psychological well-being of candidates and their ability to demonstrate the required competencies. SAICA would further like to assure candidates that all these circumstances will be taken into account when assessing candidates’ competencies. Once the full extent of the matter is understood, SAICA will communicate further details on how we will address the impact to candidates,” Nomvalo adds.
SAICA Media Contact
Ms Karin Jacobsen
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Ms Renette Human
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Brand Division (SAICA)
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About SAICA
SAICA, South Africa’s pre-eminent accountancy body, is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading accounting institutes. The Institute provides a wide range of support services to more than 46 000 members and associates who are chartered accountants [CAs(SA)], as well as associate general accountants [AGAs(SA)] and accounting technicians [ATs(SA)], who hold positions as CEOs, MDs, board directors, business owners, chief financial officers, auditors and leaders in every sphere of commerce and industry, and who play a significant role in the nation’s highly dynamic business sector and economic development.
About the APC
As a professional body, it is SAICA’s responsibility to determine the qualification process for prospective Chartered Accountants in South Africa. The process includes the writing of two Qualifying Examinations, namely the Initial Test of Competence and the APC written on 1 December 2021.
The APC is by nature a very different assessment compared to the Initial Test of Competence which is written immediately after the completion of the postgraduate programme. It is a competency-based assessment that, via a case study, reviews the candidates’ ability to demonstrate ethical, personal and professional attributes in their application to real-world scenarios using their technical know-how. The case study asks candidates to respond to real-life tasks expected of entry-level CAs(SA).
The APC is specifically designed to drive a change in behaviour and promote the importance of developing professional competence for prospective Chartered Accountants. Candidates are expected to demonstrate their ability to be lifelong learners and apply this to the case study scenario using their technical knowledge.