Unveiling of new English ICA exam structure fails to stem Big Five defection

Unveiling of new English ICA exam structure fails to stem Big Five defection

A 'radically new education and assessment structure for chartered accountant students' unveiled this morning by the English ICA has failed to stop the defection of Ernst & Young to the Scots ICA.

A statement describing the new structure arrived at AccountancyAge.com’s offices just minutes after E&Y announced it was to stop putting its trainees through the English institute’s training system.

The move follows mounting concerns over the English institute’s failure to introduce optional papers, or ‘electives’, which the Big Five and other training firms had seen as essential to the future training of accountants.

The new system announced today includes a new professional stage and a completely redesigned advanced stage which ‘treats the advanced stage as a whole and thereby fully integrates professional skills with business issues.’

It also offers new ways of continuous work-based learning that does not require prolonged periods of study leave.

It also uses a ‘rigorous case study in conjunction with a test of advanced technical competence to assess advanced skills.’

The institute said: ‘This direct linking with business needs will equip trainee and newly qualified ACA’s to serve even better the needs of future clients and employers. As a result, training firms too will benefit.’

Ernst & Young becomes first Big Five firm to ditch English ICA over training dispute

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