Attract and develop the next generation of CPAs

We have partnered with KnowledgeEquity to deliver a complimentary suite of guided learning resources for Semester 2 2019, including webinars, quizzes, video tutorials and study notes.

These are available in:

• Ethics and Governance
• Strategic Management Accounting
• Financial Reporting
• Global Strategy and Leadership
• Advanced Audit and Assurance
• Contemporary Business Issues
• Financial Risk Management
• Australia Taxation
• Australia Taxation – Advanced.

The results from semester 2, 2019 and semester 1, 2020, showed that candidates who actively engaged with the KnowledgeEquity Guided Learning resources achieved:

• a higher average pass rate
• increased average score
• lower fail rate
• a greater proportion of Credit, Distinction and High Distinction marks than students who did not engage with the study support materials. The results were consistent across all subjects.

Quitch – a digital app incorporating gaming technology piloted in 2019.

The pilot ceased in semester 2, 2020, due to the expansion of KnowledgEquity’s Guided Learning materials and the increased up-take of these resources by students.

Study support for candidates in Semester 2, 2019 included:

• KnowledgeEquity Guided Learning – available for all subjects except for practice management and the financial planning suite of electives 
• interactive eBook available for contemporary business issues.

Early enrolment was available for semester 1, 2020, in the following subjects:

• Ethics and Governance
• Strategic Management Accounting
• Global Strategy and Leadership 
• Financial Reporting
• Advanced Audit and Assurance
• Contemporary Business Issues
• Financial Risk Management 
• Singapore Taxation 
• Australia Taxation 
• Australia Taxation – Advanced

An online study guide was also available (via My Online Learning) for:

• Contemporary Business Issues
• Financial Risk Management
• Strategic Management Accounting
• Global Strategy and Leadership
• Australia Taxation
• Australia Taxation – Advanced.

Early enrolment and access to study materials provided students with additional time to familiarise themselves with the content of the subject before semester 1, 2020. 

Further education initiatives were announced in 2020.

Following the delivery of online exams for semester 1, 2020, CPA Australia offered a hybrid exam model for semester 2.

Depending on local COVID-19 restrictions, candidates in most locations could choose between attending a test centre or sitting an online proctored exam.

There were more than 30,400 enrolments for Semester 2, with approximately 55 per cent of ASAs choosing to attend physical exam centres and 45 per cent selecting the online proctored solution.

2021 Semester 1 Exams 
CPA Australia offered a hybrid exam model – test centres and online proctored exams.

A total of 23,668 exams delivered – including 7596 online exams (32%) 

39 exam venues were closed during the exam period due to COVID-19, impacting 279 candidates. 

2021 Semester 2 Exams
There were more than 25,000 enrolments for Semester 2 across 11 subjects.

Hybrid exam model – originally, 70% of candidates chose to sit a test centre exam and 30% chose the online proctored exam.

However, due to lockdowns and restrictions, the majority of candidates (65%) sat online proctored exams – in ACT, NSW, VIC, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines and Vietnam.

A forum for international accounting and finance students was held, to help them learn about CPA Australia and the opportunities available when studying in New Zealand and other parts of the world.

We are working in several markets to bolster career pathways: 

Hong Kong
We collaborated with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on an internship program in which 30 high-achieving graduates from Australian universities, were selected to join the PwC internship program and undertake the CPA Program at the same time. 

India
Our first tuition provider in India was launched in Bangalore. Members can now access quality tuition for our CPA Program in India, without having to travel overseas. 

Malaysia
We have collaborated with KPMG Malaysia, to co-organise the CPA-KPMG Case Competition. The competition serves as a platform to discover high calibre individuals who can join KPMG and undertake the CPA Program at the same time. 

Malaysia
We supported the business pitching competition hosted by Sunway University in Malaysia on 19 June 2021, in which students showcased their innovative business ideas.

Malaysia
CPA Australia partnered with Deloitte, on the Deloitte Audit Business Challenge for university students, which ran between September and November 2021.

Shanghai
The Shanghai office supported the Go8 Australia-China Roundtable, in partnership with Austrade. guests from Go8 universities. At the Roundtable, Chinese employers and alumni from Australian universities discussed skills required by employers.

Beijing
With PwC we hosted a forum on future career development, which looked to foster communications between universities and enterprises, and to provide university students with an opportunity to connect with prestigious corporations.

We developed a new Ambassador Program to promote peer-to-peer advocacy and new membership. It aimed to include enhanced online resources to support ambassadors, and a recruitment campaign was planned for Semester 1 2019.

The Board reviews membership and program pricing every year – considering barriers to entry, flexibility, choice, competition and creating a sustainable future. For five consecutive years, from 2017-2021, membership fees remained at the same level.

Value is enhanced by the complimentary CPD offering that is included in the membership fee, and which allows members to meet their CPD requirement. The cost of the public Practice Certificate has not changed. Fees for associated membership and the CPA Program have been reviewed and will be set at levels to remain competitive in key markets.

We have local currency pricing in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the UK and New Zealand.