> The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which has almost 260,000 members, has said that from March it will stop allowing students to take online exams in all but exceptional circumstances.
> “We’re seeing the sophistication of [cheating] systems outpacing what can be put in, [in] terms of safeguards,” Helen Brand, the chief executive of the ACCA, said in an interview with the Financial Times.
Don’t blame the students only:
> A number of multimillion-dollar fines have been issued to large auditing and accounting companies around the world over cheating scandals in tests.
> The FRC’s investigation found that instances of cheating also included some tier-one auditors, a category comprising the “big four” accountants – KPMG, PwC, Deloitte and EY – along with Mazars, Grant Thornton and BDO.
> In 2022, EY agreed to pay a record $100m (£74m) to US regulators over claims that dozens of its employees cheated on an ethics exam and that the company then misled investigators.
What does a company expect to gain by helping their employees to cheat in an exam?
Krabsandwich on
Surprised they still carried on with remote exams after Covid ended although actually the thought of getting the candidates into an examination hall is bringing back unpleasant flashbacks. I can hear that invigilator again “you may turn over your paper now” brings a shiver down your spine.
InformationNew66 on
“In 2022, EY agreed to pay a record $100m (£74m) to US regulators over claims that dozens of its employees cheated on an ethics exam’
Cheating on ETHICS exam??? Lol!
gopercolate on
Can the last accountant please turn off the lights… joshing aside, it makes you wonder whether exams in their traditional format hold any weight, and whether we should assess people differently with the proliferation of AI. The world is changing, these old institutions and ways of assessing need to as well. With that said, I guess, gate keeping is one reason not to…
Kwintty7 on
This is how all exams, for all professionals and qualifications, is going to go. It’s inevitable.
And I predict that in 10 years time things will be even stricter, as AI/Human interfaces get more sophisticated and easier to conceal. Although, by then it might be considered pointless testing someone without AI assistance. It will have become as everyday and normal as an accountant using Excel. We’re heading for strange days.
regprenticer on
ACCA is not a UK accounting body. They are “global” and if anything have done as much as possible to dilute and undermine the value of UK based accounting staff.
OddInterest6199 on
I am not sure if any exams can be credible if taken remotely nowadays
SojournerInThisVale on
Stuff like this makes me wonder if recent internet developments are actually going to kill current internet culture and drive a return to things like this
8 Comments
> The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which has almost 260,000 members, has said that from March it will stop allowing students to take online exams in all but exceptional circumstances.
> “We’re seeing the sophistication of [cheating] systems outpacing what can be put in, [in] terms of safeguards,” Helen Brand, the chief executive of the ACCA, said in an interview with the Financial Times.
Don’t blame the students only:
> A number of multimillion-dollar fines have been issued to large auditing and accounting companies around the world over cheating scandals in tests.
> The FRC’s investigation found that instances of cheating also included some tier-one auditors, a category comprising the “big four” accountants – KPMG, PwC, Deloitte and EY – along with Mazars, Grant Thornton and BDO.
> In 2022, EY agreed to pay a record $100m (£74m) to US regulators over claims that dozens of its employees cheated on an ethics exam and that the company then misled investigators.
What does a company expect to gain by helping their employees to cheat in an exam?
Surprised they still carried on with remote exams after Covid ended although actually the thought of getting the candidates into an examination hall is bringing back unpleasant flashbacks. I can hear that invigilator again “you may turn over your paper now” brings a shiver down your spine.
“In 2022, EY agreed to pay a record $100m (£74m) to US regulators over claims that dozens of its employees cheated on an ethics exam’
Cheating on ETHICS exam??? Lol!
Can the last accountant please turn off the lights… joshing aside, it makes you wonder whether exams in their traditional format hold any weight, and whether we should assess people differently with the proliferation of AI. The world is changing, these old institutions and ways of assessing need to as well. With that said, I guess, gate keeping is one reason not to…
This is how all exams, for all professionals and qualifications, is going to go. It’s inevitable.
And I predict that in 10 years time things will be even stricter, as AI/Human interfaces get more sophisticated and easier to conceal. Although, by then it might be considered pointless testing someone without AI assistance. It will have become as everyday and normal as an accountant using Excel. We’re heading for strange days.
ACCA is not a UK accounting body. They are “global” and if anything have done as much as possible to dilute and undermine the value of UK based accounting staff.
I am not sure if any exams can be credible if taken remotely nowadays
Stuff like this makes me wonder if recent internet developments are actually going to kill current internet culture and drive a return to things like this