'The flexibility offered by ACCA in terms of exam progression and practical experience certainly sets it apart from the rest of the accounting qualifications,' says Mohammad Azhar Azim from Pakistan, who chose ACCA because of its global reputation.
Azhar began studying ACCA in September 2006, and has already accomplished great things. In only two years, he has achieved the highest marks worldwide for the Advanced Level CAT papers, passed ACCA Qualification Paper F4, Corporate and Business Law , with 92%, and achieved the highest marks worldwide for Paper P2, Corporate Reporting , for which he has been awarded the Sir David Tweedie prize.
'The most challenging part is maintaining a work/life/study balance,' says Azhar, who partially attributes his success to an ability to prioritise. 'You have to set goals and stick to them if you plan to become an ACCA member.' He also recognises the positive influence of his father, who is a practising chartered accountant.
Currently an audit trainee with Ernst & Young , Pakistan , Azhar is certain that he will be able to achieve the practical experience requirements for ACCA membership: 'I believe they are well tailored to the skills acquired by students while training. Already working with an ACCA approved employer, I have completed a few of these and I am confident that I will be able to achieve the rest in my time as an audit trainee.' He hopes to build upon the skills and expertise he gains at Ernst & Young to fulfill his future ambition of establishing his own accountancy practice.
A novice to blogging, Azhar sees it as a learning opportunity. 'My experience as an ACCA blogger will aid my self development. I trust there will be a lot to be learnt from the whole process.' He hopes that students will benefit from his observations, saying: 'I will be writing as much as I can about what I have learnt during my time as an ACCA trainee, and I expect this will help those in a similar situation.'
In his spare time, Azhar plays guitar in a band, and is passionate about making music. 'It is by far the most satisfying activity that I have ever engaged in,' he says, 'it might be the team work involved that makes it so appealing; something about the sound of various instruments coming together in perfect harmony that's exhilarating, or the thrill that comes with knowing it's something original you've created. Most importantly, to present this to an audience – the adrenaline rush when you step on to the stage with your band, knowing that for the next 30 minutes or so all eyes are on you.'
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete