Now Open to Non-ASCA Students

The obvious question a finalist would ask is "Why should I travel to Halifax to take a UFE preparation course?"  Some of the reasons are detailed below, but the short answer is because the ASCA Finalist Preparation Program (FPP) will give you one of the best opportunities to pass the UFE.

Substantial reform has taken place with respect to CA professional education.  The emphasis has shifted from knowledge-based education and evaluation to competency-based education and evaluation.  CICA publications describe this change by saying prospective CAs will be evaluated on what they can do, rather than what they know.

The 2009 UFE will be the fourth competency-referenced evaluation administered by the CICA. We were heavily involved with the CICA in the education reform process and have developed a new education program that adapts to this changing environment. This includes a revised Finalist Preparation Program that consists of a 10 day classroom session, along with web-enabled components that will be delivered both before and after the program.

History:

We are not a private enterprise driven by a profit motive. The Atlantic School of Chartered Accountancy (ASCA) delivers FPP as part of its mandate to the various provincial institutes it represents. We are offering this course to students outside the region to fill a limited number of available spots not required by ASCA finalists.

Repeat writers

Repeat writers face a unique challenge. It is possible your professional education has been largely knowledge-based, rather than competency-based. You will need to adapt to a dramatically different evaluation methodology in order to be successful.

To level the playing field between repeat writers and first-time writers, we developed a transition program to orient repeat writers to the new evaluation methodology and provide additional resources to assist in managing the transition.  This transitional program will ensure you have the best chance of success in 2009.

There are specific aspects of the course targeted to the needs of repeat writers. There is a group session offered to all repeaters in the course, followed up with individual counselling sessions to help address your unique needs.

Focus:

The focus of the course is to provide a supportive learning environment and individualized feedback on performance.

Practice Examinations:

You will write two comprehensive questions and the equivalent of three multi-competency papers. Our handpicked marking group will mark these questions and you will receive standardized and individualized feedback, including extensive assistance in de-briefing the questions.

Course Delivery:

The size of our program allows our top-notch team of instructors and markers to provide individual attention. Throughout the course you will be exposed to lectures, small group workshops and individual counseling sessions, permitting the opportunity for one-on-one feedback.

Schedule:
To view a schedule for the 2008 offering of FPP click here. There will be some changes as we get closer to the commencement of the 2009 offering of the course, but this will give you a good idea of the course contents.

Instructors:

We are fortunate to have top notch instructors involved with our program. Many of our instructors have had extensive involvement with the UFE process.

How To Register:

The enrollment fee* for the 2009 offering of the course will be approximately $1665.00 (includes HST).  You can reserve a spot by forwarding a non-refundable deposit of $228 (includes HST), with the balance due in May.   Once we receive your deposit, we will forward a notice by email confirming your status.  (A spot cannot be reserved until the deposit is received).  Students sending deposits should include name, address, phone and fax number, email address, and an indication whether they are a first-time writer or repeater (indicating mark on last UFE attempt, if applicable).

* Note: The enrollment fee for FPP is tax deductible and receipts will be mailed out in January 2010.

Classrooms, Accommodations And Meals

The course will be held at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.  All classrooms are air-conditioned.

Campus accommodation is available, consisting of single occupancy rooms and three meals a day.  The summer 2009 rate will be $475.

Participants from outside our jurisdiction often comment on how helpful and supportive they found their FPP experience.  Click here to see comments from some past attendees.

Further Information

We will be setting up a discussion forum dedicated to success on the 2009 UFE. We are using WebBoard from ChatSpace which includes a "chat" capability.  We will use it as a primary communication tool as we roll out the 2009 Finalist Preparation Program (FPP) to repeat writers who are managing the transition to the new UFE methodology.

The communication is intended to be two-way.  Please use this forum to ask any questions or raise any concerns that you may have.  Consider it to be a "community of interest".  The students participating in this forum are all repeat writers and likely share many of the feelings and apprehension that you have at this stage of the process.  Many of you are from the Atlantic Region while others are from other parts of the country.

The answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the "Finalist Preparation Program Repeaters" conference on WebBoard.  To take advantage of this opportunity to correspond with other repeaters regarding common concerns, contact Terry Arthur at tarthur@asca.ns.ca or (902) 429-4462.