obu degree.pdf

28 student accountant May 2007
f
e
a
t
u
r
e
s
The youngest in a family of small business
entrepreneurs, Ong Chee Ming decided to
start his accountancy studies with the CAT
Scheme. ‘CAT provides a good foundation for
a career in accountancy, and I wanted to take
the qualification because it is such a good
stepping stone to the Professional Scheme,’
says Ong Chee Ming. He chose ACCA because
of its international reputation. ‘People respect
the name of ACCA,’ he explains, ‘and as
such, they respect anyone associated with it.’
During his Professional Scheme studies,
Ong Chee Ming decided that he also wanted
to pursue the Oxford Brookes degree. ‘I felt
that it would be a good idea to get the degree
because it would add something extra to the
ACCA qualification and would make my CV
stand out,’ he says.
After passing the CAT qualification and,
as a result, gaining exemption from Part 1
of the Professional Scheme, Ong Chee Ming
achieved excellent marks for his Part 2 papers.
His average mark of 78, together with passing
the Research and Analysis Report, gained him
a first class honours degree. He doesn’t take
all the credit though: ‘I couldn’t have done it
without the support from family and friends,
as well as my lecturers – especially Ms Menon
– and my mentor Goh Hong Lim.’
Commenting on Ong Chee Ming’s
achievement, Clare Minchington, ACCA’s
5,000 degrees
Over 5,000 ACCA students have been awarded a BSc honours degree in applied accounting
from Oxford Brookes University since the programme was introduced seven years ago. The 5,000th
graduate, who achieved a first class honours degree in January 2007, was Ong Chee Ming from
Malaysia. Victoria Ashton reports.
managing director – education, learning
and development, said: ‘This is a fabulous
achievement and ACCA congratulates Ong
Chee Ming on his hard work and commitment.’
John Woodley, undergraduate programme
director at Oxford Brookes Business School,
also expressed his delight at this important
milestone: ‘I am very pleased that the
partnership between Oxford Brookes and ACCA
has provided the opportunity for so many
ACCA students to gain recognition in higher
education.’
Ong Chee Ming chose to focus his
Research and Analysis Project (RAP) on an
analysis of the financial situation of YTL Land
& Development Bhd. ‘I’d really like to join this
company after I finish my studies so I thought
it would be useful to look at the strengths of its
financial position,’ he says. ‘In addition, there is
a lot of information about the company already
in the public domain – I knew this would
save me research time and still allow me to
concentrate on my ACCA exams.’ The analysis
‘People respect the name of ACCA,
and as such, they respect anyone
associated with it.’
Ong Chee Ming
f
e
a
t
u
r
e
s
May 2007 student accountant 29
aspects of the RAP also appealed to Ong Chee
Ming because he wanted to practise applying
ratio analysis techniques in a real-life context.
Ong Chee Ming attends Sunway University
College (SyUC) – a Premier Plus tuition
provider with an established reputation of
supporting ACCA students through their OBU
degree RAPs. ‘SyUC provides briefing events
for students wanting to take the degree and it
was after one of these events that I identified
my project,’ explains Ong Chee Ming.
Prior to his first mentor meeting with
SyUC lecturer Goh Hong Lim, Ong Chee Ming
made sure he obtained annual reports and
information about YTL Land & Development.
He also reviewed his Paper 2.5 textbook and
class notes to refresh his memory regarding
ratio analysis. Finally, he looked at several
books to find out more about the definition
of ratios. ‘However, I remember that my first
meeting with my mentor ended early because
I didn’t have all the information that Goh Hong
Lim wanted me to have,’ admits Ong Chee
Ming, ‘especially on the issues that affect
company performance.’
His second mentor meeting was much
more successful. ‘Goh Hong Lim gave me
some really good guidance and helped with my
queries. He also provided some comments on
the work I had already done, and how I could
improve it,’ says Ong Chee Ming.
In addition to providing mentors for
students, SyUC also organises PowerPoint
classes and presentation workshops – both
of which Ong Chee Ming attended. ‘The
PowerPoint class enabled me to learn how to
prepare an impressive slide show,’ explains
Ong Chee Ming. ‘The presentation workshops
allowed me to develop my presentation and
communication skills, and, more importantly,
taught me how to overcome nerves during
presentations. It was a very hands-on course
and we were all given several opportunities to
present to the whole class.’
Ong Chee Ming’s third mentor meeting
involved a 15-minute presentation of his
RAP. Although he was nervous, he used the
techniques learned from the presentation
workshop to keep himself calm. ‘Even with
these techniques I was still nervous,’ he
confesses, ‘and I missed out a few points
in the first part of my presentation. Luckily,
I managed to finish the presentation and
answered questions correctly during the
question and answer session.’
Following his presentation, Ong Chee Ming
made some minor amendments to his RAP
before submitting it to OBU for assessment.
The whole process took him four months from
start to finish.
Ong Chee Ming speaks highly of the ACCA/
OBU partnership. ‘I can already see many
benefits from doing the degree. I have learned
how to undertake ratio analysis in a practical
way, have gained knowledge of PowerPoint
as a presentation tool, and increased my
confidence when giving presentations. I have
also improved my communication and English
language skills immensely.’
He believes that having the degree
will help his career and his professional
development. ‘The degree is an additional
‘quality mark’ for my ACCA studies,’ he says.
The ACCA/OBU degree programme
continues to offer ACCA students the
opportunity to gain a world-class degree
combined with an internationally-recognised
professional qualification. With the total
number of graduates hitting the 5,000 mark,
ACCA’s Clare Minchington is delighted: ‘Our
unique collaboration with Oxford Brookes
continues to go from strength to strength
and so many of our students have taken the
opportunity to study for the degree. ACCA is
committed to providing its students with a
range of opportunities throughout their studies
and by continuing this partnership with Oxford
Brookes University under the new ACCA
Qualification, we will ensure that our students
have the broad range of skills employers are
looking for.’

Meet the mentor 
30 student accountant May 2007
f
e
a
t
u
r
e
s
‘Our unique collaboration with
Oxford Brookes continues to go
from strength to strength and so
many of our students have taken
the opportunity to study for the
degree. ACCA is committed to
providing its students with a range
of opportunities throughout their
studies and by continuing this
partnership with Oxford Brookes
University under the new ACCA
Qualification, we will ensure that our
students have the broad range of
skills employers are looking for.’
Clare Minchington,
managing director –
education, learning,
and development
What is the role of the mentor?
‘The role of the mentor is to give direction
to students doing their RAP and ensure
that they stay focused on the RAP at all
times. This is especially important when
the student does not have experience of
conducting research. We need to monitor
the students too. The presence of the
mentor acts as an ‘accountability partner’
to remind them to be professional in their
research work, help them achieve clarity,
and ensure they meet the deadline for
submission.’
Why should students consider completing
the BSc?
‘I think that all ACCA students should
consider taking the BSc. The degree will help
to enhance students’ report writing and
presentation skills. It will also reduce the gap
between the professional exams – which are
known for their technical excellence – and
the degree, which demands research and
communication skills.’
How should students prepare for meetings
with their project mentor?
‘Prior to any mentor meeting, students
should read the OBU project guidelines
and do some background research into the
organisation and industry that they have
chosen. Some students expect the mentor
to teach them or even do their research for
them. That is not the role of the mentor.’
What advice would you give to students
thinking of completing the degree?
‘The presentation element of the project
is an excellent opportunity for students
to increase their confidence, and I would
recommend that they focus on this aspect
diligently. I also believe that students
undertaking the RAP should have the
opportunity to present to a group rather
than just to their mentor.’
meet the
mentor
Ong Chee Ming’s
project mentor,
Goh Hong Lim,
helped him
deliver a coherent
and informative
Research and Analysis Project. But
what is the role of the mentor in the
RAP, and what is the best way to
prepare for meetings with a project
mentor? Goh Hong Lim offers
some advice.
INTERESTED?
To complete the BSc (hons) in applied
accounting you will need to:
complete ACCA Parts 1 and 2*
submit a business-related Research
and Analysis Project
participate in three meetings with
your mentor
reflect on the experience though a
Key Skills Statement.
* From August 2008, in addition to passing
the Fundamentals Papers (F1–F9), you will
also need to complete the ACCA Professional
Ethics module.