Welcome to our latest guest blog post! We are excited to host Christin Thomas CA(SA) as our guest author this week – her piece below provides more details on The Passing Mindset, which is her initiative to assist APC repeat candidates get back on track.
In November 2019, the repeat candidate pass rate was 39%. The year after, December 2020, it was only 29%.
And the number of repeat candidates are increasing, with 43% of the total candidates writing in December 2021 being repeat candidates. That is nearly half of all APC candidates.
So, what are we doing about it?
Of course, the board courses offer repeaters programmes. However, these programmes are between approximately R5 000 and R8 000. Most firms where Repeaters are working also do not cover this cost.
And so, The Passing Mindset was born. It was started as a passion project in 2021, aiming to provide support for APC Repeaters that either do not require a board course certification, cannot necessarily afford the board course repeaters programme, and/or are looking for a different perspective for the APC exam.
Who is The Passing Mindset?
The Passing Mindset is run solely by Christin Thomas CA(SA). Currently, Christin lives in London and is working full time as an audit quality support manager. She was Top Ten in ITC, and on the Honours Roll for APC. She absolutely loves to teach and is driven by seeing others succeed.
What is The Passing Mindset?
The Passing Mindset is, as the name suggests, all about your mindset entering the exam, which is split into three areas:
- APC Approach:
These sessions break up the entire APC process into smaller phases, and techniques, tips and tricks are discussed for each phase, ensuring the candidate enters with their own personalised approach on how to tackle the exam. - Motivation:
In these sessions, candidates hear from past Repeaters who have now successfully passed the exam, reminding candidates that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. - Technical:
Technical Study Sessions are smaller and more collaborative, where technical improvement across all required competencies for the exam is the focus.
Why The Passing Mindset?
The Passing Mindset aims to make sure that each person gets the four letters “CA(SA)” after their name; so, the less Repeaters there are next year, the better. Sessions are interactive and full of content, making sure candidates get the best out of every hour.
Last year, of the 56 Repeaters that joined the sessions, The Passing Mindset achieved a 79% pass rate in the 2021 APC exam. This is higher than both the repeaters, and overall SAICA pass rate.
Repeaters from the 2021 sessions provided the following feedback:
- “The sessions really helped me to stay motivated throughout the year and to provide guidance in tackling the APC for a second time. I would really recommend these sessions for anyone that is writing APC.”
- “Awesome sessions. Different perspective compared to the board courses and think the change helps.”
- “Thank you once again for this initiative, it greatly assisted in improving my performance, confidence, and motivation. I am definitely better prepared for my preparation for APC and assessment itself.”
When are the Sessions?
The sessions are virtually via Zoom and take place throughout the year. Each session is an hour long, and registration for each session closes approx. 3 days before the date of the session. The full schedule of dates is included in this LinkedIn Post.
How Do I Register?
Registration is easy – just a payment and an email. All registration details are included again in this LinkedIn Post.
Where can I contact The Passing Mindset?
Follow The Passing Mindset LinkedIn page for constant updates. Otherwise, email [email protected] for any questions you may have.
Christin Thomas CA(SA)
Christin lives in London and is working full time as an audit quality support manager.
She was Top Ten in ITC and on the Honours Roll for APC. She absolutely loves to teach and is driven by seeing others succeed.
Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Christin Thomas CA(SA)
Christin lives in London and is working full time as an audit quality support manager.
She was Top Ten in ITC and on the Honours Roll for APC. She absolutely loves to teach and is driven by seeing others succeed.
Connect with her on LinkedIn.
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