UCT shines in CA exams

Well done: UCT's top student, Julia Spurdle gets a congratulatory hug

UCT's Department of Accounting candidates showed significantly better performance than their peers at other universities in part one of the qualifying examination (QE1) from the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

A total of 200 UCT students passed the exam - up from 134 graduates four years ago. The pass rate for UCT students was 96%, compared to the 53% pass rate nationally.

UCT academic trainee Julia Spurdle was placed second in the country. Thirty-nine of 3 902 candidates who wrote the exam were awarded honours, including nine UCT students.

The UCT candidates achieved excellent results across the board. In terms of equity figures, the first time candidate pass rate for black students was 93%; for coloured students 96%; and Indian students 95%, roughly double the national pass rates for these equity groups.

Professor Alex Watson, co-ordinator of the Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting said: "We would like to congratulate all the students who passed the QE1 and are particularly proud of our 2007 PGDA throughput of 92,6% from our biggest class to date. We are also delighted with our first Thuthuka graduates, who have shown excellent throughput in both the PGDA and QE1."

Thuthuka is the accounting profession's transformation initiative to promote chartered accountancy among previously disadvantaged groups. "Thuthuka" is a Zulu verb meaning "to develop".

UCT was one of only four universities chosen to participate in the Thuthuka project.