Tiruchi student is world topper in ACCA paper

Vasanth Karthick Bharath, a final-year B.Com student of St. Joseph’s College in Tiruchi, has secured 90 marks, highest in the world in the Audit and Assurance paper of the U.K.-based ACCA

It was a proud moment for Vasanth Karthick Bharath, a final-year B.Com student of St. Joseph’s College in Tiruchi on Thursday when he learnt that he had achieved the highest mark worldwide (90), in the Audit and Assurance paper in the examination held by the U.K.-headquartered Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Mr. Bharath is one of 25 students from the city college to have appeared for the exam that drew aspirants from over 170 countries. The exam was slated to be held in Chennai in the first week of December, but had to be cancelled due to Cyclone Michaung.

“Writing the exam was a real adventure, because I came to know of the cancellation shortly before I left for the centre. Though there is an option for answering the exam remotely, I had opted for Chennai because I felt I could perform better in a hall with other students. My father and I were stuck in the hotel as there were no trains and cabs available. It took us two days to return to Tiruchi. Fortunately ACCA re-scheduled the exam, and I sat for it online a week later at home,” Mr. Bharath told The Hindu.

Mr. Bharath has passed papers on Financial Reporting and Financial Management, in which he scored well. The Audit and Assurance paper is the final part of the advanced diploma level.

ACCA has 13 papers, nine of them for undergraduate students, and four for postgraduates. Students of B. Com whose curriculum follows the pattern fixed by the ACCA are exempted from first six papers.

Mr. Bharath will receive a cash prize of £200 and a merit certificate from ACCA.

“I am planning to look for a job in audit or global accounting firms in Chennai or Bengaluru, and then prepare for ACCA’s other certification exams,” said Mr. Bharath, who completed his schooling in UAE.