Audit seniors should refrain from relying solely on prayers to secure strong associates to assist them in an audit engagement.

Instead, audit seniors should prioritise training and guiding their associates to ensure they develop the necessary skills and knowledge for the audit engagement.

As a senior manager, my advice would be for seniors to focus on training and guiding your junior associates rather than relying solely on prayers to find strong support for audit engagements.

Audit seniors who are not taking the SCAQ exam should provide full support to junior associates who are undertaking the exam by assisting them in their audit engagements.

Please take note that as seniors are not sitting for the exam, you can dedicate more time and attention to supporting their colleagues in this endeavor.

Audit seniors who are not taking the SCAQ exam should provide full support to associates who are undertaking the exam by assisting them in their audit engagements. This support may entail seniors taking on additional sections of the working papers to alleviate the workload of the associates and allow them to focus on exam preparation. Please take note that as seniors are not sitting for the exam, you can dedicate more time and attention to supporting their colleagues in this endeavor.

The snr and m now also useless 1. Dunno wad they doing. Just wan aa to get the shyt, cover themself.

Back then snrs and mgrs done a lot of independent learning Ofc they expect the same from the new batch …to be self reliant.

Dun compare, the auditor now like alll so useless. See the request also sian. Cc all the boss in email and shoot back the r3tard request, let them realise the joke themself. If still cannot wait their boss tell them internally LOL

Nowadays all the juniors like dunno how to write one, ask for listing also can confuse people. Do they not have written exams in uni anymore? I get chatgpt for assignments but surely they have to write before right???

Since A1, during peak periods, we have been working overtime until exam leave. Isn't this the legacy or norm of the Big 4?

Both seniors and associates are taking SCAQ. The only difference now is that senior is already ACCA certified. Even if you have seniors not taking exams, associates are asked to clear work up to the exam leave date. When has this changed?

Do you mind sharing the request ? So we can verify if this is really a retrded request or some new requirements ?

Seems like CP promotion rate not bad.

Nothing has changed. You don't need us to write down everything in black and white.

Pls review the resource plotting. Every year, the hours and manpower plotted are reducing. It’s also hard to find replacements. If each member doesn’t play a part in completing the sections assigned to them, then forget about signing the fs.

How about, managers tank all the assigned sections for teams with members doing scaq?

Who are you talking to?

Managers don’t have a say in resource.
Resource team also tells you not within their control cause hiring and resignations are not within their power.
HR team says not within their control cause the target headcount is set by leadership.
And the most senior person I can ask says the headcount is based on forecasted job wins and losses.

So how?

Times have changed and such expectations are no longer realistic.

If you not willing to sit down and teach and guide, don’t expect anyone to know how to do.

past few posts have just been associates roleplaying as seniors because they're upset at being asked to do work

my experience aligns with yours, the ones who want to change things for the better have no power but the ones with the power don't want to rock the boat and be the one sohai partner who tells every other partner to accept lower profitability by hiring more people.

biggest issue is the authorities tbh. i started audit many years ago and there wasn't this much work back then. they introduced all these stupid new requirements but it made no difference in the results we deliver. just want to make themselves look useful by suggesting new regulations that don't do jack **** and kill people.

I'm just asking seniors who are not undertaking SCAQ exams to be understanding. Help alleviate the burden on associate who are taking SCAQ exams.

What you want us seniors to do?

Help you do your sections?

I think that's precisely what they want. I had an associate that offloaded their work to me by taking one hour per sample so they "couldn't finish everything within the booking period" but ate up all my budget so I can't get additional staff. I would be happy to do their sections for them if they give me their damn paycheck as well but of course they want to have their cake and eat it as well. What are they feeding the new batches in school these days, seriously.

It really depends on the tone set at the top. If you have a manager who shows concerns about the team’s workload or a senior who cares about your study leave when you were an associate, you would most likely do the same for your associates. But most don’t, and this kind of practice is already ingrained in the big 4 culture, especially when you have too much on your plate to care. If last year, associates could clear the allocated sections and take the exam later, they expect the same or more for the current year. Whether or not to share the burden is conditional on the relationship.

Is she reading her SCAQ study material during working hours?

If not, why she can't bother to do your sections?

Yesterday a senior asked wah so early go home already ah?

Then I shoot back "are you a dog?"

Why stop infront of door?

Me too
I encountered associates who are up all my allocated time cost budget

I agree completely. The attitude of the leaders really affects how things work. Sadly, in many cases, it's a bad environment where only the strongest survive. It's really sad that coworkers see each other as rivals instead of helping each other out. This makes it tough for juniors to succeed and get titles like CA or undertaking SCAQ. It's hard to deal with when there's not much encouragement to help each other out.

Ur snr nvr ask u work on weekends and public holidays shld be okie Liao.

Got some snrs still need daily update of progress one.

I agree completely.

The attitude of the leaders really affects how things work. Sadly, in many cases, it's a bad environment where only the strongest survive. It's really sad that coworkers see each other as rivals instead of helping each other out. This makes it tough for juniors to succeed and get titles like CA or undertaking SCAQ. It's hard to deal with when there's not much encouragement to help each other out.

This senior is like a watchdog.

Keep observing people

lol If you realise that most of those who stayed for a long time are either really good at managing stress or really toxic.

Well, this is mutual. You will be more willing to help your team leader, em or snr, when they show empathy towards you. Likewise, your senior will be more willing to tank for you if you help to lessen their burden or at least complete your sections. So far, from the previous posts, it seems like the associate is not willing to complete her assigned sections on normal working days and requires her senior to complete them for her.

I remember doing the SCAQ revision on weekends and I can still pass the papers. How much revision does one normally need? My friend passed the professional paper after revising for 5 days.

If I'm not wrong, there are more exemptions for the new batch.

Ok but you gotta admit that we all did this when we were associates in 2023 too lol

Anyone here suspect your associate do phantom vouching?

I am audit senior who is not taking SCAQ exam.

I purposely give my junior who is taking SCAQ exam more problems.

Hopefully she will fail her SCAQ exams.

Am I toxic?

You CB dog

When I was an associate, I never slack or sabo my senior or ate up my senior allocated time cost lor.

I noticed those who stayed long time don't want to change the situation

Anyone has the link to the Big 4 Discord chat?

Is it too old still perform audit fieldwork at age 40?

I'm thinking of joining audit industry. Need some advice from Gen Y and Gen Z here.

So what I have CA Singapore title as audit assistant manager. Is useless to me. I still need to go do vouching work. There a different between a work paper preparer and a work paper reviewer.

Thats right, a l0ser is still a l0ser. No different. Assist.m is just senior 3. Mgr is just someone there to share the partner risk. The whole thing is just garbage. And this garbage needs to go.

what you mean garbage needs to go?

why don't you guys try join the outsource accounting instead of doing audit? If can promote until senior manager, the pay is S$12,000 per month.

s://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/condo-hdb-why-undergraduate-25-bought-private-condo-085930652.html?fbclid=IwAR2TXPG2DKO-Du2OQEqMwgVFWMehj-3tZ72WP8qvh9X25JnEkmvQd-rrlrE_aem_AZzLGYBz17L2YEbE-wtSqQlX1CLKWUnXn8FTnQJee3oTy8CmC0uEeyyZuPyqKVz_dOn uFdCBzCpyPW-xcxjDIewt

Condo vs HDB: Why undergraduate, 25, bought private condo

SINGAPORE — When it comes to purchasing first homes in Singapore, it is common to buy a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat, either through balloting for a Build-to-Order (BTO) unit or buying one from the resale market.

Eschewing the usual first-property route, university undergraduate Daniel Heng, 25, recently put down a hefty deposit for a S$1.27 million condominium unit. The low-rise condo, in which Heng told Yahoo Finance Singapore he intends to live, is located in the central region and is slated for completion in 2027. Heng, who is also a certified financial advisor and personal wealth manager, bought the home with some help from his mother – she loaned him S$100,000 for the downpayment of S$354,000; Heng said he intends to repay her with interest.

As a working university student majoring in accounting and business, he earns over S$20,000 per month providing financial services and advice to high-net-worth clients. He started as a "broke university student" at 22, spurred by events in his personal life. With a modest family background – his mother is a single mum who worked as an accountant to support him and his two sisters – Heng was motivated to work and pay for his own university fees.

"I only spend what I need to, and invest the rest of my money as discipline savings," Heng shared. His investment portfolio includes, among others, equities, fixed-income investments and cryptocurrency.

Condo vs HDB
Heng, who is single but in a relationship, considered purchasing an HDB flat as his first home. Though there is a fiance-fiancee eligibility route for BTO and Executive Condominium (EC) units, Heng's monthly earnings had exceeded the S$14,000 and S$16,000 income ceiling for BTO flats and EC apartments respectively.

Furthermore, Heng said that he wanted to live in the central region as he travels around Singapore throughout the day to meet with clients.

"Central is really the most efficient place, and I don't mind paying a space premium for being efficient. I don't mind getting a smaller unit within my budget if I'm more connected," said Heng, referring to his newly purchased 463 sq ft condo unit at Orchard Sophia.

Heng also explained that buying an HDB flat in the central region, or in a Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) project, would mean that the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) would be 10 years – this is five years more than a regular HDB flat. This was an opportunity cost, Heng said, as he could "upgrade" only in 10 years.

Resale flats were out for Heng too. Besides being ineligible as a single buyer who is younger than 35, Heng said that buying a condo unit is a form of "investment into my business". He shared that he hopes to inspire his team members and give them something to aspire to.

"I thought that being able to buy a condo will serve as an aspirational visualisation for my associates. It illustrates the potential rewards of hard work and ambition. Letting them see the place, and see that I can afford it, will motivate them to work hard so that they can afford it for themselves," said Heng. He had emphasised to his property agent the need for a home that would fit a "swanky" image.