Undergraduate Gao Zhixuan just 23, already has a professional Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification.
To get a head start before he entered university, the ambitious business student signed up for ACCA preparatory courses, offered by private education institution Kaplan Learning Institute, in July 2014, while serving his national service.
Says Mr Gao: “I was keen to learn more about accounting before entering university. I chose Kaplan because it offers excellent quality programmes for a price competitive investment.”
He was impressed by Kaplan’s lecturers as they were able to explain difficult concepts, provided real life examples and enriched lessons with their past working experiences.
His hard work led him to be an ACCA prize winner, an an award given by the association to candidates who obtain top scores in ACCA papers, and he also came in first in Singapore for six papers.
He credits his success to attending all his lectures, doing lots of practice, and identifying and rectifying his mistakes.
“The Kaplan ACCA textbooks and past exam questions were comprehensive and valuable resources to prepare for the examinations,” he says.
The ethical principles he learnt serve as a checklist for one’s actions, he says.
“A fundamental understanding of accounting is essential for anyone who aspires to enter not just the accounting field, but also the wider finance industry.
“ACCA equips one with the necessary skills and helps you develop strategic thinking too,” he adds.
Article by Audrey Ng
Source: The New Paper© Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.