Mah Jeung Hoong, ranked 27th in the world for the CIMA A-Star Programme.
TAR UC has always had an excellent track record of producing high achievers in professional examinations. This latest achievement is no exception. Mah Jeung Hoong, a graduate of the Bachelor in Accounting (Hons) made it in the Top 50 in the world under the CIMA A-Star programme. He sat for the November 2019 examination and is successfully ranked at no. 27 in the world.
The CIMA A-Star Programme is for high achievers. It’s a unique ONE exam pathway for a graduate to become a Chartered Global Management Accountant (‘CGMA’) designation holder. CGMAs are valued by employers around the world for their skills and competencies to drive strong business performance.
When asked what motivated Mah Jeung Hoong to achieve this award, he said: “TAR UC and CIMA introduced the A-Star Programme during the final semester of the degree programme that I was taking in TAR UC. The promotion was very attractive, requiring students with good grades to attempt the final Strategic Case Study paper. The perks of having a CIMA qualification, was to me, too attractive to let go. Therefore, I viewed it as an opportunity to obtain a quick double professional degree and I signed up for it.”
He continued on to say: “At first, I did not know that there was an award for this A-Star programme. In my view, what I am doing is to attempt the final paper (Strategic Case Study) before I am able to get the CIMA certification. Therefore, I decided to give my best effort in attempting the paper. Furthermore, I knew that the paper will be very challenging hence I have taken more effort in preparing myself.”
Jeung Hoong made great strides in preparing himself for the examination. “The examination format was a significant deviation from most conventional examination formats. Critical thinking is crucial in this examination, as you are unlikely to get marks by regurgitating models. However, marks are gained from critical thinking and well-defended application of concepts. The case study was relevant to current business situation that makes it more interesting. Thorough understanding of the case is necessary as we are tasked to critique, evaluate and make appropriate recommendations. Though the paper is challenging but it is interesting,” he quipped.
“I have attended the training sessions given to help the A-star students to gain a basic understanding on the format of the exam. The training programme was very helpful as I was taught how to produce quality answers that would allow me to score better. It gave me an insight on the format of the exam, and the right amount of time I should spend on each question. Furthermore, CIMA has been supportive in helping me to find a training course to prepare me for the Strategic Case Study paper. CIMA’s deliberate effort to ensure that it supports all A-star programme students is commendable and I laud them for their sincerity. Furthermore, each session is led by an experienced trainer to maximise effectiveness of the session,” he added.
“I also consulted my lecturers in TAR UC who have taught me subjects related to management accounting to get their views on how to produce more concise answers during my revisions. I really appreciate the effort that my lecturers have given me as this was not part of the degree programme,” he said. This young lad is now working as a management trainee in CIMB Bank.
