the cga program: time to succeed exit course changes resources transfer credit courses website...

The CGA Program: Time to Succeed

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Course Changes

Resources

Transfer Credit Courses

Website

Degree Requirement

Financial Assistance

Exams

Online Learning

Course Planning Time Limit

Practical Experience

Program Overview

Website

1. Website

CGA-BC.org is your one-stop shop for all information

pertaining to the CGA program. All policies, procedures, deadlines,

important information and staff contact information are available on our

site. Be sure to check the Heads Up section weekly. Heads Up is on the main student page, once you click on the Student tab.

Before you begin taking courses, click through the available links on the

student Web pages. Here, you will find information about your courses, online enrolment, details on

practical experience, schedules and forms, the Handbook, Enrolment Guide, Transfer Credit Guide,

Online Learning Reference Guide and much more. You will also find information about our degree

partners, and what you need to know as you get closer to graduation.

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[Continued…]

http://www.cga-bc.org/students-home.aspx

The CGA program consists of 19 courses, two business cases,

and a public speaking requirement. The program is divided into

five Levels (Levels 1-4 and the PACE Level). Every student must

complete all courses in Levels 1-4. In the PACE Level, the final level,

students complete two required courses and two elective courses.

The elective courses allow you to personalize your studies according to your

strengths, likes, and career objectives. For a full description of the CGA courses,

see the Course Syllabus.

In addition to the 19 courses, each student must also complete two business cases (the Accounting

Business Case – BC1, and the auditing business case – BC2). The business cases are taken in Levels

3 and 4, and allow you to apply the knowledge you’ve learned throughout these levels.

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2. Program Overview: Courses

[Continued…]

Website

http://www.cga-bc.org/students.aspx?id=646

3. Degree Requirement

All students must obtain a bachelor’s degree prior to earning their

CGA designation. This is an exit requirement, meaning that you

do not need a degree to get started on the program, but rather to

graduate from the program. It is not mandatory that the bachelor’s

degree be earned in accounting or finance; the degree can be obtained

in any discipline.

For students who do not have a bachelor’s degree, CGA-BC offers several degree partner programs

that allow you to earn a degree while working on your CGA courses. See Degree Opportunities.

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http://www.cga-bc.org/become_a_cga.aspx?id=206

4. Practical Experience Requirement

Work experience is a key component of earning your CGA

designation. Like the degree requirement, the practical experience

requirement is an exit requirement of the program, meaning you are

not required to have any experience when beginning the program, but

must meet the requirement before earning your designation.

To meet the practical experience requirement, students must have a minimum of three years (36

months) of experience in an accounting or finance position. Of these three years, at least two of the

years (24 months) must be at a senior level. While basic or foundation level experience will consist of

mainly clerical duties, senior level experience usually requires the application of advanced knowledge,

decision-making, and responsibility for the preparation and interpretation of financial information.

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Website

5. Time Limit

Each CGA student is given an individual time limit in which to

complete their program requirements. This is assessed upon

admission to the program and is based on transfer credits granted

and the number of remaining CGA courses left to complete. Consideration

is given to the possibility of time off from taking courses and/or repeating a course.

If students want to take time off without affecting their time limit, they can take a non-active year. This

must be a full academic year with no academic activity – not with CGA nor for transfer credit. Non-

active years do not count towards the overall time limit and students are still considered current and will

continue to receive all mailings and publications.

Please refer to the Time Limit chart in the Student Handbook regarding the number of allowable non-

active years.

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6. Transfer Credit Courses

Students may wish to take equivalent courses outside CGA rather

than take the CGA course directly. This is referred to as Transfer

Credit. In order to receive transfer credits, the following

conditions must be met:

– The student must be enrolled as an active student; they may not be non-active.

– Courses taken for transfer credit must be approved by CGA as published in the Transfer Credit

Guide.

– Transfer credits are granted based on a minimum grade requirement.

– CGA-BC must receive a copy of the student’s official transcript as well as the Request for Transfer Credit form with payment.

A fee of $25 per CGA course will be charged for transfer credits. A Transaction Confirmation will be

sent to the student once the transfer credit fee has been processed.

Due to the minimum course requirement, several PACE Level CGA courses are not available for

transfer credit. Please refer to the Transfer Credit Guide for more details.

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http://www.cga-bc.org/become_a_cga-home.aspx?id=250

7. Course Planning

CGA courses require a significant amount of work each week.

Students should plan to spend 15-20 hours per week for each

course, with the exception of public speaking. Business cases

require 40-50 hours of work each.

Things you should consider when planning your courses for the year:

1. What course is required? Use your Program Sequence forms to determine what you still have outstanding.

2. Are the prerequisites met? See the Prerequisites Schedule.

3. When is the course offered? How many offerings are there per year? Some courses are offered in many sessions, where others are only offered once per year. Check the Course Offerings Schedule.

4. What level courses am I considering? Remember that Level 4 and PACE courses are more intense than those in lower levels.

5. What is going on at work and in my personal life that may conflict with my studies?

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http://www.cga-bc.org/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=7034



8. Online Learning

CGA students complete their courses entirely online, and write

their exams in person. Our courses are currently hosted through

Blackboard OLE.

Via online course delivery, students access and submit assignments

online, read through modules, course content, post to discussion boards,

and complete quizzes for instant feedback on their performance.

Online learning allows CGA students the opportunity to successfully balance work with life,

and to study where they want.

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9. Course Changes

Withdrawal from a course

There are two deadlines to remember if you want to withdraw

from your course:

1. Refund deadline

· Usually around week 2 of the course. Refunds are less the material fee

and withdrawal fee.

2. No academic penalty deadline

· Usually a couple of weeks after the refund deadline. Your course is removed from your transcript

for you to add later, at your convenience. No refunds are given for these withdrawals.

Withdrawal requests must be received in writing by the deadlines provided on the Course and Exam

Withdrawal form in the Schedules and Forms section of this Website. You may find it most convenient to

fax this form to our office.

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10. Exams

CGA exams are written nationwide four times per year. Each of

the four sessions is followed directly by its exam period.

For courses in Levels 1-3, no exam qualification is required. All

students enrolled in the course are scheduled to write the exam.

Students in Level 4 and PACE Level courses must qualify to write

their end of course exam. This means that they must achieve specific

marks in their course work, or they will receive a mark of DNQ

(did not qualify for the exam), which counts as a failure.

There are two types of exams that are NOT course enrolments: challenge exams and supplemental

exams.

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[Continued…]

11. Financial Assistance

While CGA does not qualify for federal or provincial student

loans, there are still several options available to assist you with the

cost of the program.

Lifelong Learning Program (LLP)

CGA students can withdraw up to $20,000 from their RRSP (or spouse’s RRSP)

to pay for their education. Repayment must be made within 20 years, with at least 1/20 of the amount

returned to the RRSP each year. Students must be taking at least one course per session to qualify as

a full-time student under this program.

Lines of Credit.

Several lending institutions offer CGA students reduced fees for lines of credit to assist them with their

studies. Further details on this option can be found in the Student Handbook.

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[Continued…]

12. Resources

Please take full advantage of all the resources available to you.

These are just a select few; much more detail is available in the

Student Handbook.

• Student Handbook and Enrolment Guide

• Online Learning Reference Guide

• Heads Up

• Course Syllabus

• Transfer Credit Guide

• Career Centre on the Website

• Scholarships & Bursary Program

• Academic Advisors and Student Services Staff

• CGA students taking the same course

• Other members and students in your chapter

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http://www.cga-bc.org/cga_jobs-home.aspx



Congratulations!

You have completed the learning part of this orientation. Please take a moment to refresh your memory

on any of the sections before clicking on Test Your Knowledge to take a quick multiple choice test. The

test is just to see where you may need extra assistance or review and should take you no more than 10

minutes to complete.

Test Your Knowledge.

We look forward to assisting you as a CGA student.

The Student Services Division.

Home

Exit

Test Your KnowledgeQuestion #1

Where can you find important information for students that isupdated each week?

a. Transfer Credit Guide

b. Student Handbook c. Heads Up

d. Online Learning Reference Guide

Check your answer

Home

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Exit


Home

True or False: Public Speaking is a requirement for every CGA-BCstudent.

a. True

b. False

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Exit


Home

True or False: A degree is required to begin the CGA program.

a. True

b. False

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Exit


Home

In order to meet the practical experience requirement, you must:

a. Work for a CGA firm

b. Work in public practice

c. Supervise more than five staff

d. None of the above

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

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Home

Which of the following is not required when taking transfer credits?

a. Maintain active student status

b. Meet a minimum grade requirement

c. Notify the CGA office prior to taking a course for transfer credit

d. Submit official transcript

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Exit


Home

What is critical to remember when planning courses for the year?

a. Prerequisites are met

b. Course is available in that session

c. I have time in my life to commit to my course

d. All of the above

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Exit


Home

True or False: There is more than one withdrawal deadline persession.

a. True

b. False

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

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Home

Which of the following is not an exam type?

a. Qualification

b. Challenge

c. Deferred

d. Supplemental

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Exit


Home

True or False: CGA qualifies for Federal and Provincial loanprograms.

a. True

b. False

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Exit


Home

Which of the following is a resource available to you, as a student?

a. Student Handbook and Enrolment Guide

b. Online Learning Reference Guide

c. Transfer Credit Guide

d. CGA-BC Website and Heads Up

e. All of the above

Check your answer

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Exit

End Test

Question #1 - Answer

Answer – C, Heads Up. Student Services staff updates Heads Up each Friday to provide key information to

students such as important dates and deadlines, materials backorder status, tips and tricks for progressing

through your courses. You should bookmark this page and read it weekly.

Home

Question 2Back to question

Exit


Home Question #2 - Answer

Question 3

Answer – A, True. All students in BC must complete Public Speaking prior to graduation. This can be done

either through CGA, or via transfer credit – please refer to the Public Speaking transfer credit guide online.

Although it is considered a Level 4 course, students may choose to complete it at the time that best suits them.

There is no course prerequisite for Public Speaking.

Back to question

Exit



Question 4

Answer – B, False. CGA students must have a bachelor’s level degree to graduate from the program, but it is

not an entry requirement. For those students who are looking for degree options, there are several degree

efficiencies through local institutions as well as our national degree partners opportunities.

Back to question

Exit





Question 5

Answer – D, None of the above. In order to meet the practical experience requirement, students must have at

least three years of experience working in any industry. Two of those years must be at a senior level requiring

advanced technical knowledge, analytical skills, decision-making, and leadership. One of the three years must

be Canadian work experience.

Back to question

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Question 6

Answer – C, Notify the CGA-BC office prior to taking a course for transfer credit. Students are NOT

required to advise CGA ahead of time if they plan to complete a course for transfer credit. It is important to first

double check the Transfer Credit Guide to determine the appropriate course before enrolling, but advising CGA

is only done once the course has been successfully completed. At that point, students should submit both the

Transfer Credit Form, and their official transcripts.

Back to question

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https://www2.cga-bc.org/students/eforms/request_for_transfer_credit.htm


Question 7

Answer – D, All of the above. Students should consider all factors listed, as well as the other suggestions

listed in the Resources and Study Tools section online, assisting students with course planning. While it seems

like a lot to think about all at once, working through the factors becomes automatic after being on the CGA

program through a few enrolment periods.

Back to question

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Question 8

Answer – A, True. There are different withdrawal deadlines for Public Speaking, business cases, courses and

exams. Students should keep track of these deadlines as published in the Schedules and Forms section of the

Website.

Back to question

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Question 9

Answer – A, Qualification. Qualification is not a type of exam. Challenge exams, deferred exams and

supplemental exams are all part of the CGA program and exist for different situations. Students at the upper

level of the program must QUALIFY to write exams by assignment submission. Please refer to the Student

Handbook for more information on CGA exams.

Back to question

Exit



Question 10

Answer – B, False. Unfortunately, the CGA program does not qualify for Federal or Provincial student loans,

however there are several other funding options available.

Back to question

Exit



Answer – E, All of the above. While distance learning can be challenging at times, there are several resources

available for CGA students. In addition to those listed in this test, students should consider each other as

valuable resources. Making connections with fellow students, whether online or in person, is a key support and

motivator when a course gets confusing or draining.

CGA staff members are also here to help. If you are ever in doubt about a policy or procedure, be sure to

check with the CGA office as soon as possible.

Back to question

Exit

End Test


Congratulations on completing the online orientation for CGA-BC. If you have any questions as

you proceed through the program, please contact our advisors for assistance. E-mail the

Association at [email protected] and we will respond to you within four hours. We look forward

to assisting you in your path to a successful future.

Enrol Now Back to Student Area

Exit

Orientation Test Completed

mailto:[email protected]



1. Website continued…

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CGAjobs.org is our career opportunity site. Find the link to this

fantastic service under My CGA BC. Here you can post your

resumé and search for accounting-related jobs posted by employers

specifically to CGA students and members. This is not a publicly

accessed site, so you already have the inside track to thousands of

jobs when you log on and set up your profile.

There is a lot of information to retain; knowing your way around the Website will make life a lot easier.


http://www.cga-bc.org/cga_jobs.aspx?id=258

2. Program Overview: Courses continued…

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The public speaking requirement is mandatory for all CGA-BC

students. For students residing in the Lower Mainland, we offer a

two-weekend course to meet this requirement. For students outside

the Lower Mainland, as well as those students unable to attend the

weekend course, there are numerous other options available.

See Public Speaking – Transfer Credit Guide.

For courses and business cases, the materials/textbooks are included in the price of the course.

Materials are automatically shipped to you once your enrolment is processed. Please note that

There are no materials for the public speaking course.

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4. Practical Experience Requirement continued…

It is important to note that many different positions meet the

requirements for work experience. The practical experience can

be completed in any sector, including industry, public practice,

commerce, finance, government, non-profit, or information technology.

For details on how to report your practical experience, as well as

examples of acceptable experience, please see Practical Experience.

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7. Course Planning continued…

6. When is the course exam? Do I have another exam scheduled or another conflict? Makesureit is the Exam Schedule that you refer to.

7. Do I know anyone else taking CGA courses? Often, taking a course with a buddy can be an extra motivator and provide critical discussion or study time to help as you progress through your course.

8. Are there lectures available? Some CGA courses provide drop-in lectures at UBC during certain times of the year. If you live in the Lower Mainland, you may prefer this option to the online lecture offering.

Once you have answered these questions, you should have a better idea of whether you want to take the session off or schedule a course, and which course is best for you.

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9. Course Changes continued…

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DegreeRequirement

Session changes

The refund deadline is also the session change deadline. For a

$35 fee, we will move your course to any other available session

in the academic year. We cannot move courses from one academic

year to another.

See the Session Change Request form.

https://www2.cga-bc.org/students/eforms/session_change_request.htm

10. Exams continued…

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A challenge exam is based on previous course work outside CGA.

If you have some education in a given course, but not enough for an

exemption (or transfer credit), you will be offered a challenge exam.

You will not be required to enrol in the full course. Instead, IF YOU

CHOOSE, you may simply take the exam for that course. If you are not

comfortable with this option, you may enrol in the full course instead. Any

challenge rights that you have been granted will be recorded on your assessment

page when you were accepted into the program. Note: there are no supplemental exams if you fail

your challenge exam.

A supplemental exam is based on your previous mark in a CGA course. In order to pass your CGA

course, you must have a final mark of at least 65 per cent. If you do not meet this requirement, but you

have a mark of 50 per cent or better, you will be offered the chance to write the exam again, in the

upcoming exam session. This is just the exam, not the full course. This is an option and is not

mandatory. If you choose not to write the supplemental exam, you may simply re-enrol in the course.

[Continued…]

10. Exams continued…

Exam Deferrals

Students have the right to defer any exam that they are qualified to

write, provided they advise CGA-BC and make payment by the

published deferral deadline for the exam period. Exams can only be

deferred to either of the next two available exam periods. It is critical

that students follow the EXAM SCHEDULE and not the COURSE OFFERINGS SCHEDULE when deciding

whether to defer their exam. The Exam Deferral policy is outlined in detail in the Student Handbook. Please

familiarize yourself with this policy before you defer your exam.

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11. Financial Assistance continued…

Bursaries

The CGA Educational Foundation offers bursaries three times

per year to students in need of financial assistance. In order to

qualify, students must have completed at least two CGA courses.

Further details can be found under Financial Aid.

Scholarships and Awards.

Both CGA-BC and CGA-Canada offer several awards and scholarships to

students at all levels of the program. Please refer to Scholarships and Awards.

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Course Changes



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