Vasanth Karthick Bharath, a final-year B Com (Honours) student at St Joseph’s College in Tiruchi, achieved the highest worldwide score of 90 in the Audit and Assurance paper of the examination conducted by the UK-based Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Among 25 students from his college who participated in the exam, Bharath's outstanding performance stood out. The exam, originally scheduled to take place in Chennai in early December, was cancelled due to Cyclone Michaung, affecting candidates from over 170 countries.
“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 media.
Mr Bharath has excelled in papers on Financial Reporting and Financial Management, achieving high scores. The Audit and Assurance paper marks the final part of the advanced diploma level in the ACCA curriculum, which consists of a total of 13 papers. Undergraduate students typically undertake nine papers, while postgraduates tackle four. As Mr Bharath's B Com curriculum aligns with the ACCA's requirements, he is exempt from the first six papers. For his outstanding achievement, he will be awarded a cash prize of £200 and a merit certificate by ACCA.