APSCA Newsletter November 2019

30/11/2019 - No Comments

During November, CSCA examinations culminated in the delivery of our first Certified Social Compliance Auditors (CSCA); a significant milestone in APSCA’s development and that of the CSCA program which commenced through a staged release from November 2017.

In further reinforcing our commitment to the integrity of our Membership initiatives, the Disciplinary and Appeals Boards met to address various allegations of misconduct with a range of sanctions imposed for substantiated cases.

In approaching the close of 2019, we look forward to our Annual General Meeting and Stakeholder Event in December; an opportunity to celebrate the year’s achievements and share our vision for 2020 and beyond.


Register Now – APSCA Annual General Meeting & Stakeholder Event
Please join us in celebrating APSCA’s 2019 achievements and strengthen your connection with industry peers. We look forward to announcing and congratulating our first round of Certified Social Compliance Auditors (CSCAs) at our Stakeholder Event. 

Location: Shenzhen, China  
December 11, 2019 Meeting and Event Schedule 

  • 10:00am – 12pm   Annual General Meeting (APSCA Members Only)
  • 1:30pm – 5pm       Stakeholder Event (Open to All Interested Parties) 

Both events will be held on December 11, 2019 in Shenzhen, China. 

Travel and transport tips are available on the Annual General Meeting Registration web page


Announcing Pathway 3 – Competency Framework Update 
APSCA’s latest version of the Competency Framework (available here) now includes a third pathway in which Member Auditors can qualify for Registered Level Auditor (RA) status. 

Please refer to our Competency Framework for a detailed outline of required qualifications to be considered eligible for RA status through Pathway 3. 


Disciplinary & Appeals Board Updates 
Following the initial meeting of the Disciplinary Board in August, further cases were subject to review during November. In addition, one case was referred to the Appeals Board. A summary of determinations is provided below:


APSCA is Hiring!
Are you interested in a challenge?  Keen to be part of a dynamic yet small team? We’re hiring and would like to hear from you. 

Click below to learn more about current openings and opportunities at APSCA. 

Current Openings 
Certification Coordinator 
Location: Remote

Code & Compliance Manager 
Location: Remote 


Reminder – Now on the Website – Use of APSCA Number (Member Auditor Guide)
To help inform and support our Members with the proper use of Member Auditor’s APSCA Number, this guide addresses key uses of an Auditor’s membership number as noted under APSCA’s Code and Standards of Professional Conduct and Competency Framework.

​Learn more here.


CSCA Exam Part I 
A total of 1,641 CSCA Part I exams have been completed to date with the pass rate remaining at 81%. Since examinations commenced, approximately 13% of scheduled exams have not been completed. Of these uncompleted exams, some 57% were due to participant forfeiture (failure to present for exam) and 39% due to IT issues.

The rate of examination completion for 2019 has been particularly encouraging and will provide a strong foundation for further certification in 2020. A further update on the CSCA examination program will be provided at our upcoming Annual General Meeting.

CSCA Exam Part II
A total of 114 CSCA Part II exams have been completed with a pass rate of 66%. Since examinations commenced, approximately 7% of scheduled exams have not been completed due to participant forfeiture (failure to present for exam) and or IT issues.

​The CSCA Exam Part II (English) launched 21 September 2019. Auditors are encouraged to consult with their Member Firm to confirm eligibility to sit for the [Part II (English)] exam. Please ensure you follow the guidance in the Auditor Handbook to notify APSCA and register for the exam. 

You can start booking your Part II (Simplified Chinese and Spanish) exam to be set 1 January 2020 on.

CSCA Exam Part III
We are pleased to announce completion of the initial round of the CSCA Part III examinations has delivered our first Certified Social Compliance Auditors (CSCA) during November. Now representing approximately 1% of our Auditor Membership, we look forward to formally presenting the new CSCAs at our Stakeholder Event in December. 

Results of the Part III examinations are provided below:


APSCA Auditor Enrollments
During October, the total number of enrolled auditors exceeded 4,100 with 67% Registered Level Auditors (RA)32% Associate Social Compliance Auditors (ASCA) and now including 1% Certified Social Compliance Auditors (CSCA). 

A snapshot of APSCA’s Membership will be provided at our Annual General Meeting in December.


Membership Application Process
APSCA’s Audit Firm Membership Application process was formally released last November. Details can be found on our website.  All applications should be sent to applications@theapsca.org.

Reminder:  ALL members who joined APSCA between 2015 – 2018 MUST reapply before June 2020.


FAQs – Helpful Resources on the Website  
Be sure to check out APSCA’s newly updated FAQ page. Have a question? We’ve got answers here.  
Don’t see a question/ answer you’re looking for? Contact us at Director@theapsca.org 


APSCA Out and About 
 3 December – Sedex ACC Workshop (London, UK) 
10 December – APSCA Stakeholder and Executive Board Meeting (Shenzhen, China)
11 December – APSCA’s Annual General Meeting & Stakeholder Event (Shenzhen, China) 
12 December – APSCA Executive Board Meeting (Shenzhen, China) 
12 December – Sedex ACC Workshop (Shenzhen, China) 


Our monthly newsletter now reaches over 2,300 subscribers each month! We encourage our Member Firms to have their auditors subscribe to APSCA’s newsletter to stay up to date here. Further, if you have a friend or colleague that may be interested in APSCA please share this newsletter with them via the link below.

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