APSCA Newsletter September 2020

September 30, 2020

September marks five years since APSCA’s inception, we invite you to download a brief review of our achievements to date via the link below.

Commenting on the milestone, APSCA’s President and CEO Rona Starr remarked “On reflection of APSCA’s development, I extend my immense gratitude to these Member Auditors and Member Firms for their sustained commitment and support. In joining APSCA, we recognise the weight of this commitment and acknowledge adaptations made in respect of our requirements.”

Further highlights from September are provided below.

In this this issue:

Member Firm Announcements
APSCA’s AGM and Stakeholder Online Event Registration
CSCA Exam Webinars
CSCA Examination Progress
Auditor Enrollments
Reminder: Revised Due Dates for CSCA Exams
Resource Library
FAQs
APSCA Out and About

Connect with APSCA LinkedIn

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Visit our Websit

Member Firm Announcements

We are pleased to congratulate full APSCA Member Firms, BCI Compliance, TUV SUD and QIMA on their commitment to the realization of APSCA’s mission “To enhance the Professionalism and Credibility of individuals and organizations performing independent social compliance audits”.

Full Members:

For information on Firm Membership definitions and how your Firm can commence the application process, please visit our website

Registration Now Open – APSCA’s Annual General Meeting and Stakeholder Online Event

This year APSCA will be hosting its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Stakeholder Event online
early December.

To accommodate our global membership, we are hosting our AGM and Stakeholder Event across a few dates and times outlined below. These will be the same session (AGM/Stakeholder Event) offered at two different dates and times. We hope you can join us!

AGM (#1)
Who can attend? Current APSCA Members (Auditors/Firms) ONLY
When: Dec. 7, 2020
Time: 17:00 PST-USA (Asia + US Time Zone)
Duration: 75 – 90 Min.
Where: Online – GoToMeeting
To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/121791747395

AGM (#2)
Who can attend? Current APSCA Members (Auditors/Firms) ONLY
When: Dec. 8, 2020
Time: 11:00 PST-USA (Europe + US Time Zone)
Duration: 75 – 90 Min.
Where: Online – GoToMeeting
To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/121809005013

Stakeholder (#1)
Who can attend? APSCA Members and all interested/other parties
When: Dec. 14, 2020
Time: 11:00 PST-USA (Europe + US Time Zone)
Duration: 75 – 90 Min.
Where: Online – GoToMeeting
To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/121803185607

Stakeholder (#2)
Who can attend? APSCA Members and all interested/other parties
When: Dec. 15, 2020
Time: 17:00 PST-USA (Asia + US Time Zone)
Duration: 75 – 90 Min.
Where: Online – GoToMeeting
To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/121809358069

Additional event details and information to follow in the weeks leading up to the AGM and Stakeholder Events.

Any questions, please contact: director@theapsc.org

CSCA Exam Webinars

Part II – English / Spanish/ Mandarin
Between June and September, APSCA held several webinars to assist Member Auditors prepare for Part II and Part III of the CSCA examination program. Sharing insights into the exam format, the webinars outlined key differences between the Part I and Part II / III exams, and further common errors to avoid.

Recordings of these webinars in English, Spanish, and Mandarin are available via our website now posted to our new Resource Library. PDFs of the presentations and speaker notes are available in English, Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

These webinars were developed specifically to optimize exam preparation and provide the greatest opportunity for success during the exam process. Exam candidates are encouraged to consult relevant resources prior to each exam.

CSCA Examination Progress

During August examination rates remained strong with the total number of completed exams now exceeding 5,400 with an overall pass rate of 75%. A summary of cumulative exam results can be downloaded below.

For all CSCA Exams (Parts I – III) Auditors must consult with their Member Firm to confirm eligibility to sit each exam. Please ensure you follow the guidance in the Auditor Handbook and notify APSCA prior to enrolling for any exam; failure to follow the guidance, may see the exam disallowed and being unable to sit for a period up to 12 months.

CSCA Exams Part I and II are available in four Languages (English, Spanish, Simplified & Traditional Chinese).

CSCA Exam Part III interviews commenced in August. Exams will be available in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese. The scheduling process has been finalized and we have started the process of contacting Firms / Auditors directly. The Part III enrolment process is very different; each eligible Auditor MUST follow the process or risk having their exam cancelled and being disallowed from scheduling for up to 12 months.

Auditor Enrollments

As at 29 September 2020, total enrolled Auditors exceeded 4,150 with a summary by Auditor level provided below.

Reminder: Revised Due Dates for CSCA Exams

Due to COVID-19 and the enduring challenges faced by our auditing community, APSCA has reviewed and revised exam due dates for auditors sitting Part II and III exams.

The dates (below) are applicable to any Auditor who successfully passed Part I 90+ days prior to the Part II deadline or successfully completed Part II 90+ days prior to the Part III deadline.

If an Auditor is unsure whether this applies to them please contact APSCA via director@theapsca.org.

2020 – 2021
Part II

30 September 2020
- Chinese (Traditional/ Simplified)
30 March 2021
- English / Spanish (amended from September 2020)

Part III

30 June 2021
- Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese amended from December 2020)
30 October 2021
- English / Spanish (amended from June 2021)

REMINDER: For Auditors who have recently obtained RA level status, you have 6 months from the date you obtained your RA status to sit Part I exam if you are advanced in a language the exam is offered.

Upon passing Part I, Auditors have 3 months from the date notified of passing Part I to sit Part II, IF advanced in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

See also our Resource Library under “Key Dates” for other due dates.

Resource Library

To better serve our Membership and interested parties, we have established a Resource Library on the APSCA website. The library provides a comprehensive directory of member documents, key dates, exam guides and webinars for ease of access.

Visit our website to access the resources.

FAQs

Check out APSCA’s FAQ page – it has been recently updated.

Don’t see a question / answer you’re looking for? Contact us at d irector@theapsca.org.

APSCA Out and About

Please note that due to the global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, APSCA have postponed or cancelled all travel. Updates on any future travel will be provided as soon as practicable. Please visit our Out and About page for updates from some of our Member Firms on what they are doing to support the industry during this time.

In seeking to further support our Members, we also welcome you to tell us how your organization and auditors are navigating today’s dynamic work environment. It is our intention to share these insights across our media channels to foster industry collaboration and unite our community during this difficult period. Please send responses to director@theapsca.org.

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APSCA Newsletter September 2020

Member Firm Announcements

Registration Now Open – APSCA’s Annual General Meeting and Stakeholder Online Event

CSCA Exam Webinars

CSCA Examination Progress

Auditor Enrollments

Resource Library

FAQs

APSCA Out and About

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