APSCA Newsletter June 2020

June 29, 2020

During June, we were pleased to welcome another full APSCA Member Firm, TUV Rheinland along with our newest provisional Member Firm EURCERT S A.

CSCA examination rates remained strong throughout the month and the team were excited to launch a series of informational webinars on Part II of the program. To date over 4,450 exams have been adminstered across Parts I – III.

In review of the year to date, APSCA’s President and CEO Rona Starr commented “In consideration of the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in, I am buoyed by the sustained growth of our membership base. The commitment to the CSCA examination program has been unrelenting and it is evident our Auditors, where possible, are utilizing this time to advance their APSCA certification; this is to be commended.

As uncertainty continues to grip our industry, I wish to reiterate our support and encourage you to reach out to us should you require any assistance”

Further highlights are provided below.

In this this issue:

ASCA Exams – Revised Due Dates
CSCA Exam Part II Webinar – June & July
CSCA Examination Progress
Auditor Enrollments
Member Firm Announcements
APSCA Team Updates
FAQS
APSCA Out and About

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CSCA Exams - Revised Due Dates

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 just obtaining their RA level status, you have 6 months from the date that you obtained RA to sit Part I exam if you are advanced in a language the exam is offered.

CSCA Exam Part II Webinar

On June 24, APSCA held a webinar on the Part II CSCA exam with the recording available via our website. Due to the high demand, we are pleased to offer this webinar again during July and encourage those auditors who are ready to sit Part II or would like to learn more about the exam to join us. The webinar has been developed specifically for exam participants to optimize exam preparation and provide the greatest opportunity for success.

The webinar shares insights into the exam format, key differences between Part I and Part II and common errors to avoid. While ‘seats’ are limited a recording of the webinar has been provided along with an Exam Part II Guide to Success handout (see above for the link).

For those interested in attending, registration is essential. Details of the live webinars in July are provided below:

When? July 15 and 22, 2020
Where? Online via GoToMeeting – You must register to join.

Dial-in details to be shared with registered attendees approximately two (2) days prior to webinar date.

Registration via the links below (please select your preferred date).

CSCA Examination Progress

During June, examination rates remained strong. The number of Auditors becoming eligible for Part III surged with a 21% increase in Auditors having successfully completed Part II.

To date over 4,450 exams have been adminstered across Parts I – III. A summary of cumulative exam results can be downloaded below.

Auditor Enrollments

During June, the total number of enrolled Auditors decreased by 15% with a significant number relegated to inactive status due to:

a failure to provide APSCA with consent to maintain their data; and or
a failure to request their 2020 Membership fee invoice

Importantly in recognition of the challenges faced by many in our industry, APSCA are not requesting immediate payment. However, a request for the invoice must be made by an Auditor to maintain active membership. Those Auditors whom have not lodged a request for their membership invoice have been moved to inactive status.

Inactive Auditors are unable to use their APSCA Member Number on an audit report and cannot present themselves as an APSCA Member until these activities are cleared. If you are unsure if this affects you, you can check out our website: https://www.theapsca.org/apsca-member-auditors/
Put your number/ name into the boxes and information regarding your status will indicate. You can also log into your APSCA account, speak with your Member Firm or email APSCA at director@theapsca.org.

Reminder of Upcoming Deadlines: As part of APSCA’s ongoing commitment to achieving our Mission of enhancing the professionalism and credibility of the industry, we have established deadlines to ensure that our Members operate in a level playing field, and have clear deadlines in which to sit exams to maintain their RA status.

Part I: Auditors who become RA Level from 1 November 2019 onward have 6 months to sit Part I from the date they became RA. Failing to meet this expectation will see levels moved to ASCA.

Part II: Those Auditors who are advanced in Chinese and completed Part I on or before 30 June 2020, must complete Part II by 30 September 2020 (or 3 months after completing Part I whichever is the latest). If advanced in English or Spanish and have completed Part I on or before 31 December 2020, must complete Part II by 30 March 2021 (or 3 months after completing Part I whichever is the latest)

The above is based on Auditors being advanced in one of the written languages which we offer the exam.

Member Firm Announcements

We are pleased to welcome another full APSCA Member Firm, TUV Rheinland along with our newest provisional Member Firm EURCERT S A. Congratulations to our APSCA Member Firms on your commitment to the realization of APSCA’s mission “To enhance the Professionalism and Credibility of individuals and organisations performing independent social compliance audits”.

FULL MEMBER FIRMS

PROVISIONAL MEMBER FIRMS

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

APSCA Team Updates

APSCA would like to farewell and wish all the best to Kerrie Baylis who has been our Data Administrator since 2017. Over this time, Kerrie has tirelessly onboarded more than 4,000 Auditors, checked information provided, reviewed photos, issued numbers and more. She has chosen this time to join her husband and enjoy retirement. We thank her for her time with APSCA and wish her all the best as she enters this next exciting phase of her life!

Stepping in to continue with Data Admin management will be Emma and Nicholas. We are grateful to have the extra help!

Should you have any APSCA account related questions, please continue to contact our Data Administrators at Data.Administrator@theapsca.org.

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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