A historic first for Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) final year Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) student Caroline Ng Yi-Wye did the nation proud by becoming the first Malaysian to rank as Top in the World for the Strategic Business Leader (SBL) paper in the December 2019 ACCA examinations.
Coming from a pure science background in secondary school, she proved that with hard work and determination, nothing is impossible.
“After SPM, I knew that I did not want to do science in the university. So I started to look at business and accountancy programmes. In the end, I went with my gut feeling and enrolled into TAR UC’s Diploma in Accounting programme. In hindsight, it has turned out to be the best decision,” Ng shared.
A compulsory Professional Level paper by ACCA, SBL simulates a workplace environment whereby one needs to demonstrate a blend of technical, ethical and professional skills to respond to requests from people in various roles. The global SBL passing rate for the December 2019 ACCA examination was 46%.
“The SBL paper encompasses many different topics like governance, ethics, risk and strategy as well as other soft skills linked to leadership and critical thinking etc. For this paper, case studies will never be repeated so it’s pointless to try and memorise answers or spot questions. This four hour paper tests you on your ability to assess, adapt and respond accordingly”.
“At TAR UC, preparation for this paper is split over two modules so that we can have a better understanding of what the learning outcome will be and how we can effectively manage our time during the exam. My lecturer imparted a lot of knowledge to us that was very important during the exam and my tutor’s Q&A approach during our tutorial sessions helped us to be able to think fast. I am very grateful for their guidance throughout my studies here,” she added.
She further emphasised that the skills acquired during her studies and through the ACCA examination has prepared her to hit the ground running when she pursues her career in taxation after graduation.
TAR UC currently has more than 6,000 accounting students, the largest number among all private institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. Additionally, the university college’s students have won 79 world prizes and 101 national prizes in the ACCA examinations to date.
