Big 4 Audit Graduate scheme

I heard from my friends that the big 4 will give you a year off just to focus on exams, does anyone if that is true? Also do they allow you to claim exemptions please?

Reply 1

Syed100

11

thats not true. I work in the big 4.

Reply 2

Guest 030486

OP

4

how does their graduate scheme work please? Could you give more details? Do they just allocate you with work then give you some time before your exams to study?

Reply 3

Euapp

21

Original post by Guest 030486

how does their graduate scheme work please? Could you give more details? Do they just allocate you with work then give you some time before your exams to study?

The 4 don’t operate in exactly the same way although they do have many things in common.
When I did audit with one of them in London we got allocated to an audit sector which was made up of a number of teams. One sector was hotels, another was the banking and insurance sector, another was retail. The planning office would make up the audit teams and depending on the size of the client and it’s complexity they would allocate a certain number of assistant managers, first and second year assistants etc to the audit manager and the partner. At the end of each client job we would be assessed and then allocated to another team for another client, but mostly within our allocated sector.
Running up to exams we had time with tutors for x weeks Monday to Friday followed by the exams. This was specific to London offices. The graduates in regional offices often had to do their study in parallel with client work and by correspondence which made things harder. BUT because of this, if you failed exams as a London employee, you were gently shown the door, whereas in the regional offices you generally got a second chance.
End of year salary reviews depended on your client ratings reports, so that although almost everyone got a rise there was quite a difference between the biggest and smallest rises.

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 4

Syed100

11

Original post by Euapp

The 4 don’t operate in exactly the same way although they do have many things in common.
When I did audit with one of them in London we got allocated to an audit sector which was made up of a number of teams. One sector was hotels, another was the banking and insurance sector, another was retail. The planning office would make up the audit teams and depending on the size of the client and it’s complexity they would allocate a certain number of assistant managers, first and second year assistants etc to the audit manager and the partner. At the end of each client job we would be assessed and then allocated to another team for another client, but mostly within our allocated sector.
Running up to exams we had time with tutors for x weeks Monday to Friday followed by the exams. This was specific to London offices. The graduates in regional offices often had to do their study in parallel with client work and by correspondence which made things harder. BUT because of this, if you failed exams as a London employee, you were gently shown the door, whereas in the regional offices you generally got a second chance.
End of year salary reviews depended on your client ratings reports, so that although almost everyone got a rise there was quite a difference between the biggest and smallest rises.

actually it is exactly the same process in the regional and London office. I am not sure which big 4 you worked for?

Reply 5

Euapp

21

Original post by Syed100

actually it is exactly the same process in the regional and London office. I am not sure which big 4 you worked for?

In which case it’s changed. When I did my exams, and my niece a certain number of years later, those that weren’t in London didn’t get the same study leave which made things a lot harder.

Reply 6

ajj2000

20

I believe that the OP may be referring to programmes where you fast track the exams doing most in the first year.

Reply 7

Syed100

11

Original post by Euapp

In which case it’s changed. When I did my exams, and my niece a certain number of years later, those that weren’t in London didn’t get the same study leave which made things a lot harder.

that must be long time ago

Reply 8

Euapp

21

Original post by Syed100

that must be long time ago

I confirm😂

Reply 9

ajj2000

20

Original post by Euapp

In which case it’s changed. When I did my exams, and my niece a certain number of years later, those that weren’t in London didn’t get the same study leave which made things a lot harder.

When I worked for big 4 outside London in the early/ mid 90's we got loads of study time to attend college plus used TOIL I think after the first year which at that time was easy it must have been around 11 or 12 weeks a year.