ACCOUNTANCY EXAMINATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18813, 13 September 1924, Page 9

ACCOUNTANCY EXAMINATIONS.

Sir,—l heartily endorse the remarks of "Disgusted" on the above subject, having experienced aimilar treatment and concluded it is useless to proceed further. Tattersalls is indeed a surer proposition. There seems growing evidence these days that the profession is not alone in its tendency to become a close corporation. Such dog-in-the-manger tactics might lose much of their power if a strong body comprising the students in each profession wero formed with a view to setting up a competent and independanfc Board of Examiners enabling students to sit for an examination under conditions that would provide a real test of knowledge. A certificate from such a source would prove to be a far more roliable indication of ability than the present coveted title granted to a favoured few. . •'Also Disottsted."

Sir,—To another of the many who gave up trying to qualify for membership of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, owing to the prohibitive severity of bookkeeping, stage two, for examination purposes, this correspondence has been of Intense interest. Surely there Is something wrong when innumerable candidates who, after diligent study, are able to pass, by sections, the eignt or nine other requisite subjects, are held up and compelled to quit without certificate or membership of any grade, because about 90 per cent, of ihose who enter the examination room for book-keeping, stage two, are fore-doomed to failure. Mr. Seaman, in his letter, infers that this drastic standard is necessary as a protection to the public, but he does nol mention that on the formation of the society hundreds were admitted to membership without examination of any kind, and this "back-door" membership list was reopened some time afterwards to enable more to avail themselves of this easy method of gaining membership. This, in comparison with present conditions, throws into clear relief the discouragement now offered to bona-fide students and candidates. Mr. Seaman also fails to explain why the lower percentage of passes for stage two, compared with the more theoretical subjects, does not manifest itself in anything like the same degree in the equally practical subject of book-keeping, stage one. I agree with "Practical" that students do not want an easy entrance into the Society of Accountants, but a fair and honest opportunity of qualifying under reasonable conditions. However, some of us are not without hope that the justice of our complaints will some day be realised by the Council of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, and their examiners, and the present position rectified. When that day comes, no doubt many others like myself will again endeavour to win membership to the society, and thus obtain recompense for our labours and expense, and some benefit from the many subjecte now lying uselessly to our credit in the Register'of the University of New Zealand. Axso Stakted.