Russian trainee takes top spot in accountancy exam

Deputy Business Editor

Saturday 30 June 2012

A TRAINEE from Russia has won the gold medal for the top performer in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland's test of professional expertise.

Custom byline text:

Greig Cameron

Mariya Semenkovich, originally from Aleksandrov, aced the five-and-a-half-hour exam to come ahead of more than 850 other students in the UK who sat it. She was also one of only two people who scored a distinction by achieving more than 80% from the examiners.

Ms Semenkovich works as an audit assistant in the financial services team with accountancy firm KPMG in Edinburgh. Originally, she came to the Scottish capital to study international finance on a scholarship backed by drinks companies Baltika and S&N.Yesterday she said: "I was studying world economy at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations when I won a scholarship to study at the University of Edinburgh in 2007. I didn't know much about Edinburgh but thought, why not take the chance?"I joined KPMG in 2009 and it has been a brilliant experience training to be an accountant in Scotland. When I got the exam result through I thought it was some mistake and I was really shocked in a good way."While Ms Semenkovich said she did not have trouble studying, she did admit the exam was the toughest she had faced.She added: "The exam involves a big case study where you have to produced a report for a client. It pulls together all your knowledge from tax, accounting, corporate finance, management and everything else."Catherine Burnet, head of financial services at KPMG in Scotland, said: "Mariya is an outstanding trainee who displays all the skills needed to succeed in an extremely challenging and competitive sector." Ms Semenkovich is due to complete her traineeship later this year and is keen to remain in the accountancy industry for the foreseeable future.However she does not rule out returning to Russia.She said: "I would be interested to go back at some point but I don't know how long for, or whether it would be on a permanent basis."

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

Russian trainee takes top spot in accountancy exam

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED