Local student achieves global top mark in professional exam

Tuesday 13 December 2022

A KPMG student who is studying for her ACCA qualification in Jersey has achieved the highest mark in the world.

Aimée O’Connor achieved a score of 98% in the ACCA Taxation paper, which was the highest awarded to any student in the world out of a total of 99,192 completed papers in the September exam sitting.

Ms O'Connor is an audit assistant who joined KPMG in the Crown Dependencies on the firm's School Leaver programme, having graduated from Hautlieu in 2021.

Through the three-year programme, KPMG support students to attend in-person tuition and revision courses at BPP. When trainees are not studying for their exams, they work full time, developing their work experience and skills in order to obtain the sufficient experience to become a Chartered Accountant.

Ms O'Connor said: "I am delighted with my result from my taxation exam. Both KPMG and BPP have provided a supportive, motivating environment which has inspired me to aim high throughout my professional qualification. Mentoring is provided by my managers and other peers at KPMG, and from my tutors at BPP, who welcome any queries I have to guide me through my studies."

James Hay, Head of Professional Qualifications at BPP International Finance, commented: "All of us at BPP International Finance are delighted for Aimée and proud of being a part of her ACCA journey. She has been a shining example of what can be achieved when a talented individual follows the structure set out by her tutors and takes advantage of the additional support offered by BPP and KPMG, both in person and online."

The Taxation paper sat by Ms O'Connor forms part of the ACCA Applied Skills Level, which begins to look at qualities required by strategic professional accountants. The course at BPP International Finance in Jersey comprises classroom tuition as well as a significant amount of self-study pre- and post-tuition in order to be fully prepared for the exam.

Ben Honeywood, Partner at KPMG in the Crown Dependencies and Head for formal training in Jersey, said: "I was bowled over by Aimée's achievement – this is a truly outstanding outcome for her and KPMG and is the result of hard work and true dedication. She is a great example and all at KPMG are proud of her achievement.

"At KPMG in the Crown Dependencies, we place a huge amount of emphasis on the development and progression of all of our people, especially our student group, to ultimately deliver the highest quality client experience as the most trusted professional services firm."