10 Dec 2025
Recently, Huixin Li, a student from the BA Accounting Programme at the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), achieved outstanding results in the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ) Examination organised by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) in June 2025, claiming first place in the Taxation (TXF) subject among candidates from Mainland China.
As a senior-year student in the Accounting Programme at IBSS, Huixin Li's connection with ISCA began with a campus presentation. In the second semester of her junior year, ISCA lecturers visited XJTLU to systematically introduce the Certified Public Accountant qualification system, membership resources, and career development paths. The clear "campus-to-workplace" transition plan and comprehensive learning support sparked her idea of preparing for the SCAQ exam. Later, by participating in an experience-sharing session with XJTLU alumni pursuing further studies in Singapore, she gained a deeper understanding of the value of the ISCA qualification—not only as a "passport" for professional competence but also as a crucial bridge to access international learning and exchange platforms and accumulate cross-border network resources. This further strengthened her determination to include the ISCA qualification in her future study abroad and career plans.
The curriculum system of IBSS laid a solid foundation for Huixin Li's exam preparation. The core courses she studied, such as Financial Accounting, Auditing, and Management Accounting, are highly aligned with the knowledge system required for the SCAQ qualification. Meanwhile, the cooperation mechanism between IBSS and ISCA provides accounting students with exemptions from some courses in the SCAQ Foundation Programme (FP) and scholarship support, significantly lowering the threshold for exam preparation. When talking about the key to her preparation, Huixin Li specifically highlighted the foundational role of the ACC206 Taxation course at IBSS: "This course helped me clarify the core logic of tax systems across different countries. When learning Singapore’s tax laws, I could directly start with the overall tax system framework, systematically master the legislative principles and calculation methods of major taxes such as personal income tax, corporate income tax, and value-added tax, and establish a clear knowledge system at an early stage."
She also expressed special gratitude to Professor Liyan Hou, the instructor of this course: "Professor Hou excels at organising complex and fragmented tax content in a clear and structured way. She breaks down abstract concepts into core questions and guides us to first understand the principles before delving into calculation and application. It is this teaching method of 'clarifying concepts and building frameworks' that made my TXF review much more efficient—I could quickly connect many exam questions to the logical knowledge I learned in class."
During her preparation, Huixin Li faced the dual pressure of the upcoming TXF exam and her final semester exams, but she successfully overcame this challenge with a "planned and systematic" learning approach. First, she carefully studied the exam syllabus and scientifically allocated her study time based on the importance of each exam topic to ensure no core knowledge points were missed. Then, she practised with past exam papers to transform theoretical knowledge into problem-solving skills and deepen her understanding of tax guidelines. The offline review courses organised by ISCA also served as a "booster": they not only systematically sorted out the logical frameworks and calculation templates for various taxes but also invited industry experts to share insights into the real work scenarios of Singaporean accountants and the challenges of accounting positions in multinational enterprises. This gave Huixin Li a more concrete understanding of her career development and further motivated her to study.
"The SCAQ qualification has brought me far more than just a certificate," said Huixin Li. From course learning to exam preparation, and to reflecting on her career path, the entire process has comprehensively enhanced her professional capabilities and career literacy—and this would not have been possible without the international education platform built by IBSS and its in-depth cooperation with industry associations. For her juniors and seniors, she shared her insight: "If you’re not sure whether you can do something, just choose to give it a try. Most of the time, taking the first step toward trying already means you’ve succeeded halfway."
In February this year, IBSS and ISCA formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking a new chapter in their cooperation in accounting talent development. This collaboration has created a convenient pathway for Chinese students to obtain the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ). According to the cooperation agreement, eligible undergraduate accounting students at IBSS will be directly granted exemptions from some courses in the SCAQ Foundation Programme (FP). After completing the Foundation Programme, students will be awarded the Professional Business Accountant (PBA) title, laying a key foundation for pursuing the Singapore Chartered Accountant qualification. This exemption policy not only opens a "fast track" for IBSS accounting students to enter the professional accounting field but also effectively stimulates Chinese students’ enthusiasm for learning and exploring the accounting major. In addition, ISCA will provide 20 special scholarship quotas each year for outstanding students ranked in the top 5%, fully waiving their tuition fees for the Foundation Programme to support their professional growth.
IBSS has always been committed to integrating the advantages of Eastern and Western education. Through university-enterprise cooperation, alignment with international qualifications, and practical teaching, it has built an integrated "theory-practice-career" development path for students. Huixin Li’s achievement of first place in the SCAQ TXF subject (Mainland China) is not only a result of her personal efforts but also a vivid demonstration of IBSS’s high-quality teaching and international talent development philosophy. In the future, IBSS will continue to deepen its cooperation with international industry associations and enterprises, provide students with more high-quality learning resources and career development support, and help more XJTLU students demonstrate their professional strengths on the international stage
10 Dec 2025