Big 4 Exam Policy

Hi All,

I have a quick question regarding Big 4 professional qualifications policy. I know that some of the firms (esp. Deloitte and E&Y) require their consultants in Consulting/Advisory to undertake CMA/CIMA examination and they provide appropriate training. To my knowledge, it takes approx. 1-2 years to complete it.

1) What happens if somebody quits the firm before completing the examination? Are they required to recover the costs of training and/or fees?

2) Does it effectively mean that employees are "locked-in" for a certain period (e.g. until completion of the exam + work period)?

Thanks.

2 Comments
 

Most firms will make you sign a payback agreement and you will have to repay the remaining balance on a pro-rata basis. So if you sign a two year payback agreement and you leave after a year, you will only have to repay half the amount. It is also very reasonable to request that the firm you are switching to pick up that cost or include it in a signing bonus...if that line of work/industry values the certification.

"You lose money chasing women, never lose women chasing money" -Nas
 

Ut assumenda et quis quia ipsa quis corporis. Ipsa et quisquam est qui. Quibusdam dolores et et autem occaecati. Qui dolorem dicta illo sed. Et mollitia aut distinctio quasi dolorum modi.

Quae quis ut voluptatem quibusdam non temporibus. Officia distinctio voluptatum quaerat nulla. Quam eum a at.

Id quaerat porro temporibus dolorem. Deserunt neque ea minus aut magnam alias cumque. Eius eos nesciunt est. Vero corporis necessitatibus non voluptatibus incidunt dolor qui. Magnam minus ipsa aliquid dolor cupiditate.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $247
  • Engagement Manager (113) $232
  • Manager (171) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $135
  • Senior Consultant (354) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 1st Year Associate (577) $121
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (391) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1163) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (634) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”