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.

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