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Submissions for the 2010 Chartered Accountants Student Challenge have now closed. The winners will be announced on Monday, 13 September 2010.

To view the submissions for the First Year Challenge, click here.
To view the submissions for the Student Challenge, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 2010 Student Challenge?

If you're up for a challenge and want to put yourself ahead in your career, take on this challenge.

Now in its third year, the Chartered Accountants Student Challenge invites students to solve a real-life business problem facing a not-for-profit organisation.

This is designed to give you a taste of the varied and interesting issues you will likely encounter in the business world, as well as the opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause.

This year we would like you to examine a real-life business challenge facing The Smith Family. Entries will be judged on how effectively students solve the Challenge on three main criteria - technical knowledge, innovation and presentation.

This year there will be two different Challenges - one designed for first year undergraduate business, commerce and finance students, and the other for second, third and fourth year students.

You can tackle the task solo or form a team. Either way simply participating in these Challenges adds practical experience to your CV - and it's all up from there.

Winners will enjoy money-can't-buy power lunches with potential employers, travel vouchers and may even jet off on an all expenses paid trip to London.

Who is eligible to enter the Student Challenge?

As covered in the terms and conditions, entry is open only to residents of Australia who at the time of entry are: 18 years of age or older, enrolled as undergraduate students at an Australian university.

How do I ensure that I thoroughly understand the question?

Student interested in participating in the Challenge should review both the CEO and Judge's videos. They provide some background on the business problem being faced by The Smith Family. We would then recommend that you read the question in full.

How do I go about understanding the Smith Family business?

The best place to start is www.thesmithfamily.com.au .Here you will find important information you need to understand how their business operates. You will also find some background information on The Smith Family page.

What options do I have for submitting my information?

A submission may be a combination of some or all of the following elements: a video (of up to but no more than 5 minutes in duration); an executive summary (up to but no more than 400 words); a picture; and/or supporting documentation (up to but no more than 3 documents) in Word (up to but no more than 5 pages), PowerPoint (up to but no more than 15 slides) or Excel format (No more than one worksheet). Only one of each document type may be submitted.

What are the judges looking for?

Those students who took the time to analyse and fully comprehend the Challenge question perform better. Clear and concise entries also make it easier for the judges to assess the submissions. Finally those students who come up with innovative solutions to the problem are rewarded.

How do I register my team?

Fill in the registration form and create a team.

Can I remove a team member?

There will be two members of a team. One member will be the team administrator and they will be the person that sets up the team profile. As the administrator, you will be able to delete team members. If you are not the administrator, you will be able to remove yourself from a team.

How do I change teams?

You must first remove yourself from your existing team by following the instructions when you log in.

Then you can either create a new team or join another team.

How do I add a new team member (after I have already registered)?

To add a new team member:

  1. Make sure you've completed a full registration
  2. Create a team
  3. Log in to your team profile and invite a Partner. You will need to enter their email address.
  4. An email will be sent to them with instructions for completing their registration and joining the team.

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