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FAQs on Case Reviewing
1) Who can apply to be a CASB case reviewer?
2) How does a case centre work?
3) What is the remuneration?
4) What training is involved?
5) Do I need to bring anything to a case centre?
6) When and where are case centres held?
7) What attributes make a good case reviewer?
8) I didn't go through CASB ? how is it different than when I took my courses?
9) What are the benefits of case reviewing?
10) Are there any disadvantages to case reviewing?
11) What if I know some of the students writing a case?
12) What if I have more questions?/How do I apply?
1) Who can apply to be a CASB case reviewer?
Any CA who is a registered member in good standing of a provincial institute of chartered accountants can apply to become a CASB case reviewer.
CASB screens applications to ensure that applicants are members in good standing with a provincial institute of chartered accountants and are neither under investigation nor have ever been investigated for violation of professional conduct.
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2) How does a case centre work?
Most case centres run Saturday from 9:00am until about 8:00pm, and Sunday from about 8:00am until mid-afternoon. After a training session for the particular case to be reviewed, the case reviewer reads through and assesses the students' responses and then completes a detailed feedback form on their laptop. The objective of case centres is to provide constructive comments to all students for future development in addition to assessing the level of competence displayed in a response.
All case reviewers are required to sign a contract that acknowledges the confidentiality of the process and student responses. If a reviewer encounters a paper from a student that he/she believes that he/she is familiar with, then the reviewer is required to not review the paper.
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3) What is the remuneration?
Case reviewers are compensated on a per paper basis and there is also an allowance for start up time. The scale depends upon the module, with higher remuneration for Modules 3 through 5. Many reviewers find their earnings increase significantly once they have been to a couple of case centres.
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4) What training is involved?
All reviewers for a particular case centre meet with the case centre supervisor to review the case and assessment materials as well as review and take-up a practice paper before reviewing live responses. The case centre supervisor, and depending on the size of the case centre, an experienced reviewer are available to answer questions, and they also review your work to ensure consistency of assessment and to encourage quality feedback to the students.
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5) Do I need to bring anything to the case centre?
All reviewers are required to bring a laptop with a USB port to allow transfer of case feedback forms. You are required to have Word 97 and Excel 97 capability as well as current anti-virus scanning software. It is also recommended that you bring a simple four function calculator. All other supplies and regular meals and beverages are supplied during the case centre.
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6) When and where are case centres held?
Please review the schedule of key dates. Module 1 cases are reviewed in Winnipeg; Module 2 and 4 cases are usually reviewed in Calgary; Module 3 cases are reviewed in Edmonton; and Module 5 cases are reviewed in Vancouver . The exact location is sent to the review team about a week before the session.
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7) What attributes make a good case reviewer?
It is important for case reviewers to be decisive in their assessments and able to remain consistent with the assessment team throughout the weekend. A strong desire to help students is also crucial because providing constructive feedback is a key goal of case review centres. While feedback should be factual and descriptive, it should also be positive in tone so students are encouraged to further develop their skills as a professional.
Some modules have fairly specific technical coverage. For example, an assurance background is helpful when reviewing M2 and M5. A performance measurement background is helpful when reviewing M3 and M4 and personal taxation is covered in M1, while M2, M3 and M4 cover corporate tax and M5 covers tax planning for companies going public. For more details on module content, please go to Modules and review the student guide for a description of the content of the module.
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8) I didn't go through CASB ? how is it different than when I took my courses?
CASB is based on competency-based education. This means that we focus on what a student can do rather than look for a specific answer. For more information about competency-based learning, please go to about CASB and competency-based. Also, for more information specifically related to how cases are assessed, please go to student information module results and read through the information presented after the actual results for any offering.
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9) What are the benefits of case reviewing?
Some of the benefits include:
- "Giving back to the profession."
- Some coverage of current topics/refresh technical skills.
- Many reviewers enjoy the social and business contacts developed at case centres.
- Reviewers who work with CASB students learn about the case writing experience and can be a more valuable coach at their office.
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10) Are there any disadvantages to case reviewing?
A case centre is a lot of work. It typically consumes an entire weekend and the hours can be quite long in order to have results available as soon as possible. If one is very busy in their work or personal life, it is recommended that they hold off on applying to work at a case centre until they have a bit more free time.
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11) What if I know some of the students writing a case?
CASB's policy is that you do not review the paper of someone you know. This ensures fairness to all students and also avoids the awkward situation of a reviewer possibly anticipating a particular student's result before it is released.
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12) What if I have more questions? / How do I apply?
For additional information, or to apply, please contact CASB's Contractor Relations Officer at contractpositions@casb.com
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