Coming Out on Top: Aston’s Accounting Triumph

Aston Noronha isn’t your typical student.

The 18-year-old is a second-year BA Honours Accounting and Finance student at Middlesex University (MDX) Dubai who has just finished his most recent set of exams. However, his performance in the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Strategic Business Leader (SBL) exam made Aston stand out from the crowd.

He managed to achieve the extraordinary feat of being the top performer in the world.

Aston secured an incredible score of 95, the highest mark worldwide, showcasing his exceptional aptitude and dedication.

Aston said: “The exam is a 3 hour 15-minute case study exam, which tests various real-life business scenarios. There are materials released two weeks before the exam which contain some background information for the company that will be presented in the paper.

“I prepared for the exam using online resources such as aCOWtancy and the ACCA study hub, which is the ACCA’s free study material. However, rather than memorising theory, most of my time was spent on practising mock exams and past papers, to try to understand how to structure my answers, complete the tests on time, and test my application to the questions with information from the case study.”   
When asked about how the accomplishment made him feel, Aston responded candidly: “It was surreal to me that I would perform so well considering that I had self-studied the paper.

“I woke up to the result with huge shock and immediately ran and told my family. To this day, I'm still in a bit of disbelief, despite preparing a lot for this exam.

“However, I am very happy that I achieved the highest mark globally, as it shows that my hard work and efforts have translated into amazing results.”

In recognition of his outstanding performance, he was awarded a prize of £200 and a certificate of merit from the ACCA.

Aston is already looking to the future and what it may hold: “I will complete my undergraduate degree in 2026, and hopefully soon after that, will finish the three remaining ACCA papers. I also aim to gain relevant work experience to achieve membership status as soon as possible.  

“When it comes to jobs in the future, I would like to work in a public accounting firm, as the exposure, learning and experience from that work is extremely valuable.

“By studying BA Honours Accounting and Finance at MDX Dubai I have gained exemptions from many professional bodies such as ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW, IFA, IPA.

“In the case of ACCA, I was able to gain nine conditional exemptions, provided that I pass certain modules. The Accounting and Finance programme at MDX Dubai also allowed me to join the Accelerate programme, which let me start taking ACCA exams during my undergraduate studies.

“This helps me to enhance my skills and qualifications while I am still at university, preparing me beforehand for the job market in the future. My lecturers here have offered their complete support and advice to me as well.

“I would recommend studying at MDX Dubai as the faculty are amazing and support the students so well.”

MDX Dubai offer several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in accounting and finance. Apply today.