Your six-monthly reviews are an opportunity to review and discuss your progress through each element of your training. We recommend that you update your training file during your review meeting.
Arranging a six-monthly review
It is your responsibility to organise each six-monthly review. Each review should last about an hour, and you should schedule each review to occur at each six-month interval of your training agreement. Remember to invite your QPRT, counsellor, training manager or principal.
Make sure you get your reviews in the diary early. This will help you to work towards each review date and ensure that you stay on track with your training.
You may wish to compare your progress against your student roadmap
Preparing for a six-monthly review
You should log in to your online training file during your review meeting. Use the table below to provide you with discussion points for each element of your training.
| What should be discussed? | What do you need to do? | |
| Practical work experience | Review and agree the number of practical work experience days accrued in the previous six months. |
- Calculate the number of practical work experience days you have accumulated during the last six months. - Log these days within your training file by clicking ‘add practical work experience’. - Ask your employer to confirm that the number of days recorded are accurate. |
| Professional development* |
Your progress through each of the seven professional development ladders. |
- Talk your employer through each professional development skill that you believe you have demonstrated over the last six months. - Ask your employer for direct and constructive feedback on each example. - Type this feedback into your training file, ensuring that you use complete and structured sentences. You must not use generic responses such as ‘agreed’ or ‘completed’. - If your employer feels that you have not demonstrated a skill, remove the example and discuss how you will develop the skill. - You should also agree on the skills you will aim to complete over the next six months. |
| Ethics and professional scepticism |
Your progress through the Ethics Learning Programme, including any attempts at the final assessment. Discussion on at least one ICAEW Ethics in Practice scenario, plus a real-life ethical scenario. |
- Discuss the modules that you have covered in the Ethics Learning Programme. - Provide an overview of the ethical scenarios that you have studied from the ICAEW Ethics in Practice scenarios and discuss the potential responses that you could adopt. - Discuss a real-life ethical scenario that has occurred in the workplace. - Add an ethics review to your training file. This must: 1. confirm the modules and scenarios that have been covered; 2. confirm whether you have attempted the assessment; 3. cross-reference any professional development skills achieved in the period that relate to ethics confirm that the ethical scenarios and real-life situations have been discussed; and 4. detail an ethics action plan for your next six-monthly review |
| Exam progress | Your exam progress so far, including any re-sit plans What elements you have found relevant and interesting. |
- Discuss your recent exam performance and your study plans for the next six months |
| Audit Qualification (if applicable)** |
Review and agree on the number of audit work experience days accrued in the previous six months. |
- Ask your employer to verify that the number and split of your audit experience days is accurate - Ensure that your employer adds constructive feedback to your file to confirm that you are competent |
*Your employer may be accredited by ICAEW for professional development. If this is the case, you will not see the professional development tab within your training file as you will follow your employer’s programme.
**Applicable only if you are carrying out audit work at an audit registered and approved training firm.