Part II Exam – Guide For Success  
CSCA EXAM PART II  
GUIDE FOR SUCCESS  
APSCA’s CSCA Part II exam is based on a Case Study which is intended to measure your ability to analyze  
multiple issues, triangulate information and determine actions as you would during an audit.  
The exam will provide a formal assessment of your proficiency in the areas of functional knowledge and  
foundational skills outlined in the APSCA Competency Framework. APSCA recognizes that successful  
completion of the exam will play an important role in your career as a social compliance auditor. Accordingly,  
the following information has been collated to assist with your exam preparation.  
EXAM ELIGIBILITY  
Prior to sitting any APSCA exam, you must work with your Member Firm to obtain approval.  
Do NOT schedule an exam without having followed the approval process.  
The process to obtain approval includes the Member Firm submitting an Exam Request Sheet and invoices  
being raised. Invoices must be paid at least 7 days prior to the exam being sat. Failure to follow the prescribed  
process may result in your exam being cancelled. If an exam is taken without payment being made, exam  
results will not be issued, and exam may be disallowed.  
Note: Member Auditors not associated with a Member Firm please contact APSCA at exam@theapsca.org.  
SCHEDULING YOUR EXAM  
Our recommendation is to not schedule the exam late in the day or evening (or after a day of auditing).  
We encourage you to schedule a date/ time where you can focus on the exam.  
Leave plenty of room in your schedule both BEFORE and AFTER the two-hour exam period, so you are not  
rushed or stressed if you have any difficulties in getting started with the exam.  
Set aside time in your calendar 5-10 days in ADVANCE of your exam date to complete the MANDATORY  
equipment test (see Auditor Handbook for details).  
Step-by-step guidance on how to book an exam can be found here:  
APSCA How to Book a Part I and Part II CSCA Exam.  
PART II DEVELOPMENT & FORMAT  
The exam content, as well as the relative weight of the exam categories and elements was determined by  
APSCA in consultation with social compliance experts and advisors. To ensure that a specific question does  
not reflect just one person’s point of view, exam questions were vetted through a multi-tiered review process.  
All questions are based on well-established social compliance practices with a global lens – i.e. not specific  
or unique to any one country or region.  
Part  
Format  
Multiple-Choice  
Written Case Study  
Simulated  
Mode  
Online exam  
Duration (hours)  
1
2
3
2
2
Online exam  
Online exam using video conference  
1.5  
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Replaces:  
APSCA Exam Guide Part II D-076  
Version 4 - April 2023  
Version 3 - February 2023  
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Part II Exam – Guide For Success  
EXAM DELIVERY  
All of APSCA’s exams are administered through a third-party remote proctoring organization. To test your  
connection and equipment prior to any exam is outlined in the Auditor Handbook. To learn more about how  
APSCA partners with ProctorU for exams, watch this video.  
Also view this video to learn about taking an APSCA exam via ProctorU: Guardian “What to Expect on Exam  
Day” Test-Taker video  
PREPARING FOR THE EXAM  
HOW TO PREPARE  
Carefully review the following:  
1. APSCA Core Documents  
ƒ APSCA Code and Standards of Professional Conduct  
ƒ APSCA Competency Framework  
ƒ APSCA Use of Auditor Number  
ƒ APSCA Glossary of Terms  
2. APSCA Auditor Handbook - enrollment process, testing of your equipment, sample questions, topics  
covered in exams, frequently asked questions & helpful tips.  
3. ASPCA Resource Library which includes APSCA Part I & Part II Exam Syllabus and a Part II practice Exam.  
FIRM TRAINING/LEARNING MATERIALS  
Consult with your Member Firm on learning/training materials related to social compliance audits and  
identifying areas of opportunity which were noted on previous APSCA exam reports. We suggest to refresh  
the methodologies/ processes, not only for improving your work in the field, but also in helping you prepare  
for the exam. Areas may include:  
ƒ Steps involved in conducting an audit - i.e. how to, what to do if etc.  
ƒ General topics including, but not limited to:  
hiring/termination practices  
ꢀdiscrimination  
Freedom of Association  
grievance procedures  
forced labor  
health and safety, including root cause analysis  
Ensure you understand these topics well and how they relate to social compliance auditing.  
*Note: If you are given a sample/ mock exam(s) or a link to a sample / mock exam(s) to use as part of  
your study preparation, by either your firm or another auditor/ person, please note that this material is  
not sanctioned by APSCA. Being in receipt of a study tool such as this may be seen as an integrity issue.  
If you are in receipt or aware of such document, and you are unsure if it is sanctioned material, please  
email the exam team for confirmation.  
This can be done anonymously by emailing integrity@theapsca.org to report any exam related activity  
or concern.  
Document Name:  
Version & Date:  
Replaces:  
APSCA Exam Guide Part II D-076  
Version 4 - April 2023  
Version 3 - February 2023  
This document is no longer version controlled once printed.  
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Part II Exam – Guide For Success  
STUDYING  
Effective preparation for a successful exam not only includes reading the Auditor Handbook and APSCA’s  
other core documents detailed above, but being able to demonstrate how you can apply the knowledge you  
have learnt from these documents in an exam setting.  
Our Part II Case Studies were developed with information from real audits which have occurred in various  
parts around the world and are designed to enable auditors to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.  
Therefore, liaising with your training team, working/ speaking with auditors from different areas to share  
their experience is helpful. If you haven’t identified forced labor, talk with some of your colleagues that may  
have and be open during your audits that forced labor, discrimination and miscalculations of wages may be  
occurring.  
COMPUTER SYSTEM TESTING  
A critical component of preparing for each exam includes testing your computer equipment and connecting  
to a live technician via ProctorU. Detailed guidance on how to do this in advance of your exam date is  
provided in the Auditor Handbook.  
We suggest running equipment checks in the weeks and days leading up to your exam. System and firewall  
updates can impact your connection and / or equipment. Internet stability is key to your success. It is also  
important to update all third-party software and your operating system with the latest updates. This will help  
to reduce the chance of connection/ interruption issues during your exam session.  
Prior to sitting the exam, we recommend that you reboot your computer to close all programs.  
NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMS  
The Part II exam is currently available in English, Bangla, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Italian,  
Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.  
For all other languages, technology-based translation is available. Please review these documents to  
prepare if you are booking an exam in “alternate language” which indicates you are using technology-based  
translation:  
ƒ Technology Based Translation Information  
ƒ How To Use Online Translation  
ABOUT EXAM QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND SCORING  
The exam comprises 44 questions, and with the exception of short essay questions, each is worth one (1)  
point. Short essay questions are worth two (2), three (3) or five (5) points each as designated at the end of the  
question e.g. ‘(2 points)’ ‘(3 points)’ ‘’5 points)’.  
SAMPLE QUESTIONS  
ƒ Read each question carefully. Answer what the question is asking and in the requested format being  
asked – i.e. is the question asking:  
Ȉ to be written as a finding?  
Ȉ questions you would ask?  
Ȉ types of documents you would request/ review?  
Ȉ Prior to arriving at an audit or  
Ȉ NOT  
ƒ The exam may include questions which seem similar; be mindful these may be asking for different things.  
ƒ Consider each question in terms of the parameters of the Case Study, including laws applicable to the  
Case Study (noted in the exam Appendix). Do not consider the questions in terms of laws or practices  
outside of what has been provided to you in the case study and/or the exam Appendix.  
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Replaces:  
APSCA Exam Guide Part II D-076  
Version 4 - April 2023  
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Part II Exam – Guide For Success  
ANSWERS  
Short Essay  
ƒ If asked to list several answers, be sure not to repeat yourself. Additional points are not given for stating  
the same answer multiple times but in a slightly different way.  
ƒ If the maximum point value is five (5), you must provide at least five (5) different answers. If the maximum  
point value is three (ꢁ), at least three (ꢁ) different answers are required. Should you provide more correct  
answers than required, you will receive no more than the maximum number of points possible.  
Multiple Choice:  
ƒ Select all that apply (2) or (3)’ questions. If the question indicates that there are two (2) correct answers,  
ONLY pick two (2) answers. If you select more than the number noted, the question will be marked as  
incorrect, thus receiving a mark for that question of -0.25 points  
ƒ If the question does not state “Select all that apply (#)” at the end of the question, this question ONLY  
has one (1) correct answer therefore only select one answer.  
WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE PERMITTED FOR THIS EXAM?  
As indicated in the Auditor Handbook, the resources allowed for Part II are as follows:  
A basic calculator (that is NOT on a  
Pen or pencil  
One (1) blank piece of A4  
or letter size paper  
phone or computer)  
Note: The Case Study is visible on the screen - there is a highlighting function and a place to type notes.  
TEST TAKING SKILLS  
Each CSCA exam format is different, and for Part II, it is essential to carefully read the instructions, Case Study  
appendix, questions, and all response options (where applicable) before selecting an answer.  
Time management is particularly important; be sure to manage your time throughout the entire exam. Be  
mindful of the two (2) hours provided and ensure you allow adequate time to review your answers prior to  
submission. The time remaining in the exam session will be indicated on the bottom right-hand corner of  
your computer/ exam screen. Note: Your exam time officially starts from the point that the Case Study and  
questions first appear – the reading of the Terms and Conditions does not count toward your allowed time.  
It is important NOT to make any assumptions about the circumstances of the question or information that  
is NOT included. Ensure you focus only on the information provided. The questions are intended to be  
straightforward; they are not intended to be “trick” questions.  
Helpful Test Taking Tips:  
1.. As you are reading the Case Study, don’t write extensive notes but consider making a table on your  
paper that looks similar to this.  
Forced Labor  
2, 7, 19  
Discrimination  
3, 25  
Wage Benefits  
Working Hours  
etc  
1, 14, 27  
Under each heading, as you identify an issue mark the Paragraph number(s). Highlight the information  
within the paragraph. When you have a question on discrimination you can identify that you saw  
discrimination in Paragraphs 3 and 25 and refer back to those paragraphs for specific information. This will  
save time with writing notes, and it will identify where there may be issues in different paragraphs.  
Document Name:  
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Replaces:  
APSCA Exam Guide Part II D-076  
Version 4 - April 2023  
Version 3 - February 2023  
This document is no longer version controlled once printed.  
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Part II Exam – Guide For Success  
2.. Do not spend excessive time on questions you do not readily have an answer. If you are uncertain  
about a question, note that you need to return to the question and be sure to allow enough time to do  
so. This includes when answering questions that request 2, 3 or 5 answers and you have not provided  
the full amount – ensure you come back to review and provide missing responses.  
SCORING AND RESULTS  
To ensure accuracy and fairness, each exam is subject to review by the Exam Team.  
If a score of 74% or less is achieved, the auditor will  
The score required to pass is +75%  
be assigned to the level of ASCA.  
See the Auditor Handbook for more information on scoring.  
WHAT’S NEXT?  
Results are typically issued within 14 business days of the exam being completed. Turnaround time may vary  
depending upon the volume of exams being taken. Check your email (including junk/ spam) and/ or your  
APSCA profile (under the ‘Invoices’ tab) for updates relating to your exam results. Please note, it can take ꢂ-ꢁ  
business days from when your results are sent by email until your APSCA profile is updated.  
If you are past 14-business days, please email: exam@theapsca.org.  
Note: ProctorU do not maintain or have access to your results  
You have received your results and you passed:  
Congratulations! Please consult with your Member Firm to express your interest in sitting the Part III exam.  
Ensure you are aware of any deadline that may exist.  
You received your results and did not pass – now what?  
We understand you may be disappointed. However, start preparing for your next attempt. Review the Exam  
Results Report, and the comments section, work with your Member Firm’s training team and focus your study  
efforts on areas of opportunity and areas of strength noted in your past exam reports. Ensure you review the  
supporting documentation, review the Practice Exam and other tools to prepare. Also ensure when you are  
sitting the exam that you are using the full amount of exam time that has been allocated to you.  
ƒ Please liaise with your Member Firm to go through the eligibility process before scheduling your next  
exam. Independent Auditors contact the Exam Team at APSCA exam@theapsca.org.  
CONCLUSION  
DON’T BE SCARED. BE PREPARED!  
APSCA appreciates your hard work and dedication to continuing the effort of enhancing the professionalism,  
consistency and credibility of the social compliance auditing industry. We trust this information helps you in  
your goal of obtaining CSCA certification.  
We welcome your feedback and wish you good luck on your examinations!  
Please send exam feedback/comments exam@theapsca.org.  
Document Name:  
Version & Date:  
Replaces:  
APSCA Exam Guide Part II D-076  
Version 4 - April 2023  
Version 3 - February 2023  
This document is no longer version controlled once printed.  
Page 5 of 5  
Author/Owner:  
Authorized by:  
APSCA Exam Team  
President/CEO