Assessment
Brief
Module Code
Module Name
The Accountant in Business
Level
4
Module Leader
Dr Ouarda Dsouli
Module Code
ACC1009
Assessment title:
AS1 – Portfolio Personal Development Plan – 1600 words
Weighting:
40%
Submission dates:
Feedback and
Grades due:
Please see NILE (Northampton Integrated Learning
Environment) under Assessment Information
Please see NILE under Assessment Information
Please read the whole assessment brief before starting work on the Assessment Task.
The Assessment Task
The purpose of this assignment is to analyse your current skills, identify skill gaps and
developmental needs required to pursue a career in accounting.
There are two parts to this assessment:
Part 1 (50%)

Create your current CV based on education, work experience, achievements
and skills.

Critically evaluate your current CV against the selected accounting role (dream
CV) and the associated person specification (education, work experience,
achievements and skills) to identify the gaps.
1
Part 2 (50%)

Create and justify a personal development plan considering your strengths and
areas for improvement. This must show the education, work experience,
achievements and skills you need to qualify for your dream accounting job.
Note: You will be required to complete a Linkedin learning course to advance your skills for
your first year at university. The certificate of completion should be submitted as part of the
assessment.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:
e)
f)
Monitor and evaluate own current skills, knowledge and experience to
demonstrate the importance of personal effectiveness.
Creating a personal development plan by identifying skills gaps and relevant
learning experiences for improved performance.
Your grade will depend on how well you meet these learning outcomes in the way
relevant for this assessment. Please see the final page of this document for
further details of the criteria against which you will be assessed.
2
Assessment Support
Specific support sessions for this assessment will be provided by the module team and
notified through NILE. You can also access individual support and guidance for your
assessments from Library and Learning Services. Visit the Skills Hub to access this
support and to discover the online support also available for assessments and
academic skills.
Academic Integrity and Misconduct
Unless this is a group assessment, the work you produce must be your own, with work
taken from any other source properly referenced and attributed. This means that it is
an infringement of academic integrity and, therefore, academic misconduct to ask
someone else to carry out all or some of the work for you, whether paid or unpaid, or
to use the work of another student whether current or previously submitted.
For further guidance on what constitutes plagiarism, contract cheating or collusion, or
any other infringement of academic integrity, please read the University’s Academic
Integrity and Misconduct Policy. Other useful resources to help with understanding
academic integrity are available from UNPAC - the University of Northampton’s
Plagiarism Avoidance Course.
N.B. The penalties for academic misconduct are severe and include failing
the assessment, failing the module and even expulsion from the university.
Assessment Submission
To submit your work, please go to the ‘Assessment and Submission’ area on the NILE
site and use the relevant submission point to upload the assignment deliverable. The
deadline for this is 11.59pm (UK local time) on the date of submission. Please note
that essays and text-based reports should be submitted as word documents and not
PDFs or Mac files.
Written work submitted to TURNITIN will be subject to anti-plagiarism detection
software. Turnitin checks student work for possible textual matches against internet
available resources and its own proprietary database.
When you upload your work correctly to TURNITIN you will receive a receipt which is
your record and proof of submission. If your assessment is not submitted to TURNITIN,
rather than a receipt, you will see a green banner at the top of the screen that denotes
successful submission.
N.B Work emailed directly to your tutor will not be marked.
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Late submission of work
For first sits, if an item of assessment is submitted late and an extension has not
been granted, the following will apply:


Within one week of the original deadline – work will be marked and returned with
full feedback and awarded a maximum bare pass grade.
More than one week from original deadline – grade achievable LG (L indicating
late).
For resits there are no allowances for work submitted late and it will be treated as a
non-submission.
Please see the Assessment and Feedback Policy for full information on the processes
related to assessment, grading and feedback, including anonymous grading. You will
also find Guidance on grades and resit opportunities from the main University
website. Also explained there are the meanings of the various G grades at the bottom
of the grading scale including LG mentioned above.
Extensions
The University of Northampton’s general policy about extensions is to be supportive of
students who have genuine difficulties in meeting an assessment deadline. It is not
intended for use where pressures of work could have reasonably been anticipated.
For full details please refer to the Extensions Policy. Extensions are only available for
first sits – they are not available for resits.
Mitigating Circumstances
For full guidance on Mitigating circumstances please go to Mitigating Circumstances
where you will find information on the policy as well as guidance and the form for
making an application. Please also see Extensions & Mitigating Circumstances guide
22_23 that compares your options.
Please note, however, that an application to defer an assessment on the grounds of
mitigating circumstances should normally be made in advance of the submission
deadline or examination date.
Feedback and Grades
These can be accessed through clicking on the “Gradebook” on NILE. Feedback will be
provided by a rubric with summary comments.
4
Marking Rubric
Criteria
5
Grading
criteria
Detailed
guidance
Learning
Outcome
(e). Monitor
and
evaluate
own current
skills,
knowledge
and
experience
to
demonstrat
e the
importance
of personal
effectivenes
s.
(40%)
Part 1
Write your
current CV
(1 page).
Identify
your dream
role (job
description
). Write
your dream
CV (1
page).
Evaluate
the skills
gap
between
your
current CV
against
your dream
CV and the
dream job
description.
Learning
Outcome
Part 2
Personal
No
Submissi
on / no
evidence
Work
submitte
d is of no
academic
value /
nothing
submitte
d
Work
submitted
is of no
academic
value /
nothing
submitted
Fail
Pass
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Evidence included
or provided but
missing in some
very important
aspects
Of satisfactory
quality,
demonstrating
evidence of
achieving the
requirements of
the learning
outcomes
The two CVs are
partially linked to the
dream accounting
role. The person
specification remotely
relates to the skills,
interests, values and
personality outlined in
the two CVs. A few of
the qualification, skills
and work experience
gaps between current
CV and the dream CV
are outlined. There is
little evidence that
the two CVs have
been evaluated in the
context of the person
specification of the
dream role.
Of sound quality,
demonstrating
evidence which is
sufficient and
appropriate to
the task or
activity
Of very high quality,
demonstrating
evidence which is
strong, robust and
consistent,
appropriate to the
task or activity
Work
submitted
Based on the gaps
identified in Part 1.
Based on the gaps
identified in Part 1. A
Based on the gaps
identified in Part 1.
Of high quality,
demonstrating
evidence which
is rigorous and
convincing,
appropriate to
the task or
activity
The two CVs are
mostly linked to
the dream
accounting role.
The person
specification
significantly
relates to the
skills, interests,
values and
personality
outlined in the
two CVs. Most of
the qualification,
skills and work
experience gaps
between current
CV and the dream
CV are outlined
and discussed.
There is
significant
evidence that the
two CVs have
been evaluated in
the context of the
person
specification of
the dream role.
Based on the
gaps identified in
The two CVs are not
linked to the dream
accounting role. The
person specification
does not relate to the
skills, interests,
values and
personality outlined
in the two CVs. None
of the qualification,
skills and work
experience gaps
between current CV
and the dream CV are
outlined. There is no
evidence that the two
CVs have been
evaluated in the
context of the person
specification of the
dream role.
The two CVs are
generally linked to
the dream
accounting role.
The person
specification relates
to the skills,
interests, values
and personality
outlined in the two
CVs. Some of the
qualification, skills
and work
experience gaps
between current CV
and the dream CV
are outlined. There
is some evidence
that the two CVs
have been
evaluated in the
context of the
person specification
of the dream role.
The two CVs are
strongly linked to the
dream accounting role.
The person specification
is fully links to skills,
interests, values and
personality outlined in
the two CVs. All the
qualification, skills and
work experience gaps
between current CV and
the dream CV are
outlined and discussed
in detail. It is evident
that the two CVs have
been evaluated in the
context of the person
specification of the
dream role.
Based on the gaps
identified in Part 1. A
6
(f). Creating
a personal
developmen
t plan by
identifying
skills gaps
and
relevant
learning
experiences
for
improved
performanc
e.
(40%)
developme
nt plan
covering all
areas of
the person
specificatio
n – Job
description
is of no
academic
value /
nothing
submitted
The personal
development plan is
not clear and does
not show how the
goals will be
achieved. The
strengths and areas
of improvement are
not identified or
related to the dream
job person
specification. No
reflection is
demonstrated. There
is no information on
how resources and
experiences will
develop specific skills
and knowledge in
chosen career is
given. The goals and
the action plan are
not SMART. There is
no links between selfanalysis and the
desired job.
personal development
plan is outlined and
shows how only a few
of the goals will be
achieved. The
strengths and areas
of improvement are
sometimes related to
the dream job person
specification. A
satisfactory reflection
is demonstrated.
Information on how
resources and
experiences will
develop specific skills
and knowledge in
chosen career is
given. Some of the
goals and the action
plan are not SMART.
There are very limited
links between selfanalysis and the
desired job.
A personal
development plan
is outlined and
shows how some of
the goals will be
achieved. The
strengths and areas
of improvement are
sometimes related
to the dream job
person
specification. A
good level
reflection is
demonstrated.
Information on how
resources and
experiences will
develop specific
skills and
knowledge in
chosen career is
given. Most of the
goals and the
action plan are
SMART. There are
some links between
self-analysis and
the desired job.
Professional
/ academic
quality
(20%)
Structure
Formatting
Contact
details
Work
submitted
is of no
academic
value /
nothing
submitted
The current CV and
dream CV crammed
into two pages. The
section titles and
descriptions do not
relate to the role. The
order of entries is not
clear. Employer
name, position title,
location, dates,
student name,
address, email,
phone details are
incomplete.
The current CV and
dream CV crammed
into two pages. The
section titles and
descriptions show
limited link to the
role. A few of entries
are reverse
chronological order.
Details of employer
name, position title,
location and dates are
stated. The name,
address, email, phone
The current CV and
dream CV crammed
into two pages.
Some of the section
titles and
descriptions relate
to the role. Some
entries are reverse
chronological order.
Employer name,
position title,
location, name,
address, email and
phone details are
Part 1. A personal
development plan
is outlined and
shows how the
goals will be
achieved. The
strengths and
areas of
improvement are
mostly related to
the dream job
person
specification. A
very good level of
thoughtfulness
and reflection is
demonstrated.
Information on
how resources
and experiences
will develop
specific skills and
knowledge in
chosen career is
given. Most of the
goals and the
action plan are
SMART. There is a
link between selfanalysis and the
desired job.
The current CV
and dream CV fit
on two pages.
The section titles
and descriptions
strongly relate to
the role. Entries
are mostly in
reverse
chronological
order. Employer
name, position
title, location,
dates, name,
detailed and feasible
personal development
plan is outlined. The
strengths and areas of
improvement are linked
to the dream job person
specification. A high
level of thoughtfulness
and insight is
demonstrated. Provides
detailed information on
how resources and
experiences will develop
specific skills and
knowledge in chosen
career. Goals and the
action plan are SMART.
There is a clear link
between self-analysis
and the desired job.
The current CV and
dream CV fit on two
pages. The section titles
and descriptions are
essential to targeted to
the role. Entries are in
reverse chronological
order. Employer name,
position title, location
and dates are detailed.
Name, address,
professional email and
phone stands out on the
CV. Formatting is
Formatting, spelling
and punctuation is
unsatisfactory.
7
details are
incomplete.
Formatting, spelling
and punctuation is
satisfactory.
stated. Formatting,
spelling and
punctuation is of a
good standard.
address,
professional email
and phone details
are clear.
Formatting is
consistent, good
standard of
spelling,
punctuation,
error-free
spacing.
excellent and
consistent. Error-free
spelling, punctuation
and error-free spacing.