Factors influencing success in first-year Accounting at a South African university: The profile of a successful first-year Accounting student

The study investigated factors influencing success of first-year students in Financial Accounting at a South African university, thereby establishing a profile of successful and at-risk students. A two step process was followed to achieve the goals of the study. Firstly, the significance of a number of factors influencing students’ ability to succeed was statistically tested to determine the possible correlation between specific factors and students’ success. The most important factors in determining success of students in the module include average Grade 12 mark, whether students had Accounting as a subject at secondary school, class attendance, home language (Afrikaans or English), and the programme within which students were enrolled. Secondly, the simultaneous effect of all these factors was determined by means of a multivariate technique to derive a profile of successful and at-risk students. The results show general trends that could inform admission decisions and guide the implementation of interventions for at-risk students, while academically stimulating the highly successful students.