A Maltese accountant has placed second in the world among thousands sitting for professional ACCA examinations.

Maria Sciberras was given an award by the Malta Institute of Accountants to mark what it described as an “extraordinary achievement”.

The award was presented by Malta Institute of Accountants President David Delicata, CEO Maria Cauchi Delia and Thomas Galea, who is Malta's representative on the ACCA International Assembly.

Sciberras came second in the March 2022 Strategic Professional Exam Level Exams held by international accounting body ACCA.

The ACCA exams are organised by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, a global professional accounting body offering the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification.

MIA president Delicata had words of praise for Sciberras’ performance: "Such a top placement among the global cohort of participants in such a competitive examination is an astounding achievement for this youngster. It is also another reminder that despite the limitations of our size, Maltese students perform admirably next to their international counterparts,” he said.

Galea praised Maria Sciberras for her outstanding achievement, highlighting her 'can do' attitude which bodes well for her future career prospects. “I am confident that this result is just the first step of a career which brings job satisfaction and the opportunity to pursue her dreams in the near future,” Galea said.

Sciberras thanked her family, friends and work colleagues for their support.

“I do hope that this achievement serves as an inspiration to many young students, particularly women, to undertake studies in the accountancy sector which truly opens the door for an exciting career, one through which you can achieve true personal satisfaction by contributing to a better society for all," she said.