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Release of Migration Agents Capstone Assessment
The Migration Agents Capstone Assessment has been released:
https://www.collaw.edu.au/migration
The Migration Agents Capstone Assessment (the Capstone Assessment) is an independent competency-based assessment, offered by The College of Law Limited. The Capstone Assessment has been designed to assess candidate’s skills to meet the Occupational Competency Standards for Registered Migration Agents (RMAs).
The first intake is to take place in late July / early August.
The price is $2750.
Relevant legislation regarding the Capstone (Explanatory Statement):
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2017L01708/Explanatory%20Statement/Text
Comments
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Tuesday, 26 March 2019Personally I think this whole process of de-regulating registration for lawyers is conspiracy from some greedy lawyers and is highly flawed!
The Kendall Report was prepared by a lawyer who recommended de-regulating lawyer registration while tightening registration requirement for new RMAs. Lawyers are playing the role of both an athlete and a referee here. What an obvious conflict of interest and yet it passed the system!
The OMARA deserves a Royal Commission!!! -
Wednesday, 27 March 2019
The Stracture of the exam is rubbish itself. It’s just a way of making money. $2750 for the exam is bloody expensive and we are not even receiving any materials.
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Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Hi All,
If there is anyone in Adelaide who passed the capstone assessment, there is a vacancy at the migration agency where I work. You are welcome to send me your contact detail if you are interested in applying for the position. -
Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Migration agent should not be forced to sit for capstone. Firstly, assessment is of for migration agent then the exam should be conducted by migration agent colleges.
Secondly, fees for exam should not be soaring high $2750.
Thirdly, why migration agent have to sit for this exam. Oh may be because most of the students of migration agent course are migrants themselves.
This is discrimination and irregularity of governance where a superior body like law started to manipulate a smaller profession.
Are we getting bar associations membership of law after clearing this exam. In my opinion this exam should be omitted and students should be relieved from wasteful expenses. -
Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Hello,
I was among the final cohort of those who took the last MAPKEE exam in 2006. If you want to know more about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migration_Agents_Registration_Authority
It was a MCQs exam, I passed at ease with overall score of 79. 60 was the pass mark to register. To make you even more jealous, I only paid about $800 to sit the MCQs exam.
Today I am towards the final year of my Juris Doctor degree as there was no way to be competent in the industry with that crappy exam. But good for me as I woudn't be able to afford that sort of money you guys have to spend nowsaday to become an RMA. Are we talking about, like 40K nowsaday to get a license?
I am a mean soul guys, to say that I feel LUCKY that I registered a long time ago. And good luck with the stupid CoL exam. -
Wednesday, 27 March 2019
May be we should create a proper plateform to record our concerns to the Government and protest against this test in a more organized and peaceful manner.
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Thursday, 28 March 2019
I spent a significant amount of timing living in China(9years) working as an English teacher and studying Mandarin Chinese. I completed an under grad in Asian studies and business management and thought with all these things, becoming an immigration agent would be the logical thing to do. Wow, after reading the responses here I feel extremely discouraged. I have just started my first semester of the graduate diploma of Australian Migration Law and Practice with Griffith university, but it was basically through other students that I become aware of this "Capstone exam". An exam that needs to be sat after you have finished the course, which was mentioned in passing by the teachers but nothing more than that, especially the hefty fee that students need to pay. I really didn't know about this very expensive exam that is mandatory after you finish the grad dip. If I had known about this, it definitely would have influenced my decision to enrol in this course, even to the point of just going "nope that's it, not doing that!!!!!". Because to my way of thinking, who in their right mind would pay $22k for a graduate diploma to then have to pay almost $3k for an exam that only has a 5% pass right!!!! Did I just say that??? Only 5%???????? FIVE PERCENT?????? That means either 3 things, there is something fundamentally wrong with their testing system or they are deliberately doing this to scam all the people paying an absolute fortune for a graduate diploma or the lawyers are in on this trying to protect their interests, simple as that!!!! To learn of this news indeed makes my blood boil!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRR. At this point I am already $10k deep on top of the other debt I have for my under grad, what is the world coming to. Is it me or has education just been reduced to a money making institution designed to line the pockets of a bunch of fat cats sitting at the top amassing everything???? My mother is a lawyer and she was as perplexed as I was at the news of this Capstone exam, basically asking why in the hell do they make students sit this if they've already done a bloody grad dip!!!!!! Oh well, enough whinging LOL.
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Thursday, 28 March 2019
Not 5% it’s 5 students and stats didn’t publish but the number Of students. We know that seats comes in a fraction something 0.05 may be
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Thursday, 28 March 2019
We are familiar with rip-offs within Australia's corporate fraternity including criminal behaviour, fraud and robbing the dead. However this is a new low even in the above mentioned abysmal lows. Rminicient of the racist "Dictation Test" to keep Australia white we now discover the Capstone Test to designed to fleece prospective appropriately qualified Migration Agents to keep lawyers rich. This infamy must and will end. I will have more to say and urge others who feel the same way to contact me Jon Jovanovic jonjovanovic@gmail.com 0414467364 and or their local member of Parliament and the media.
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Friday, 29 March 2019
From the Capstone Manual
When a candidate enrolls in the Migration Agents Capstone Assessment, it is assumed that they possess a minimum level of knowledge that is taught in the Graduate Diploma in (Australian) Migration Law and Practice. If you do not have these skills and/or knowledge, it is suggested that you defer completion of the Capstone Assessment until these skills and knowledge are achieved.
This paragraph implies the knowledge gained from the Diploma will not be enough to pass the Capstone test.
It also implies there is enough material about the test to enable the applicant to determine if their knowledge is up to standard.
Clearly there is an agenda behind this.
Simply referring to the need for consideration of deferring from taking the test until you reach the minimum knowledge is telling the Course Providers they have not met the required standard and also confirming the Diploma does not meet the standard MARA has set.
MARA has approved this test knowing the standard they set for the Diploma will not enable the applicants to pass the Capstone test.
It is deliberate and intentional on failing the applicants
MARA has designed this with two tests
One relevant to the Diploma and the other Relevant to Capstone
Both are APPROVED BY MARA.
MARA clearly created the Capstone to fail candidates who took their approved course and passed it.
I believe this is a case for legal action against MARA for failing to set the correct standard for the Diploma. -
Friday, 29 March 2019
Graduating from university with a law degree does not enable you to practice as a lawyer. There are additional hurdles to overcome. The government has introduced an additional hurdle for people who have graduated with a Grad Dip in Migration Law. Migration law is complex. An additional hurdle of this nature is not unreasonable, but perhaps the test itself is too hard?
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Saturday, 30 March 2019
Carol-Ann Lynch: Is there transparancy regarding what would be needed to pass this hurdle for Lawyers? Are lawyers given a test that is not relevant to study? Do you know what is required to pass this additional requirement?
Queensland lists the requirement as
Completion of an approved law degree (LLB or JD)
Completion of an approved practical legal training (PLT) course to obtain the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice or completion of a supervised traineeship at a firm.
This is vastly different to the concept behind the Capstone test.
Capstone has no transparency at all. The nature and likely content of the tests is kept secret. The level of skill required to pass the test is not disclosed.
The comment from Capstone is "applicants should not take the test if their knowledge does not meet the standard"
That would be ok if the standard was clear. But it is not.
The concept behind the capstone test for me is one of two main questions.
The big question is why the secrecy on the content and knowledge level required to pass the test?
My other point on the capstone test is the fact that MARA approves the diploma and Capstone. They appear to be vastly different levels of skill and knowledge and not relevant to normal practice. Remembering Direction 65 for example: -
Sunday, 31 March 2019
Paul O, that is exactly right!!! How can you have such a contrast between the diploma and the Capstone, e.g. students completing the diploma essentially go into the Capstone exam blind!!!! They are approving both, the diploma and the Capstone exam, yet the way in which it has been done means that the diploma is not adequate to equip students to go and sit the Capstone exam. Either incorporate the Capstone exam assessment into the diploma or make the Capstone representative of the knowledge learnt and acquired in the diploma!! I saw in earlier comments that a person passed the graduate diploma with an average mark of a distinction, but went on to fail the Capstone exam. If you have obtained around 70% in the diploma, surely you would at the bare minimum pass the Capstone exam, NOT fail!!! This means that the Capstone exam has been designed in such as way that students will fail. If you would argue otherwise, what is your argument??? And how much does a student need to pay to accept a situation like this??? $22k for the diploma, plus $2750 for the Capstone exam, a total cost of $24,750. If I am not mistaken the last batch of students to sit the exam was 92, with only 5 passing, which means around a 4.6% pass rate, right?? My maths is poor. But, the pass rate is unbelievably low nonetheless. With a pass rate this low, one can only assume that this is basically a rort(a fraudulent or dishonest act or practice) designed to steal people's money!!!! Unless as part of the Capstone exam you are being provided with training, guidance, information or specific details on what to expect plus it is directly inline with the diploma, it can not be the opposite(not a rort) of what I mentioned above!!
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Wednesday, 03 April 2019
I am currently a Migration Law student. Lots of my classmates are considering withdraw this course before Census date because of the Capstone test.
If the pass rate is only around 5% , there is no point that we waste our time and money on the 1 year course and the Capstone test. Basically if you do not pass after 3 attempts, you are kicked out from this industry.
I have been working for a senior agent for more than 3 years and trying to develop my career further so I take the course but never expect the Capstone test to be that hard. My partner is a CPA and their pass rate was published around 50% to 60% for each unit. If the test purpose is ruling out the new agents rather than qualifying, they can simply close the further new registration of new agent. -
Sunday, 14 April 2019
just making money from poor students
dont go for test
not fair -
Monday, 15 April 2019
sam: what would you recommend to these student do to become Registered Migration Agents after spending all that money on their diploma course?
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Friday, 03 May 2019
Paul;
Students should withdraw from course and get rid of it
There is no point to do the course. In this way , univesrsity will start begging you guys to enrol
Because they lose money
You don't lose it
I have already withdraw and never get back untill there is no capstone
I prefer work for coles rather than giving money to this People ripping offf people -
Sunday, 05 May 2019
Sam: You are advising students to waste the money they paid for the diploma and seek another profession. Universities, in this case the college of law, will only lose $500,000 or so which is nothing in comparison to their fees for other courses.
Your advice is emotional and unrealistic. Anyone who takes this advice will not become a migration agent and you would have cost them a big amount of money.
Some have passed the Capstone already, meaning it is passable.
Your advice will inflict further harm on the applicants if they do not succeed and lose all their money.
If you will never re apply if there is no capstone you have no choice but to seek another profession. The Capstone has been put there by MARA controlled by Immigration and it will not be removed.
Good luck with whatever you choose in the future. -
Monday, 06 May 2019
My opionion on the capstone test is the fact that MARA approves the diploma and Capstone. They appear to be vastly different levels of skill and knowledge and not relevant to normal practice.
I believe ignorance OMARA seriously want to improve the quality or knowledge level of the students group they will implement the submission of Prof Mary a Kenny Of Murdoch Uni - as she is teaching this curriculum last 10 years and she recommended for Clinical Experience.
By dropping the numbers of RMA you not doing any good to the industry it will encourage by more unregulated people to join in the industry and they will do more harm locallyband from overseas.
If OMARA is serious about increase the knowledge level and quality of RMA - my recommendation is being a studnet if this industry ;
1. Change the word ‘Agent’ to Adviser or Consultant, as the word Agent has a low grade meaning in many Asian countries and clients are mostly based in Asia.
General clients are not able to distinguish between a Travel Agent, Education agent, MARA Agent,
Furthermore, providing immi Account to all sort of Agent specially AERI create more chaos in the industry.
Rather having qualified people based on License and been regulated by the code is much preferred.
2. Clinical Experience and may be an increase of one or two additional assessment Unit and make the course Graduate Advance Diploma can solve the purpose.
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