WHAT IS A CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANT (ACCA)?

A Chartered Certified Accountant is a qualified accountant, who is a member of the internationally recognised professional body Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. To become a Chartered Certified Accountant, students must sit a number of examinations, which has been adjusted to meet the requirements of the South African accounting practice standards. Chartered Certified Accountants work in all fields of business and finance, whether in government, public service, or private practice. Main competencies of Chartered Certified Accountants include financial, strategic and performance management, taxation and auditing, financial and management accounting, as well as company law.

COURSE STRUCTURE SUMMARY

Although the greatest part of the ACCA courses have changed, the ACCA Qualification itself is relatively unchanged.  The ACCA Qualification is split into two levels, namely the Fundamentals and Professional Levels. The course content covers the fields of accounting, financial management, business law, auditing and performance management. In order to complete the ACCA Qualification, students need to write 14 exam papers. They are the following:

A) Fundamentals Level Exam

Knowledge modules

F1: Accountant in Business

F2: Management Accounting

F3: Financial Accounting

Skills Modules

F4: Corporate and Business Law (Global Version)

F5: Performance Management

F6: Taxation (South African Version)

F7: Financial Reporting

F8: Audit and Assurance

F9: Financial Management



B) Professional Level Exam

Essentials Modules

P1: Governance, Risk and Ethics

P2: Corporate Reporting

P3: Business Analysis

These three exam papers (P1-P3) are all COMPULSORY.



PLUS

Options Modules (choose and complete two)

P4: Advanced Financial Management

P5: Advanced Performance Management

P6: Advanced Taxation (UK Version)

P7: Advanced Audit and Assurance


PLEASE NOTE:  Upon registration, students must choose two of these modules.


C)    Practical Experience:

Supervised work experience.


D)    Professional Ethics Module

Completed online.

Let’s summarise:

Possible combinations for the ACCA Qualification:

Option A
F1-9;                  
P1-3;                  
P4;                      
P5;                     
Practical Experience
Professional Ethics

OR

Option B
F1-9;                  
P1-3;                  
P4;                      
P6;                     
Practical Experience
Professional Ethics

OR

Option C
F1-9;                  
P1-3;                  
P4;                     
P7;                     
Practical Experience
Professional Ethics

OR

Option D
F1-9;                  
P1-3;                  
P5;                     
P6;                     
Practical Experience
Professional Ethics

OR

Option E
F1-9;                  
P1-3;                  
P5;                     
P7;                     
Practical Experience
Professional Ethics

OR

Option F
F1-9;                  
P1-3;                  
P6;                      
P7;                     
Practical Experience
Professional Ethics

Very important:
While you are studying towards the ACCA qualification, you will also receive the Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business.  When you have finished  the ACCA Knowledge Modules and two of the ACCA Skills Modules, as well as the Professional Ethics Module, you automatically receive the Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business.

ASSESSMENT AND AWARD

As explained above, in order to achieve ACCA status, you will need to write a set of exams, obtain three years practical experience, and complete the Professional Ethics Module. Upon successful completion of all 14 your exam papers, gaining experience in the workplace, and completing Professional Ethics Module, the ACCA will award you with an ACCA Qualification. This qualifies you as a Chartered Certified Accountant

Which exemptions do you qualify for?

If you have already obtained a CAT Qualification, you’ll receive exemption from the ACCA Knowledge Module, in other words:   

Paper F1 – Accountant in Business;
Paper F2 – Management Accounting; and
Paper F3 – Financial Accounting.

If you have previous qualifications from another academic institute, you may be entitled to exemptions from certain ACCA modules. These exemptions must, however, be confirmed before enrolling for any course. Please contact the ACCA directly for more information.

WHY SHOULD I STUDY THE CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANT (ACCA) COURSE?

Do you want to obtain a qualification that is highly sought after and extremely valued by employers? The ACCA Qualification will distinguish you from other accountants, as it is a known fact that becoming an ACCA member is a significant achievement. This qualification would give you international recognition and open countless possibilities within the world of professional accounting. To add real value to your career, enrol for the ACCA Qualification today!

Did you know that if you’ve already passed the CAT Qualification, you’ll automatically be transferred to the ACCA programme if you have chosen the automatic transfer option when you first registered. This CAT Qualification grants you exemptions from certain ACCA modules.

Please Note:
Exams are conducted through ACCA and membership and exam registration should be done directly through ACCA. Please contact the College to find out about how to register with ACCA.

IS THE CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANT (ACCA) COURSE THE RIGHT QUALIFICATION FOR YOU?

Do this quick and easy questionnaire to find out if the CAT Qualification is the right qualification for you. Answer either YES or NO.

1. Do you want to work in a financial environment?
2. Do you want to assist in accounting tasks and running a firm’s finances?
3. Do you want to obtain an internationally recognised qualification?
4. Do you want to gain knowledge and practical experience in finance and accounting?
5. Do you want to become a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA)?
6. Are you planning on obtaining ACCA certification?
7. Would you like to register for ACCA membership?
8. Have you thought about becoming a consultant on accounting issues?
9. Do you want to start your own business that provides accounting services to businesses?

If you answered YES to more than five of these questions, then the CAT Qualification is the RIGHT qualification for you. We recommend that you register for this course right away!


Call the College on 0800 21 23 22 to take the next step.


If you did not answer YES to more than five of the questions, then perhaps you should consider one of our other courses or fill in the Form at the bottom of this page and we will contact you. Alternatively, call the College on 0800 21 23 22 to speak to one of our friendly Student Registrars and they can help you determine which is the right course for you.

OTHER COURSES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN:

• Introductory Certificate in Financial and Management Accounting
• Intermediate Certificate in Financial and Management Accounting
• Diploma in Accounting and Business
• Advanced Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA)
• Certified Accounting Technician (CAT)
• National Certificate: ICB Junior Bookkeeper
• National Certificate: ICB Senior Bookkeeper
• National Diploma: ICB Technical Financial Accounting (NQF 3, 4, 5)
• National Diploma: ICB Technical Financial Accounting (NQF 3, 4, 5, 6)
• National Certificate: ICB Small Business Financial Manager (NQF 4)

Call the College on 0800 21 23 22 to find out how you can register for one of these courses.

IMPORTANT EXAM INFORMATION

It is very important that you register with ACCA as a student. If you are not registered with ACCA as a student, your registration for the exam will not be accepted. Please allow at least six weeks for your student registration to be processed.



PLEASE NOTE: If you are writing a paper based examination, you need to register for your exams BEFORE the exam registration closing date.


If you are writing a computer based examination (CBE), you don’t have a registration deadline. You just need to be registered as a student.



Exam Registration Closing Dates

• Introductory and Intermediate Level exams (Papers 1-4) can either be done via computer based examination (CBE) or paper based examination.
• If students choose CBE, they have the opportunity to do so throughout the year, not just in the specified exam periods. The CBEs are held at ACCA Licensed CBE Centres.
• If they choose paper based examination, the exams can be sat in June and December each year at your local exam centre. It is normally held over a period of eight days.

Advanced Level exams are paper based ONLY and they take place in June and December each year at your local exam centre.

PLEASE NOTE:
If you’re writing a paper based examination, there are registration dates you need to adhere to:   

• June exams – Register BEFORE 31 December of the preceding year.
• December exams – Register BEFORE 15 August of the same year.

Did you know?

• Your results are given instantly after completing a CBE.
• There is no time limit to complete the exams.
• You can sit the papers in any order you like.
• The pass mark is 50%.
• You can re-sit an exam at any time, as many times as you like.
• There is no restriction to the number of exams you can attempt per session, so you can sit as many or as few papers as you want at each exam sitting. We do, however, recommend a maximum of four papers within each period of six months.

Exam Centres

The following is a list of South African exam centres:

• Cape Town
• Johannesburg
• Durban

Alternative Exam Centres

• If you are not able to write a paper based exam at one of the exam centres we have listed, it could be arranged that you write elsewhere. These are referred to as special centres. Please note the following important information about special centres:
• Requests for special centres should be sent in writing, together with your exam entry form, to ACCA's Exams department by 15 March for June exams and 15 September for December exams.
• It is only possible for ACCA to arrange special centres if they re satisfied that the same standards of facilities and invigilation that exist at their regular centres will be available.
• If you are taking the exams at a special centre, you will be required to pay any additional local invigilation and accommodation fees involved, which are normally paid direct to the Exam Supervisor in advance of the exam date.

The following is a list of special centIres which exist in the following cities:

• Port Elizabeth
• Umtata
• Bloemfontein

THE ASSOCIATION OF CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANTS (ACCA)

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is a global body for professional accountants. It has been in existed for over a 100 years and has an excellent reputation for delivering qualifications and training of a very high standard. ACCA is internationally recognised and acknowledged in business and accounting circles. All their papers have been adapted to address the specific needs of the South African business environment, which means that students can be assured that they receive up to date and relevant information on financial accounting and auditing.

ACCA offers accounting qualifications of international standard that are examined in more than 170 countries world wide. It prides itself in training accountants that are not only skilled and competent, but also values professionalism and ethics. Obtaining this highly sought after qualification would certainly distinguish you from other accountants and give you the edge over your competitors!

INTERESTED? WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?

If you would like to find out more about the Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) qualifications, fill in this short Form and then one of our friendly Student Registrars will respond to your questions and provide you with all the information you need.

Frequently Asked Questions