What is a Certified Financial Accountant?

A Certified Financial Accountant is primarily responsible for, amongst other functions:

• All Financial Accountant functions,
• The Accounting Officer functions,
• Preparation of annual financial statements,
• Signing off annual financial statements of close corporations,
• Working closely with the Chartered Certified Accountant and Registered Auditor,
• Thorough knowledge of corporate strategy, management accounting control systems, financial reporting and regulatory frameworks (particularly IFRS), and accounting theory and practice.

Why should I study Certified Financial Accounting?

This course is ideal if you would like to work in the following types of jobs:

• Financial Accountant

• Accounting Officer
  
  
  
  With the Certified Financial Accountant qualification, you will be able to:

  *Compile annual financial statements;

  *Sign of financial statements for close corporations;

  *Work closely with a Chartered Certified Accountant and Registered Auditor;

  *Have a thorough knowledge of accounting theory and practice, corporate strategy and regulatory frameworks.

  
  Did You Know?
  
  National Diploma: Certified Financial Accounting is the final (and compulsory) step of the Accounting Certification Programme:
  
  These are the Accounting Certification Programme qualifications:
  
  
  

  • National Certificate: Junior Bookkeeper (NQF Level 3, SAQA ID 58375)
  • National FET Certificate: Senior Bookkeeper (NQF Level 4, SAQA ID 58376)
  • National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting (NQF Level 5, SAQA ID 36213)
  • National Diploma: Certified Financial Accounting (NQF Level 6, SAQA ID 20366)

  
  
  National Diploma: Certified Financial Accounting - Course Structure
  

  
  
  Tactics for Winning
• Business Literacy
• Bookkeeping to Trial Balance
• Payroll and Monthly SARS Returns
• Computerised Bookkeeping
• Financial Statements
• Cost and Management Accounting
• Income Tax Returns
• Business Law and Accounting Control
• Corporate Strategy
• Management Accounting Control Systems
• Financial Reporting and Regulatory Frameworks
• Accounting Theory and Practice

 
Important Information from the ICB regarding Financial Reporting and Regulatory Frameworks, and, Accounting Theory and Practice:




The ICB has been receiving enquiries with regards to the Accounting Theory and Practice (ATP) learning area.

ATP is the final learning area in the ICB's Accounting Certification Programme. This learning area follows on from Financial Reporting and Regulatory Frameworks (FRRF).

For FRRF learners have to complete a normal PoE and write a normal summative assessment as for all other ICB learning areas. EDGE Learning Media has produced the learning material for FRRF.

ATP is different. It is a dissertation/mini thesis where the prescribed material is the FRRF material but the learner is required to do research and submit this research in the form of the dissertation that is required. It is probably best that learners register for both FRRF and ATP at the same time but this is not essential. Learners can complete the ATP dissertation and submit it at the FRRF summative assessment; alternatively they can complete the FRRF assessment and then submit the ATP dissertation to the ICB at a later date.

Course Duration:

This course should take you between 36 and 40 months to complete.

Entrance Requirements:

• Grade 10

AND

• Basic Literacy

AND

• Basic Maths

AND

• Read & write in English

AND

• Access to a computer and to the Internet.

The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) – More about Them:

The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) is a Professional Institute and a Quality Assurance Partner (QAP) of the Finance and Accounting Sector Education and Training Authoring (Fasset).

The ICB was established in 1931 with the objective of promoting quality training and qualifications for Bookkeeping, Accounting, Office Administration and Financial Management in South Africa.

All the ICB qualifications are South African-based and are registered on the South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and the outcomes are relevant to the South African market.

Did you know that you can check out the ICB website for job opportunities?  The jobs are all listed by Career Junction.  You can click here: http://www.icb.org.za/careers.html to see the jobs that are available.

Registration with the ICB and Assessment Entry

As soon as learners have registered with College SA to study one of the ICB courses, learners need to immediately submit various Forms and fees to the ICB.

Learners must ensure that they are registered with the ICB. Membership Forms for the ICB are available on our website - http://www.collegesa.co.za/downloads.html. You can choose to pay for your Membership Fee on your own, or this fee will be included with your College SA fees if you choose the All-Inclusive Fee option. In addition to your Membership Fee, you will also have to pay a small Assessment Fee to write the examinations with the ICB. Learners intending to be assessed by the ICB are required to submit an Assessment Entry Form (all the ICB Forms are available on our website, click here to go to them: http://www.collegesa.co.za/downloads.html) to the ICB. This Assessment Entry Form must be accompanied by the payment of your fees.

Important Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) Information:

To successfully complete the PoE, you must first work through all the study material and assignments. So if you register for the exam, without allowing enough time to work through all the course material, you will not be able to successfully complete the PoE. (And for that matter, you will also not be well prepared to pass the exam).

The point being that a well-prepared student will be able to complete and pass both the PoE and exam in time. But if you do not prepare, then you will struggle with both the PoE and the exam.

Is this the right course for you – QUESTIONNAIRE:

Do this questionnaire to find out if this is the right qualification for you. Answer Yes or No.

• Do you wish to register for a course that is endorsed by a Professional Institute?
• Do you wish to register for a course that will give you skills in Certified Financial Accounting?
• Are you thinking about becoming one of the following: a Financial Accountant, or, an Accounting Officer?
• Would you like to increase your knowledge and skills of Bookkeeping and Accounting without having to attend any classes or seminars?
• Would you like to be awarded with a National Diploma?
• Are you hoping to achieve the end-point qualification of: National Diploma – Certified Financial Accounting?

If you answered YES to more than three of these questions, then this the right programme of study for you. We recommend that you register for this course right away!

If you did not answer YES to more than five of the questions, perhaps you should consider registering for one of our other career skills courses.

Other Career Skills Courses You May Be Interested In:

• Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA) Certificate in Business Accounting.
• South African Institute of Management (SAIM) Business Management Diploma.

If you are interested in one of these courses, please contact one of our Student Registrars and ask them for more information. They will be happy to help you.

Interested? Want to find out more?

If you would like to find out more about The National Diploma: Certified Financial Accounting, please fill in the short form below and one of our friendly Student Registrars will respond to your questions and provide you with all the information you need.

Frequently Asked Questions