ACCA Qualification at a Glance

The ACCA Qualification is the world-leading accountancy qualification for aspiring finance professionals – providing students with the skills, knowledge, and values to have successful careers and lead the organizations they work with into the future. There is a strong focus on professional values, ethics, and governance. These skills are essential as the profession moves towards strengthened codes of conduct, regulation, and legislation – with an increasing focus on professionalism and ethics in accounting. These are examined at the highest level in the ACCA Qualification and are a core element of your practical experience requirements.

In order to qualify as an ACCA member, you will need to complete:

• 13 papers exams (nine of which are eligible for exemption)
• Relevant practical experience, with a minimum of three years
• Ethics and Professional Skill Module (EPSM)

Entry Requirements

There are various entry points to the ACCA Qualification, depending on your previous academic qualifications.

Minimum Entry Requirements

• Grade-XII or A-Level students with minimum threshold required will get direct registration to ACCA.
• Prospective students who fail to meet the minimum threshold marks but are willing to opt for the course will be getting their entry through FIA routes.

Graduate-entry Route

Relevant degree holders from ACCA-accredited institutions may be exempted from all nine exams within the Fundamentals level and register directly at the Professional level.

Considering the knowledge and skill students obtained from their earlier qualifications, ACCA awards exemptions on papers that match the content that the student has studied previously. Accordingly, they shall get entry in the respective level.

To get additional information about the exemptions awarded based on the previous academic/professional degree, students can opt to use the exemption calculator available on the official website of ACCA: www.accaglobal.com, or they can willingly mail their mark sheet and relevant certificates to [email protected] to obtain the exemptions awarded based on their qualification.

Exemptions

Considering the earlier academic/professional qualification, up to nine papers exemptions are available from the Fundamentals level of the ACCA Qualification. Exemptions for the Professional level are not awarded in any circumstances.

The exemptions awarded to a candidate solely depend upon the previous qualifications’ similarity with the ACCA Syllabus. For example, suppose you have completed a relevant degree from an ACCA-accredited university. In that case, you may be eligible to claim exemption from up to all nine exams within the Fundamentals level.

Exams

The ACCA Qualification exam syllabus is divided into two levels; the Fundamentals and the Strategic Professional. The Fundamentals level is divided into two modules; Applied Knowledge level and Applied Skills level. Likewise, the Strategic Professional level is divided into two modules: Essentials and Options.

The Applied Knowledge level exam is an ‘On-demand Computer-Based Examination’ scheduled throughout the year when the student is ready to attempt the examination. The CBE centers have been approved and authorized by ACCA to conduct the On-Demand Computer Based Examinations.

Similarly, the applied skills level examinations, along with the strategic professional level examinations, are called ‘Session Computer Based Exams (Session CBE).’ These exams are conducted every quarter by ACCA in March, June, September, and December. In the context of Nepal, the British Council, in collaboration with ACCA, has been coordinating the session CBE Examinations.

| FUNDAMENTALS (Nine papers in total) | | | --------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | | Applied Knowledge | | | BT | Business & Technology | | MA | Management Accounting | | FA | Financial Accounting | | Applied Skills | | | LW | Corporate and Business Law | | PM | Performance Management | | TX | Taxation | | FR | Financial Reporting | | AA | Audit and Assurance | | FM | Financial Management |

Ethics and Professional Skill Module (EPSM)

EPSM has been designed to provide students with a complete range of skills required by employers. It is targeted to prepare students for a career as a trusted and confident finance professional. The interactive online module places the students in realistic business situations whereby they shall develop advanced ethical, professional, and digital skills needed to shine in the workplace.

The completion of the module is compulsory to obtain the ACCA qualification. Students who have completed their applied skills papers are recommended to opt for the EPSM module before they commence the strategic professional level. The module comprises ten units in total, which also includes an end assessment that assesses students on what they have learned throughout the module. The end assessment will only be available once all the previous units have been completed.

The Professional level

The professional level is divided into two categories: Essentials and Options. These modules have been set at an intellectual level equivalent to that expected of a student taking a Master’s degree. The focus of the syllabuses at this level is to build upon the technical skills already acquired and explore more advanced professional skills, techniques, and values required and used by the professional accountant acting in an advisory or consultancy role at a senior executive level. All students must have to complete the two papers in the Essentials module. The Options module contains four papers, but you only need to complete two. Students can choose these papers based on their interests of specialization.

| STRATEGIC PROFESSIONAL (Four papers in total) | | | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | | Essentials | | | SBL | Strategic Business Leader | | SBR | Strategic Business Reporting | | Options (two to be completed) | | | AFM | Advanced Financial Management | | APM | Advanced Performance Management | | ATX | Advanced Taxation | | AAA | Advanced Audit and Assurance |