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All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY |
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: |
Certificate: Certified Accounting Technician |
SAQA QUAL ID | QUALIFICATION TITLE | |||
20397 | Certificate: Certified Accounting Technician | |||
ORIGINATOR | ||||
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants | ||||
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY | NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK | |||
FASSET - Financial and Accounting Services SETA | OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework | |||
QUALIFICATION TYPE | FIELD | SUBFIELD | ||
National Certificate | Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies | Finance, Economics and Accounting | ||
ABET BAND | MINIMUM CREDITS | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | QUAL CLASS |
Undefined | 390 | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | Regular-Provider-ELOAC |
REGISTRATION STATUS | SAQA DECISION NUMBER | REGISTRATION START DATE | REGISTRATION END DATE | |
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered" |
SAQA 9999/99 | 2018-07-01 | 2023-06-30 | |
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT | LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT | |||
2026-06-30 | 2029-06-30 |
In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise. |
This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. |
PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION |
The primary purpose of the qualification is to prepare learners for work in an accounting technician and support role in any sector of the economy - public practice, industry, commerce or the public sector, either in South Africa or in other countries around the world.
There are two parts to the qualification, the examination syllabus and the practical experience requirements. The purpose of the ACCA Accounting Technician syllabus is to provide the learner with the knowledge and understanding needed to underpin the accounting technician's role. The structure of the syllabus is designed to assist learning and understanding and to ensure that learners develop an appreciation of the development and interdependence of subjects. Together, the examination syllabus and practical experience requirements focus on the learner's ability to satisfy the technical, managerial, interpersonal and ethical considerations of being an accounting technician. When these requirements are satisfied, the qualifying learner is entitled to use the designatory letters CAT (Certified Accounting Technician). The qualification encourages a lifelong approach to learning thus ensuring that learners are able to cope with individual and social transformation in their country of employment. |
LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING |
The ACCA Accounting Technician qualification is considered equivalent to a Level 4 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) under the UK government's National Vocational Qualification Framework, which is equivalent to first degree in the UK.
Learners will be required to be in possession of Further Education and Training Certificate at an NQF Level 4 and meet with University entrance requirements. In addition, the following requirements need to be met at NQF Level 4: Recognition of Prior Learning: This qualification may be achieved in whole or in part through the recognition of prior learning and experience. Relevant qualifications may be exempt from some or all of the examination papers in Levels A, B and C. Otherwise, each module must be passed by examination. Prior experience can be counted towards the ACCA's practical experience requirements provided this is recorded and validated in the students' training record. ACCA operates a policy of open entry for its Accounting Technician qualification. Thus, registrants with no prior qualifications can study for the qualification. However, these students will be expected to complete all three levels of the examination, which comprises nine separate papers designed to test the knowledge and understanding required to work as an accounting technician. In respect of prior experiential learning, learners must provide evidence that they have fulfilled ACCA's practical experience requirements. This is demonstrated by working in an accounting support role and recording the details in the Technician Training Record. Holders of certain qualifications may be eligible for exemptions from some or all of the papers in the Technician qualification. Exemptions are awarded subject to there being acceptable syllabus coverage, a similar standard and style of questions in examination papers and the existence of course regulations covering pass marks and course contact hours. Learners holding the National Diploma in Accounting and Cost & Management Accounting plus recognised relevant degrees are exempt from all papers. The Institute of Commercial & Financial Accountants of South Africa qualifies for exemption from all papers at Level A plus papers B1, B2, C1 and C2. Completion of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants examinations will qualify for exemptions at all levels. |
RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? |
Y |
QUALIFICATION RULES |
N/A |
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
The qualifying learner will:
1. Develop knowledge and understanding of the operation and maintenance of accounting systems and procedures at the level of transaction recording. 2. Develop knowledge and understanding of the operation and organisation of the office as the centre for information and administrative procedures. 3. Develop a knowledge and understanding of the techniques used in the collection and collation of information for the maintenance of accounts and financial records. 4. Develop knowledge and understanding of the operation and maintenance of accounting systems for the capture, measurement and reporting of cost based information. 5. Develop knowledge and understanding of the operation of systems and procedures found within an information technology environment. 6. Develop knowledge and understanding of the application of techniques to prepare year end financial statements from a trial balance and the interpretation of financial statements for a range of organisations involved in industry and commerce. 7. Develop knowledge and understanding of the application of management accounting techniques to support of the management processes of planning, control and decision making. 8. Develop knowledge and understanding of the audit process from the planning stage through to the reporting stage and the techniques used in the conduct of internal and external audits. 9. Develop knowledge and understanding of tax law and practice as it relates to individuals and companies, employees and employers resident in the UK. 10. Develop knowledge and understanding of the operation of processes and procedure by which organisations plan cash flows, optimise their use of working capital and allocate resources to capital expenditure projects. 11. Develop knowledge and understanding of the techniques, processes and procedures, which are required to ensure the efficient and effective use and deployment of human resources. |
ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
Qualifying learners should be able to:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Integrated assessment: All assessment is summative and consists of a choice of either computer based testing or written examinations (all objective testing) at Level A and written examinations at Levels B and C. Formative assessment is encouraged as part of the learning process in colleges. The pass mark for examinations at Level A is 55% and 40% at Levels B and C. Examinations can be sat twice yearly in June and December. As an alternative, it is possible to sit the Level A examinations via computer. This examination option is available on a continuing basis, rather than only at the six monthly examination sessions. The examinations are held only at ACCA approved computer examination centres. This facility will be extended to Level B examinations from December 2000 examinations. In order to meet ACCA's practical experience requirements, students must obtain at least one year of supervised work experience and meet ACCA's competence requirements. Learners are required to demonstrate their practical experience by recording the details in a training record, which is assessed by the students's workplace supervisor. |
INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY |
ACCA is recognised internationally. Its professional qualification is recognised for audit purposes under the UK Companies Act and the European Union's Mutual Recognition Directive. ACCA is a member of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies in the UK, which consists of the six major UK professional accountancy bodies as well as being a member of the International Federation of Accountants.
ACCA is also recognised in legislation in countries in the African continent including Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Internationally, ACCA operates Joint Examination Schemes for the Accounting Technician qualification with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ), the Certified Accounting Technicians (Singapore) Ltd and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago (ICATT). Variant papers for Level C paper C4 Preparing Taxation Computations and Returns are offered in Hong Kong and Malaysia. ACCA is also in the process of developing a separate variant paper in South Africa for this paper. |
ARTICULATION OPTIONS |
The ACCA Accounting Technician qualification provides a number of articulation possibilities. Completion of the qualification will allow exemption from the whole of the Foundation Stage of ACCA's professional qualification.
The knowledge and skills in the syllabus and training record are based on and mapped to Accounting NVQs in the UK's National Vocational Qualifications Framework. Candidates who complete the NVQ4 in Accounting through a route other than ACCA can present this as evidence of meeting ACCA's practical experience requirements. Practical experience gained at Technician level can be counted towards the practical experience requirements for the professional scheme. |
MODERATION OPTIONS |
ACCA has been recognised by statutory regulators to run all its qualifications and it is a "Recognised Qualifying Body" under the UK Companies Act. Under its Royal Charter, ACCA is allowed to award diplomas, certificates and other awards in any activities with which the accountancy profession is concerned.
Examiners for each module are contracted to set a draft question paper, suggested answers and an indicative marking scheme. These are then finalised in co-operation with the Assessor for the paper and the Subject Co-ordinator. As part of its quality control procedures, ACCA reviews a significant number of Technician Training Records each year to ensure that the experience recorded is an accurate reflection of the work undertaken and competence demonstrated. Failure to comply with this review process may lead to the students' work experience not being recognised for qualification purposes. |
CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS |
The setting and marking of the examinations is centrally controlled by ACCA. ACCA appoints and manages a panel of examiners who are all experienced academics and practitioners.
Workplace supervisors are asked to attest the validity of students' training records as a means of assessing students' practical experience. |
REREGISTRATION HISTORY |
As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015. |
NOTES |
N/A |
LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: |
NONE |
PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: |
This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here. |
NONE |
All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |