ACCA practicing certificate

Gill Gittings

I'm about to sit my final exam in June and want to sett up on my own but can anyone tell me why it is so hard to get a practicing certificate from ACCA

Steve Collings

This question crops up quite a lot. ACCA's practising regulations are very, very strict and you're really limited to bookkeeping until you get a PC. Many compare ICAEW's PC requirements to ACCA but the reason ICAEW is "easier" (for want of a better word) is that the relevant work experience is gained via the training contract whereas with ACCA no training contract is required but you have to complete your post-qualified experience via the Practising Certificate Training Record which is then scrutinised by ACCA's Authorisations Department.

I can understand ACCA's stance on this, and it does tend to disgruntle a number of students/members once they realise the PC requirements are so strict, but they have to protect the qualification and the profession as a whole.

Regards
Steve

dantray

Is the requirement for 2 years post qualification experience in an practice registered with ACCA for practice certificate development as black and white as this.

Are there ways around it if the experience is gained in a firm of CA's who are not registered? Does other experience count for anything?

NeilH

Hi

You'll need three years experience, but a minimum two years must be gained post qualification. It will need to be with an approved employer, but (unless you want the audit qualification) this can be in practice/a firm or in industry.

I have heard of cases where people could back date/back approve their employment if they can show that the employers met the requirements at the time.

Neil

paulstafford

I got my ACCA P.C. a couple of years ago.

My post qualification work experience wasn't with an approved employer, but my application form was signed off by the FD of said employer. He was a Chartered Accountant.

I believe this option still applies i.e. get your experience certified by a member of one of the CCAB bodies