Exemption Accreditation Handbook

8/19/2019 Exemption Accreditation Handbook

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1 Exemption and accreditation 3

2 Assessment for exemption 7

3 Exemption accreditation applications 11

4 Appendices 15

CONTENTS

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3ACCREDITATION HANDBO OK

What is exemption accreditation? 4

What types of programmes can be accredited? 4

Who is this handbook intended for? 4

What are the benefits of accreditation? 4

Who deals with accreditation issues within ACCA? 4

Why does ACCA award exemption? 4

What level of exemption can ACCA award? 4

What are the key points of ACCA’s exemption guidelines? 5

Who deals with exemption issues within ACCA? 5

EXEMPTION AND ACCREDITATION

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PROFESSIONAL – OPTIONSP7, Advanced Audit and Assurance AAA

P6, Advanced Taxation ATA

P5, Advanced Performance Management APM

P4, Advanced Financial Management AFM

PROFESSIONAL – ESSENTIALS

P3, Business Analysis BA

P2, Corporate Reporting CR

P1, Governance, Risks and Ethics GRE

FUNDAMENTALS – SKILLS

F9, Financial Management FM

F8, Audit and Assurance AA

F7, Financial Reporting FR

F6, Taxation TX

F5, Performance Management PM

F4, Corporate and Business Law CL

FUNDAMENTALS – KNOWLEDGE

F3, Financial Accounting FA

F2, Management Accounting MA

F1, The Accountant in Business AB

EXEMPTION AND ACCREDITATION

WHAT IS EXEMPTION ACCREDITATION?Exemption accreditation enables ACCA to award a specificlevel of exemption to graduates of an educational programmefollowing a full assessment of the programme’s regulations,syllabus and assessments.

WHAT TYPES OF PROGRAMMES CAN ACCREDITATION BEAWARDED TO?ACCA accredits programmes conducted by educationalinstitutions worldwide. ACCA can accredit the following types ofqualifications for exemption:• C f ca s• D p as• F u da d g s• Bach d g s• P s g adua qua f ca s

• P f ss a qua f ca s.

Programmes delivered at educational institutions that havebeen franchised or validated by another recognised institution orexamining board may also be accredited, subject to satisfactoryarticulation arrangements.

WHO IS THIS HANDBOOK INTENDED FOR?The Exemption accreditation handbook is primarily intended as asource of information for course leaders of educational programmesfor which accreditation is already held, or is being sought.

The handbook may also provide useful information for otherparties, such as departmental heads, student advisers, and anyonewith an interest in ACCA’s accreditation and exemption guidelines.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION?Exemption accreditation of your programmes ensures thatstudents registering with ACCA will receive a level of exemptionwhich matches the knowledge and skills gained from theirprevious qualification.

Your students will benefit from knowing which module choiceswill lead to maximum exemption from ACCA’s examinations, andwill be assured of receiving the appropriate level of exemptionimmediately upon registration with ACCA.

Exemption accreditation by the largest, fastest growinginternational accounting body will also provide you with theopportunity to attract more students who wish to pursue aprofessional accountancy qualification on completion of theiracademic studies by providing them with an accelerated route toACCA membership.

WHO DEALS WITH ACCREDITATION ISSUES WITHIN ACCA?The accreditation teamExemption accreditation is a function of ACCA’s learningdirectorate. The exemption accreditation team forms part ofthe education recognition and accreditation department, and isresponsible for:• f u a a d d ss a f ACCA’s g ba y a d

exemption information• b ch a k g f g ba duca sys s su

consistency and fairness in the application of ACCA’s entryrequirements and exemption awards

• d v p f ACCA’s acc d a gu a s a d c a(including syllabus, exams and programme standards), whichgovern the accreditation of relevant educational programmes.

• ass ss f p acc d a app ca s feducational institutions

• p v s f adv c s u s s k g paccreditation of new programmes and accredited institutionsseeking further exemption

• v w f a p g a cha g s w h p acc d dprogrammes and maintenance of ACCA’s exemption databases

• v w f h p f a c f ACCA’s p p cy a dprogramme exemption accreditation assessments to maintainappropriate levels of exemptions being awarded.

WHY DOES ACCA AWARD EXEMPTION?There are several routes to ACCA membership and many students

undertake prior learning which is equivalent to ACCA papers.Where appropriate, ACCA wishes to ensure that students’ entrypoints match the knowledge and skills they have acquired fromtheir previous qualifications and, in doing so, we aim to providestudents with the quickest possible route to membership.

WHAT LEVEL OF EXEMPTION CAN ACCA AWARD?ACCA QualificationExemption from all nine papers at the Fundamentals level can beconsidered (see Appendix – Qualification standard, equivalenceand recognition). No exemption is awarded from any paper at theProfessional level.


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INTRODUCTORY CERTIFICATE IN FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENTACCOUNTING

FA1, Recording Financial Transactions

MA1, Management Information

INTERMEDIATE CERTIFICATE IN FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENTACCOUNTING

FA2, Maintaining Financial Records

MA2, Managing Costs and Finances

DIPLOMA IN ACCOUNTING AND BUSINESS

FAB, Accountant in Business

FMA, Management Accounting

FFA, Financial Accounting

CERTIFIED ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN (CAT) – OPTIONS PAPERS

FTX, Foundations in Taxation

FFM, Foundations in Financial Management

FAU, Foundations in Audit

exemPtion AnD ACCreDitAtion

Foundations in Accountancy (FIA)Exemption accreditation can be considered from all qualificationswithin the FIA suite of awards, depending on the standard andequivalence of the qualification.

NOTE: Whilst exemption from the FIA suite of awards isavailable, this handbook deals only with the policies andprocedures employed in the award of exemption from the ACCAQualification. Any institution wishing to apply for accreditationof a programme specifically in respect of the FIA suite of awardsshould contact the accreditation team for further information.

Post-professional qualificationsExemption is not awarded from the following post-professionalqualifications:• D p a F a c a ma ag (D pFm)• D p a i a a F a c a r p g (D piFr)• C f ca i a a F a c a r p g• C f ca i a a Aud g.

WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS OF ACCA’S EXEMPTIONPOLICY?An exemption will only be awarded when ACCA is completelysatisfied that it matches a student’s prior learning, and willensure that the student has an equivalent level of knowledgeto students who have completed the same paper of the ACCAQualification by examination.

The key points of ACCA’s exemption regulations, which allow usto fulfil these requirements, are:• e p s y awa d d h bas s f qua f ca s, a d

cannot be considered on the basis of work experience• e p s y awa d d h bas s f qua f ca s wh ch

contain relevant content to papers at the Fundamental level ofthe ACCA Qualification

• t p s v h w sh p f h ACCA Qua f ca a densure that all students share a common experience, noexemptions are awarded from the Professional level.

WHO DEALS WITH EXEMPTION ISSUES WITHIN ACCA?The process of awarding exemptions to students is a function ofACCA’s S v c D v y d c a .

ACCA Connect

ACCA Connect , our global customer services centre, is a functionof service delivery – contact, and is responsible for handling allcontact via telephone or email relating to student exemptions.

Operational deliveryAdmissions is a function of operational delivery. The admissionsdepartment is responsible for for processing all student

applications, which includes awarding exemptions.


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How does ACCA assess for exemption accreditation? 8

How much of ACCA’s syllabus needs to be covered, and can this be spread across

a range of modules? 8

Are there any restrictions on course duration for the award of exemption? 8

What does ACCA look for when reviewing a programme’s assessments? 8

What criteria does ACCA use to assess the comparability of examinations? 8

Can ACCA consider assessments other than examinations for exemption? 9

How does ACCA assess modules which are based on national laws and accounting standards? 9

ASSESSMENTFOREXEMPTION

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HOW DOES ACCA ASSESS FOR EXEMPTIONACCREDITATION?As a member body of IFAC (the International Federationof Accountants), ACCA is required to meet specificbenchmarks in the preparation and continual development ofprofessional accountants.

ACCA is required to comply with IFAC’s International EducationStandards, which include provisions for entry requirements,programme content and assessment methods.

We must ensure, therefore, that accreditation is awarded onlyto programmes whose syllabus and assessments are closelymatched to ACCA’s.

In order to assess for exemption from the ACCA Qualification, the

accreditation team reviews the syllabus content and assessmentmethods for each module that contains relevance to any paper atthe Fundamentals level.

NOTE: ACCA can award up to the first four papers of the Fundamentalslevel as a set award in accordance with our exemption framework(see Appendix – ACCA’s exemption framework). The remainingpapers at ACCA’s Fundamentals level are assessed on a paper-for-paper basis up to a maximum of nine papers (see Appendix –Qualification standard, equivalence and recognition).

HOW MUCH OF ACCA’S SYLLABUS NEEDS TO BE COVERED,AND CAN THIS BE SPREAD ACROSS A RANGE OF MODULES?The minimum recommended level of comparable syllabus for anindividual module or group of modules being considered towardsexemption from a particular ACCA paper is 80%.

Where exemption is to be awarded on the basis of an individualmodule, that module will normally be dedicated to the subjectarea of one ACCA paper.

Where an individual module addresses topics from a combinationof ACCA papers, exemption from multiple papers will beconsidered providing the subject areas of the ACCA papersbeing considered are also addressed in additional modules, andthe module combination meets the syllabus and assessmentrequirements for those ACCA papers.

ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON COURSE DURATIONFOR THE AWARD OF EXEMPTION?Learning hours describes the length of learning time estimatedon average to achieve specified learning outcomes. This includesindependent and directed study as well as direct teaching time.

The minimum recommended number of learning hours is 350 perACCA paper. These hours may be covered within one module, orwithin a combination of modules.

Information on recommended learning hours is provided as aguide for defining a comparable level of learning to an ACCApaper. Although this criteria is not compulsory for the exemption

accreditation assessment, a comparable number of learning hoursis expected.

ASSESSMENT FOR EXEMPTION ACCREDITATION

WHAT DOES ACCA LOOK FOR WHEN REVIEWING APROGRAMME’S ASSESSMENTS?The assessments for any individual module or group of modulesbeing considered towards exemption from a particular ACCApaper will be reviewed to ensure that:• h ba a c f p ac c a d h y s app p a h ACCA

paper being considered• h s y a d s a da d f a a qu s s a d a y h

relevant assessment method is comparable to the ACCA paperbeing considered

• s g f ca a as f h sy abus a d a c ACCA a atopic areas are covered

• h s uc u f h a a pap a d a y h vaassessment method does not allow core ACCA examinationtopic areas to be avoided

• h a k a ca f d v dua a a qu s s s

comparable to the ACCA paper being considered.

WHAT CRITERIA DOES ACCA USE TO ASSESS THECOMPARABILITY OF EXAMINATIONS?Exemption from individual ACCA papers will normally only beconsidered on the basis of modules which are assessed by meansof examination.

Examinations which are acceptable for accreditation purposes arethose which fulfil the following criteria:• C s d-b k, u ss ak h f a y a f a Bach

degree, or as part of a postgraduate level qualification• F a du a a s.

In order for exemption from a particular ACCA paper to beconsidered, the examinations for an individual module or group ofmodules must meet the following requirements:

Examination durationThe number of hours’ examination coverage must be at leastequivalent to the ACCA paper being considered (two hours forpapers within the Knowledge module and three hours for paperswithin the Skills module) with no individual examination beingless than one and a half hours in length. This can be for onemodule or a combination of modules.

Contribution to total module marks

Acceptable examinations must contribute at least 50% of thetotal module marks available for each module being consideredtowards exemption from a particular ACCA examination.

Style and standardThe style and standard of questions in each examination must becomparable to the ACCA paper being considered.

For consideration of exemption from any ACCA paper at the Skillslevel, we specify that no more than 20% of the total examinationmarks available for an individual module or group of modulesshould result from MCQs within the examinations.


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CAN ACCA CONSIDER ASSESSMENTS OTHER THANEXAMINATIONS FOR EXEMPTION?Where the examination elements for an individual module orgroup of modules being considered towards exemption from aparticular ACCA paper do not meet these requirements, otherforms of assessment such as essays, reports, presentations, case-studies, class tests, oral examinations, etc. will be considered atthe discretion of the accreditation team. Assessments undertakenas group work cannot be considered for exemption purposes.

HOW DOES ACCA ASSESS MODULES WHICH ARE BASED ONNATIONAL LAWS AND ACCOUNTING STANDARDS?As a global organisation, ACCA combines its international scopewith consideration of local laws and procedures through theavailability of tax and law variants and adapted papers within theACCA Qualification.

Tax and law variantsIn a number of countries, students have the opportunity oftaking exams based on national tax and law – referred to asvariant papers.

Where a national variant exists, the accreditation team willassess individual modules for exemption from papers F4 and F6against the syllabus of the relevant national variant paper. Whereno national variant exists, the accreditation team will assess themodule against the most appropriate version of papers F4 and F6.

Accounting and auditing standardsStudents have the option of taking the accounting and auditingpapers based on international standards or UK standards, and forthe ACCA Qualification also have the option of taking the papersbased on national standards in certain countries. These papershave been adapted for national accountancy practices.Where an adapted national standard exists, the accreditationteam will assess individual modules for exemption from papersF3, F7 and F8 against the syllabus of the relevant adapted paper.

Information on the current list of tax and law variants andadapted national standards is available atwww.accaglobal.com/students/exams/variant

NOTE: Please note that, whilst eligibility for exemption will be

assessed against the most relevant variant or adapted nationalstandard, exemption will be awarded against the student’schosen variant or adapted paper.

ASSeSSment For exemPtion ACCreDitAtion


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How do I make an exemption accreditation application? 12

What supporting documentation is required? 12

What else does ACCA need to know 12

What happens after I have submitted an application for accreditation? 13

How will ACCA exemption accreditation be advertised to students? 13

How will ACCA keep my exemption accreditation information up to date? 13

EXEMPTION ACCREDITATION APPLICATIONS

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ACCREDITATION APPLICATIONS

HOW DO I MAKE AN EXEMPTION ACCREDITATIONAPPLICATION?ACCA offers an online application service for accreditation atwww.accaglobal.com and clicking on myACCA. This servicecan be used by any recognised institution (see Appendix –Qualification standard and equivalence).

Login details are required to access the online accreditationservice. If you have not previously been issued with a login, youcan request one by sending an email to [email protected] note that requests for logins from new institution contactswill be subject to verification.

The online service is fast and efficient, does not involvepaperwork and gives instant access to a range of exemptionservices. The benefits of submitting an application online include:

• mak g w acc d a app ca s a d ack g hprogress of your existing applications• Up ad supp g d cu a d c f y u c pu• th ab y v w cu acc d a v s f a y h

programme you have accredited• Upda s g acc d d p g a s• K p ACCA up da w h a y cha g y u s u /

programme contact details• Acc ss a h s f f a f a g p v d s c ud g

policies, latest news and useful resources.

Supporting documentation may also be submittedthrough any of our national offices (full details available atwww.accaglobal.com ), which will then be forwarded to theacc d a a G asg w. D cu a sub d h ughour national offices must be supported by an online applicationreference number.

WHAT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED?In order to complete the assessment, the accreditation team mustreceive the following supporting documentation:• D a d p g a s uc u , c ud g fu s f p s a d

elective papers• Sy abus d a s f a du s w h va c a y pap a

ACCA’s Fundamentals level• P / v a a pap s f a du s w h va c

any paper at the Fundamentals level

• C py f h p g a gu a s• Wh app p a , a c py f h a cu a /f a ch sagreement between the awarding body, and the educationalinstitution that is delivering the programme.

WHAT ELSE DOES ACCA NEED TO KNOW?Programme leaderWe require contact details for the programme leader, or themember of staff responsible for submitting the application.This ensures that if we require any further information, orclarification of any issues, the exemption accreditation team cancontact you immediately.

Date of first graduatesIt is important that you advise us of the date of the first graduatesfor which the assessment is to be applied. We also need to knowif the students of the same cohort will all graduate at the sametime. This is important information as it allows our exemptionassessment to accommodate any students that would otherwisemiss out on their exemption entitlement if alternative graduationdates were not given consideration. Please note that assessmentdecisions cannot be applied retrospectively to past graduates.

Period of programme validationWhere possible, ACCA attempts to link accreditation dates to theinternal validation period set by your institution. This ensures thatour accreditation extends to the full period for which graduatesare due to emerge from the programme and that our futureassessment coincides with your institution’s internal re-validation.

ACCA will normally award exemption accreditation for a periodcovering up to a maximum of five years or until the date of thenext specified re-validation exercise (whichever is sooner). In orderto extend exemption accreditation beyond the maximum five yearperiod, we will request that you re-submit your programmes fora new assessment, regardless of whether or not there have beenmajor changes to the programme. This ensures that our exemptioninformation remains as up to date and as relevant as possible andtakes into account changes in ACCA’s syllabus and exemptionpolicies, as well as changes to your programme.

Pass marksACCA recognises the module pass marks set by the institution forthe purposes of accreditation.

In order that exemptions are correctly processed against students’records at the time of their registration, it is important that youadvise us of the grades or codes used to describe a module passon a student’s academic transcript.

ACCA cannot award exemption on the basis of a condonedor compensated pass in any module that is specified as arequirement for exemption from an ACCA paper. This relates tothose occasions where:• a s ud s awa d d a du pass v h ugh h

programme requirements for a pass have not been satisfied

• a c p sa d pass has b awa d d as a su f hoverall strength of a student’s performance.

ACCA understands that students’ marks may be compensatedbetween the assessment elements of a module according theinstitution’s own regulations. In order for exemption to be awardedthe overall pass mark must be achieved for each module thatentitles the student to exemption from individual ACCA papers.

Where double-unit modules are in use within a programme,institutions should be aware that the assessments for each unitof a double module specified for exemption must be passedindividually. Where this is not indicated on the official academictranscript, students may be required to provide a letter from

the institution confirming that the overall pass mark has beenachieved in each unit.


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Modules which may be taken within multiple programmesACCA can award exemption from individual ACCA papers basedon an individual module or a group of modules. If students ofprogrammes other than those initially submitted for exemptionaccreditation assessment are able to take the same modulecombinations as the assessed programme, they may also be ableto benefit from these exemptions.

Should any individual modules or module combinations withinyour submitted programme also be available to students as partof another academic programme, please advise us at the time ofsubmitting your application.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE SUBMITTED ANAPPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION?The accreditation team will make a preliminary assessment of thematerials submitted, and will contact you to request any furtherinformation if required.

A full assessment outcome will be communicated to youwithin four to six weeks of receipt of all of the requestedsubmission information. If there is any expected delay to theoutcome, a member of the exemption accreditation team willadvise you in advance.

Should you wish clarification on any aspect of the outcome, youmay contact a member of the accreditation team using the ACCAcontact details provided in the handbook.

HOW WILL ACCA EXEMPTION ACCREDITATION BEADVERTISED TO STUDENTS?

Outcomes for all assessments are made available on our onlineexemption enquiry database at www.accaglobal.com

This is a useful tool which enables prospective ACCA students toview the exemptions they will be entitled to upon registration, orto plan their future module choices to maximise their exemptions.

As an institution, you may also find it useful to keep track of thelevel of exemption currently awarded to all of your accreditedprogrammes through the exemption database.

HOW WILL ACCA KEEP MY EXEMPTION ACCREDITATIONINFORMATION UP TO DATE?As ACCA’s contact for your institution, you have the responsibilityof keeping ACCA up to date with any significant programmechanges. Informing us of these will ensure that your graduatesregistering with ACCA receive appropriate recognition for theirprior learning and that they have exemptions awarded accuratelyand without delay.

ACCA conducts an annual accreditation exercise yearly, whichrequires contacts to provide us with an update regarding theiraccredited programmes. Participation in this exercise is crucial tothe continued accreditation of your programmes, and ACCA willcontact you in advance of expiry of your accreditation period torequest updated information.

It is important to ensure that all changes are recorded as part ofthe annual accreditation exercise, including (but not restricted to)

changes to:• du c• ass ss h ds, s y w gh g• du s c d s

• s u gu a s• f a a d c f acad c a sc p s.

Failure to inform ACCA of any of the above changes may result instudents being refused exemption upon registration with ACCA.

The most efficient method of providing your update is by loggingin to the online accreditation service via myACCA, which youwill be asked to do as part of the annual accreditation exercise.If you require login details or if you wish to keep us updatedby other means, the accreditation team can be contacted [email protected]

ACCA EXAMINATIONSACCA expects all examination papers submitted for exemptionassessment to be unique to the institution applying for exemptionaccreditation.

Upon receipt of your application ACCA will use specialistdetection software to ascertain if your examinations are in factunique. If plagiarism has been detected ACCA will be unable toproceed with an assessment of your programme until you haveremoved the plagiarised questions.

ACCA has made, and continues to make, significant investmentto develop globally recognised and relevant qualifications. Inorder to protect the integrity and quality of the whole range ofqualifications, all aspects of ACCA’s qualifications* are protectedby copyright.

ACCA does not permit, under any circumstances, theunauthorised copying, reproduction or translation of ACCA’s

qualifications. ACCA’s entire suite of qualifications remains theintellectual property of ACCA and should never be held out as theintellectual property of another party.

Any attempt to copy, replicate or translate any aspect of ACCA’squalifications is an infringement of ACCA’s intellectual propertyrights and, as such, provides grounds for ACCA to pursue a claimfor copyright infringement.

ACCA will pursue copyright infringement claims in the event thatany of the circumstances outlined below occur:• C py g, p duc a s a f h c f a y pa

of ACCA’s qualifications:i in fullii where it is found that the substantive part of a text is a

copy, reproduction or translation of any part of ACCA’squalifications

• C py g, p duc a s a f h s y a d/ d s gof any part of ACCA’s qualifications.

ACCA expects all stakeholders and interested parties to respectthe intellectual property rights subsisting in its qualifications.

* ACCA’s qualifications include the syllabus and examinationsfor the ACCA Qualification, the Foundations in Accountancy suite

f qua f ca s, h D p a i a a F a c a r p(D piFr), h C f ca i a a F a c a r p g(CertIFR), the Certificate in International Auditing (CertIA), theD p a F a c a ma ag (D pFm) as w as ACCA’sFoundations in Professionalism, the Professional Ethics Moduleand the objectives outlined in ACCA’s Practical ExperienceRequirement.

ACCreDitAtion APPliCAtionS


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Qualification standard and equivalence 16

ACCA’s exemption framework 16

Frequently asked questions 18

Glossary 19

APPENDICES

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QUALIFICATION STANDARD AND EQUIVALENCEACCA equivalenceThe Fundamentals level of the ACCA Qualification, plus aresearch project, has been credit rated at 360 CAT (CreditAccumulation Transfer) points by Oxford Brookes University andis, therefore, deemed to be equivalent to a UK honours degree.

The examinations at the Professional level of the ACCAQualification are set to a standard comparable to that required inthe final examination of a UK masters degree.

Qualification standardsIn setting levels of exemption from ACCA’s examinations, theaccreditation team considers the equivalence of the ACCAQualification together with independent comparability advice onthe standard of qualifications.

ACCA uses UK NARIC, an internationally recognised equivalenceagency, to compare the standard of qualifications worldwide tothe ACCA Qualification.

ACCA uses this independent information to determine themaximum levels of exemption which we can apply to differentqualifications from around the world.

The table below shows the maximum exemption which canbe considered for qualifications which fall within each level ofUK equivalence:

APPENDICES

Exemptions can be considered on the basis of qualificationsobtained from private sector institutions providing that:• h s u has b acc d d by h m s y f

Education to award the level of qualification being assessed; or• h p g a b ass ss d has b va da d by,

franchised from, a recognised institution or examining board.

ACCA’S EXEMPTION FRAMEWORKWhat is the exemption framework?The exemption framework enables ACCA to apply an appropriatelevel of exemption to specific qualification types, which have notbeen accredited.

ACCA has used the independent equivalency advice provided byUK NARIC to create four discrete exemption levels which can be

defined as follows:

Exemption level UK equivalenceEntry University matriculationExemption level 1 Year 1 of a degreeExemption level 2 Year 2 of a degreeExemption level 3 Final year of a degree

Specific examples of the national qualifications included withineach exemption level can be accessed through our onlineexemption enquiry database at www.accaglobal.com

A student who has completed a programme which has notbeen accredited by ACCA can still be awarded exemptions upto a maximum of the first four papers of the ACCA Qualificationon the basis of full completion of their programme of study.Should the institution have programmes with accredited modulesfor a student’s graduate year, exemption from further papers maybe available.

When ACCA receives an exemption accreditation applicationfrom an institution, an appropriate level of exemption is awardedautomatically in accordance with the exemption framework. Theaccreditation team then assess for additional papers, dependingwhich level the qualification falls into, using the criteria describedin Section 3.

UK EQUIVALENCE OF QUALIFICATION MAXIMUM EXEMPTION GAINEDFinal year of a degree Papers F1 to F9

Year 2 of a degree Papers F1 to F6

Year 1 of a degree Papers F1 to F3

University matriculation Registration only

Recognition of institutionsACCA only awards exemption on the basis of qualifications gainedfrom recognised institutions. The World of learning reference textis utilised to verify the recognition status of each institution.

Where an institution is not listed in ACCA’s reference texts, thefollowing information must be supplied:• C f a f h s u ’s s a us f h ca

Ministry of Education, confirming that it is recognised as apublic sector institution (or its equivalent status under theirregulations); and

• C f a f h v f qua f ca s h s u sauthorised to award.

Please be aware that ACCA reserves the right to refuse to accreditprogrammes or to award exemption on the basis of programmesconducted by educational establishments regardless of theirrecognition status at its own discretion.


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Exemption level 3Can be assessed for all additional papers at theFundamentals level.

Exemption level 2Can be assessed for all additional papers up to and including F6.

Exemption level 1Can be assessed for all additional papers up to and including F3.

Entry levelCan be considered for registration only.

Which subject area of qualification will our programme beidentified as?ACCA has undertaken extensive research to categorise the mostcommon qualification titles within the qualification types outlinedabove. Full lists and subject titles within each subject area can beaccessed through the online exemption enquiry database.

These lists will be updated on an ongoing basis to ensure that allrelevant qualification subject titles are correctly categorised undereach subject area.

ACCA are aware that qualification subject titles and contentcan differ between countries. The accreditation team worksclosely with ACCA’s national offices, therefore, to ensure that

all national qualifications are correctly categorised within theexemption framework.

TYPE OF QUALIFICATION EXEMPTION LEVEL 3 EXEMPTION LEVEL 2 EXEMPTION LEVEL 1 ENTRY LEVELAccounting – major F1 – F4 F1 – F4 F1 – F3 Reg – no exemptions

Acc u g – j / F1 – F3 F1 – F3 F1 Reg – no exemptions

Finance F1 – F3 F1 – F3 F1 Reg – no exemptions

General business and management F1 F1 F1 Reg – no exemptions

Law F4 F4 Reg – no exemptions Reg – no exemptions

Non relevant Reg – no exemptions Reg – no exemptions Reg – no exemptions Reg – no exemptions

MBA F1 – F3 F1 – F3 n/A n/A

What does the exemption framework look like?

APPenDiCeS


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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long does it take to conduct an assessment?

The accreditation team will aim to provide you with a full outcomewithin four to six weeks of receipt of all of the necessarydocumentation. If any delay is expected, a member of theaccreditation team will advise you of this at the earliest opportunity.

Who will conduct the assessment of our programme?

The accreditation team is based in our Glasgow office and isresponsible for the assessment and accreditation of qualificationsfor exemption.

Can we appeal against the outcome of the assessment?The accreditation team will provide you with an explanation if anyof the papers for which you have applied for exemption cannotbe awarded. However, if you believe that relevant information hasnot been taken into account in our assessment, please contactthe accreditation team.

We have a new programme which we would like to submitfor accreditation, but the examination papers cannot bereleased until they have been taken by students. Can we stillapply for accreditation?

We can accept pilot examination papers for accreditation purposes.If pilot papers are used for the assessment, we would require acopy of the live papers, once taken, for an informal review.

If pilot papers cannot be supplied, we can provide you with aprovisional outcome based on out assessment of your syllabusdetails. The exemption award will not be confirmed until suchtime as the live papers are provided.

Do we have to undertake a matching exercise before sendingthe documents to ACCA?

No. The accreditation team will conduct the matching exerciseupon receipt of the relevant syllabus details and examination

papers. It is therefore vital that the syllabus informationsubmitted is as detailed as possible.

If the programme is very complex, or if there is significanttranslation work involved, you may wish only to submit details ofthe programme structure and regulations in the first instance; theaccreditation team will then advise you which modules you arerequired to provide syllabus details and exam papers for in orderfor the full assessment to be made.

Should we submit all of our programmes for accreditation?

ACCA welcomes accreditation applications for all programmeswhich contain syllabus coverage of any of our papers at ACCA’sFundamentals level.

APPENDICES L

How much does it cost to gain accreditation for ourprogrammes?

There is no charge to the institution for accreditation ofprogrammes. Students are charged a one-off fee for eachexemption awarded to cover the cost of exemption administration.

Is it possible for an ACCA representative to discuss theaccreditation process with us?

The accreditation team can always be contacted by telephone oremail if you require clarification on specific issues.

Where more complex issues cannot be addressed remotely, ameeting between a member of the accreditation team and theinstitution contact may be requested either by the institution orby ACCA. Meetings can be arranged either at your premises, or atour offices in Glasgow.

Visits to institutions located outside the UK will be conducted byrepresentatives from ACCA’s national offices where possible.

We have a new programme which we would like to submit thatgives students direct entry to the second and/or third year. Canthese students benefit from exemption accreditation?

Yes. When assessing a programme for exemption accreditation,we take into consideration the entry points of the programmeto ensure that we base the accreditation at a level where moststudents will benefit. Where this is not possible, we can look at

accrediting prior programmes in their own right, or in conjunctionwith the upper level programme modules. The accreditationteam will aim to accommodate as many graduates as possiblein establishing the basis for accreditation; however institutionsshould be aware that it may not be possible to provide anoutcome for all possible combinations.

Can ACCA grant exemptions to students who have have beenawarded exemption or credit transfer for their prior studies bymy institution?

No. ACCA cannot award exemptions to students who havereceived credit for studies on the basis of credit transfer or

exemption granted by the awarding institution. To meet ourregulatory requirements, ACCA must have the assurance ofconducting the exemption accreditation exercise directly againstour criteria for exemption accreditation to ensure that a student’sprior learning matches the knowledge and skills required of theACCA Fundamentals level papers.


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L APPENDICES

GLOSSARY

Accredited module(s)A module or group of modules that has been awardedexemption accreditation of an ACCA paper(s) and may be sat byprogrammes other than those that have been accredited

Adapted papersBasic ACCA papers which have been changed to reflect localcurrency units and relevant accounting or auditing standards –information on the current list of adapted national standards isava ab a www.accag ba .c /s ud s/ a s/va a

AssessmentThe means by which an individual module is assessed –may be examination, coursework, continuous assessment,

groupwork, etc.

CAT pointsCredit Accumulation Transfer (CAT) is a process by which creditsaccumulated through the successful completion of units on onecourse may be transferred at an appropriate level into anothercourse of study.

Compensated/Condoned passWhere a student is awarded a passing grade in a module on thebasis of the strength of their overall performance, although theusual requirements for a pass have not been satisfied

ECTS creditsEuropean Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is a method that is usedto compare the marks given in education across the EuropeanUnion. One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS-credits in allcountries irrespective of standard or qualification type and is usedto facilitate transfer and progression throughout the union.

ExemptionCredit award that means that a student is not required to sit aparticular ACCA examination.

Exemption accreditation A set level of exemption awarded to all graduates of a specificeducational programme, following a full assessment of that

programme’s regulations, syllabus content and assessments.

Exemption frameworkThe exemption framework enables ACCA to award up to the firstfour papers of the ACCA Qualification automatically on the basisof certain qualifications, without the need for accreditation.

IFAC The International Federation of Accountants

Learning hours The length of learning time estimated on average to achievespecified learning outcomes.

Live paper An examination paper that has been taken by students underexamination conditions.

MCQ Multiple choice question.

Ministry of Education The department of a country’s government that is responsible forthe regulation of educational qualifications.

Pilot paper An examination paper which has been produced to demonstratethe level at which future examinations will be set.

Recognition (institutions)

The status of an institution as a public sector institution (orequivalent) as confirmed by the local Ministry of Education.

Recognition (ACCA qualifications) The level of entry and exemptions available to ACCA membersand students from other qualifications.

Relevance The amount by which a programme or an individual modulematches the content of ACCA’s examinations.

UK NARIC The National Academic Recognition Information Centre (UKNARIC) is the national agency under contract to the UKG v D pa f educa & Sk s, a d s hofficial source of information and advice on the comparability ofinternational qualifications from over 180 countries worldwidewith those in the UK.

The UK NARIC is a member of the European network of NARICsthroughout the European Union. It is also the UK representativein a wider operation of European Network of Information Centres(ENIC) across Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA.The work and the information on international qualifications alsofalls within the framework of UNESCO.

Variant paper

Exam papers set by ACCA in accordance witha a aw a d/ a sys s – f a the current list of tax and law variants is available atwww.accag ba .c /s ud s/ a s/va a

World of learning The World of Learning is published by Europa Publications, andis a complete directory and guide to organisations and institutionsthroughout the entire sphere of higher education and learning.

APPenDiCeS


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ACCA2 Central Quay89 Hydepark StreetGlasgow G3 8BWUnited Kingdom

Exemption Accreditation Handbook

Documents

Transcript of Exemption Accreditation Handbook