Student Information Sheet-uae

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Information Sheet for Prospective Students in THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.


WHY ACCOUNTANCY?

You may be wondering “why accountancy?” when really the question is “why not?” More people are choosing a career in finance than ever before. The global demand for finance professionals has never been higher, and their work more varied. Choose a career in accountancy and you are entering a world of unlimited possibilities. Accountancy will put you right at the centre of any organisation, giving you the chance to influence its business and ethical decision-making. Finance professionals are at the very centre of things. There is no better time to join the profession.




WHO OR WHAT IS ACCA?

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the largest and fastest-growing global professional accountancy body with 296,000 students and 115,000 members in 170 countries. We aim to offer the first choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management. We support our students and members throughout their careers, providing services through a network of nearly 80 offices and centres. We have established more than 50 global accountancy partnerships, through which we deliver qualifications and a range of services which promote global standards, benefit the accountancy profession and enhance the value of accountants in the workplace. We work closely with nearly 8,500 employers of accountants and finance professionals. We use our expertise and experience to work with governments, donor agencies and professional bodies to develop the accountancy profession. We aim to achieve and promote the highest professional, ethical and governance standards and advance the public interest. ACCA's reputation is grounded in over 100 years of providing accounting and finance qualifications. Our long traditions are complemented by modern thinking, backed by a diverse, global membership.




THE ACCA PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION

The ACCA Qualification is designed to provide the accounting knowledge, skills and professional values which will deliver finance professionals who are capable of building successful careers across all sectors, whether they are working in the public or private sectors, practising in accounting firms, or pursuing a career in business. In order to qualify as an ACCA member, you will complete: • • •

14 exams (up to nine of which are eligible for exemption) relevant practical experience, with a minimum of three years a Professional Ethics module.

The ACCA Qualification embeds the global accounting education standards set by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). There is a strong focus on professional values, ethics, and governance. These skills are examined at the highest level in the ACCA Qualification and are a core element of your practical experience requirements.

You will need to complete 14 papers in total. Those papers are: FUNDAMENTALS (nine papers in total)

F1 F2 F3

Knowledge Accountant in Business Management Accounting Financial Accounting

(AB) (MA) (FA)

F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9

Skills Corporate and Business Law Performance Management Taxation Financial Reporting Audit and Assurance Financial Management

(CL) (PM) (TX) (FR) (AA) (FM)

PROFESSIONAL (five papers in total)

P1 P2 P3

Essentials Professional Accountant Corporate Reporting Business Analysis

(PA) (CR) (BA)

P4 P5 P6 P7

Options (two to be completed) Advanced Financial Management Advanced Performance Management Advanced Taxation Advanced Audit and Assurance

(AFM) (APM) (ATX) (AAA)

Past papers, Syllabus and Study Guides, Technical Articles on key examinable topics, Reading lists and other Information and Resources are available by visiting a dedicated area of our global website, www.accaglobal.com/students/study_exams/qualifications/




ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

GRADUATE ENTRY ROUTE Relevant degree holders may be exempted from a number of exams within the Fundamentals Level, as may holders of certain other professional or academic qualifications. Please see the Exemption Section below. NON-GRADUATE ENTRY ROUTE (UAE Institutions)

Qualification

ACCA

Secondary School Certificate (Tawjihiya) Associate Degree Higher College of Technology Diploma University Diploma

Insufficient for registration Sufficient for Registration Sufficient for Registration Sufficient for Registration

NON-GRADUATE ENTRY ROUTE (Other Countries) Full information on the minimum entrance criteria for each country is available on ACCA’s website by visiting www.accaglobal.com/documents/minentry.doc MATURE STUDENT ENTRY Entry to ACCA is permitted for any students with sufficient work experience, even with no academic requirements. Mature Entry Students must pass the equivalent of Papers F2, Management Accounting and F3, Financial Accounting within two years before further progression to the ACCA exams is permitted. ACCESS TO ACCA VIA THE CAT QUALIFICATION Access to ACCA via CAT qualification is permitted for students who first sit the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) qualification and then transfer to the Skills module of the ACCA Qualification by claiming exemption from the first three papers in the Knowledge module.




EXEMPTIONS

The number of exemptions you can claim will depend on how closely your previous qualifications match the content of the ACCA syllabus. If you have received a degree from ANOTHER COUNTRY outside the UAE, please visit www.accaglobal.com/join/acca/exemptions where a full international database is available.

In the UAE, the following institutions have accredited programs with ACCA, awarding exemptions: • • • •

ABU DHABI UNIVERSITY AJMAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AMERICAN COLLEGE OF DUBAI AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN DUBAI

• • • • • •

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH CENTRE FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY SHARJAH COLLEGE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNIVERSITY

Full details of exemptions awarded to various programmes from these universities can be accessed by visiting www.accaglobal.com/join/acca/exemptions. If you have a qualification from an institution which is not listed on our database, please send your documentation to ACCA for further review.




HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

The length of time it takes to qualify as an ACCA member depends on you. The ACCA Qualification is designed to be flexible. Although we would always recommend you to complete the practical experience along with passing the exams, it’s up to you to decide how you study, how often you sit exams and where and how you gain your relevant practical experience. You can take a maximum of four exams every six months and combining this with working fulltime would also mean you are simultaneously gaining the practical experience requirement also necessary for membership. On average, an individual registering with the minimum entry requirements, working full-time and studying on a part-time basis would take approximately three to four years to gain their ACCA Qualification. However, depending on your previous qualifications and relevant practical experience, you can complete the qualification much more quickly. A graduate with a relevant degree and a couple of years relevant experience could complete the qualification in as little as one or two years.




WHERE ARE THE EXAMINATIONS?

When you choose ACCA, you do not need to leave the UAE to sit your exams. We have two Examination Centres in the Emirates and more than 160 ACCA examination centres around the world. Name Abu Dhabi Dubai

Code I-873 I-991

Start Time 13:00 13:00

Examinations are invigilated by British Council professional staff. For a full list of ACCA Examination Centres around the world, please visit http://www.accaglobal.com/students/study_exams/exams/centres/




HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

On registration you will be asked to pay an initial subscription fee. Then on 1 January each year, an annual subscription fee will be due. As you enter for exams or claim exemptions, a payment will be requested. The following fees are applicable in 2009 (in GBP and are subject to change without written notice) Initial Registration

£66

Annual Subscription

£66

Exam Fees per paper for June 2009 session: Knowledge £50 Skills £60 Professional £70

Exemption fees per paper are the same as exam fees.




HOW DO I PREPARE MYSELF FOR THE EXAMS?

In addition to registering with ACCA you will also need to decide how you wish to study and prepare for the exams. You can choose to prepare yourself for examinations in one of three ways: • Self-Study • Distance Learning • Courses with a Tuition Provider




SELF-STUDY

Should you wish to study on your own, at your pace and within your schedule, you can purchase textbooks and other study material from either of ACCA’s two APPROVED PUBLISHERS for the Professional Scheme. These books are available directly from the United Kingdom, or in the case of BPP, through a Middle Eastern Distributor. The contact details are : Kaplan Publishing Foulks Lynch www.kaplanfoulkslynch.com ph: +44 113 200 6375 BPP Learning Media www.bpp.com/lm ph: +44 20 8740 2211 BPP’s Middle East Agent ZamZam Publishing P.O. Box 182161, Dubai UAE ph: (04) 2733 722 email: [email protected]




DISTANCE LEARNING

A number of distance learning options may be available to you. Some of these are listed below: BPP Distance Learning email ph: FTC Kaplan Distance Learning

www.bpp.com/acca/homestudy [email protected] +44 (0) 208 740 2222.

FTC Kaplan distance learning team www.ftckaplan.com. email: [email protected] ph: +44 (0)113 200 6363

www.ifpbooks.com International Financial Publishing Limited email: [email protected] Oxford Open Learning

www.ool.co.uk/ email: [email protected]/

Premier Training

www.premiertraining.co.uk email: [email protected]




ACCREDITED TUITION PROVIDER

If you choose to study with a tuition provider, ACCA strongly recommends you opt for one which is ACCA’s Approved Learning Partner (Platinum or Gold only), as you can be sure: • • •

they are monitored by ACCA they meet the minimum quality criteria they receive up-to-date information regarding ACCA

In addition to this, you can find some Subscribers to ACCA’s Tuition Providers Directory that have not been formally assessed by ACCA. Hence the quality of tuition that students may receive from these tuition providers cannot be guaranteed by ACCA. In UAE at the present time, ACCA has three Gold Approved Learning Partner and five Subscribers to the Directory, as follows: Al Mihad Educational Institute 2nd Floor Dubai Insurance Building,Al Riqqa Road, Deira Dubai,United Arab Emirates Ph: +971 4262 6520 Email: [email protected] Etisalat Academy P O Box 99100,,Dubai, U.A.E Dubai,United Arab Emirates Ph: +971 4 2043429 Email: [email protected] Al Hilal Education Institute

GOLD status

GOLD status

GOLD status

Standard Chartered Bank Building, 'O' Floor,PO Box 21300, Bank Street, Sharjar,United Arab Emirates Ph: +971 656 85013 Email: [email protected] Arabian Vocational Training Centre F-55, Block 2-A,Knowledge Village,92713, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Ph: 971-4-3902788 Email: [email protected] Preston University Ajman P.O.Box 20488,Karama United Arab Emirates Ph: +971 508 406635 Email: [email protected] MAS Education Centre M-01, Rose Tower, Behind ADCB Tower, Salam Street, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Ph: +971 2 6765 800 Email: [email protected] Our International Dhafir Institute P O Box 46927, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Ph: +971 2 627 6090 Email: [email protected] Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies Sharjah City, 4166,United Arab Emirates Ph: + 971 504 992232 Email: [email protected]

Throughout the Middle East, there are different approved tuition providers as well as listed colleges, universities and institutes offering ACCA courses, and globally there are more than 470 such teaching partners. For a full listing of Approved Learning Partners and Subscribers to ACCA’s Tuition Providers Directory, please visit https://portal.accaglobal.com/accaweb/faces/page/public/tuitionprovider/searchtp/XXTPQuickSea rchVO1Table.jspx




HOW DO I REGISTER?

Registration can take place at any time, however if you wish to take part in specific paper-based examination sessions, the following deadlines apply: For the June examinations

Register by 31 December of the preceding year

For the December examinations

Register by 15 August of the same year

You can register ONLINE by visiting www.accaglobal.com/join/register/online. You will then print out and complete the ACCA Declaration Sheet, and enclose it with appropriate supporting documentation (proof of qualifications etc) and return it to our office in Dubai or to ACCA in the UK (contact details are provided at the end of this document).

You can complete an APPLICATION FORM and return it to the ACCA Regional Office in Dubai or ACCA Connect in the UK (contact details are provided at the end of this document). Application forms can be obtained by emailing [email protected] or by contacting the British Councils in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Sharjah.

For further information and full details on the ACCA professional scheme, please visit the dedicated area of our website, www.accaglobal.com/join/acca/.




OXFORD BROOKES DEGREE PARTNERSHIP Get a BSc degree with your ACCA Qualification

As part of ACCA's innovative partnership with Oxford Brookes University, ACCA students are able to study for a BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting, while taking their ACCA examinations. The degree can be the stepping stone between being unqualified and having the ACCA Qualification, providing you with a valuable skill set which will help you complete the ACCA Qualification and help you excel in the workplace. Students will be entitled to the degree (awarded by Oxford Brookes University) on completing the Fundamentals level of the ACCA Qualification, the online Professional Ethics module and by demonstrating their research, analysis, interpersonal and IT skills by completing a Research and Analysis Project. For more information, please visit the dedicated area of our website, which is : www.accaglobal.com/students/study_exams/qualifications/degree/




FURTHER INFORMATION AND CONTACT DETAILS

For further information on ACCA, please feel free to contact us as follows: ACCA Middle East Regional Office

ACCA Middle East PO Box 500671

Dubai Knowledge Village Dubai, U.A.E. Ph: +971 4 391 5451 Fax: +971 4 3664068 Email: [email protected]

ACCA Connect in the UK

ACCA Connect 2 Central Quay 89 Hydepark Street Glasgow G3 8BW UK Ph: +44 141 582 2000 Fax: +44 141 582 2222 Email: [email protected] [email protected]

www.accaglobal.com