To study for the CA qualification you enter into a three year ‘training contract’. This contract is in addition to your terms and conditions of employment and is a contract between you, ICAS and your authorised employer. It acknowledges the commitment of your employer to provide effective training and requires your commitment to contribute to the work of the employer.
CA students work for an ICAS authorised employer while they study. In order to be eligible for membership of ICAS, a CA student must:
- Confirm they hold a recognised preliminary qualification
- Enter into a training contract with an ICAS authorised employer for the prescribed period, normally three years
- Achieve a minimum of 450 days of technical work experience
- Study for and pass three stages of examinations (exemptions are available)
- Complete a programme in Business Ethics
The best training
As a CA student, we provide you with all the study materials you need at the start of each level. The majority of our teaching is carried out in classroom setting combining lectures and workshop exercises. We believe this is the best and quickest way to help you develop. Applying what you've learnt in the classroom directly to your work situation really helps you understand the subject. And personal, real-world experience proves invaluable come exam time. We also find our methods give ICAS students the advantage of being able to make a valuable contribution to their employers and client businesses from day one.
“While it is challenging, I think that it is still manageable with a good work ethic. One of the distinguishing features of the ICAS qualification is that it is class based rather than self-study. This simplifies life in two manners: the first is that there is a strong support network from class mates and teachers as well as the additional impetus to learn through regular tests; the second, which should not be underestimated, is the fact that it is class based means that there is an enforced discipline in learning – you do not have to make time for it you have to attend class.”
Brendan O´Callaghan, SES Astra, Manager, Financial Controlling and Reporting
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How it works
Depending on where your authorised employer is based, you will attend a training centre in one of the following locations: Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading or Southampton. For those further afield, we also offer training opportunities in Luxembourg and Jersey. No matter where you are based, we teach the same material in a consistent format across all the UK centres, which is why we are so well recognised for our consistency and high standards.
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Three stages to qualification
The CA qualification runs over three years and is broken down into the following levels:
Test of Competence (TC)
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Test of Professional Skills (TPS)
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Test of Professional Expertise (TPE)
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In this first level, we´ll teach you the basics and technical skills in the following core areas:
- Business Law
- Business Management
- Finance
- Financial Accounting
- Principles of Auditing
and Reporting
Note: Exemptions are available for some or all of these tests. (Exemption details can be obtained from here: www.icas.org.uk).
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The second level is all about communication and working with your clients. We'll teach you how to respond to specific client needs, how to prioritise issues and communicate effective solutions in a concise and professional manner.
- Advanced Finance
- Assurance and Business Systems
- Financial Reporting
- Taxation
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Combining your knowledge and skills from the previous
levels, you will work on
a multi-disciplinary case study, providing professional business advice to people in real life situations. By this
point you will have gained the confidence and expertise to exercise your own professional
judgement.
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Business Ethics
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In addition to including ethics within the appropriate subject areas at Test of Competence, Test of Professional Skills and Test of Professional Expertise, Business Ethics forms a stand alone subject and assessment.
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Work experience
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To qualify as a CA, each trainee must obtain a minimum of 450 days’ relevant work experience. This excludes time spent at classes, in-house training, study leave and general administration and therefore represents purely practical work experience. Each trainee will complete an Achievement Log to record competencies achieved – both technical and specialist. It must be maintained by them over the period of the training contract as a record of the experience gained.
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For complete syllabus details, download the guide to the ICAS Syllabus 2009/10
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