Institute of Chartered Aaacountants Ghana :| Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements

REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP, PRACTICE AND STUDENSHIP APPLICATION

1.0 REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Applicants with ICA(G) final examination certificate should have

1.1       A minimum of three (3) years relevant job experience.

1.2       Applicants with the following qualifications, i.e., ACCA, CIMA, AICPA, ICAEW, ICAS should be members of their parent            body. In addition it is required to have a minimum of three years relevant experience before gaining admission to ICAG

1.3       All other qualification not captured above would be dealt by the Committee on case by case basis.

For all applicants the following shall be required:

a. He/She must work under a qualified accountant.
b. Applicant’s referees should be members in good standing
c.At least one of the two referees should be a chartered accountant that the applicant has worked with or under
d.Where the applicant is the boss or does not work under a chartered accountant, the referee should come from the auditors of his organization/company.
e. In all exceptional cases, the Committee would decide.

1.0 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ISSUE OF PRACTISING CERTIFICATE

1.1 First Time Applicants
The following conditions must be satisfied for the issue of a Practising Certificate

a. Four (4) years full time post-qualification experience for applicants who do not have any practical experience with a practising firm duly recognised by the Institute.

b. Where an applicant has been with a Practising Firm for at least 2 years before qualification, he/she must have two (2) years post-qualification experience in practice to qualify for the certificate.

c.Where an applicant has one (1) year pre-qualification experience, then he/she needs three (3) years post-qualification experience to qualify.

d. An applicant who ordinarily qualifies for a practicing certificate but who fails to apply for a Practising Certificate within 2 years after leaving the practicing firm where he/she practices would have to satisfy the requirements stated under 2.1 (b).

e. Applicant’s referees (two in number), who must have worked with applicants or supervised their work, must be members with Practising Certificates.

1.2 Renewal of Practising Certificate

a. The Secretariat would inform all practitioners of the need to renew their PCs for the ensuing year by issuing demand notices by the end of September every year.

b. Members who wish to renew their PCs should satisfy all conditions for the issue of PCs by the end of December every year.

c. The time for the issue of PCs is the end of December. d. Enforceability. The Secretariat would publish the list of those issued with PCs by the end of January every year.

e. Copies of the list will be made available to the following organizations:

Revenue Collecting Agencies
Banks
Insurance Companies
Registrar General’s Department
Audit Service
Ghana Employers Association

1.3 Conditions For Maintaining Practising Certificate

a. A Member in practise should apply each year and within the period Specified in 2.2 to obtain a Practising Certificate for the ensuing year.

b. In all cases, the issuing of the Practising Certificate would be subject to :

i. satisfying the annual Continuous Professional Development conditions

ii.annual submission of forms stating the following:

iii.address, position and job schedule

iv.where an applicant is not a partner of a firm, the application form should be signed by the partner.

c. When an applicant has been absent or leaves practice for a period not exceeding two (2) years, he/she can re-apply for renewal.

d. Where an applicant leaves practice for a period not exceeding 4 years he/she can re-apply for the renewal of his Practicing Certificate if he can show proof that he was working in some capacity as a practitioner, by completing and submitting forms annually.

e. Where the application is not renewed under the above section, the applicant should revert to 2.1 (b).

1.4 Continuity of Practice Agreement

Where a practitioner is absent from his practice because of sickness, public service etc, he/she should enter into an agreement with another practitioner in good standing to take charge of his/her practice.

1.5 Applicants with Foreign Practising Certificates

a. An applicant must provide a current Practising Certificate of his/her mother Institute to qualify for the issue of ICAG’s Practising Certificate (ACCA etc.) All others must be decided by the Committee on case by case basis.

b. The applicant must be a member of ICAG.

c.. Where an applicant cannot meet condition (a) above, he/she must meet the conditions laid down for the granting of a practicing certificate.

1.6 Holders of CIMA Final Certificate who have been admitted as members of ICAG

a.Must write and pass Assurance and Audit Practice and Advanced Tax Planning & Fiscal Policy to enable them apply for a practicing certificate.

b. Other conditions for the issue of practising certificate must be met after satisfying the above.

2.0 ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS

2.1 For an applicant to qualify for admission as a student he/she should:

a. Be at least, 16 years of age

b. Must posses the following basic educational qualifications:

i. 5 ‘O’ Level credits or
5 RSA II passes or
5 SSSCE passes
(including English Language and Mathematics)

iii. PLUS any of the following

a. ‘A’ level passes, with at least a grade ‘D’ in one subject and excluding General Paper

b. RSA III passes

b. DBS (Accounting option) passes

c. LCC stage III passes

d. A Diploma from a recognized Institution including Teacher’s Diploma, Diploma in Public Sector Accounting, HND and Diploma from the Universities, Teacher’s Post-Sec Certificate, etc.

e. A degree from a recognized University or an Accountancy qualification from a recognized body.

iv. The applicant is a fit and proper person to be registered.

2.2 Mature Students

a. To register as a MATURE student on the CA programme, an applicant should:

(i) Be at least, 25 years of age.

(ii) Have at least 5 GCE ‘O’ Level CREDITS OR 5 RSA II OR 5 SSSCE passes including English Language and Mathematics.

PLUS any of the following

• 2 ‘A’ Level passes excluding General Paper OR

• 3 ‘E’s at ‘A’ level OR

• 2 RSA III passes

(iv) He/She must have relevant working experience in an accounts office of an organization for a minimum period of three years.

(v) He/She must be supported by their employers with a written confirmation of working experience in accounting.

2.3 Foundation Students

Such applicants must have

(i) 6 passes at SSSCE with at least aggregate 24, including English and Mathematics.

(ii) In exceptional circumstances, where an applicant qualifies as a mature student but has only a pass in either Mathematics or English Language, he qualifies to take the Foundation Examination.

(iii) Applicants with 5 ‘O’ Level credits or 5 RSA II passes and 1 ‘A’ Level or RSA III pass qualify to take the Foundation Examination

(iv) Applicants with 5 ‘O’ Level credits or 5 RSA II passes and 4 passes at DBS

NB: SUCH students would have to pass a Foundation Examination i.e. Accounting Foundations & Economics at Part 1 within two years from date of registration before proceeding to write the other papers at Part 1.

3.0 Other Admission Requirements

The Institute would accept all other qualifications if accredited and equivalence given by the National Accreditation Board.

3.1 Exemption Policy

The general policy is that applicants are not exempted beyond part 2 of the CA programme. The current exemption policy stands as follows:

a. Full Exemption from Part 1

i. B.Sc Admin (Accounting option)

ii. B. Com

iii. HND Accounting

iv. ICSA Final

v. GAT Final

b. Subject For Subject Exemption in Part 1

i. Stage 1 of CIMA – Exemption in 3 subjects at Part 1. The applicant must write Auditing to complete level 1.

ii. Exemptions in relevant subjects for B.Sc Economics and Law graduates.

iii. B.Sc. Admin (Banking & Finance Option) - Exemption in Economics and Law at Part 1

iv. Bachelor of Management Studies - Exemption in Economics and Law at Part 1

v. B. Ed Social Sciences subject for subject exemptions up to Part 1, where applicable.

c. Parts 2: Subject for Subject exemption

3.2 M.Sc/MBA Accounting/Finance from a recognized University – where applicable

3.3 Any other relevant advanced qualification, subject for subject exemptions up to Part 2 where applicable.

3.4 B.Sc Admin (Banking & Finance Option) – Exemption in Economics and Law at Part 1.

3.5 Bachelor of management Studies – Exemption in Economics and Law at Part 1

3.6 ACCA Foundation stage

3.7 B.Ed Social Sciences subject for subject exemption up to Part , where applicable

3.8 HND Purchasing and supply – Exemption in Economics and Law at Part 1

4.0 Part 2: Subject for Subject exemption.

4.1 M.Sc/MBA Accounting/Finance from a recognized University –where applicable

4.2 Any other relevant advanced qualification, subject for subject exemptions up to Part 2 where applicable.