ACCA/CPA

[william_liu]

Anyone doing or did a part-time course?

 

Are there any reputatable alternatives to the course offered Singapore Accountancy Academy (which doesn't have a very helpful website)?

 

And any idea how the fees and charges are like?

 

Thanks in advance.....

[manowar]

bro u can try FTC(forgot wats the full name liaoz) its somewhere starhub center in town....

they offer the same course as SAA....

 

as for the fees..

u have to register as amember 1st..

if i remember correctly its 90 sing$ and 52 GBP...

 

after tat it will depend on which paper u are taking liaoz..

the price ranges from 200 plus to 400 plus per paper(price includes lessons and course books)...

 

there will b an exam fees of 26 GBP per paper as well which u need to pay when the examination time comes...

 

for SAA they will have some disocunted prices when u take more then 2 or 3 papers at once..

and an extra discount if u enrol for the classes b4 a certain date... They call it the early bird discount...

 

 

 

[william_liu]

Thanks dude....... any other people with experience to share/recommend??

 

[CMYRS]

Have you considered the CPA program?

The general opinion is that it is alot more recognised internationally compared to the ACCA.

Course I believe more expensive and difficult.

But it will give you an edge over others.

What is yr educational background? Are you working?

[william_liu]

Hi CMYRS,

 

I have a diploma and degree in Banking and Finance.... however I've been doing accounts for the past 4 years. Without proper accounting qualifications I feel it will be difficult to make any more progress in this line.

 

Which organization is offering the CPA by the way? Thanks!

[CMYRS]

Yes, without proper qualification, advancement is difficult.

What institution did you get your degree from?

If it is NTU, you can apply for CPA Spore

If its overseas, I highly recommend CPA Australia, it is a difficult and long course which also requires work experience but it is well reknown internationally.

 

Google the above and you can should find more info no worries.

http://www.cpaaustralia.com

[william_liu]

It's an overseas degree, I took it part-time while working.

 

Thanks for the leads, I'll find out more about the CPA! Thanks for your help!

[CMYRS]

No worries

If ure taking the CPA aust course let me know.

I need kahki

Thinking of taking it in a mth or 2.............

[william_liu]

So far I managed to find out that SIM seem to be offering a Bachelor's of Business in Accountacy (by RMIT) that is accredited with CPA.... is this the one you're looking at?

 

 

If not, what is the process you're planning to go for? A bit blur already..

[CMYRS]

Originally posted by william_liu@May 31 2005, 05:14 PM

So far I managed to find out that SIM seem to be offering a Bachelor's of Business in Accountacy (by RMIT) that is accredited with CPA.... is this the one you're looking at?

 

 

If not, what is the process you're planning to go for? A bit blur already..

Accredited means it is a CPA approved program, meaning you can take up the CPA program after completion of that degree.

 

It does not mean the CPA comes with the degree.

 

You still need to take a CPA course.

 

Which uni did you get yr accounting degree from?

[Zandon]

i just registered for ACCA course at the CPA building along aljunied rd, opp aljunied mrt.

 

got compare btw them and ftc, they charge cheaper if u get early bird discount, and if i'm not wrong, if u reg by the end of this week, still consider early bird, got 25% discount to the courses.

somemore dun need go thru ERP, if i'm not wrong

 

location is here

 

heh might wan to give it a shot?

[CMYRS]

Could you tell me how many modules are required?

Duration of course?

How much per module?

[CMYRS]

Could you tell me how many modules are required?

Duration of course?

How much per module?

[william_liu]

CMYRS: My degree is from University of London....

 

Zandon: Yo man, I'll like to know more details on the ACCA course too, thanks!

[who_noe]

total got 10 or 12 papers

 

my friend part time took about 4 or 5 years to finish..

[CMYRS]

Originally posted by who_noe@May 31 2005, 09:15 PM

total got 10 or 12 papers

 

my friend part time took about 4 or 5 years to finish..

Holy cow!

I would rather than the CPA then as its only 7 papers and more recognised!

:bounce:

[misterbean]

Hi William,

 

I have passed my ACCA exams some years back so maybe I just share some of my personal experience

 

First of all, it is important to understand the term "CPA" or Certified Public Accountant. In Singapore, if you want to put the CPA title behind your name, you need to be a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore (ICPAS). If you look at job ads for Accountants in Singapore, most will indicate that the candidate should preferably/must be a CPA or member of ICPAS.

 

To be a CPA in Singapore, you must have accomplished all of the following:

 

1. Obtained a B.Acc degree from NTU (or NUS back in the old days) or have passed the final exams of a recognised professional body such as the ACCA.

 

2. Have at least 3 years of relevant work experience.

 

3. Passed the CPA Pre-Admission course conducted by ICPAS. This is a one week course with a examination at the end of the one-week.

 

So you can see from the above that obtaining the academic qualifications is only the first step to the profession. Practical work experience will get you that CPA title.

 

Back to the ACCA. The ACCA is similar to ICPAS but it is a worldwide body. After you have passed your final examinations, you will be an Affiliate of ACCA but not a full member yet (meaning you can't place the ACCA title behind your name as well). Like the ICPAS, you will need to acquire 3 years of working experience upon which you will submit your records to the ACCA for assessment. If they are satisfied, you will become a member of the ACCA (which is represented worldwide).

 

What it all means is that if you pass the ACCA exams and accumulate 3 years of relevant working experience, you can be a member of both ACCA and ICPAS (subject to clearing the pre-admission course).

 

So it is not exactly right to say one is more recognised than the other. Both are equally prestigious and sought after.

 

The Australian CPA may not enable you to place the CPA title behind your name in Singapore straight away. I believe there is some kind of exams in local law and tax to be cleared before a conversion can take place.

 

The conclusion is that there are many ways to become a professional accountant in Singapore (NTU, ACCA, Australian CPA etc). But at the end of the day, you will be judged based on your membership to a professional accountancy body.

 

If you are keen on the ACCA course, there are 3 main schools here in Singapore. Besides Singapore Accountancy Academy, there is also Financial Training Centre (FTC) located at Orchard and FTMS located at Park Mall. I took 3 years to complete the ACCA program and everything was done at FTMS. They do have an excellent panel of lecturers (both from UK and Singapore) who is able to share practical work experience in lessons. In fact, my Paper 1 lecturer back in 1997 was a Financial Controller of a listed company in Singapore. Through his sharing of practical issues, my interest in the profession was invoked

 

One thing to note that the ACCA curriculum is very much based on practical solutions and case studies. Students who are used to the local system of memorising chunks of info will be in for a rude shock. I have some friends who graduated from NUS Business Administration but who failed the ACCA exams (same paper) a couple of times. It is a big challenge so be prepared to work hard

 

As for number of papers, it depends on your starting point. If you have a basic degree or diploma, you may qualify for exemptions on some of the papers.

 

To find out more about ACCA, you can visit the website below:

ACCA Singapore

 

Do hope the above info is useful and let me know if I can be of any help

[Zandon]

according to my revision kit, the webby is http://www.saa.org.sg

 

depending on ur course style, the details is here

 

can surf ard the site to check for more info.

u might wanna go down and check, i went there like 3 times to ask and stuffs like that. better to clear ur doubts with them.

 

good luck!

heh maybe we'll be classmate?

 

oh misterbean, thanks for the insight abt acca and stuffs. i've got a clearer picture now

[misterbean]

Originally posted by Zandon@May 31 2005, 11:21 PM

oh misterbean, thanks for the insight abt acca and stuffs. i've got a clearer picture now

You are most welcomed

 

I see that you have registered with SAA. I go there sometimes for seminars. Seems like quite a number of students there from China and a few brilliant ones have won prizes in their exams. Competition is good

 

Oh by the way, parking at SAA basement for bikes is free .... kekeke

[william_liu]

misterbean: Wow..... that's all the information I could have asked for..... thank you so much! Let me now consider and visit the various institutes to find out more on the pricing and structure of the modules/papers. Once again, thanks for the advise!

 

Zandon: Guess I'll have to make a few trips!

[Zandon]

Originally posted by misterbean@May 31 2005, 11:24 PM

You are most welcomed

 

I see that you have registered with SAA. I go there sometimes for seminars. Seems like quite a number of students there from China and a few brilliant ones have won prizes in their exams. Competition is good

 

Oh by the way, parking at SAA basement for bikes is free .... kekeke

ya, lots of china ppl, stress

coz foreigner usually more hardworking(experience from poly)

 

haha i didnt know the basement can park bike, i went to ask them, they say cannot use the carpark, only for their staffs...

luckily behind their building got this big carpark, can park bikes and car...but public rates

[misterbean]

Originally posted by william_liu@May 31 2005, 11:47 PM

misterbean: Wow..... that's all the information I could have asked for..... thank you so much! Let me now consider and visit the various institutes to find out more on the pricing and structure of the modules/papers. Once again, thanks for the advise!

 

Zandon: Guess I'll have to make a few trips!

No problem ... glad to be of help

 

By the way, if things have not change, you need not be tied down to any one institute for the entire ACCA course. Enrolment is usually for 1-3 papers at each time. So that means you can switch to another institute for the next few papers.

 

For example, suppose you sign up for Papers 1 & 2 with SAA and after the exams, you may decide to take up Papers 3 and 4 with FTMS or FTC. Or if you are confident, just pay the exam fees and do self study for any of the papers (not recommended for 1st attempt though as I believe the lecturers' practical experience do make a difference).

 

ACCA has a very flexible route to qualification. In fact, if you study half way and decide to emigrate to say UK or HK, you can actually complete your ACCA course over there

[misterbean]

Originally posted by Zandon@Jun 1 2005, 12:30 AM

ya, lots of china ppl, stress

coz foreigner usually more hardworking(experience from poly)

 

haha i didnt know the basement can park bike, i went to ask them, they say cannot use the carpark, only for their staffs...

luckily behind their building got this big carpark, can park bikes and car...but public rates

Cos last time I did my one-week course there ... I ask the security guard and he told me can park bike there but not car ... so I parked there lor ... recently went back for a 1-day seminar and parked there for 1 whole day also no questions asked ... kekeke

[william_liu]

Originally posted by Zandon@May 31 2005, 11:21 PM

according to my revision kit, the webby is http://www.saa.org.sg

 

depending on ur course style, the details is here

 

can surf ard the site to check for more info.

u might wanna go down and check, i went there like 3 times to ask and stuffs like that. better to clear ur doubts with them.

 

good luck!

heh maybe we'll be classmate?

 

oh misterbean, thanks for the insight abt acca and stuffs. i've got a clearer picture now

Hey man, can you let me know the details on how much you paid in all? Can PM me if it's not convenient to post out, thanks a lot!

[misterbean]

Originally posted by william_liu@Jun 1 2005, 09:53 AM

Hey man, can you let me know the details on how much you paid in all? Can PM me if it's not convenient to post out, thanks a lot!

I can't really remember already ... too many figures passing through my work desk all these years But it should be below 10k. The cost structure as follows:-

1 course fees (payable to the educational institute)

2 student member fees payable to ICPAS (S$) and ACCA (sterling pound)

3 exam fees (payable to ACCA in sterling pound)

 

The above was paid over 3 years (eg course fees for every 2-3 papers was paid only every 6 months or so. Member fees payable once a year)

 

Need to clarify though ... I attempted all the papers right from the beginning (no exemptions) and also cleared all my papers on the first attempt. Also, that was all done in 1997-1999 and the fees may be slightly different now. Best is to check with the institutes on the above cost structure to get an idea how much it may cost you based on your specific qualifications