STUDENT HANDBOOK ACCA 2016-2017 1
Welcome note Dear ACCA Students, Thank you for choosing to study towards your ACCA qualification with Career Enhancement Centre (CEC) a division of City University College of Ajman (CUCA). Whether you are new to ACCA or a returning student, we are pleased to present our courses, tutors, and study options for 2016-2017. City University College of Ajman (CUCA) is a newly established institution of higher education, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, and the board chairman His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi. CUCA provides a high-quality learning environment that fosters research and personal growth. CUCA uses a wide range of activities for academic and professional development. CUCA is a Licensed Examination Centre for ACCA Computer Based Examinations. This handbook will provide you with the necessary information and guidance you will need for the ACCA programme at CEC a division of CUCA Best of luck with your studies! Head of Center 2
Contents Introduction to the ACCA qualification... 4 Practical Experience Requirement (PER)... 5 ACCA Entry Requirements... 6 ACCA Registration... 7 Scheme of work (example)... 8 Course Structure Plan... 8 Attendance... 9 Student complaints procedure... 9 Equality policy... 9 Course enrolment... 9 Payment... 10 Refund policy... 10 Course cancellation... 10 Deferrals and course changes... 10 Turnaround time for Homework and mock examinations... 11 Turnaround Time for assignment is within Next Two Classes as per Schedule... 11 Course materials... 11 Social media groups... 11 Exam resources... 11 Extra support... 11 Important dates... 11 Terms and conditions... 11 Student feedback policy... 12 Student feedback questionnaire... 13 3
Introduction to the ACCA qualification ACCA is the global body for professional accountants with over 181,000 members and 481,000 students in 181 countries. ACCA qualifications are recognised by key regulatory and education authorities around the world and we have joint membership of other international accountancy bodies. ACCA s qualifications are benchmarked against education levels around the world. So by choosing ACCA, you choose qualifications that have been independently quality checked. Exams The ACCA exams are divided into two levels; Fundamentals and Professional. The Fundamentals level is divided into two modules Knowledge and Skills. The Knowledge module introduces you to the main areas of financial and management accounting. You will study the other technical accountancy areas after you study this. There are six subjects in the Skills module which cover the main technical areas that accountants are expected to know. Knowledge F1 Accountant in Business F2 Management Accounting F3 Financial Accounting Fundamentals (nine papers in total) Skills F4 Corporate and Business Law F5 Performance Management F6 Taxation F7 Financial Reporting F8 Audit and Assurance F9 Financial Management The Professional level is divided into two modules; Essentials and Options. Both of the modules at Professional level have been set at the same ability level as a Master s degree. This level builds on the technical knowledge you will already have. It will also explore more advanced professional skills, techniques and values. These are required at a senior level by accountants working in an advisory or consultancy role. All students have to pass the three papers in the Essentials module. The Options module contains four papers, but you only need to complete two. Essentials P1 Governance, Risk and Ethics P2 Corporate Reporting P3 Business Analysis Professional (five papers in total) Options (two to be completed) P4 Advanced Financial Management P5 Advanced Performance Management P6 Advanced Taxation P7 Advanced Audit and Assurance 4
Practical Experience Requirement (PER) Becoming an ACCA-qualified accountant does not just involve passing your exams and the professional ethics module, you also need to complete the Practical Experience Requirement (PER). It is not just accountants who must gain relevant practical experience, many other professions, such as doctors and lawyers, also have to gain experience to show that they are fit to practise. You can gain your practical experience before, during or after you complete the exams. WHAT IS PER? PER provides a structure for you to follow by setting you a range of performance objectives. The performance objectives ensure you gain the experience to demonstrate that you have the abilities required to become a member. Completing the performance objectives will allow you to: Apply in practice the knowledge and techniques gained through your studies towards the ACCA exams Observe and be involved in real-life work situations that help you to develop the skills, attitudes and behaviours you will need as a qualified accountant Develop your judgement, encouraging you to reflect on the quality of your work and how you may improve your work performance in the future. The performance objectives are closely linked to the exam syllabus and it is recommended that you co-ordinate your study and practical experience achievement to gain the most from both. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO? To begin achieving your PER, you need to be working in an accounting or finance-related role. You will need to: Find a workplace mentor Complete 36 months employment in an accounting or finance-related role(s) Achieve 13 performance objectives Record your progress using the online My Experience record If you think the opportunities to achieve your PER in your current role are limited, consider other options available to you before you choose to find alternative employment. Aim to get your employer's support to help you gain your PER; consider work shadowing, secondment or an internship; and work closely with your workplace mentor. If you are a full-time student or you are not working in a relevant role, start thinking about what steps you will need to take in the future to gain the practical experience you need in order to become a member. 5
ACCA Entry Requirements Anyone is eligible to pursue the ACCA qualification but depending on their existent qualifications will start on a certain entry level: Non-graduates need to have two A Levels and three GCSEs in five separate subjects (including English and Maths) so they can start at F1-F2-F3 level of the professional qualification. Graduates may be eligible to claim some exemptions at F1-F9 level of the professional qualification if holding a relevant degree. Exemptions can be checked online at www.accaglobal.com on the ACCA exemptions enquiry database. No exemptions will be given for the P1-P7 level of the professional qualification. Students who do not meet any of the above conditions will have to start with Foundations in Accountancy (FIA) prior to the professional qualification. Exam Progression Rules At professional qualification level, students can attempt up to a maximum of 4 papers per examination cycle and subject to ACCA progression rules. There are a two examination cycles per year: 1 February 31 July (with exam in June) 1 August 30 January (with exams in December) As to progression rules, papers must be taken in accordance with the order of modules (Knowledge F1-F3 / Skills F4-F9 / Essentials P1-P3 / Options P4-P7) but papers within the same module can be attempted in any order. When entering for papers across modules (say papers from previous module still to be completed or re-taken), students need to register for the papers still left in a previous module along with any papers from next module. For further information about qualification and study resources please copy and paste the following links to your browser. http://www.accaglobal.com/uk/en/student/accaqual-student-journey/study-revision/study-tips.html http://www.accaglobal.com/uk/en/student/acca-qual-student-journey/qual-resource/accaqualification. html 6
ACCA Registration Students need to register with ACCA in order to be eligible to sit the exams. Registration can be done online at www.accaglobal.com or by submitting a paper application form that can be obtained from ACCA Connect. Supporting documentation which you will need to provide with your application includes: Proof of any relevant qualifications Proof of identity Photograph Please check the types of files that are acceptable for upload. For online applications fees must be made by credit card. For postal applications fees can be paid by credit card, cheque, bank draft or postal order. December 2016 Exam* Timetable Date Paper Paper Monday, 5 December F8Audit and Assurance P7 Advanced Audit and Assurance Tuesday, 6 December F7Financial Reporting P2 Corporate Reporting Wednesday, 7 December F5 Performance Management P1 Governance, Risk & Ethics P5 Advanced Performance Management Thursday, 8 December F6 Taxation P3 Business Analysis P6 Advanced Taxation Friday, 9 December F9 Financial Management P4 Advanced Financial Management *Please Note that F1-F4, are available as on Demand Computer based exams at CUCA. (ACCA Approved CBE Center) Exam Level Fee Deadline Fee** per exam for Dec 2016 F1-F3 By 15 th of August 72 By 31 st of October 76 By 7 th of November 231 F4-F9 By 15 th of August 97 By 31 st of October 102 By 7 th of November 261 P1-P7 By 15 th of August 121 By 31 st of October 128 By 7 th of November 289 **These Fees are for December 2016 exams only and are subject to change in future. 7
Scheme of work (example) Scheme of work for Each Paper is provided to student at the first day of class Course Structure Plan ACCA SKILLS MODULE (Intensive Course): Aug-Nov 2016 Week Commencing Activity Notes 14-Aug Registration/Dec results Issue course materials and schemes of work 21-Aug 28-Aug 04-Sep 11-Sep 18-Sep 25-Sep Progress tests Progress review/consultations 02-Oct 09-Oct 16-Oct 23-Oct 30-Oct 06-Nov 13-Nov Course Completion & Final revision 20-Nov Final revision/mocks Administer students' feedback questionnaires 27-Nov Private Study & Consultation Private consultations with tutors 04-Dec Final exams End-of-course meeting/reports Note: The Tentative Course plan can be changed without any notice as and when required 8
Attendance Students must attend each class meeting. Absence never exempts a student from the work required for satisfactory completion of courses. Excessive absences from any course will result in: First Warning - for absence from 10% of total class hours Second Warning - for absence from 20% of total class hours Final Warning - for absence of 25% of total class hours NOTE: Any exception to the policy shown above must be approved by the CEC In-charge. Rules for Attendance: a. A student will be marked absent but may be allowed into the classroom if: (1) The student is more than 10 minutes late from the start of the class for the first class period of the day. (2) More than five minutes late from the beginning of class for all other class periods. b. A student who arrives after the start of a class but within the time limits shown above will be permitted to attend the class but marked as absent if such tardiness continues beyond three occasions. c. Those students who remain absent on the pretext of attending rehearsals for College or intercollegiate programs, etc., will be marked absent unless they obtain written permission from the appropriate faculty member of student services counselor. d. Leaving the classroom to answer telephone calls is not allowed Student complaints procedure We welcome student feedback, both negative and positive, as an opportunity to improve our services. This procedure enables students to share their concerns and experiences with us and we will endeavour to provide a solution. Students may use the complaints form to anonymously submit a complaint and post this into the suggestion box, or raise the complaint formally directly with student affairs staff. Student can do it online by filling online form available at website www.cuca.ae addressing to Student Affairs Manager. If you require a response, a complaint will usually be responded to within 2 working days. Complaints thrown into the suggestion box will be logged in the complaints file and followed up with appropriate action taken. Equality policy Include any information about accessibility of centres for wheelchairs any special provisions that have been made for those when special needs. Course enrolment A registration form needs to be completed before you start the course. You must already be registered with ACCA and provide your ACCA registration number when enrolling on the programme. Full tuition fees must be paid before the course commences. Course materials will be available on your first day of the course. Log in information for the online resources will be sent to you by email. If you wish to withdraw from the course you must notify the Faculty Manager in writing. Please note that you are still required to pay the fees when you withdraw from the course once it has started. You may defer your place on the course to the next available sitting. 9
It is your responsibility to register as a student with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Payment You can pay in Cash, by Cheque or by Credit Card. Full payment may be required before course commencement unless any other arrangements have been made. Refund policy All Fees Once Paid are Non-refundable except the following You cancel the course at least 2 days before commencement; you are due a full refund (Tuition Fee Only). After Commencement of classes No fee will be refunded Course cancellation If a tutor is unexpectedly unavailable to teach your class we may provide a substitute tutor or reschedule the class. If this was to occur we will post information on our website and send a SMS message to all affected students. Please note that it is the student responsibility to ensure the contact information held by the institution is up to date. Also any course may not run due to the only following factor: 1. Lack of students enrolling on the course If the course was cancelled all students already enrolled would receive a full refund. Deferrals and course changes The Courses are not transferable in the name of other delegates except siblings, but in order to avail it you must have to inform administration at least 3 days before the commencement of classes. 10
Turnaround time for Homework and mock examinations Turnaround Time for assignment is within Next Two Classes as per Schedule And Mock Exam is 2 Working Days Course materials Kaplan Study Material is used and provided to students. However Teachers can use their own Handouts and Personal Notes to help the students Social media groups Details of Facebook, Twitter,students can join. Exam resources Materials are provided by CEC without Extra Charges to Students. Extra support You can ask your tutor to let you know some online or other resources which can help you to pass your exams Important dates 31 January Payment of annual subscription fees to ACCA 8 February Results from Dec exams can be accessed on the ACCA Exchange 8 March Deadline for early registration with ACCA Please view the latest dates on the ACCA website. Terms and conditions When applying for admission to CEC a division of CUCA, the applicant must submit the following documents which will become part of the Student File: a. An official transcript of the secondary school certificate (or its equivalent b. One copy of a current official passport or government-issued identity card. c. Four recent passport-sized photographs. d. Certificate of a Standardized Test of Eligibility in English (TOEFL or IELTS) or equivalent as specified in paragraph 3.1.1.d. (Certificates of TOEFL or IELTS are valid for only two years). Or Proof of English Medium Studies in School 11
f. A certificate of health fitness furnished by a recognized medical establishment or a registered medical practitioner. NOTE: All documents presented by the applicant for admission purposes become the property of CUCA and will not be returned. Student feedback policy Feedback is really important to assess the performance of the organization and tutor both. Therefore we use it as an effective tool for our performance evaluation. Formal Feedback is conducted twice in a Course. First, after the third Session, and Second, at the completion of the course. 12
Student feedback questionnaire Paper: Course type: Lecturer: Room/Location: Course date(s): Please rate the areas below on a scale of 5-1 with 5 being excellent and 1 being very poor LECTURER How would you rate your lecturer in the following areas: Presentation skills and general organisation Ability to explain Exam focus Availability outside class time Comments COURSE CONTENT How would you rate the following: Structure Exam focus Course materials Comments 13
GENERAL How would you rate the following: Course information e.g. promotional materials, course handbook etc. Institution administration e.g. dealing with queries etc. Institution facilities e.g. private study areas, toilets etc. Classroom environment e.g. desk space, room temperature etc. Comments Would you recommend the course to a friend? Yes No How could the course be improved? Comments NAME (optional) 14