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ACCA Certifcate
in International
Public Sector
Accounting
Standards (IPSAS)
Qualifcations
for the public
sector
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ACCA in the public sector 4
What is the ACCA Certifcate
in International Public Sector
Accounting Standards (IPSAS)? 5
Benefts of the ACCA Cert IPSAS 6
Who is it for? 7
How does it work? 7
Certifcate in IPSAS course contents 8
Pricing 9
Additional support for the
public sector 10
We believe that accountancy is vital for economies to
grow and prosper – which is why we work all over the
world to build the profession and make society fairer
and more transparent.
Founded in 1904, we now have more than 188,000 fully
qualifed members and 480,000 students worldwide.
They’re amongst the world’s best-qualifed and most
highly sought-after accountants – and they work in every
sector you can imagine.
ACCA is the Association of Chartered
Certified Accountants and we’re
the world’s most forward thinking
professional accountancy body.
About
ACCA
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What is the ACCA
Certifcate in International
Public Sector Accounting
Standards (IPSAS)?
IPSAS® have been developed to enhance the quality, consistency and transparency
of public sector fnancial reporting worldwide. Issued by the International Public
Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB), they are cash-based standards and
accruals standards used for the preparation of general purpose fnancial statements
by governments and other public sector entities around the world.
The ACCA Certifcate in International Public Sector Accounting Standards – known
as Cert IPSAS – has been specifcally developed to help you meet the challenges of
implementing IPSAS® by:
■ examining the fundamental requirements of accrual-based IPSAS® on a
standard-by-standard basis, for the beneft of preparers, auditors and users of
fnancial statements
■ providing guidance on how to use IPSAS® in practice, with the aid of cases,
interactive exercises and formative questions
■ explaining the difference between the cash basis IPSAS® and accrual-based IPSAS®
■ providing an overview of how IPSAS® are used around the world
■ explaining the workings of the IPSASB and how these are developing.
ACCA in the public sector
For public fnance leaders of the future,
ACCA is your partner of choice. Our
qualifcations directly answer the needs of
the public sector for today – and tomorrow.
We understand that public service
excellence and value for money matter in
developed and developing economies
around the world. That’s why our
resources support fnance professionals
throughout their careers, making them
invaluable business partners with strong
professional skills.
Because we’re global, we can tailor our
support at a local level to share the
unique expertise that we’ve acquired by
working with major partners – from
governments to donor agencies and
beyond. And our market-leading research
signposts future developments, helping
you to anticipate how fnance is changing
in the public sector.
We equip you to deliver excellent public
fnancial management and develop the
strategic, forward thinking public sector
accountants that the world needs.
Together with our 64,000 members and
students working in the public sector
worldwide, we ethically support the
business of government and build
stronger societies worldwide.
Our partnerships have been integral in
founding a national self-sustaining
accountancy profession in numerous
countries globally including: Botswana,
Cambodia, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mauritius,
Swaziland, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.
We currently have over 640 approved
employers in the public sector from
around the world.
64,000
members and students working
in the public sector worldwide
640
approved employers in the
public sector from around the world
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Who is it for? How does it work?
Cert IPSAS will be relevant to your fnance
professionals if your organisation is using or about to
implement IPSAS®, or if your employees are working
with clients who are using or about to use IPSAS®.
It’s perfect for helping employees with a background
in fnancial reporting to meet the challenges of
implementing IPSAS®, providing a practical and
introductory knowledge of these standards and
how they are interpreted and applied.
It’s been prepared for:
■ public sector employers and employees globally
■ accountants working or wishing to work in the
public sector
■ learning providers
■ national and local governments
■ policy makers specialising in the public sector
■ international donors.
If your employees already have a professional
accountancy qualifcation, this qualifcation can be a
valuable source of CPD – offering an opportunity to
top up existing competencies with specifc technical
knowledge and skills around IPSAS®.
If your employees do not hold a professional
accountancy qualifcation, it offers them the
opportunity to gain formal recognition of their
IPSAS® knowledge and skills. It is recommended that
an educational or vocational background in fnancial
reporting is gained before starting on Cert IPSAS.
Benefts of
the ACCA
Cert IPSAS
Our qualifcation will equip fnance
professionals working in the sector,
or wanting to work in the sector, with
stronger and more relevant
fnancial reporting skills.
■ Comprehensive syllabus: The fundamental requirements of
accruals-based IPSAS® are taught on a standard-by-standard basis,
for the beneft of preparers, auditors and users of fnancial
statements. It also gives guidance on how to use IPSAS® in practice,
with the aid of questions, cases and interactive exercises and
explaining the difference between the cash basis IPSAS® and
accruals-based IPSAS®
■ Essential public sector fnance knowledge: It’s a great source of
the essential IPSAS® knowledge and principles that prepare fnance
professionals for the increasingly global market place. It keeps
them ahead of international developments and shows them how
they can apply them to their organisation.
■ Continual evolution: The course is updated to reflect changes in
regulation legislation. Any changes made on or before 1
September annually will be assessed within the Cert IPSAS and
included in the accompanying course from early in January until 31
December of the following year. The updated Cert IPSAS materials
are published on the ACCA website on 1 April each year.
■ Flexible learning: It’s a fully-flexible online qualifcation that can be
accessed anytime, anywhere – or delivered as part of a blended
learning programme and provides an effcient, convenient solution to
meet your organisation’s training needs.
The Cert IPSAS includes both an online course and
a test.
The online course includes all the study materials
your employees will need, although candidates will
beneft from having a copy of the International Public
Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) 2016
Handbook of International Public Sector Accounting
Pronouncements. You can fnd the handbook at
www.ifac.org
If your employees already using IPSAS® at work and
want formal recognition of their skills, they can apply
to only take the online Cert IPSAS assessment. If they
don’t need certifcation, but want extra knowledge in
the feld, they can choose the course only.
You can apply online at any time. When you pay by
credit card, you’ll get access to the online course and
assessment for twelve months. Typically, a candidate
should take 20 hours to work through the course.
Studying for another qualifcation as an ACCA member
can count towards their continuing professional
development (CPD).
The certifcate is assessed by a one hour exam with
multiple-choice questions. There are 25 multiple-choice
questions based on the syllabus. The candidate is
required to answer 13 questions correctly.
The fee covers three attempts to take the assessment.
But they must be taken within three months of
accessing the online course. If candidates don’t pass
after three attempts, another registration fee needs to
be paid to attempt the assessment again, which gives
a further three attempts to pass.
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Cert IPSAS course contents
The syllabus contains the following topics:
IPSASB
An overview of the work of the Board
(IPSASB), including its organisation, the
characteristics of public sector entities,
the relationship between IPSAS® and the
corresponding International Accounting
Standards (IAS) / International Financial
Reporting Standards (IFRS), the purpose
of fnancial statements and any ongoing
projects.
Financial statement
presentation and accounting
policy
Develops an overview of:
■ fnancial statements (IPSAS® 1)
■ cash flow statements (IPSAS® 2)
■ accounting policies, changes in
accounting estimates, and errors
(IPSAS® 3).
Financial performance
Provides an understanding of:
■ non-exchange revenue (IPSAS® 23)
■ exchange revenue (IPSAS® 9)
■ construction contracts (IPSAS® 11).
Accounting for assets and
liabilities
Delivers teaching around a wide range of
topics including:
■ property plant and equipment
(IPSAS® 17)
■ intangible assets (IPSAS® 31)
■ investment property (IPSAS® 16)
■ impairment of cash generating assets
(IPSAS® 26)
■ impairment of non-cash generating
assets (IPSAS® 21)
■ borrowing costs (IPSAS® 5)
■ inventories (IPSAS® 12)
■ leases (IPSAS® 13)
■ fnancial instruments (IPSAS® 28, 29, 30)
■ provisions
■ contingent liabilities and contingent
assets (IPSAS® 19)
■ events after the reporting date
(IPSAS® 14)
■ employee benefts (IPSAS® 25)
■ agriculture (IPSAS® 27).
Consolidation
Delivers training around:
■ consolidated and separate fnancial
statements (IPSAS® 6)
■ interests in joint ventures (IPSAS® 8)
■ investments in associates (IPSAS® 7)
■ translation of fnancial statements of
foreign operations (IPSAS® 4)
■ fnancial reporting in hyperinflationary
economies (IPSAS® 10)
■ disclosure standards and other topics,
presentation of budget information
(IPSAS® 24)
■ segment reporting (IPSAS® 18)
■ related party disclosures (IPSAS® 20)
■ disclosure of fnancial information
about the general government sector
(IPSAS® 22)
■ service concessions (IPSAS® 32).
Cash basis IPSAS®
Teaches students about Part 1 of the cash
basis IPSAS®, covering required
information in:
■ the statement of cash receipts and
payments
■ disclosures
■ consolidation under the cash basis
■ presentation of budget information in
the fnancial statements
■ the additional (non-mandatory)
disclosures encouraged in Part 2 of the
cash basis IPSAS®.
First-time adoption of
accrual-based IPSAS®
Delivers training cover the following
areas:
■ migrating from cash to accrual basis
■ frst time adoption of IPSAS® (IPSAS® 33)
■ change management and the adoption
of IPSAS®.
Forthcoming proposals
for change
Teaches students about Public sector
fnancial crisis and IPSAS®, IPSASB’s
strategic direction and forthcoming
proposals from the IPSASB.
Users can purchase the certifcate individually, but there are also pricing options
available for organisations that want to register batches of candidates. This means
that the more candidates you register with us, the better value the qualifcation is.
Cert IPSAS can also be delivered as part of a blended learning programme.
ACCA members receive a discount for the certifcate if
they supply their membership number when signing up
to the qualifcations. Discounts are also provided to
ACCA Approved Employers.
Employers or tuition providers who want to offer Cert IPSAS to multiple users
may qualify for contract pricing – which makes Cert IPSAS particularly cost
effective. The best rates are reserved for Approved Employers, Approved
Learning Partners and ACCA members.
For pricing and study
options, contact your
local ACCA offce or visit
www.accaglobal.com/certipsas
Pricing
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Additional
support for
the public
sector
We help you deliver
excellence in public fnancial
management and value for
money for both service users
and citizens.
Our range of qualifcations, research,
recruitment and consultancy services is
designed to help you build the fnance
capabilities your organisation needs to
deliver effective fnancial management
and the stewardship of public funds.
Below are some of the other ways we can help
your organisation:
ACCA
Qualifcation
Advanced
Diploma in
Public Financial
Management
ACCA-X
ACCA Careers
and Job Board
To make an order or enquire about
discount pricing please speak with an ACCA
business development manager or email
ppqadmin@accaglobal.com
www.facebook.com/acca.offcial
www.twitter.com/accanews
www.linkedin.com/company/acca
Want to
know more?
Find out more about
ACCA’s public sector
qualifcations by emailing
ppqadmin@accaglobal.com
www.accaglobal.com