To streamline the completion of the practical experience requirement (PER) and ensure the rigour of the ACCA qualification, on 24 August 2023 ACCA introduced a number of changes to the PER policy. Read about the changes made to the PER policy below.
Prior to 24 August 2023, to complete a performance objective a trainee had to complete and claim five elements (tasks and activities relevant to the objective) and write an overall statement describing how they achieved the performance objective. This means to achieve a performance objective they had to submit multiple separate items to their supervisor for review.
To streamline this process, we removed the need for individual elements to be signed off when a trainee submits a performance objective to their supervisor.
The elements remain part of the performance objective. Trainees are still needing to demonstrate to their supervisor that they have achieved the tasks or activities in the elements to achieve the performance objective. However, from 24 August 2023 only full objectives need to be sent to their supervisor for sign off.
If a trainee had any individual elements signed off by their supervisor, then these will no longer show on their PER record after 24 August 2023. This progress will not be lost as all elements will be automatically included when the performance objective is submitted to their supervisor for sign off.
The future of our organisations and society itself depends on sustainability. Accountancy and finance professionals must drive the journey towards sustainability. To help trainees demonstrate achievement in this area we updating our Strategy and innovation performance objective on 24 August 2023 to include sustainability tasks and activities relevant for trainee accountants. Performance objective 3 has been renamed Strategy, innovation and sustainable value creation.
If a trainee had already completed performance objective 3 - Strategy and innovation, and had this signed off by their supervisor, they don’t need to do anything more as this achievement will remain on their record. If a trainee had not completed performance objective 3, they and their supervisor should review the updated description and elements to see the sustainability tasks and activities that have been added. We have also included additional example activities of sustainable value creation to help trainees to demonstrate achievement of this performance objective.
On 6 September 2023, we introduced a requirement for trainees to complete a strict liability clause when recording their PER. This clause will require all trainees to confirm that their PER is a true and accurate representation of their own work. Supervisors will also need to complete a strict liability clause when signing off PER to confirm that they believe the PER they are signing off is a true and accurate representation of the trainee’s work.
We introduced this requirement to ensure the rigour of the ACCA qualification and that trainees and supervisors are aware of their obligations. This clause will allow us to uphold the quality of ACCA membership, act in the public interest and address any issues through a fair and transparent process.
A practical experience supervisor must be a current, active member of an IFAC membership body to sign off performance objectives*.
From 24 August 2023 it is now mandatory for supervisors to upload a copy of their membership certificate or other evidence from their IFAC membership body, such as letter or annual subscription receipt. This applies to supervisors already registered with ACCA as well as newly registered supervisors.
This information will be uploaded during the supervisor registration process in addition to the IFAC member body name and membership number. Providing this documentary evidence will ensure there are no delays to request this information during the membership application assessment process.
(*Or be recognised by law in the country that the trainee is working in.)
In 2016 we launched the current PER recording tool, MyExperience, and introduced the requirement to get time towards the PER signed off by an employer. If trainees had any time recorded in the old PER tool then it was transferred to the current recording tool as ‘import approved’ time. Trainees were not required to get ‘import approved’ time signed off.
As the accountancy profession is fast moving, ACCA strongly recommend that any relevant work experience used to meet the practical experience requirement is achieved within the past five years.
All ‘import approved’ time is now over five years old, therefore, to ensure the rigour of the PER we have introduced the requirement to have ‘import approved’ time signed off by the employer it was gained with, in line with the existing time requirement.
If a trainee wished to apply for membership using any ‘import approved’ time, then they had to apply for and be admitted to membership by 24 August 2023. After this date if a trainee wants to use ‘import approved time’ towards their PER then they will need to get the time signed off by the employer it was gained with. All active trainees with 'import approved' time on their PER record were notified about this change via email on 24 July 2023.