FPER (Foundations Practical Experience Requirement)

As part of your journey to become a Certified Accounting Technician (CAT), you must demonstrate relevant skills and experience within a real work environment. This is what the FPER (Foundations Practical Experience Requirement) is all about

FPER is designed to help you apply and develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours you have learned through the exams.  Developing your judgement, improving your performance in the workplace and allowing you to demonstrate the qualify of your work.

What do you need to do?

If you are applying via the FIA route, you will need to:

  • achieve 12 months of supervised experience in a relevant accounting or finance role(s)
  • complete eight performance objectives (two Essentials and six Technical)
  • record your progress online in MyExperience
  • have your experience signed off by a qualified practical experience supervisor.

If you are a student gaining admission to CAT designation via the ACCA route you will need to satisfy a greater practical experience requirement:

  • 12 months' relevant work experience
  • Complete the two Essentials performance objectives
  • Complete all performance objectives from Group 1
  • Complete all performance objectives from Group 2
  • Complete three performance objectives from Group 3

The CAT qualification - Certified Accounting Technician

Before you can become a Certified Accounting Technician, you must:

Approved Employers - FPER

If you work for an ACCA Approved Employer who holds Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) trainee development approval at Gold or Platinum level, they may allow you to claim a performance objective exemption. 

However, it is important to confirm whether they want to allow you to claim the performance objectives exemption and that your employer has the necessary level of approval.

If you qualify for the exemption, you will still need to achieve 12 months' experience and record this in MyExperience.

Progression to the ACCA qualification - PER

Once you have completed FPER you will be able to use the experience you have gained towards completing PER.

You can convert:

  • the two equivalent performance objectives - PO1 and PO2*
  • 12 months of relevant experience towards the 36 months required for the PER.

*If you've claimed the Approved Employer exemption, you can still claim the two equivalent performance objectives.

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