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Approved Employer targets for the Practising Certificate Development stream

Access guidance for Approved Employer targets for the Practising Certificate Development stream.

Select a target to learn more:

Target

Plan: Individuals’ intentions towards training for an ACCA practising certificate are discussed and objectives are set as part of an appraisal process, if required.

Description

Approved Employers need to set trainees’ objectives and members’ objectives, if required, and document these as part of a performance review. Trainees and/or members must be clear on what they are expected to deliver in their role.

Questions

  • How do you ensure that developmental discussions are tailored to individuals’ needs and the specific requirements of the Practising Certificate?
  • What is the process for discussing Practising Certificate aspirations with individuals and setting the necessary objectives, including ensuring that the individual has completed the required period of practical training?

Evidence examples

  • Documented policy or other document explaining the company’s approach to how members and or trainees training towards the Practising Certificate have their objectives and experience reviewed.
  • Documented discussions or evidenced reviews of the Certificate Experience Requirement (PCER).

Target

Do: Individuals are provided with support to enable them to meet their objectives.

Description

As an Approved Employer you need to be able to verify that trainees and/or members are provided with the opportunity to undertake activities that meet the ACCA practising certificate requirements.

You need to be able to clearly demonstrate that you have the people and processes in place that allow a trainee and/or member to work towards achieving a practising certificate.

Questions

  • How many limited company and other clients does the firm have and across which sectors?
  • Does the firm have any specialisms?
  • What procedures are in place to ensure that any trainees/members training towards the Practising Certificate gain sufficient experience across a range of client base and services to be able to demonstrate sufficient experience to meet the behaviours’ required under each unit of the PCER?
  • How are trainees/members supported to develop and expand their experience?
  • Are trainees/members given regular feedback on specific areas of work they have performed?

Evidence examples

  • Documented policy or other document explaining the company’s approach to how members and or trainees training towards the Practising Certificate gain experience across a range of areas (such as a competencies framework).
  • On the job feedback forms.

Target

Review: Individuals training towards an ACCA practising certificate have their objectives re-assessed at least once every six months as part of a review.

Description

As an Approved Employer, you need to be able to demonstrate that where trainees and/or members are training towards an ACCA practising certificate, their objectives are formally reviewed every six months.

Questions

  • How are trainees/members made aware of the requirements for training towards the Practising Certificate, and when they plan to start to complete their PCER, what support and procedures are in place?
  • How is experience reviewed to ensure that any trainee/member can gain sufficient experience across a range of behaviours?
  • In day-to-day work life, how are teams structured to be able to provide a supportive environment?

Evidence examples

  • Documented policy or other document explaining the company’s approach to how members and or trainees training towards the PC have their objectives and experience reviewed.
  • Documented discussions of objectives and experience/or evidenced reviews of the PCER.
  • Organisational chart to demonstrate level of supervision and development.

Target

Plan: Individuals, principals and authorised supervisors are aware of the requirements for an ACCA practising certificate.

Description

ACCA trainees, members, principals and authorised supervisors must understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to a trainee and/or member training towards an ACCA practising certificate.

As part of the application and monitoring processes, members will be required to verify their understanding of the practising certificate requirements.

Questions

  • Does the firm have a formal, structured training program in place for new hires and existing staff? Please describe its components.
  • In what ways do principals create a supportive environment for staff during training, such as mentoring, coaching, or providing feedback?
  • Please provide details of the formal appraisal process for principals (eg, frequency, identifying development needs, documentation of the process, etc).
  • How do principals ensure that the training program is actively maintained and kept up to date with regulatory, technical, and professional standards?
  • What methods do principals use to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the training program (eg, assessments, feedback surveys, performance reviews)?
  • Can you provide specific examples from the past 12 months showing how principals have reinforced or improved the training and development of staff?

Target

Do: Individuals are provided with sufficient / appropriate work experience pre and post membership in order to meet practising certificate requirements.

Description

As an Approved Employer you need to be able to verify that trainees and/or members are provided with the opportunity to undertake activities that meet the ACCA practising certificate requirements.

You need to evaluate the practical experience that has been achieved and identify further development opportunities in areas where practical experience is still not sufficient.

Target

Individuals are required to ensure their practising certificate training records are completed and reviewed by their principal or authorised supervisor at least once every six months.

Description

As an Approved Employer you need to be able to demonstrate that where trainees and/or members are training towards an ACCA practising certificate, their practising certificate training record is reviewed every six months.

Questions

  • How does the firm ensure that trainees/members are aware of the requirements to train towards and apply for the PC, and the required behaviours/experience needed?
  • What procedures are in place to ensure that individuals make their intentions clear, and can request a timely review of their objectives, or a review of their PCER?

Target

Principals and authorised supervisors are qualified accountants and eligible to act in this position.

Description

A principal is defined as an appropriately qualified member of a professional body who has overall responsibility for supervising the training of up to 10 individuals towards ACCA’s practising certificates and acts as guarantor to ACCA that individuals have reached the required standards.

An authorised supervisor is defined as a qualified member of a professional accountancy body to whom the principal has delegated responsibility for reviewing and verifying ACCA training records for a practising certificate. This person does not need to be a qualified auditor.

However, the principal must ensure that an authorised supervisor has the necessary qualifications and experience. The authorised supervisor must be a senior staff member in the organisation, have knowledge of the individual’s work and the training undertaken.

Questions

  • How does the firm ensure that Principals and Supervisors are aware of the requirements to train towards and apply for the PC, and the required behaviours/experience needed?
  • How do Principals/Supervisors ensure that they remain suitably qualified to act, and that their knowledge is current and constantly updated?
  • Are Principals/Supervisors appraised or do they have targets and objectives set.

Evidence examples

  • Evidence of Principal and authorised supervisors’oversight of individuals’ development.
  • Evidence that Principals and authorised supervisors are appropriately qualified and aware of the Practising Certificate requirements.
  • Evidence of updated relevant CPD.

Information about principals

A principal is defined as an appropriately qualified member of a professional accountancy body who has overall responsibility for supervising the training of up to 10 individuals towards ACCA’s practising certificates and acts as guarantor to ACCA that individuals have reached the required standards. 

Eligibility to act as a principal depends on the type of qualification, and the territory in which the qualification is valid.

Practising certificate valid in Eligible principal
All territories

A member of ACCA who holds an ACCA practising certificate

or

A member of any other professional body that is recognised for audit purposes under prevailing legislation in the relevant country

or

A principal who is eligible to supervise training towards a practising certificate and audit qualification which is valid in the relevant territories specified below

or

Any other person having, in the opinion of ACCA Council, adequate qualifications and experience

Information about authorised supervisors

A principal may delegate to an authorised supervisor the sign off of certain sections of the member's PCEF. The authorised supervisor is a qualified member of a professional accountancy body but does not need to hold an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualifications, or be a practising member of any other professional accountancy body which is recognised for audit purposes.

However, the principal must ensure that the authorised supervisor has the necessary qualifications and experience. The authorised supervisor must be a senior staff member in the organization, have knowledge of the individual's work and the training undertaken.

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