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• When can I gain my practical experience?
• Where can I gain my practical experience?
• Can practical experience be gained in a combination of business sectors?
• Can experience gained between completing the examinations and admission to ACCA membership count towards the post-membership training requirement?
• Can I use experience gained in part-time or temporary positions?
• What if I am self-employed and work on a sub-contract basis?
• How can I find out if my employer is an ACCA Approved Employer -PCD?
• My employer is not an ACCA Approved Employer. Can the experience I have gained with them count towards ACCA's practising certificate requirements?
• My employer is approved for training by another professional accountancy body. Do they need to be an ACCA Approved Employer as well?
• How does my employer become an ACCA Approved Employer - PCD?
• Why should my employer be registered as an ACCA Approved Employer - PCD?
• Can ACCA backdate my employer's registration as an ACCA Approved Employer?
• Can my Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) be completed retrospectively?
• I am not sure whether I want to obtain an ACCA practising certificate. Should I still complete a Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR)?
• How do I record my 12 months' pre-membership training towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
• When do I need to submit my Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) and to whom?
• Do I have to undertake a minimum number of hours in audit to obtain an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
• I work in an Approved Employer Practice but my firm carries out very little audit work. Can I gain the required audit work experience for an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification in another practice?
• Do I have to gain audit work experience in order to practise as a Chartered Certified Accountant?
• I have produced financial statements for a limited company that does not require an audit, but the work I performed involved the use of procedures similar to an audit. Can this count towards the 30% audit training requirement?
• On some assignments I conduct certain aspects of audit work while carrying out the accounts preparation. How do I allocate my time?
• I am not currently obtaining any management experience. Is this a problem?
• Can a line manager supervise my training towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
• Can my current Principal verify experience gained at a previous employer?
• I work outside public practice and am the most senior member of accounting staff in my organisation. Who can act as my Principal?
• Do I have to undertake an Audit Orientation Course & Test?
• Can I offer my services directly to the public?
• If I hold an ACCA practising certificate can I transfer to an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
• I have not passed option P7 Advanced Audit and Assurance . Can I still obtain an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?

When can I gain my practical experience?
You can gain up to one year of your training towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification before admission to ACCA membership. You should ensure that this experience is recorded in the Trainee Development Matrix (TDM), in line with the criteria in the Practical Experience Requirements, and is confirmed by your Principal and included in your application for admission to ACCA membership.

You must obtain at least two years' training after admission to ACCA membership. You can gain this post-membership training at any stage after you have been admitted to ACCA membership.

Where can I gain my practical experience?
Practical experience towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification must be gained with an ACCA Approved Employer (Approved Employer – Practising Certificate Development) that has been awarded approval under the practising certificate development stream.

Can practical experience be gained in a combination of business sectors?
You may gain relevant experience for an ACCA practising certificate from a combination of corporate, public sector and public practice employers, provided that they are ACCA Approved Employers – Practising Certificate Development (PCD).

However, practical experience towards an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification may only be gained in public practice with an employer that is registered as an ACCA Approved Employer – Practising Certificate Development (PCD) (Audit).

Can experience gained between completing the examinations and admission to ACCA membership count towards the post-membership training requirement?
No. For this reason, ACCA Affiliates are strongly advised to apply for admission to ACCA membership at the earliest opportunity.

Can I use experience gained in part-time or temporary positions?
Yes, provided that the work experience is of a sufficient breadth and depth to contribute towards achieving the minimum competence requirements. You may find that experience gained in part-time or temporary positions only allows you to achieve limited competence and may not provide you with sufficient opportunities for career development.

Work experience gained on a part-time basis can only count towards the practical experience requirements for an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification on a pro-rata basis. Therefore, wherever possible, it is advisable to obtain full-time work experience that is relevant, supervised and meets the competence requirements.

If you are relying on experience gained in part-time or temporary positions, you must ensure that it is documented in a Practising Certificate Training Record and signed by a Principal.

What if I am self-employed and work on a sub-contract basis?
The provision of basic bookkeeping services directly to the public cannot count towards the practical training requirements for ACCA's practising certificates.

However, basic bookkeeping and other accountancy work undertaken on a sub-contract basis for employers who are appropriately accredited by ACCA may count provided that it is supervised by a Principal and documented in a Practising Certificate Training Record.

How can I find out if my employer is an ACCA Approved Employer -PCD?
You should contact ACCA Connect for details of Approved Employers.

My employer is not an ACCA Approved Employer. Can the experience I have gained with them count towards ACCA's practising certificate requirements?
No. Only experience obtained in an ACCA Approved Employer – Practising Certificate Development (PCD) can count towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification.

Your employer should register as soon as possible so that your training can count towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification.

The responsibility for verifying that an employer is registered as an ACCA Approved Employer–PCD rests with the member. If your employer is not an Approved Employer-PCD and you would like advice on your eligibility to obtain an ACCA practising certificate, please contact ACCA Connect.

My employer is approved for training by another professional accountancy body. Do they need to be an ACCA Approved Employer as well?
Yes. Training carried out in an office that is not an ACCA Approved Employer – Practising Certificate Development (PCD) cannot count towards the award of an ACCA practising certificate or practising certificate and audit qualification.

How does my employer become an ACCA Approved Employer - PCD?
Your employer can apply to register as an Approved Employer - Practising Certificate Development (PCD) online by visiting www.accaglobal.com/employers. Alternatively they can request an application form by contacting ACCA Connect.

There is no charge for registering as an ACCA Approved Employer - PCD.

Before an application is made, your employer should read the Practising Certificate Training Record guidance notes to ensure that they can satisfy the practical training requirements for an ACCA practising certificate or, where appropriate, an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification.

Why should my employer be registered as an ACCA Approved Employer - PCD?
Through ACCA's Approved Employer - Practising Certificate Development (PCD) scheme, employers may train ACCA members towards ACCA's practising certificates. They also gain recognition for their training support and privileged access to training and development information and services. The scheme demonstrates that employers are applying best practice in training accountants and finance professionals, and are committed to recruiting and retaining able employees.

Can ACCA backdate my employer's registration as an ACCA Approved Employer?
Registration is normally effective from the date that ACCA receives the application. ACCA is able to backdate registration so that pre-registration training can be counted for the purposes of gaining an ACCA practising certificate.

Backdated registration and training for the purposes of gaining an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification is not permitted. ACCA does not have the power to waive or vary these regulations under any circumstances.

Can my Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) be completed retrospectively?
Members are required to complete their Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) forms on an ongoing basis. This will enable your Principal to consider your work experience, monitor the level of audit work (where applicable), plan for your future development, and ensure that you meet the practical experience requirements for an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification. By completing the forms retrospectively you may find it difficult to recollect your experience and you may also encounter problems in getting your experience and forms verified.

Members should complete the PCTR forms every six months and additionally when changing roles or leaving an employer. They should then arrange for a review with their Principal or Authorised Supervisor who should assess progress towards ACCA's practical training requirements and plan for future development. Where an Authorised Supervisor has done the review and sign off, the Principal will need to initial the PCTR2.

For PCTR1 Reflection members should provide detailed reflection commentary.

The PCTR forms are available on the website in both PDF and Microsoft Word format. An example of a properly-completed PCTR for a six-month period is also available on request from Professional Standards which shows the level of detail required in the forms.

I am not sure whether I want to obtain an ACCA practising certificate. Should I still complete a Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR)?
ACCA encourages all members who work in an ACCA Approved Employer – Practising Certificate Development (PCD) to record their post-membership training in a PCTR for a minimum period of two years.

Completing a PCTR every six months allows you to keep your options open for the future. Even if you have no intention of applying for an ACCA practising certificate or practising certificate and audit qualification now you can still submit your PCTR to ACCA for assessment in order to ‘bank' your experience. If you have to complete a PCTR, retrospectively, you may find it difficult to recall your experience and you may also encounter problems in getting the experience verified.

How do I record my 12 months' pre-membership training towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
Pre-membership training gained with an employer that was registered as an ACCA Approved Employer – Practising Certificate Development (PCD) should have been recorded in your Trainee Development Matrix and included in your application for admission to ACCA membership. If this is the case, you do not need to record this pre-membership training in a Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR).

You should use the PCTR to record at least two years' post-membership training towards a practising certificate. If you have obtained less than 12 months or have no pre-membership training with an appropriately accredited employer, you must obtain additional training after admission to ACCA membership to make up the required minimum of three years.

When do I need to submit my Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) and to whom?
Once you have documented the appropriate period of post-membership training in your PCTR, and demonstrated that you have satisfied the practical training requirements for an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification, you should submit your PCTR for assessment to:

Professional Standards
ACCA
2 Central Quay
89 Hydepark Street
Glasgow
G3 8BW
United Kingdom .

Your PCTR will be checked to ensure that you have obtained the required practical experience and met the necessary standards. Provided that your PCTR is satisfactory, your training towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification will be formally approved.

If you are applying for an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification you may submit a practising certificate application form along with your PCTR if you intend to commence practising as soon as your experience has been approved by ACCA.

Do I have to undertake a minimum number of hours in audit to obtain an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
You must obtain 30% of your post-membership training in audit work. The amount of audit work is expressed as a percentage of the total working time of the post-membership training period. At least 20% must be in company audit work i.e. audit work undertaken in organisations that have been established under the Companies Acts and whose financial reporting requirements are laid down in the Companies Acts. The Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) guidance notes provide further information about what qualifies as company audit work and what qualifies as ‘other' audit work.

For members admitted after 1 January 2010 the training requirements to obtain a practising certificate and audit qualification change on 1 January 2010. Further details are available from the Professional Standards section of the website. However, the transitional arrangements outlined above are valid until 31 December 2012 for members admitted prior to 1 January 2010.

I work in an Approved Employer Practice but my firm carries out very little audit work. Can I gain the required audit work experience for an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification in another practice?
You may gain the necessary experience required in non audit areas with your current employer. This should be recorded in your Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) and verified by your Principal. You can then gain the required audit training in another practice, which is also registered as an Approved Employer, under the supervision of an appropriately qualified Principal. You should record this audit work experience in separate PCTR forms. These should be reviewed and verified by the Principal in the other firm.

Do I have to gain audit work experience in order to practise as a Chartered Certified Accountant?
No. If you have gained little or no audit work experience, you may apply for an ACCA practising certificate. This certificate allows you to practise as a Chartered Certified Accountant. You can perform any activity constituting public practice but you cannot accept an appointment as an auditor or hold yourself out as being available to do so. However, members in Cyprus who hold an ACCA practising certificate may carry out audit work or other reserved work where authorised to do so by applicable law and where they are able to demonstrate such authorisation.

I have produced financial statements for a limited company that does not require an audit, but the work I performed involved the use of procedures similar to an audit. Can this count towards the 30% audit training requirement?
No. Although the work you performed in producing the financial statements for this limited company may be similar to an audit, you were not required to express an opinion on the financial statements or produce an Auditors' Report. This work experience should not be classified as company audit and therefore cannot count towards the 30% audit training requirement.

On some assignments I conduct certain aspects of audit work while carrying out the accounts preparation. How do I allocate my time?
When determining what constitutes audit work and accounting work, you should always be guided by the competence requirements and examples listed in the Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR). If you have performed any work for an audit client which contributes towards the formation of the opinion expressed in the Auditors' Report, then you may reasonably classify this work as audit. You should allocate your time on a reasonable basis.

I am not currently obtaining any management experience. Is this a problem?
Yes. If you decide to enter into public practice in the future, you will need to know how to monitor, control and improve the services offered by your practice. The management competence requirements listed in the Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR)are designed to reflect this. You are advised to discuss the opportunities available for you to develop the required management competences with your employer.

Can a line manager supervise my training towards an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
A Principal may delegate to an Authorised Supervisor the sign off of an individual's Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) forms. The Authorised Supervisor does not need to hold an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification, or be a practising member of any other professional accountancy body which is recognised for audit purposes. 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. The Principal must still consider your completed PCTR1 Record, Reflection and Review and should provide appropriate comments. The Principal will still retain overall responsibility for training and must therefore countersign completed training records to confirm the requirements for a practising certificate, or a practising certificate and audit qualification, have been met.

Can my current Principal verify experience gained at a previous employer?
No. Your current Principal is only responsible for verifying the experience gained under his/her supervision and the competences demonstrated in your current role. You should ensure that your Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) forms are brought up-to-date and reviewed when you change jobs or leave an employer.

I work outside public practice and am the most senior member of accounting staff in my organisation. Who can act as my Principal?
You may arrange for a representative from your organisation's auditors or accountants to act as your Principal, providing that the individual meets the eligibility requirements set out in the Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) and that s/he has sufficient knowledge of your work and abilities to sign your PCTR forms.

Do I have to undertake an Audit Orientation Course & Test?
No. ACCA's lead regulator the Professional Oversight Board (POB) has recently agreed to ACCA's removal of the Audit Orientation Course & Test as a requirement to obtain the practising certificate and audit qualification. However, you are advised to submit your Practising Certificate Training Record (PCTR) for review as soon as you have met the practical training requirements for an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification. This will help to ensure that any queries or issues arising from your PCTR are dealt with on a timely basis.

Can I offer my services directly to the public?
As an ACCA member you may provide basic bookkeeping services which include: payroll; VAT; the recording of basic accounting data; and the preparation of accounting records to trial balance.

However, you are not permitted to undertake work that falls within ACCA's definition of public practice unless you hold an ACCA practising certificate or an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification. ACCA's definition of public practice includes:

• accepting appointment as an auditor
• signing or producing any accounts, report or certificate or tax return, that a 'third party' may place reliance on
• holding yourself out as being available to undertake these activities.

If I hold an ACCA practising certificate can I transfer to an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
It is possible for members to transfer from an ACCA practising certificate to an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification provided that they meet the eligibility requirements.

You will need to obtain the required level of audit work experience in an ACCA Approved Employer – Practising Certificate Development (PCD) Practice under the supervision of a Principal who is fully qualified company auditor.

The experience for an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification must be gained in a supervised capacity i.e. as an employee or a subcontractor. Experience gained as a salaried or equity partner of a practising firm cannot contribute towards the necessary experience requirements for an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification. (The concept of joint and several liability of partners prevents salaried or equity partners from being supervised in the same way as a normal employee, and does not allow the partners to confirm the work experience obtained.). Similarly, experience gained whilst a director of a limited company cannot contribute towards the necessary experience for an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification.

I have not passed option P7 Advanced Audit and Assurance . Can I still obtain an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification?
If you wish to obtain an ACCA practising certificate and audit qualification, you must pass option P7 Advanced Audit and Assurance (or paper 3.1 Audit and Assurance Services o r 10 Accounting and Audit Practice under the preceding syllabus which was examinable until June 2001). If you have not passed either paper, it is possible for you to attempt option P7 after you have been admitted to ACCA membership.

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