Probably you have heard about chartered accountants and their role in the economy. Or most likely, you have skills in accounting and want to become a chartered accountant. Well, look no further as we will explain how to become a chartered accountant from your O'Level Certificate in Nigeria.
If you have an O'Level Certificate you can be a chartered accountant either through the Accounting Technician Scheme West Africa (ATSWA) or by attending institutions of higher learning (universities and polytechnics). Our focus in this article is to help you become a chartered accountant without attending the four walls of the university or polytechnic. Therefore, the ATSWA examination is your best shot.
What is ATSWA?
This is an acronym for Accounting Technical Scheme West Africa. It is a program to train interested individuals to become accounting technicians. After the training, the individual should be able to assist chartered accountants on their job.
The goal is to provide a starting point for those who are pursuing a career in accounting and become middle-level accounting technicians who can perform accounting tasks under the direction of chartered accountants and auditors. Holders can work in both the public and private sectors. The program is available not only to Nigerians but to all West African countries.
On completion of the program, you will be issued a certificate at the induction to be an AATWA member. The program has three stages that you can complete within the space of one year and six months (or 15 months). If you include induction time, it takes two years to complete the program.
What is AATWA?
AATWA stands for Association of Accounting Technicians West Africa. And it is the certificate for the students of the atswa exams. It is given on successful completion of all three stages of the examination. Upon earning the certificate you can attach the deviation AAT at the end of your name. For example, Micheal Jordan AAT.
You can use the AATWA certificate for jobs with an audit firm or any other entity or company that is willing to accept it. You can also use it in Nigeria as a direct entry into the 200 level in the accounting department at some selected universities. You will need to look at the UTME (JAMB) brochure for directions. Or find out from the university of your choice if they accept it.
More so, the AATWA certification is equivalent to a higher diploma degree (HND) in the eyes of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. However, in the eyes of Nigeria, it is equal to the ordinary national degree (OND) certificate. If you own the certificate, you can proceed to write ICAN skill levels. However, you will be writing five papers while a person with a B.Sc in accounting will write the same skill levels but four papers. However OND students will start from stage three of ATSWA.
What subjects are in the three stages of ATSWA
In each of the three stages, there are three papers to write. The rule is that you must pass all papers in the first stage before you move to the next stage and so on. Below are the three stages of the exams:
Level One:
- Basic Accounting Processes & Systems
- Economics
- Business Law
- Communication Skills
Level Two:
- Principles and Practice of Financial Accounting
- Public Sector Accounting
- Quantitative Analysis
- Information Technology
Level Three:
- Principles of Auditing
- Cost Accounting
- Preparing Tax Computations and Returns
- Management
How to register for ATSWA examinations
The first step is to register as a student. That will cost you a minimum of 6000 Naira only. You will go to any commercial bank to pay 6000 Naira. Tell the teller that you are paying for ICAN ATS exams. Next, visit the ICAN website for directions on how to complete the registration. Also, you will need photocopies of the following:
- Original copy of the pay direct receipt/transaction reference
- Certified photocopies of your credentials any (NECO, WASCE, NABTEB, OND, NCE)
- A chartered accountant to endorse your application forms and other credentials and
- Passports
Note: you can register through an ICAN-accredited tuition center.
What else you should know
You can read for the exams yourself. You can do this by getting the study packs of the stage you are writing and reading them. Also, get past questions of up to ten years to practice questions and solutions. You will need to support the study packs with related textbooks.
If you think you can't read by yourself, then you can consider attending classes in a tuition center. You will pay tuition fees to them. After that, when exams are closed you will pay exam fees to ICAN. ATSWA examinations are written in March and September every year.
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