Certificate in International Public Sector Accounting Standards (Cert IPSAS)

ACCA Approved

Certificate in International Public Sector Accounting Standards (Cert IPSAS)

Overview

IPSAS® have been developed to enhance the quality, consistency and transparency of public sector financial reporting worldwide. Issued by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB), they are cash-based standards and accruals standards used for the preparation of general purpose financial statements by governments and other public sector entities around the world.

The ACCA Certificate in International Public Sector Accounting Standards – known as Cert IPSAS – has been specifically developed to help you meet the challenges of implementing IPSAS by:

examining the fundamental requirements of accrual-based IPSAS on a standard-by-standard basis, for the benefit of preparers, auditors and users of financial statements
providing guidance on how to use IPSAS in practice, with the aid of cases, interactive exercises and formative questions
explaining the difference between the cash basis IPSAS and accrual-based IPSAS
providing an overview of how IPSAS are used around the world
explaining the workings of the IPSASB and how these are developing

Who is it for?

Cert IPSAS will be relevant to you if your organisation is currently using or about to implement IPSAS®, or if you work with clients who use IPSAS Standards®.

It’s perfect for helping employees with a background in financial reporting to meet the challenges of implementing IPSAS, providing a practical and introductory knowledge of these standards and how they are interpreted and applied.

It’s been prepared for:

public sector employers and employees globally
accountants working or wishing to work in the public sector
learning providers
national and local governments
policy makers specialising in the public sector.

If you already have a professional accountancy qualification this qualification can be a valuable source of CPD, offering an opportunity to top up existing competencies with specific technical knowledge and skills around IPSAS Standards.

If you do not hold a professional accountancy qualification, it offers the opportunity to gain formal recognition of IPSAS knowledge and skills. It is recommended that an educational or vocational background in financial reporting is gained before starting on Cert IPSAS.

How it works?

The Cert IPSAS includes both an online course and a test.

The online course includes all the study materials needed, although candidates will benefit from having a copy of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) 2020 Handbook of International Public Sector Accounting Pronouncements. You can find the handbook at the International Federation of Accountants website.

If you already use IPSAS® and need formal recognition of your skills, you can register to take the online Cert IPSAS assessment only. Likewise, if you do not need certification, but want extra knowledge in the field, you can choose the course only.

When you complete registration, you’ll get access to the online course and assessment for six months. Typically, candidates should take 20 hours to work through the course.

The certificate is assessed by a one-hour exam with multiple-choice questions. There are 25 multiple-choice questions based on the syllabus, and the pass mark is 50%.

The fee covers three attempts to take the assessment. These must be taken within the six-month access period. If the candidate does not pass after three attempts, another registration fee is required to make further attempts.

Course Details

Topic	Details
Financial statement presentation and accounting policy	Financial statements (IPSAS 1) Cash flow statements (IPSAS 2) Accounting policies, changes in accounting estimates, and errors (IPSAS 3) Segment reporting (IPSAS 18) Disclosure standards and other topics, presentation of budget information (IPSAS 24)
Financial performance	Provides an understanding of: Non-exchange revenue (IPSAS 23) Exchange revenue (IPSAS 9) Construction contracts (IPSAS 11)
Accounting for assets and liabilities	Delivers teaching around a wide range of topics including: Property plant and equipment (IPSAS 17) Intangible assets (IPSAS 31) Investment property (IPSAS 16) Impairment of cash generating assets (IPSAS 26) Impairment of non-cash generating assets (IPSAS 21) Borrowing costs (IPSAS 5) Inventories (IPSAS 12) Leases (IPSAS 13) Financial instruments (IPSAS 28, 29, 30) Provisions Contingent liabilities and contingent assets (IPSAS 19) Events after the reporting date (IPSAS 14) Employee benefits (IPSAS 39) Social benefits (IPSAS 42) Agriculture (IPSAS 27) Concessions Foreign operations and hyperinflationary economies (IPSAS 4, 10) Service concessions (IPSAS 32) Translation of financial statements of foreign operations (IPSAS 4) Financial reporting in hyperinflationary economies (IPSAS 10)
Consolidation	Delivers training around: Separate Financial Statements (IPSAS 34) Consolidated Financial Statements (IPSAS 35) Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures (IPSAS 36) Joint Arrangements (IPSAS 37) Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities (IPSAS 38) Public Sector Combinations (IPSAS 40)
Disclosure standards	Related party disclosures (IPSAS 20) Disclosure of financial information about the general government sector (IPSAS 22)
Cash basis IPSAS	Teaches students about Part 1 of the cash basis IPSAS, covering required information in: The statement of cash receipts Payments Disclosures Consolidation under the cash basis Presentation of budget information in the financial statements The additional (non-mandatory) disclosures encouraged in Part 2 of the cash basis IPSAS
First-time adoption of accrual-based IPSAS	Delivers training cover the following areas: Migrating from cash to accrual basis First time adoption of IPSAS (IPSAS 33) Change management and the adoption of IPSAS
Forthcoming proposals for change	Teaches students about Public sector financial crisis and IPSAS, IPSASB’s strategic direction and forthcoming proposals from the IPSASB. Exposure Drafts, Consultation Papers and other proceedings 'issued' on or before 31 August annually will be assessed within the certificates from early in April until 31 March of the following year.

ACCA Professional Fee's

Key details
ACCA members	£115 The discount is applied automatically when members register online with a valid credit or debit card and enter their ACCA membership number.
Non-ACCA members	£145

Why Choose Hayford?

Hayford Integrated Training Institute is one of the prestigious training institutes in the region and has a global presence. Hayford serves the professional and student community in the region and globally through its best-in-class training and development programmes.

Hayford led by an eminent team of experts with a cumulative experience of 300+ years of professional experience in varied industries and professional domains now offers a conducive environment for the students to develop their knowledge, learn from the masters and practice what they have learned.