CA Education Reform

The New Qualification Process
The new qualification process, which includes education, experience and evaluation, is based on the concept of professional competency. It includes both knowledge and the skills and attitudes required to analyze, synthesize and apply knowledge effectively. It is integrative and context-focused - ensuring that CAs can indeed draw together the 'hows' and 'whats' of learning and apply them effectively to accomplish job- and role-related tasks.

The profession's competency-based approach defines CA entry-level requirements in terms of what employers and clients expect a newly qualified CA to be able to do. It implies a high level of ability and a high standard of accountability and performance. Our members and the public demand that future CAs be fully prepared to meet the changing needs of the business world. The new CA qualification process provides the foundation for meeting these challenges.

The CA Candidates' Competency Map
The CA Candidate's Competency Map: Understanding the Professional Competencies of CAs, published by the CICA in October 2002, provides CA candidates, education providers, employers and the Provincial Institutes/Ordre with a common base and a common language for determining and evaluating their respective roles and contributions within the qualification process. In 2003, the Map replaces the UFE Syllabus in the new competency-based approach to qualification. Because the Map is intended to capture the market expectations of CAs, it will be a living document, continually updated with input from education providers, employers and the Institutes/Ordre.

Changes in Ontario's Delivery System
Ontario's, mainly university-based system, culminates with the Institute's Professional Program, which is comprised of the Core-Knowledge Examination (CKE), the six-month self-study segment and the three-week full-time segment of the School of Accountancy, and the End-of School Examination (ESE). Ontario universities that deliver the Institute's 51 credit-hour requirement are currently comparing the Competency Map requirements to their programs in order to identify any weaknesses and/or gaps that need to be addressed. The implementation of any necessary changes will begin immediately but it is recognized that some will take longer than others. On a transitional basis, the Institute's School of Accountancy (link to info on SOA Web Site) will fill any gaps identified to ensure that Ontario candidates are well prepared for the challenge of a competency-referenced UFE beginning in 2003.

Practical Experience
A significant source of competency development is the experience CA candidates' gain working with CA firms. While the total hours of practical work experience will remain unchanged, there is greater flexibility in the kinds of work they can be exposed to and the competencies they can develop while gaining practical experience. A primary objective of the new CA qualification process is strengthening the link between formal CA education and 'on-the-job' knowledge and skill development. For more details, please refer to ICAO Members' handbook under Regulation I. Firms that hire CA candidates are formally recognized by their Provincial Institutes/Orde as training offices approved to provide practical experience in accordance with national guidelines. Revised uniform guidelines based on the CA Competency Map and indicating the kind of feedback the profession would like to receive from employers are expected by the end of the year.

Beginning with the 2003 Uniform Evaluation, which will continue to be referred to as the UFE, candidates will be evaluated against the requirements of entry-level standards set out in The CA Candidates' Competency Map. The UFE will challenge candidates to demonstrate their proficiency in CA competencies by applying them to simulations - business case histories that are representative of the kinds of challenges new CAs face. The UFE will consist of three papers written over three days. Consistent with the competency-referenced approach, candidates will be allowed to access reference materials in the evaluation - the CICA Handbook and the Federal Income Tax Act - highlighting the emphasis on the application of knowledge. For more details, please refer to the relevant publications listed at the end of this section.

The CA Designation is just the Beginning
A newly qualified CA stands on the threshold of an exciting professional career and a lifetime of challenging, stimulating professional learning and growth. While many CAs will remain in public practice serving the ever-changing needs of clients, others will choose to go into industry, government ore academia where their designation is widely recognized as the professional designation of business leaders. The rapid pace of change in our global economy will challenge all CAs to continue to develop their professional skills through lifelong professional learning.

An ongoing commitment to technical excellence is fundamental to the strength of the CA profession. The CA designation is just the beginning of a career of lifelong learning and professional development limited only by the drive and interests of the individual. Some CA s will choose to become specialists, having concentrated their effort and expertise in a particular area of work, and earn one of our profession's recognized specialty designations.

Source: Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario