All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY |
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: |
National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting |
SAQA QUAL ID | QUALIFICATION TITLE | |||
36213 | National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting | |||
ORIGINATOR | ||||
SGB HET Accountancy and Financial Management | ||||
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY | NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK | |||
FASSET - Financial and Accounting Services SETA | OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework | |||
QUALIFICATION TYPE | FIELD | SUBFIELD | ||
National Diploma | Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies | Finance, Economics and Accounting | ||
ABET BAND | MINIMUM CREDITS | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | QUAL CLASS |
Undefined | 251 | Level 5 | NQF Level 05 | Regular-Unit Stds Based |
REGISTRATION STATUS | SAQA DECISION NUMBER | REGISTRATION START DATE | REGISTRATION END DATE | |
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered" |
SAQA 9900/00 | 2018-07-01 | 2023-06-30 | |
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT | LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT | |||
2024-06-30 | 2028-06-30 |
In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise. |
This qualification replaces: |
Qual ID | Qualification Title | Pre-2009 NQF Level | NQF Level | Min Credits | Replacement Status |
20364 | Diploma: Registered Accounting Technician | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 240 | Complete |
PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION |
This Qualification is designed to equip the learner with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to be appointed as Financial Accounting Technicians who have an important role to play, either as support staff to the Accountant, where they provide Accounting and Financial Management support in the field of Accounting and Financial Management in medium to large organisations or by assuming the role of Accountant in a smaller organisation, where an outsourced registered Chartered Accountant provides the service of supervision and monitoring. The National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting: Level 5 is for individuals who, for whatever reason, are unable to continue or do not wish to continue with their studies to become Registered Chartered Accountants. Financial Accounting Technicians are in very short supply, as all organisations need to be provided with the type of work they do. In most cases, the Financial Accounting Technician can provide a full Accounting service to a small organisation, under supervision of an off-site Chartered Accountant.
Whilst it is clearly important that the learner should be competent in using modern information technology, most of the Unit Standards for Accounting in this Qualification avoid reference to specific methods of processing data. The knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required by the learner are defined in terms of outcomes rather than processes. In the case of basic Bookkeeping, for instance, it is important that a learner understands and is able to apply the double-entry system even though a standard computer package might be used in practice for most routine tasks. A competent learner must understand the manual procedures in order to deal with any errors, even if he/she does not perform the manual procedures him/herself. The National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting; Level 5 is designed to provide learners with those competencies rather than proficiency in using software packages, which are used commercially to perform routine Accounting functions. This Qualification is designed with the objective of encouraging the widest possible access to the Accounting profession and Accounting Qualifications. Accounting Qualifications have traditionally been pursued by a variety of individuals including those who are not at the time employed in an Accounting function, e.g. the unemployed, those temporarily out of the employment market and those seeking to change their occupation. This Qualification and the Assessment Criteria and guidelines which accompany them have been designed to ensure that access to NQF registered Qualifications in Accounting is not limited to those who are employed in an Accounting function. The National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting: Level 5 can be seen as a first Qualification in a long line of Accounting Qualifications offered by a wide range of professional Accounting bodies and tertiary institutions at various levels on the NQF. Successful completion of this Qualification will give the learner the knowledge and skills required not only to perform his/her Accounting job efficiently, but also to proceed on a path of life-long learning with one of the Qualifications at NQF Level 6 Rationale This Qualification has been developed as a coherent set of "generic" competences in Accounting so that it applies to a wide range of different types of Accounting jobs in a variety of organisations. Transferable core competences for broadly defined areas of Accounting activity have been identified and included in this Qualification as they apply to all employees involved in an Accounting role in any organisation. Some of the individual competencies, particularly those in large organisations relating to a specific job in the field have also been included in the Qualification, where these might have a broader applicability for learners. One of the primary reasons why businesses fail is because inadequate control is maintained over the financial affairs of the company with costs being allowed to exceed budget and income, as well as inadequate record keeping of creditors and debtors, for example. This Qualification aims at equipping learners to perform the Accounting function in small organisations and to provide support to Accountants and Financial Managers in medium and large organisations so that the Accounting and Financial management functions can be more effectively performed to avoid those and other problems. Learners completing this qualification will be able to be employed as Financial Accounting Technicians who do work that requires fundamental knowledge of and the application of basic Bookkeeping and Accounting procedures in a variety of situations. They require a range of skills and the ability to apply essential methods and procedures within the limits of their authority. Their work roles are in general Accounting and Financial Management where they lend support to the Accountant and/or the Financial Manager of medium to large organisations. They also perform a wide range of Accounting and Financial Management tasks independently in small companies but under the indirect supervision of an external Accountant in terms of legal requirements, in different industries and in commercial and industrial organisations. The National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting: Level 5 is a first step for learners who The National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting: Level 5 is a Qualification that rewards the learner for the knowledge, skills attitudes and values that have been mastered through awarding him/her with a nationally recognised Qualification that formally recognises those competencies. It is flexible enough to accommodate both learners in formal education and learners already employed in the Accounting support field. It aims to develop informed and skilled learners in Accounting and Financial Management, which is a vital sector in business, commerce and industry. The Qualification at this level is the start of a career path in Accountancy and/or Financial Management and is generic enough to allow maximum mobility within the Accounting and Financial Management sectors. Skills, knowledge, values and attitudes reflected in the Qualification are building blocks that can be developed further in Accounting or Financial Management Qualifications at Level 6. The intention is to: |
LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING |
It is presumed that learners entering this Qualification have achieved a Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC) with Accounting at NQF Level 4, or an Accounting Qualification registered at NQF level 4.
Recognition of Prior Learning This Qualification may be obtained in whole or in part through a process of RPL. Recognition of Prior Learning means a comparison of the learner`s previous learning howsoever obtained, against the learning outcomes required for this Qualification in terms of the Specific Outcomes of the constituent Unit Standards and the Exit Level Outcomes of the Qualification as a whole and crediting the learner with the knowledge and skills and competencies already mastered. The learner will be credited with the Unit Standards already mastered and will not need to prove competence in them again. If competence can be shown in all the outcomes, the complete Qualification can be awarded to the candidate. Procedure for Recognition of Prior Learning A learner requesting RPL will have an initial informal discussion with a registered assessor to establish if there is a likely case for RPL. The basis for RPL will be that the learner has already mastered the some or all of the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values contained in the Qualification and can demonstrate the required competence. The learner will be expected to present evidence that the outcomes have been covered to the required level. The main sources of evidence of competence are: A combination of the above sources of evidence is likely and where possible this should be collected in the candidate`s Accounting environment. Regardless of the source of evidence, the assessment should be checked bearing in mind the following non-negotiables: The assessor applying RPL could use any of the following tools and techniques to assess competence: The learner could be required to prepare a portfolio, which will comprise a collection of evidence of prior learning. |
RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? |
Y |
QUALIFICATION RULES |
N/A |
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
The qualifying learner will be able to:
1. Process documents relating to goods and services supplied and received 2. Maintain records relating to capital acquisition and disposal 3. Input, store and output data 4. Provide costing reports 5. Highlight trends in costs and make suggestions for the reduction of costs and adding value to the organisation 6. Prepare cost estimates for work activities and projects 7. Contribute to the planning and conducting of an audit 8. Classify and record Accounting and non-financial data. 9. Take responsibility for the management of cash and credit. 10. Perform tax computations, prepare returns for business and individuals and submit all required tax returns Depending on the electives chosen learners will also be able to: 1. Administer the estate of deceased persons. 2. Assist with the winding up of an insolvent estate and the liquidation of a company within the context of financial management. 3. Interpret statutes and the basic structures of the South African legal system within the context of the Accounting profession. |
ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
1. Process documents relating to goods and services supplied and received.
2. Maintain records relating to capital acquisition and disposal. 3. Input, store and output data. 4. Provide costing reports. 5. Contribute to the planning and conducting of an audit. 6. Prepare cost estimates for work activities and projects. 7. Contribute to the planning and conducting of an audit. 8. Classify and record Accounting and non-financial data. 9. Take responsibility for the management of cash and credit 10. Perform tax computations, prepare returns for business and individuals and submit all required tax returns Electives 1. Administer the estate of deceased persons 2. Assist with the winding up of an insolvent estate and the liquidation of a company within the context of financial management 3. Interpret statutes and the basic structures of the South African legal system within the context of the Accounting profession Integrated Assessment Considerable variations exist in the opportunities available to learners for the demonstration of competence in the workplace. In very large organisations, departments may carry out highly specialised functions, which mean that staff may be exposed to a very narrow range of activities. In small organisations, the work of learners may be more varied. In some organisations, job rotation may be built into the system permitting the learner to demonstrate competence in a range of functions. Assessment for this Accounting Qualification must take into account this variety and must provide opportunities for all candidates to demonstrate competence within a reasonable timescale whatever their circumstances. Where the learner is not currently employed, the assessor should simulate the work environment as realistically as possible. Evidence of competence can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, however the following guidelines need to be borne in mind when learners are assessed: Assessors should design assessment tools and conduct assessments against the Unit Standards specified in the Qualification as well as the exit level outcomes in an integrated way. Assessment of competence will be done through a combination of formative and summative assessment tools, techniques and procedures, which do not discriminate against learners in an unjust or invalid way. Formative assessment will integrate theory with practice. A final summative assessment combining theory and practical competencies will be done through learners writing a series of Examinations covering all learning areas. |
INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY |
The Unit Standards used in this Qualification are those developed by the ACFIST SGB and registered on the NQF. Those Unit Standards were compared with the Standards of Competence of the United Kingdom Lead Body for Accountants (January 2000) and a 100% match was found.
The Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA), based in the United Kingdom, has evaluated this Qualification and successful learners may apply for membership of this body. The IFA is the largest non-chartered body of Professional Accountants in the United Kingdom and is represented in over 80 countries worldwide. |
ARTICULATION OPTIONS |
This Qualification articulates horizontally with the Qualifications offered by CIMA, IPFA, CIGA, IMFO and the ICB and in particular with the:
The Qualification articulates vertically with the following Qualifications: Learners will be able to apply for Fellow membership of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers Ltd, the largest professional body in the world offering Qualifications at NQF levels 3, 4 and 5. |
MODERATION OPTIONS |
Formative assessment will be conducted internally by the provider with moderation being done by the relevant ETQA. |
CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS |
Anyone performing assessment to determine competence for this Qualification should:
|
REREGISTRATION HISTORY |
As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. |
NOTES |
As per the SAQA decision to re-register all provider-based qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework that meet the criteria for re-registration, this qualification has been re-registered from 1 July 2018. This qualification replaces 20364: Diploma: Registered Accounting Technician, NQF Level 5, 240 credits. |
UNIT STANDARDS: |
ID | UNIT STANDARD TITLE | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | CREDITS | |
Core | 13018 | Contribute to the Implementation of auditing procedures | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 12 |
Core | 12999 | Contribute to the management of costs and the enhancement of value | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 13000 | Contribute to the planning and allocation of resources within an accounting framework | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 13015 | Draft financial statements | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 12 |
Core | 12983 | Interpret statutes and provide basic information on South African legislation as it relates to the accounting function | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 12995 | Maintain financial records and prepare general ledger accounts | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 12 |
Core | 12989 | Make and record payments | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Core | 13014 | Manage accounting systems | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 13016 | Operate a cash management and credit control system | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 13019 | Prepare business tax returns | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 12 |
Core | 12997 | Prepare financial reports and returns | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Core | 12990 | Prepare ledger balances and an initial trial balance | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 13020 | Prepare personal tax returns | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 12998 | Produce spreadsheets using accounting related information technology | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Core | 12988 | Record income and receipts | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 12996 | Record, analyse and prepare cost information | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Core | 12994 | Supply costing information for management control | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Core | 12991 | Work with information technology in an accounting environment | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 6 |
Core | 13025 | Determine what is taxable income | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 16 |
Core | 12975 | Interpret and apply the laws and procedures related to taxes levied | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 8 |
Core | 12976 | Interpret and apply the laws and procedures relating to the duty which is levied on the estates of deceased persons | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 8 |
Core | 12935 | Recognise, measure, classify and record financial and non-financial data | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 8 |
Fundamental | 8662 | Analyse and communicate workplace data | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 5 |
Fundamental | 8647 | Apply workplace communication skills | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Fundamental | 8648 | Demonstrate an understanding of professional values and ethics | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 4 |
Elective | 12992 | Achieve personal effectiveness in an accounting environment | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Elective | 12982 | Administer and wind up insolvent estates | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Elective | 12981 | Administer and wind up the of estates of deceased persons | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Elective | 12945 | Design, evaluate and apply cost management systems and techniques in the business environment | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 12 |
Elective | 13067 | Evaluate and advise on costing and cost management information for material, labour and overheads | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 10 |
Elective | 13066 | Evaluate and provide costing and cost management information | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 6 |
Elective | 13069 | Provide costing information on the management of accounting information systems | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 10 |
LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: |
When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification. |
NONE |
PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: |
This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here. |
NONE |
All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |