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The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (the Institute) recognises not all skills assessment applicants have the same accounting qualifications, this guide will outline the differences and what's required.

1. Graduates with an Australian or Overseas Tertiary Qualification
2. Members of Fully Recognised Overseas Accounting Bodies
3. Members of Partially Recognised Overseas Accounting Bodies
4. Not a member of any of the listed accounting bodies?

The following applies for Graduates with an Australian and/or Overseas Tertiary Qualifications:

• Graduates with an Australian qualification: the Institute recognises graduates with a Bachelor degree or 12 unit accredited Masters degree in accounting/business/commerce or economics from a recognised Australian University.
• Graduates with overseas tertiary qualifications: to assess the general education level of overseas tertiary qualifications the Institute adheres to the guidelines of the National Office of Overseas Skills recognition (AEI-NOOSR), an Australian government body.

When it has been established that your qualifications are at least comparable to the level of an Australian Bachelor degree, the Institute then examines individual subjects to determine coverage of the required core knowledge areas.

Successful applicants are required to have adequate coverage in at least 9 of the following 12 core knowledge areas.

• Accounting Systems & Processes
• Corporate Accounting & Reporting
• Accounting Theory, Professional & Regulatory Processes
• Cost & Management Accounting
• Finance
• Audit & Assurance
• Legal Framework & Commercial Law
• Corporate Law
• Taxation Law
• Information Systems Design & Development
• Economics (micro & macro)
• Quantitative Methods

Please note that practical experience in a core knowledge area is not accepted as an alternative to formal tertiary study.

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Members of Fully recognised overseas accounting bodies

The Institute has reciprocal agreements with the following overseas accounting bodies:

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland
• Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
• A legally constituted State Authority in the United States of America (the person having CPA status) subject to appropriate service. Also having a Licence to Practice in the state of issue
• The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
• The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (members of the College of Chartered Accountants)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (admitted after 1, Jan 1996)
• The Hong Kong Society of Accountants (only members who have completed the HKICPA Qualifications Programme and trained under an Authorised Employer/Supervisor).

Current Members of these professional bodies will, in general, be assessed as suitable for migration purposes. For more information visit our article on Members of recognised overseas accounting bodies.

Please note that student members of these bodies without a recognised Bachelor degree should only apply when they have become a full member.

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Members of Partially recognised overseas accounting bodies

The partially recognised overseas accounting bodies are:

• Current members of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA, UK)
• Current members of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA, UK)
• Current members of The Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA,UK)
• Current members of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
• Current members of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (membership obtained before January 1996)

Current members of partially recognised overseas accounting bodies will, in general, be assessed as suitable for migration purposes.

Please note that student members of these bodies without a recognised Bachelor degree should only apply when they have become a full member.

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Not a member of any of the listed accounting bodies?

The Institute will assess studies undertaken with an accounting body that is not listed above along with other tertiary studies to determine adequate coverage in at least 9 out of 12 core knowledge areas listed above.

Please note that the basic requirement for a suitable assessment is that your qualifications are assessed as at least comparable to the level of an Australian bachelor degree.

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