Level IV Certificate in Advanced Bookkeeping and Accounting
From April 2014
Course Code L4C
Level 4 Certificate in Advanced Bookkeeping & Accounts syllabus
Introduction
The Level IV Certificate in Advanced Bookkeeping and Accounts covers the production of a set of accounts from incomplete records, advanced partnership accounts and the preparation and interpretation of internal management accounts for incorporated bodies.
Limits of the qualification
Where reference is made in the syllabus to preparing final accounts for incorporated businesses, this qualification covers the production of internal management accounts only. Those who wish to prepare sets of accounts for directors’ signatures under Financial Reporting Standards (both UK and International) should successfully compete this qualification and then take the Level IV Unit in Financial Reporting.
Occupational Role: self-employed bookkeeper / senior employed bookkeeper
On completion of this qualification candidates will be able to carry out the role of an employed or self-employed bookkeeper, producing draft year-end accounts for limited companies and limited liability partnerships in both a manual and a computerised system within the above limitations.
Prior Knowledge
Before commencing the study at this level the candidate should have achieved ICB Level III Certificate in Bookkeeping and Accounting or its equivalent with another awarding body.
Qualification aims
On completion of this level of study a candidate will be able to:
- Prepare a set of accounts for an organisation from incomplete records
- Prepare a set of final accounts for a limited company for internal management purposes
- Prepare a set of final accounts for a limited liability partnership (income statement and balance sheet only – the preparation of notes will not be tested).
- Adjust the capital share of partners in the event of a change of partnership profit sharing ratio
- Interpret financial statements by calculating and explaining ratios for profitability and liquidity
Assessment and Grading
The testing of knowledge and skills for this qualification will comprise two online assessments, one of which will be taken in the candidate’s home of place of work, the other of which will be taken at an external ICB centre.
Paper ABA8 – Final management accounts of incorporated businesses
Home /place of work based assessment to include:
- Final accounts including adjustments for a limited company (internal management accounts format only) (30% weighting)
- Limited liability partnerships (5% weighting)
- incomplete records (20% weighting)
- partnership profit sharing ratios (15% weighting)
- calculation and interpretation of ratios (5% weighting)
- testing in a computerised accounts system for any and/or all of the above (25% weighting)
Paper ABA9 – Level IV External Assessment
- A single assessment to be taken at an external ICB centre will be a mixture of multl-choice and data entry questions which will cover all elements of the syllabus
This full qualification will be graded at Distinction with Honours, Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail
Both the test and the examination must be successfully achieved to gain the full qualification.
The assessments will each generate an accreditation notification.
The home or office based assessment will be graded as follows:
| Distinction |
95 -100% |
| Merit |
90 - 94% |
| Pass |
85 - 89% |
| Fail |
0 - 84% |
The assessment taken at an external ICB centre will be graded as follows:
| Distinction |
90 -100% |
| Merit |
80 - 89% |
| Pass |
70 - 79% |
| Fail |
0 - 69% |
Once all tests have been successfully completed a final certificate can be applied for and will be will be graded at Distinction with Honours, Distinction, Merit or Pass. Unit results will be aggregated. To achieve the relevant grade in the full qualification, the following aggregate marks must be achieved:
| Distinction with Honours |
195 marks and above |
| Distinction |
185 – 195 marks |
| Merit |
170 – 184 marks |
| Pass |
155 – 169 marks |
Level of Membership
Successful achievement at the full qualification will lead to the offer to upgrade to Member of ICB. ICB Members are entitled to use the designatory letters MICB.
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