IAS – APC Preparatory Programme: Supporting Curriculum
About Us
The Institute of Accounting Science (IAS) is a newly accredited provider with ambitions to offer the leading CTA programme and a competitive ITC and APC programme in South Africa. As a provider of the Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy, IAS requires accreditation by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). As an accrediting body, SAICA provides a detailed competency-based framework that IAS aligns with. This Competency-Based framework encourages the development of specific pervasive competencies such as Critical Thinking and Integrated Thinking, in addition to the technical competencies required of Chartered Accounts. A performance predictive competency framework, which aligns closely with the SAICA APC testing expectations, has been developed to guide programme design, development, and delivery methodology. Through the IAS APC Preparatory programme platform, you will be asked to complete a series of assessment questions aligned to this framework. This assessment serves as a personal diagnostic for you to determine your learning gaps and assist you in engaging in learning that is tailored to your developmental needs. A quarterly re-assessments will provide insight into your proficiency gains over each learning cycle, providing you with a progressive development plan. Further, these reassessments provide the data on which future programme improvements and design augmentations will be made.
How the platform supports your professional development
About IAS
IAS – APC Preparatory Programme: Supporting Curriculum has been designed to help you gain and develop CA(SA) specific competencies.
These Competencies include:
IAS – APC Preparatory Programme: Supporting Curriculum Diagnostic and Learning Platform - Competency Framework
Competencies  | Definition |
Administrative skills | The ability to organise, apply time management, file, and plan work effectively according to strict deadlines. |
Context Switching | The ability to analyse and quickly grasp the implications of a new situation. |
Critical Thinking | The ability to objectively analyse and evaluate information to draw logical conclusions. |
Problem Solving | The ability to find solutions to complex and unstructured problems in different scenarios. |
Concept Formation | Mentally converting information into effective ideas and theories. |
Working memory | Ability to rapidly switch between tasks and remember information under pressure. |
Critical Reading  | The ability to read and analyse text to understand the meaning, identify triggers and gain all the intended knowledge. |
Integration  | The ability to align technology, information and business culture with strategies and goals across different disciplines. |
Emotional Resilience  | Ability to remain calm, collected and able to adapt to stressful situations. |
Business Acumen  | The ability to explore, identify and implement new and creative ways to improve processes, products, services, practices, customer value, organizational effectiveness, and culture. |
Research Skills  | Ability to find, collect, analyse, interpret, and evaluate information. |
Consulting Concepts  | General knowledge of the concepts, implementation plans and potential impact. |
General Business Concepts  | General knowledge of the concepts, function, and potential impact. |
Financial Concepts  | General knowledge of the concepts, function, and potential impact. |
Economic Concepts  | General knowledge of the concepts and potential impact. |
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