Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: In December 2021, Riya Manandhar topped the Taxation examination worldwide. Four months later, she again topped the Performance Management examination.
Manandhar, who is currently studying the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Applied Skills Level Course at The British College, hopes to make a career in the accounting and business sector. “The ACCA course is the only way to excel in the accounting and business sector,” she added.
According to Manandhar, practical, skill-oriented teaching and job assurance after the study motivated her to pursue the ACCA course. Nearly 4,000 students like Manandhar are studying ACCA courses in Nepal, and more than 650,000 students are studying ACCA courses in 180 countries worldwide.
ACCA has over 241,000 members worldwide, who can work in the management sector anywhere in the world. In Nepal, there are around 5,000 ACCA members.
Rabin Katwal, head of ACCA Nepal, says that the popularity of ACCA courses is increasing not only because of their uniform examination system, curriculum, and teaching methodology, as well as their international recognition but also because of the easy availability of quality jobs.
“The demand for ACCA courses is increasing due to the opportunities and fame that ACCA members have achieved,” Katwal said. “As the economy becomes more dynamic in developing countries like Nepal, the need for ACCA professionals is increasing day by day.”
With the development and expansion of the economic sector, there is a high demand for skilled manpower to ensure the systematic operation of such activities. On the one hand, the number of people going abroad in search of work is increasing day by day, while corporate companies are struggling to find skilled workers. According to Katwal, ACCA is trying to fill this gap by providing professional training that is aligned with the needs of the job market.
“Practical curriculum and skill-oriented education are the main characteristics of the ACCA course,” Katwal said. “Students intern for three years in corporate houses during their studies, which confirms the practicality of this course.”
He added that the role of ACCA professionals is considered more important in making institutions with weak financial discipline agile and in establishing a dynamic financial system.
Practical and Wider Scope
As the demand for skilled professionals in the management field increases, the number of students taking the ACCA course is also on the rise. This is why ACCA Nepal is in the process of expanding the course outside of the Kathmandu Valley.
ACCA is the chartered accountancy body of the United Kingdom. The ACCA course has three levels: Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills, and Strategic Professional which take three years to complete. Students must pass a total of 13 exams, or four exams per year. Students can only move on to the next level after passing the examination. Experts say that the course duration varies depending on the efforts made by the students, and students can take the exams at their own pace.
Students graduating from Class 12 can be admitted to the Applied Knowledge level. For direct admission to the Applied Skills level, students must have a Bachelor’s degree. Similarly, students who have passed the SEE examination can study ACCA levels after completing a one-year “Foundation in Accountancy” course.
ACCA has also updated its course over time. It has prioritized “Digital Skills” to make the curriculum more practical. According to Katwal, head of ACCA Nepal, the course will be changed to reflect the future needs of the market.
The ACCA course has three levels: Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills, and Strategic Professional which take three years to complete.
ACCA helps small and large businesses with their legal needs every day, and produces an innovative, strategically-minded accountancy workforce to meet the changing needs of the market. The ACCA degree is the world’s leading accountancy qualification for aspiring finance professionals, providing students with the skills, knowledge, and values they need to build successful careers and lead organizations in the future.
Students study a range of subjects, including Business and Technology, Management Accountancy, Financial Accountancy, Law, Performance Management, Tax, Audit, Finance, and Business Leadership. With so many subjects to choose from, students can decide which stream they want to pursue.
Ravin Katwal, head of ACCA Nepal, says that ACCA has focused on producing professionals who can work in research roles, and ACCA teaching institutions in Nepal have also emphasized the importance of skill efficiency and research.
“ACCA is working in collaboration with various chartered accountancy bodies,” Katwal says. “This partnership helps expand students’ skills and make them more practical.”
Some best institutions
Four institutions in Nepal offer ACCA courses. The British Professional College, NCA College of Management, Certified College of Accountancy, and Seed Financial Academy. They all are Gold Partners of ACCA in Nepal.
The British Professional College in Kathmandu has been producing skilled manpower for the sector since 2012. “We have produced the ACCA World Topper and the ACCA Nepal Topper,” says Dipendra Kumar Shrestha, ACCA program manager at The British Professional College.
The British Professional College has adopted modern teaching methods to better prepare its students for the job market. It has also signed agreements with several institutions for internships.
“The ACCA course prepares students for sectors such as banking, financial institutions, agriculture, general administration, business partnership, and digital infrastructure, among others,” Shrestha added.
The college is a preferred choice for students because of its affordable fees, qualified instructors, and professional experience students gain during the course, he added.
The Certified College of Accountancy (CCA) has also been running classes on the ACCA course. Divas Silwal, the academic director of CCA, said that since it is a competitive course in the management sector worldwide, students will secure their future. “ACCA graduates have excelled in various sectors and have the opportunity to find employment anywhere in the world. Many students are attracted to the ACCA course because it produces technical professionals,” Lamsal added.
The NCA College of Management has also been successfully running ACCA courses. Suresh Pandit, director of NCA, said that it is the best course worldwide in terms of job guarantee and professional skills. “We are prioritizing this course so that students choose to study in Nepal itself. We have created a perfect learning environment by providing quality education,” he added.
