The following information will provide you with more detailed knowledge on the AAT, Association of Accounting Technician’s qualification in South Africa.

CPMD will assist you to prepare for your AAT examinations and will provide you with quality tuition.  The following information has been obtained from www.aatsa.org.za:

AAT in South Africa
AAT South Africa, AAT(SA), is a unique partnership between the South African Institute of Charted Accountants (SAICA) and the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) developed to improve service delivery, develop skills for business and the economy, and provide personal development opportunities for individuals.

AAT(SA) is committed to advance, facilitate and regulate the education, training and development of accounting technicians in South Africa.

SAICA
SAICA is the pre-eminent accountancy body in South Africa. It has established itself as one of the leading Institutes in the world, playing its part in a highly dynamic business sector. It provides a wide range of support services to its members enabling them to play a key role in developing the rapidly changing South African economy.

The AAT is one of the world’s leading membership organisations for accounting professionals – with over 110,000 members – and has been providing competence-based accounting qualifications in Central Southern Africa for 20 years.

AAT(SA) provides a new career path in accountancy. The AAT(SA) Accounting Qualification is the ideal qualification for anyone wanting to work as an accounting technician. This vocational course provides the knowledge and skills to perform the tasks demanded by this role; it offers you the chance to gain a useful and practical qualification, while learning at your own pace.

The course is based on two principles:

 

The structure of the scheme
The scheme has three stages:

 

Each level of the scheme represents a qualification in its own right, which means it can be studied independently, and you will be given an AAT(SA) certificate for each level completed.

Flexibility
This qualification offers flexibility and can be tailored to suit your individual needs, allowing you to choose whether to do individual or groups of units from the scheme. And it’s not compulsory to complete an entire level either; you will gain recognition for each unit achieved.

Who is it for?
Almost anyone. Our aim is to make the AAT(SA) Accounting Qualification open to all - and many different kinds of people choose to study with us. You can join regardless of your age and no previous qualifications are required.

However, assessments are generally conducted in English so you should be confident of completing assessments and written projects in this language. Reasonable numeracy skills are also required.

Successful AAT(SA) learners have included school-leavers, career-changers, parents returning to work after raising a family and people with many years experience who decide to take a professional accounting qualification to enhance their skills.

Your career options
Accountancy is an essential business process that all organisations large and small have.  According to Wikepedia, an accounting technician is required to perform the following duties; processing and paying invoices, record receipts and payments, prepare and check ledger balances and other monthly and yearly accounts, complete and submit tax returns, monitor company expenses.
With experience, an accounting technician would often take on more complex and important tasks and management responsibilities, such as drafting financial reports, planning and budget control.

In larger companies, an accounting technician would work as part of an accounts team. In a small firm, an accounting technician may be the only person trained to deal with basic finance matters like wages and invoices.
Career opportunities as an accounting technician then includes, accounts clerk, wages clerk, accounting assistant, sales ledger clerk, tax assistant, book keeper, financial controller or accounts manager.

Pathway to the AAT Accounting Technicians Qualificatio

Advantages

 

How will I be assessed?
As you work towards the AAT(SA) Accounting Qualification, you’ll be assessed on the practical skills you develop during the course. This will be done in two ways.
Exams –These are set and marked by AAT(SA) and will test your ability to apply what they have learned to true-to-life examples. You may also re-take any exams if necessary.
Skills tests – These course assessments are based on realistic work scenarios and check your understanding regularly during the course, your ability to carry out practical activities and to operate effectively in the workplace.

How long does it take?
The AAT(SA) Accounting Qualification is flexible and there are no time restrictions. In fact, AAT(SA) encourages you to learn at your own pace, allowing you to pursue a part-time job or other career/personal interests. However, as a rough guideline you might expect to complete each stage over the course of a year.

What level should I start at?
The AAT Accounting Qualification is separated into three levels, Certificate, Further Certificate and Higher Certificate. If you have relevant work experience or qualifications you may want to join at the Further Certificate level. 

AAT(SA) Membership and me
As soon as you register with AAT(SA) you belong to a professional body. AAT (SA) offers membership for every step of your accounting journey. Once you have completed a level you will gain recognition, support and benefits from one of seven membership levels.

What next?
Your first step is for you to enroll with an AAT(SA) provider.

As part of this process, AAT(SA) registration and membership fees will need to be paid and students will need to complete an AAT(SA) registration form. These fees are payable to the provider and will then be sent, by the provider to AAT(SA). Within three weeks of receiving a student’s registration form from the centre, we will send membership details and a pack containing your AAT(SA) membership card.
www.aatsa.org.za