Now the certificate of the chief accountant is often asked of applicants who wish to take a vacant position. And its absence may prompt the potential employer to the idea of the lack of a sufficient level of professionalism. That is why current specialists are recommended to focus their efforts on getting a certificate of chief accountant. In the future, this can be a serious step on the career ladder.
What it is?
The certificate of the chief accountant is needed so that the specialist can document his professional competence. Its presence allows you to perform work of the fifth level in accordance with the requirements that apply to professional accountants.
Certificates are divided into two types:
- for commercial companies;
- for government organizations.
Why do I need a certificate of chief accountant?
The work of an accountant in recent years has become more complicated. This is justified by a large number of legislative changes. Performing work duties daily, the accountant does not find extra time to monitor them.
However, employers are not interested in hiring unskilled specialists who make mistakes in their professional activities. That is why the certificate of chief accountant is needed by both. He allows the specialist to confirm the qualifications, and gives the employer the assurance that he is hiring a worthy candidate.
Against the background of the introduction of a professional standard for accountants, a large number of companies require the presentation of a certificate when hiring employees. A similar condition may apply to new employees or existing ones.
The certificate of a professional chief accountant to some extent acts as a guarantee that the candidate is more mobile and has better qualifications compared to colleagues who do not have the appropriate document. This creates a certain advantage when moving up the career ladder or getting the desired position.
The profession of accountant implies the need to monitor changes. Lack of specialist competence may result in fines for the employer. That is why the presence of a certificate will confirm your knowledge and increase attractiveness in the eyes of superiors.
Requirements for an Accountant Certificate
Curiously, the document is not issued to everyone. To receive it, individuals must comply with a whole list of requirements. You should familiarize yourself with them in advance.
- Higher education in economics.
- Three years of experience in one of the leading positions.
- Perhaps the presence of secondary specialized education with five years of experience.
- No criminal record for economic crimes.
The fulfillment of these requirements allows you to qualify for a certificate of chief accountant. However, the corresponding document will be issued only upon successful passing of the qualification exam.
How to get the?
Specialists who want to get a certificate of chief accountant will need a serious attitude. Because the whole process is quite lengthy and complex. It includes several stages:
- training;
- intermediate certification;
- qualification exam.
Training
Specialists who qualify for this document must first be trained. Training for the certificate of the chief accountant can be taken at the accredited center at the IPA of Russia. It also includes auditors. Certification of accountants has been conducted for more than two decades - since 1997.
During the training period, applicants will learn the procedure for issuing a document. As well as the features of becoming a member of the IPB of Russia. The same accredited center should help with the execution of documents, as well as their subsequent transfer to the territorial IPB.
Training can also be taken in other institutions. There are vocational training centers with a license, as well as accreditation of IPB of Russia. Based on these documents, organizations can issue certificates.
Intermediate certification
Based on the results of training, a knowledge test is carried out. In fact, this is just an interim certification. So to speak, rehearsal before the real exam. It is held in the same center in which the accountant studied.
However, in some cases, applicants may go through it on the IPB website. Such an opportunity is provided for specialists who have mastered the entire curriculum using materials previously developed by the IPB.
In order to get admission, the applicant must not only provide a completed package of documents, but also pay an entrance fee to the territorial IPB. It is in this institute that you need to clarify the nuances - for example, which documents should be provided and for which details to pay.
Qualification exam
This is the final stage for those who are interested in obtaining a certificate of chief accountant. Only those who have successfully passed the previous certification are allowed to the exam.
In fact, they receive the certificate of the chief accountant remotely. Accountants pass electronic testing on the IPB website. In this case, the organizer is the territorial institute. After successfully passing the test, the candidate is issued a certificate and is also recognized as an active member of the Russian IPB.
If it was not possible to cope with the qualification after the first attempt, the candidate is allowed to retake it twice. There is some time limit. For two retakes, the accountant has no more than three months from the date of the first test.
Important Nuances
It’s not enough just to get the certificate of the chief accountant once and forget about it safely. Forty hours of training will have to be spent annually in order for the document to remain valid. That is why the presence of such a certificate seriously increases the competitiveness of an accountant in the labor market.
Information about candidates who have successfully completed the qualification exam is entered into the Unified Register. From it, the employer can learn a lot about his employee, namely: the date of entry into the IPB, the moment of the last training. Information is stored for five years.
The validity period of the certificate is three years. If, during this period, the accountant regularly made contributions and timely upgraded qualifications, the document will be extended for a similar period. In this case, you will not have to retake the exam.