The SAICA Pathway

Becoming a Chartered Accountant is your gateway to a stimulating and exciting career. The CA (SA) designation provides not only excellent career opportunities, but also great earning potential and international mobility.  

The journey towards a CA (SA) professional qualification includes three major steps. These are: (1) obtaining the necessary university qualifications, (2) completing a learnership programme, and (3) completion of two final professional examinations administered by SAICA. Our FYLA program allows you to obtain the necessary SAICA-endorsed university qualification through Unisa’s College of Accounting Sciences.  The necessary SAICA-endorsed qualifications are:

  1. Bachelor of Accounting Sciences in Financial Accounting (98302); followed by 
  2. Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Accounting Sciences (98255) (direct entry to students qualifying for the one-year CTA programme - All five modules linked to this qualification must be completed in one academic year to thereby meet the admission requirements of SAICA’s first professional examination as described below.)

A 3-year learnership programme should be completed with a registered training office. The final two steps on your pathway to becoming a CA(SA) are to pass two Qualifying Examinations, namely the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) and the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). To qualify for entry to the ITC, a candidate must have completed a CTA. To qualify for entry to the APC, a candidate must have passed the ITC, completed a minimum of 20 months of a registered training contract, and successfully completed a professional programme with a registered provider. 

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