Since the launch of the KPMG Learning Academy (KLA) five years ago, KPMG has been offering ACCA training courses in partnership with Kaplan, an internationally-renowned tutoring academy. One of the lecturers leading Malta’s newest crop of accountants is Roderick Borg, also a Director at KPMG.

Mr Borg, an accountant by profession specialising in tax law, has been actively engaged in lecturing taxation and mentoring ACCA students. During his lecturing role he has seen his newly-qualified students successfully join the profession and fulfil various roles that the accountancy profession provides.

“I have tutored students whose ages ranged from 17 all the way into their 70s, who chose to unlock their potential with an ACCA qualification. I mention this because one of the best features of the ACCA course is its flexibility. It is perfectly suitable for different work backgrounds, lifestyles and professions, and students can go as fast – or even as slow – as they please,” Mr Borg starts off.

To put it in perspective, an ACCA qualification is equivalent to a Master’s Degree, and it is recognised world-wide. The course is offered on a part-time basis and consists of a total of 13 modules. Students can choose to follow one module at a time, or more if they wish to finish the qualification sooner. Examinations are held four times a year in March, June, September and December. The difference from traditional courses is that students themselves get to decide when to sit for which exam. Moreover, students can retake exams following unsuccessful attempts. 

“The flexibility is unrivalled, and high-flyers love the fact that they can receive their ACCA qualification in as little as three to four years. The opposite is also true, and those who are juggling a full-time job can choose to take it slower, taking more time in between each exam.” Mr Borg says.

He explains how the programme is adjustable according to the needs and personal lives of the students, with some opting to pause even for six months and more in order to focus on raising a family or taking care of other priorities.

“There’s minimal limit on how often this can be done, so it’s great for working parents, to give just one example. You can think of it as a plug and play course. Moreover, today all lectures are held online and can be replayed and revised at leisure. This is a luxury that in-class lectures don’t quite afford,” he says.

The programme is supported by a Live Online Community, with tutor and peer support offered in between classes. Access to the recordings of the lectures and the course resources is available for up to six months for some of the modules and tutor support is offered between classes. The course targets various types of students, from those who had paused their studies soon after post-secondary school but now wish to restart it, to working professionals who have extensive business knowledge without the academic background to back it. For the latter, the qualification fills the gaps in their CV, paving the way for improved opportunities.

KLA’s student population also includes a number of individuals working in industry or at professional service firms in order to work and study at the same time. Finally, there are also the brilliant young students who want to start a full-time career in accounting in a short span of time – provided they are willing to balance their time efficiently between working full-time and studying part-time, of course. 

Lectures take place between two to three times a week and are two to three hours long. There are afternoon, evening and weekend options, with the evening slots being the most popular with those who are already working. The programme is split in three parts and those who complete the first three modules receive a Diploma in Accounting and Business (pegged at Level 5); the next six modules lead to an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business (pegged at Level 6 – equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree).

The final four modules award the ACCA qualification, which is equivalent to a Level 7 Master’s Degree. Students may opt to stop at any level of the qualification, although they will only become fully-qualified accountants once they fully complete all modules. Once students complete the ACCA qualification they are encouraged to pursue further by obtaining the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) warrant and the Practicing Certificate in Auditing.

“The course is not an easy one and it does require substantial investment and study, albeit at the student’s desired pace. But there’s a very good reason why it’s globally recognised. An ACCA programme offers blended knowledge of work and study that are carried out simultaneously. So, it’s very far from a traditional academic course. Employers are aware of this and view the qualification as a signal that the candidate has work experience and is also proficient in time management,” Mr Borg says. 

“The course tests students on the knowledge acquired via questions which require the student to convert theoretical concepts to real life contexts. KLA lecturers are very supportive on that front and students are always partnered up with a practitioner for practical support in each module.”

Students who are pursuing the ACCA qualification need to accumulate 36 months of experience within an accounting role throughout their studies. The ACCA modules are closely related to the different specialised areas within the accountancy and finance world, so that students who are working on a full-time basis in an accounting role can apply their day-to-day learning to their ACCA studies and vice-versa.

“An important point is that the programme includes the local variant modules, covering Maltese legislative aspects. KLA provides the necessary resources in terms of study text for the local variants to its students,” Mr Borg says, adding that all online lessons are fully interactive and delivered live by expert tutors following the same exam-focused material and structure as traditional classroom courses. These tutors are practitioners who are experts in their field, and who deal with clients on a daily basis. They bring a wealth of knowledge from the industry to the students’ desks and they have the practical experience necessary to provide students with examples.

Tutors are available to answer questions via chat or email or even phone. The cherry on the cake? Students who are paying for the tuition may opt for Malta Enterprise’s Get Qualified Scheme, which allows them to claim 70 per cent of the fees as tax credits upon completion.

“It is no secret that there is a desperate need for accounting professionals in Malta, and apart from training its internal KPMG staff members who were seeking to obtain the ACCA qualification, KPMG Learning Academy also started offering the ACCA course to local and international students who sought to achieve this well sought after and popular accounting qualification. Our aim is to share our professional knowledge with our students with a view to equipping them with their accounting passport to the commercial world,” Mr Borg concludes.