Overview
The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) was set up in 1992 and is now governed by the Accountants Act, 2013. It regulates the accountancy profession in Uganda. Its Public Accountants Examinations Board runs the examinations for the Certified Public Accountant of Uganda, CPA(U), qualification, the Accounting Technicians Diploma and the Certified Tax Advisor (CTA) course.
This page covers the CPA(U) course. It trains professional accountants for roles such as financial and management accountant, auditor, tax consultant and finance manager. The current syllabus took effect on 1 January 2023.
Who can apply
To register as a CPA student you need any one of the following.
Degree: a degree from a recognised university. A foreign degree must be accredited in its own country, and the National Council for Higher Education may have to validate it.
Certificate or diploma: an accounting technician certificate from a recognised accountancy body such as ICPAU or KASNEB, a diploma of at least two years from a recognised institution, or a professional certificate from another examining body.
A-Level: a Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education with at least two principal passes (or equivalent), plus a Uganda Certificate of Education with at least five credits including English Language and Mathematics.
Holders of foreign accountancy qualifications, such as those from bodies outside the East African Community, can apply for exemptions. They may still have to sit some papers, including Business and Company Law, Public Financial Management, Audit Practice and Assurance and Advanced Taxation. Business and Company Law can be exempted if it was covered in a first degree taken in Uganda.
ICPAU may refuse or cancel a student registration if it judges the person not fit and proper for the profession.
Levels or stages
The course has 18 papers in four levels. Each level tests a different kind of competence.
Level I: test of competence
Six papers: Financial Accounting (Paper 1), Economics and Entrepreneurship (2), Quantitative Techniques (3), Management and Information Systems (4), Business and Company Law (5), and Cost and Management Accounting (6).
Level II: test of technical skills
Five papers: Financial Reporting (7), Financial Management (8), Auditing, Ethics and Assurance (9), Management Decision and Control (10), and Taxation (11).
Level III: test of professional skills
Six papers: Advanced Financial Reporting (12), Public Financial Management (13), Strategy, Governance and Leadership (14), Advanced Financial Management (15), Audit Practice and Assurance (16), and Advanced Taxation (17).
Level IV: test of professional expertise
One paper: Integration of Knowledge (18). It tests whether you can give advisory solutions to clients in realistic situations.
Exam pattern
Papers are normally written, but the examinations board may also set practical or computer-based exams. Every paper is three hours long, except Paper 18, which is six hours.
| Papers | Structure |
|---|---|
| 1, 5 | Section A: 20 compulsory multiple-choice questions (20 marks). Section B: five 20-mark questions, answer four. |
| 2 | Section A: 20 compulsory multiple-choice questions, 10 on economics and 10 on entrepreneurship. Section B (economics) and Section C (entrepreneurship): three 20-mark questions each, answer two from each. |
| 3 | Six 20-mark questions, answer five. |
| 4 | Theory: Section A has four 20-mark questions (answer three) and Section B has three 20-mark questions (answer two). Plus a separate 50-mark hands-on exam of one and a half hours. |
| 6 | Section A: 20 compulsory multiple-choice questions (20 marks). Section B: five 20-mark questions, answer four. |
| 7, 8, 10, 11 | Section A: one compulsory 40-mark question. Section B: four 20-mark questions, answer three. |
| 9 | Section A: two compulsory 20-mark questions. Section B: four 20-mark questions, answer three. |
| 12 to 17 | Section A: one compulsory 50-mark question. Section B: three 25-mark questions, answer two. |
| 18 | One compulsory case-study question, six hours. |
Exams follow the Accountants (Examinations) Rules, 2022, which ICPAU publishes on its website.
Syllabus
The syllabus moves from bookkeeping, economics, quantitative methods, information systems, company law and cost accounting at Level I, to financial reporting, financial management, audit, management control and taxation at Level II. Level III goes deeper into advanced reporting, public financial management, strategy and governance, advanced financial management, audit practice and advanced tax. Level IV integrates all of these in one case study.
Each paper has its own syllabus document with learning outcomes graded from knowledge up to evaluation. Download them from the ICPAU syllabus page.
Fees
ICPAU's published student fee schedule is the 2024 one. Amounts are in Uganda shillings. Check the ICPAU site for any newer schedule.
| Item | Fee (UGX, 2024 schedule) | Late fee |
|---|---|---|
| CPA student registration | 160,000 | |
| CPA student annual renewal | 130,000 | |
| Level I, per paper | 115,000 | 172,500 |
| Level II, per paper | 125,000 | 187,500 |
| Level III, per paper | 135,000 | 202,500 |
| Level IV, whole level | 350,000 | 525,000 |
| Exemption fee, fresher, Level I per paper | 115,000 | |
| Exemption fee, partial foreign qualification, Level II per paper | 125,000 | |
| Exemption fee, foreign accountancy qualification holders | 800,000 |
The enrolment fee for full membership is UGX 1,050,000.
How to apply
Student registration is open throughout the year and is done online on the ICPAU portal. ICPAU advises registering at least two months before the exam sitting you want to take. You then enter for exams paper by paper (or by level for Level IV) and pay the exam fee, paying the late fee if you miss the deadline.
After the exam
To become a full member you must also complete practical experience training of at least three years under the Accountants Regulations, 2016. You record it in an electronic logbook on the ICPAU portal, signed off every six months by a supervisor who is an ICPAU member. The training must cover at least three technical fields and the required non-technical fields, and the employer and trainee sign a training contract.
You then apply for membership with a completed application form, proof of the enrolment fee, the logbook, certified academic transcripts and certificates, and two recommendation letters, one from a current or recent employer and one from an ICPAU full member who knows you.
FAQs
How many papers are there in the CPA course?
There are 18 papers across four levels: six in Level I, five in Level II, six in Level III and one in Level IV.
Can I register as a student with a diploma instead of a degree?
Yes. A diploma of at least two years from a recognised institution is one accepted entry route, as are a degree, an accounting technician certificate or the A-Level combination described above.
Do I need work experience to become a CPA?
Yes. Passing the exams is not enough. You need at least three years of logged practical experience before you can apply for full membership.