Overview
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) awards the chartered accountant qualification, ACA. It has four parts that you must all complete before you can be admitted to membership: professional examinations, practical work experience, a computer-based test on professional values, ethics and attitudes, and professional development.
The professional examination has 15 subjects in three levels: Foundation, Skills and Professional. The current syllabus applies from the November 2025 diet, and ICAN updated it for 2026 to cover the Nigeria Tax Reform Acts 2025 and recent IFRS changes. Ethics is built into every subject.
Who can apply
You must register as an ICAN student before you can sit any paper. The Council accepts these entry qualifications:
A recognised Nigerian university degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND) from a Nigerian polytechnic, in any discipline.
A foreign degree or diploma that the Federal Ministry of Education has evaluated as equivalent to a Nigerian one.
Another qualification approved by the Council. The syllabus lists membership of the Accounting Technicians Scheme West Africa, ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAG, SAICA, ICSAN, the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and several other bodies.
Nigerians must also present an NYSC certificate of completion or exemption. The Council can refuse or end any registration, and a failed application fee is not refunded. Registration is online through the ICAN portal.
Levels or stages
Foundation
Four subjects, which you can take in any order: Business Environment, Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, and Corporate and Business Law. The assessment tests knowledge and understanding. Foundation papers may be paper-based or computer-based.
Skills
Six subjects, which you can take in any order: Financial Reporting, Audit, Assurance and Forensics, Taxation, Performance Management, Financial Management, and Public Sector Accounting and Finance. This level tests analysis, interpretation and application in business situations.
Professional
Five subjects: Strategic Business Reporting, Advanced Audit, Assurance and Forensics, Strategic Financial Management, Advanced Taxation, and Case Study. This level tests evaluation and professional judgement on complex business situations. Case Study is a scenario paper with pre-seen and unseen parts, answered as a business report.
Exam pattern
| Level | Structure of each paper | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Section A: 20 compulsory multiple-choice questions, worth 20% of marks. Section B: six questions of 20 marks each, answer any four | 3 hours plus 15 minutes reading |
| Skills and Professional (except Case Study) | Section A: one compulsory 30-mark scenario question. Section B: three 20-mark questions, answer any two. Section C: three 15-mark questions, answer any two | 3 hours plus 15 minutes reading |
| Case Study | Pre-seen and unseen scenario, with a report written on two requirements | 4 hours including reading time |
Syllabus
Each Foundation, Skills and Professional subject has its own detailed syllabus in the ICAN document, with an aim, learning outcomes and a weighting by topic area. For example, Business Environment covers business processes, the role of accountancy, management and organisational behaviour, economics, and technology and data analysis. The 2025 syllabus also adds a new Financial Management subject at the Skills level and replaces the old Corporate Strategic Management and Ethics paper.
Candidates who studied under the 2021 syllabus were moved to the 2025 syllabus with credit for equivalent passed subjects. ICAN says it can examine any syllabus topic at any diet, and it may examine new laws and standards six months after they are issued.
Marking and results
The pass mark for every subject is 50%.
You can enter any number of papers at a level and are credited with each one you pass.
You must finish a level before you attempt papers at a higher level. You cannot combine two levels, except for special candidates who belong to approved professional accountancy bodies.
You must complete the Professional level within ten diets. If you do not, you lose the credit for the Professional papers you passed.
Results are posted on the students' portal. You may ask for a review of your script if you meet the Council's conditions.
Important dates
ICAN holds the professional examinations twice a year, in May and November. Entries close one week before the examination dates. The syllabus gives a fixed weekly timetable: Tuesday to Thursday, with Foundation, Skills and Professional papers placed on set days and times. Check the ICAN website for the exact dates of the next diet.
How to apply
Register as a student on the ICAN portal. You need evidence of your name and age, certified copies of your certificates, a certified passport photograph and a valid identity document. Pay the registration fee.
Pay your annual student subscription. It falls due on registration and then on 1 January each year.
Register for the papers you want in each diet and pay the examination fees before entries close.
Fees you pay for an exam entry cannot be withdrawn, refunded or moved to a later diet, even if you miss the paper.
After the exam
Passing all 15 subjects is only one of the four requirements for membership.
Practical work experience: at least 36 months, gained under a training agreement with an ICAN-authorised employer. ICAN may approve up to 12 months of experience from before registration, and you must gain the other 24 months after you register.
Ethics test: a computer-based test on professional values, ethics and attitudes, which you can take at any point while you are a student.
Professional development: you build these skills through the programme alongside your work.
Preparation tips
Use the syllabus's topic weightings to decide where to spend revision time.
At Foundation, practise both the multiple-choice section and the choose-four essay section, since you pick your questions in section B.
At Skills and Professional, the 30-mark compulsory question comes first, so practise long scenario answers under time pressure.
For Case Study, practise writing a structured business report in four hours.
Study the current version of each subject, because the 2026 update brings in the new tax laws.
FAQs
How many subjects are in the ICAN examination?
There are 15: four at Foundation, six at Skills and five at Professional.
How often are the exams held?
Twice a year, in May and November.
What is the pass mark?
50% in each subject.
Do I need an accounting degree to register?
No. A recognised degree or HND in any discipline qualifies you to register, as do several approved professional qualifications. Some accounting degrees can earn exemption from certain subjects.
How long do I have to finish the Professional level?
You must complete it within ten diets, or you lose the credit for Professional papers you have already passed.