New Syllabus

The introduction of the new Chartered Accountants Ireland Competency Statement was the outcome of a major educational review undertaken in consultation with key stakeholders in 2005 and 2006.  As part of this process, Professional Two and Professional Three were replaced by CA Proficiency 1 (CAP1) and CA Proficiency 2 (CAP2).  The revised FAE programme was implemented in 2009/2010. The current CAP1 Competency Statement and CAP2 Competency Statement are available online.

Key features of the new process include:

• Changes in subjects areas examinable at CAP1 and CAP2
• Replacement of the ‘Company Law’ module with CAP1 Paper 4b: Law for Accountants
• Changes in the examination rules, including the introduction of a credit-based system of adjudication for the CAP1 and CAP2 examinations.  Passing by compensation is being discontinued. There will be four attempts permitted at CAP1 (over two years).
• The introduction of some limited continuous assessment.  Details of the continuous assessment required for each level can be found in the examinations section of the website
• Extension of blended learning technologies and workshop techniques
• Additional flexibility in the modular approach at CAP2. 

In rolling out this Competency Statement, we hope to achieve a number of specific changes:

• To focus on the key competencies required of a modern, newly qualified Chartered Accountant and, crucially, to provide students with the transferable skills to perform in an ever-changing business environment. 
• To empower students to take responsibility for their own learning and to create an environment that encourages them to develop critical and analytical skills, and to apply their knowledge in unstructured situations.
• To afford a greater level of integration within the education programme and recognise the transfer of skills acquired during work based training or in prior learning.
• To provide a greater focus on business management and ethical issues. These topics will be integrated across all levels and in the assessments, but particularly at the FAE.
• To provide greater flexibility in terms of timings of periods of classes, study leave and examinations.