The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the world’s largest professional body of management accountants, has launched its updated CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting (Cert BA) for the GCC market.

The revised syllabus offers students a career advantage by developing their professional competencies and building a strong foundation in business economics, management accounting, financial accounting, and business law. The qualification also includes a greater emphasis on information and decision making, integrated reporting and the need for increased ethical awareness and corporate governance.

The full syllabus content has been reviewed and refreshed, following thorough global industry and educational research, to ensure it remains up-to-date and relevant. Assessments under the updated syllabus will commence in January 2017.

Shane Balzan, head of Syllabus Development at CIMA, who presented the revised Cert BA syllabus at the launch, said: “With the updated Certificate in Business Accounting, CIMA has set out to enhance the relevance of the syllabus to employers and their talent pool. Through this endeavour we seek to find a sustainable solution that can address the complexity and uncertainty that is prevalent in the current business environment.”

Noel Tagoe, executive director of CIMA Education, said: “The Certificate in Business Accounting is designed to elevate people and businesses to success by developing skills and unlocking talent. It’s a standalone qualification designed to give anyone – not just those in a finance role – a solid grasp of the fundamentals of business and finance. By equipping people with the knowledge and skills that employers need, we can help them further their careers.”

In 2015, CIMA introduced an updated syllabus and computerised assessments for the CIMA professional qualification, based on rigorous global research and the newly-created Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) competency framework.

While the updated Cert BA is a standalone qualification, it also continues to serve as a prerequisite to the professional qualification. The update now aligns the Cert BA more strongly with the professional qualification, by using the CGMA competency framework and the ‘three learning pillars’ structure.

Geetu Ahuja, head of GCC, CIMA said: “Today, more than ever before, organisations in the Middle East are faced with a huge challenge to attract, develop and retain their best talent who are qualified and competent enough to take the business to the next level. With the updated syllabus, CIMA aims to respond to this need. We are confident that the new qualification will be invaluable to professionals and employers alike.” – TradeArabia News Service