11.12.06

Certification as a Professional Accountant: 
Do you need it?
Katya Porubleva
HR Solutions, Alinga Consulting Group

“I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come.”
Abraham Lincoln

Even though certification as professional accountant only appeared in Russia several years ago, today it is enjoying great popularity. Arriving for an interview, one of the first five questions we hear from the potential employer is: "Do you have certification as a professional accountant?"

For now, this can be considered a preference of some employers, as the law does not directly dictate that a chief accountant should be certified. However, notice that I say "some employers;" although the law does not directly demand certification, if the business (organization) is subject to obligatory audits, the organization must ask if the applicant is certified. Furthermore, some tax inspectorates also ask for the certification number of the chief accountant. While this information is voluntarily submitted, we can tell from experience that certification is quickly becoming a requirement for everyone.

So what about certification is so special? Why should it really raise the demand for an individual accountant searching for work in Russia?

Let's begin with discussing the certification process. It was created by a government initiative to improve the professional skills of accountants (created by Governmental order of the Russian Federation 283 from 6 March, 1998), which seeks to not only reform accountancy in Russia, but to "form the ideas of a new generation of accountants." The training program connected with this and the certification test include both practical questions as well as quite a few theoretical questions about accounting, economic analysis, taxation, and law. Thus, accountants who have completed this test and received certification can see their profession in a new light; they can make more decisions independently and can process information more fully, with a view to how it relates to the business and industry as a whole. Because of this, employers are increasingly interested in accountants with certification and this is why certified accountants have a distinct edge over non-certified accountants when competing for jobs.

In short, you need certification as a professional accountant.

What should you know before getting certified?

First, certification is split into three categories:

• Professional Accountant;
• Accountant/Economist; and
• "Reserve Accountant."

This article will focus only on the first category, "Professional Accountant," which is subdivided into five categories:

• Professional Accountant – Chief Accountant (Accountant/Expert/Consultant)
• Professional Accountant – Financial Director (Manager/Consultant)
• Professional Accountant – Director of Financial Accounting
• Professional Accountant – Analyst
• Professional Accountant for State-Funded Entities

Who can qualify for these professional accountant certifications?

• Professionals with trade school education who hold a certificate in economics from a trade school and have practical experience as the head of a business, a chief accountant, an assistant to a chief accountant or to a CFO. This practical experience must total not less than five years.
• Professionals with university degrees who hold practical experience as the head of a business, a chief accountant, an assistant to a chief account or CFO, as a tax accounting consultant, or as a teacher of accounting. This practical experience must total not less than five years.
• Professionals with university degrees in accounting who hold practical experience as the head of a business, a chief accountant, an assistant to a chief account or CFO, as a tax accounting consultant, or as a teacher of accounting. This practical experience must total not less than three years.

In order to take the examination for certification as a professional accountant, you must:

1. Correspond to one of the above categories of professionals.
2. Have a certificate which proves you have completed the training program for certification in an accredited educational establishment.
3. Be an active member of the Institute of Professional Accountants and Auditors of the Russian Federation (IPB).
4. Have positive references from your place of work.
5. Not have past convictions for economic crimes.

Please note as well that you will have to re-certify every year by taking 40 hours of additional training courses per year. The certificate is also only issued for five years. After five years, it can be extended for five more.

But why should we spend so much time and energy on classes and studying when it would be easier just to buy a certificate? It is easy enough to open a web browser, type in the phrase "Certification as a Professional Accountant," and be presented with several options for gaining "certification with no experience and no additional training!"

Sure, it is much easier to buy certification, BUT it is still be necessary to know how related legislation is changing in order to perform our jobs properly. Russian legislation is constantly evolving, right down to how reports are to be handed in to government agencies. I'm sure we have all had the experience of preparing a report according to all the requirements and still having it rejected. Why does this happen? The answer is simple: something changed and we missed the change. This is what certification and re-certification accomplishes: improving the true qualifications of accountants and making them better professionals.

In buying the certificate, you deceive both yourself and your employer. The certificate confirms your professional knowledge. Remember also that, as a rule, employment in a stable, professional company will be preceded by a professional exam administered by that company. From the results of this test, it will be clear to an employer what your true professional level is and how exactly you came to posses your certification.

Now, let's stop for a moment to consider the range of centers that offer programs for certification; because of the increasing demand, the number of these centers has also increased. There are thousands of centers in Russia at present, all offering to raise your qualifications within their walls. However, for this very reason, you must be especially cautious in choosing your training center. Do not just snap up the first you find; take the time to learn more about them, the amount of time their course will take, when classes are offered, if it holds a government license for education, who their teachers and administrators are, and if the center is accredited with the IPB. The more information you have, the more likely it will be that you will receive true quality education.

We have researched some Moscow training centers ourselves. Below is list of those that we recommend. As training is only available in Russian, the centers and their information are listed in their original Cyrillic.

Name	Address	Telephone
Институт современного управления и бизнеса	м. Китай-город, Армянский пер., д. 9, оф. 302.	(495) 789-3294
Учебный центр МФЦ	м. Преображенская ул. Буженинова д.30, стр.1	(495) 101-2273
Учебный центр при Международной Фин. Академии	м. Комсомольская, ул. Каланчевская,26	(495) 506-39-94, 266-58-06
Центр профессионального обучения «Карьера»	м. Сухаревская, ул. Сретенка, 27/29, корп. 8	(495) 625-0385, 625-1740