The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) is an internationally recognized professional body for business practitioners and finance professionals in South Africa. ICB Accredited courses are one of the best choices available to further your career in business or accounting. Their courses are recognised both nationally and internationally, and could be the key to your success during your next promotion opportunity or job interview.
The ICB
The ICB is an independent examination body whose main purpose is to provide relevant and valuable qualifications to people who apply for their courses. They’ve been around since 1931, and have constantly worked towards improving the standards of their courses for over 80 years.
All courses offered by the ICB are accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), and are registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). This means that their courses undergo regular checks to make sure that they are up to date, relevant, and fit in with the latest industry standards.
The value of accreditation.
Accredited courses which are registered on the NQF are recognised nationally by both businesses and educational institutions. The courses offered through the ICB will provide you with qualifications that enable you to start working immediately. You can even start studying without matric, so you don’t need to worry if you didn’t pass grade 12.
The ICB courses start at NQF L3, with the ICB Junior Bookkeeping course, which only requires you to have finished grade 10. Once you’ve completed this course, you’ll finish with a qualification that allows you to start working as a bookkeeper as soon as you complete it.
Study how you want
NQF courses require certain subjects to obtain certain certificate or diploma qualifications. You can obtain credits for subjects with any college or university which offers them. This enables you to take subjects as short courses if you want and complete other subjects later to obtain your qualification. You don’t even need to finish the subjects with the same college if you decide to take a break or choose to study elsewhere. You’ll still receive credits for any of the subjects you complete.
Your classroom is anywhere you choose
One of the best benefits of the ICB courses is that you can study them anywhere with a variety of different colleges. The courses are offered on full-time, part-time and distance learning basis. Studying through a distance learning college means you can study from the comfort of your own home, in your own time. Your classroom is where you decide it is.
Distance learning has the added benefit of allowing you to work while you study with no class attendance requirements, so you can decide what the best way is to fit your studies into your life. Exams for distance learning students taking any of the ICB courses are 4 times a year. You can decide when the best time for you to write your exam will be, allowing you to make extra sure that you are prepared for it.
ICB Courses Structure
All courses taken with the ICB require you to submit a Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) and complete a final exam. You need to complete the PoE and Exam for each of your subjects for the course you are studying. Once it’s been marked, you’ll receive your qualification from the ICB.