5.3 Case study 3 – Sri Lanka
5.3.1 Overview. The Accounting profession in Sri Lanka is dominated by the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL) that functions as the leading accounting
professional body and the accounting standard setter in Sri Lanka. The ICASL offers the
Chartered Accounting program similarly structured to that of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) in the UK.
The Sri Lankan Higher Education system is made up of 15 government universities,
of which nine universities offer accounting specialization degree programs. While any
degree would be considered sufficient for entry into the ICASL program, it is not
mandatory to have a degree.
The traditional, most popular and most recognized method to be an accountant in Sri
Lanka is to obtain a professional accounting qualification. The ICASL is the national
accounting body, and the only IFAC member in Sri Lanka. ICASL has over 30,000
registered students and over 4,200 members. To obtain the full membership of ICASL
(associate membership), the students have to sit examinations and complete a three-year
practical training requirement. However, Chartered Institute of Management Australia
(CIMA) (Sri Lanka) and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) (Sri
Lanka) also successfully operate in Sri Lanka. ACCA and CIMA offer students a global
perspective with respect to membership. ICASL remains the dominant player in Sri
Lanka given its national focus and the extent of development of the accounting
education (AE) system in that country.
5.3.2 Sri Lanka specific accounting education standards. Based on the model used by
the ICAEW’s Association of Chartered Accountants (ACA) qualification, the ICASL
program also adheres to IFACs IES. The academic program standards are overseen by
the University Grants Commission (UGC). The UGC ensures the quality, continuous
development and efficient performance of Sri Lankan higher education institutions.
Quality is assured via institutional and subject reviews, undertaken by the Quality
Assurance and Accreditation Council. Subject benchmarking is encouraged in Sri
Lankan Universities to regulate academic standards.
5.3.3 Professional membership pathway. The minimum qualification to enrol as a
registered student in ICASL is three ordinary passes[4] at general certificate of
education (advanced level) (GCE (A/L)) examinations in any stream at one sitting.
ICASL also considers other qualifications including: a degree from a university in
Sri Lanka or any other university; membership of the Sri Lanka government
accountant service; and membership of the Sri Lanka government audit service. A
candidate who wishes to follow the ICASL program is not expected to have any
accounting knowledge at the point of entry. The unique feature of accounting
education in Sri Lanka is that university students sit for the professional accounting
examinations while studying for the academic degree programs in universities.
5.3.4 Associate level membership. Unlike the Australian or Japanese systems, an
Associate level membership is considered a full level membership equivalent to that of
a professional accountant.
The course structure of the ICASL consists of four levels and a case study. These
levels include two at Certificate Level (foundation and intermediate), two at the Strategic
Level and one at the post strategic level (which requires completion of a case study). In
order to obtain the ACA, students must pass the above examination and fulfil the
practical training requirement (internship) which is 440 working days of Strategic Level
Internship. The associate member who has satisfied the council that he/she has acquired
the CPD credits and a minimum of five years’ work experience after admission to
Associate Membership can apply for the status of Fellow member.
5.3.5 Continuing professional development. CPD is a requirement in Sri Lanka to
maintain full membership and for the progression to other membership levels. Each
ICASL member is required to obtain 120 CPD credits over a three-year period.