Certificate Course in International Financial Reporting Standards

Duration 10 days 16 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Financial Accountants, Finance Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-A-075

Before you join: Participants should understand double-entry bookkeeping, trial balances, primary financial statements and common year-end adjustments.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

International Financial Reporting Standards affect reported profit, asset values, debt measures, performance indicators and stakeholder confidence. Finance teams must convert complex contracts, transactions and group structures into financial statements that meet recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure requirements. Errors in areas such as revenue, leases, impairments, financial instruments or deferred tax can create audit adjustments, restatements, covenant pressure and difficult conversations with boards, regulators and investors.

This certificate course provides structured working knowledge of IFRS for accountants, finance managers, auditors and reporting professionals. Participants interpret the IFRS Conceptual Framework, apply major recognition and measurement requirements, prepare key accounting calculations and assess disclosure implications. The programme addresses IAS 1 and IFRS 18 presentation requirements, IAS 7 cash flows, IFRS 15 revenue, IFRS 16 leases, IFRS 9 financial instruments, IAS 12 income taxes, IAS 36 impairment, IAS 38 intangibles, IAS 37 provisions and IFRS 3 business combinations.

Teaching combines focused technical briefings with worked calculations, financial statement extracts, case analysis, group review and reporting-judgement discussions. Participants build IFRS working papers from the first week, including accounting policy assessments, revenue analyses, lease schedules, impairment models and disclosure checklists. They leave with a practical IFRS reporting file that can be adapted for month-end, year-end, audit preparation and transaction analysis.

The course is suited to professionals preparing, reviewing or relying on IFRS financial information. It is particularly valuable where organisations are adopting IFRS, managing complex contracts, preparing consolidated accounts, responding to audit findings or strengthening financial reporting controls.

What you will be able to do

  • Interpret IFRS requirements using the IFRS Conceptual Framework and standard hierarchy
  • Prepare IFRS accounting entries for revenue, leases, financial instruments and income taxes
  • Assess contract terms using IFRS 15 five-step revenue recognition analysis
  • Build lease liability and right-of-use asset schedules under IFRS 16
  • Calculate expected credit losses and classify financial assets under IFRS 9
  • Construct impairment testing models for cash-generating units under IAS 36
  • Prepare consolidation adjustments for subsidiaries, associates and business combinations
  • Present an IFRS reporting file with accounting policies, workings and disclosures

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce defensible IFRS accounting conclusions supported by standard references
  • Handle revenue, lease and impairment calculations with greater technical confidence
  • Identify accounting-policy choices and disclosure consequences before year-end
  • Contribute stronger evidence during audit reviews and financial statement close meetings
  • Build a reusable IFRS reporting file for future reporting assignments

For your organisation

  • Reduce avoidable audit adjustments through better documented IFRS judgements
  • Improve consistency of accounting policies across entities, contracts and reporting periods
  • Strengthen close-file evidence for material estimates, disclosures and reconciliations
  • Identify profit, asset and covenant effects of complex transactions earlier
  • Support IFRS adoption, reporting upgrades and finance-team capability development

Course modules

16 modules over 10 days

Participants can identify applicable IFRS requirements and document a reasoned accounting conclusion.

  • IFRS Foundation structure, IASB role and issued standards hierarchy
  • Conceptual Framework objectives, qualitative characteristics and financial statement elements
  • Recognition criteria applied to assets, liabilities, income and expenses
  • Measurement bases: historical cost, current value and fulfilment value
  • Materiality judgements documented using IFRS Practice Statement 2 principles
  • Accounting policy selection under IAS 8 when standards lack specificity

Participants can prepare and review primary statement presentation under current IFRS requirements.

  • IAS 1 presentation requirements for financial position and performance
  • IFRS 18 income statement categories, subtotals and management-defined performance measures
  • Statement of changes in equity prepared from period movements
  • IAS 7 operating, investing and financing cash flow classifications
  • Notes structure linking accounting policies, estimates and line items
  • Comparative information, reclassifications and correction disclosures under IAS 8

Participants can distinguish policy changes, estimate revisions, errors and reporting-date events.

  • IAS 8 policy changes applied retrospectively with comparative restatement
  • Estimate changes recognised prospectively through current and future periods
  • Prior-period errors corrected through retrospective restatement of comparatives
  • IAS 10 adjusting events identified using reporting-date evidence
  • Non-adjusting events disclosed when material to financial statement users
  • Going-concern assessments supported by forecasts, financing and covenant evidence

Participants can analyse customer contracts and prepare IFRS 15 revenue recognition schedules.

  • Five-step model applied from contract identification through revenue recognition
  • Performance obligations assessed using distinct goods and services criteria
  • Transaction price estimated for variable consideration and significant financing
  • Standalone selling prices allocated using observable and adjusted market methods
  • Point-in-time versus over-time recognition assessed through control transfer
  • Contract assets, receivables and contract liabilities presented and disclosed

Participants can measure inventories and tangible assets under IAS 2 and IAS 16.

  • IAS 2 inventory cost formulas: FIFO and weighted average
  • Net realisable value write-downs tested against expected selling prices
  • IAS 16 cost components capitalised, including directly attributable expenditure
  • Component accounting applied to assets with materially different useful lives
  • Depreciation methods reviewed against expected consumption of economic benefits
  • Revaluation model movements recognised through other comprehensive income

Participants can determine recognition and measurement for intangible and qualifying asset costs.

  • IAS 38 research expenditure expensed and development costs assessed
  • Development recognition criteria evidenced through technical feasibility and commercial viability
  • Finite-life intangible assets amortised over supportable useful lives
  • Indefinite-life assets tested annually under IAS 36 requirements
  • IAS 23 borrowing costs capitalised during qualifying asset construction
  • IAS 20 grants presented as deferred income or asset deductions

Participants can prepare lessee lease accounting schedules and assess lessor classifications.

  • Lease identification assessed through identified assets and control of use
  • Lease term determined using enforceable periods and renewal options
  • Initial lease liability measured from discounted unpaid lease payments
  • Right-of-use asset calculated from liability, incentives and direct costs
  • Subsequent measurement separates interest expense, depreciation and remeasurements
  • Lessor finance and operating lease classifications assessed under IFRS 16

Participants can classify and measure financial assets and liabilities under IFRS 9.

  • Business model assessment distinguishes hold, collect-and-sell and trading portfolios
  • SPPI test evaluates contractual cash flows against basic lending arrangements
  • Amortised cost measured using the effective interest rate method
  • FVOCI and FVTPL classifications applied to eligible financial assets
  • Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost with transaction cost treatment
  • Embedded features assessed within hybrid contracts under IFRS 9

Participants can calculate expected credit losses and evaluate basic hedge accounting treatments.

  • Three-stage expected credit loss model applied to loan portfolios
  • Twelve-month and lifetime losses distinguished using credit risk changes
  • Probability-weighted cash shortfalls discounted using effective interest rates
  • Simplified approach applied to trade receivables and contract assets
  • Hedge documentation specifies risk management objective, ratio and effectiveness
  • Cash flow hedge reserve movements recorded in other comprehensive income

Participants can recognise provisions and measure common employee benefit obligations.

  • IAS 37 present obligations distinguished from future operating costs
  • Provision measurement uses best estimate, probability and discounting techniques
  • Onerous contracts assessed using unavoidable costs and economic benefits
  • Contingent liabilities disclosed unless outflow possibility is remote
  • IAS 19 short-term benefits accrued for employee service received
  • Defined benefit obligations measured using actuarial assumptions and discount rates

Participants can calculate current and deferred tax effects from IFRS accounting differences.

  • Current tax recognised from taxable profit and enacted tax rates
  • Temporary differences identified by comparing carrying amounts and tax bases
  • Deferred tax liabilities calculated for taxable temporary differences
  • Deferred tax assets recognised subject to probable taxable profit
  • Business combination and revaluation tax effects recorded appropriately
  • Tax disclosures reconcile effective tax rate to accounting profit

Participants can perform IAS 36 impairment testing and prepare required disclosures.

  • Impairment indicators identified from market, operational and financial evidence
  • Cash-generating units defined at the lowest independent cash inflow level
  • Value in use model built from approved forecast cash flows
  • Fair value less costs of disposal estimated using valuation evidence
  • Goodwill allocated to cash-generating units for annual impairment testing
  • Sensitivity disclosures quantify reasonably possible changes in key assumptions

Participants can translate foreign currency transactions and assess IAS 29 requirements.

  • Functional currency determined from primary economic environment indicators
  • Foreign currency transactions translated using spot rates at transaction dates
  • Monetary items retranslated at closing rates with exchange differences
  • Foreign operations translated through other comprehensive income under IAS 21
  • Disposal of foreign operations triggers cumulative translation difference reclassification
  • IAS 29 restatement indicators assessed for hyperinflationary economies

Participants can prepare core consolidation adjustments for groups and equity-accounted investments.

  • Control assessment combines power, variable returns and decision-making ability
  • Acquisition method identifies consideration, identifiable assets and assumed liabilities
  • Goodwill calculated from consideration, non-controlling interests and net assets
  • Intragroup balances, sales and unrealised profits eliminated on consolidation
  • Non-controlling interests presented within equity and allocated group results
  • IAS 28 equity method applied to associates and joint ventures

Participants can prepare targeted IFRS disclosures and establish evidence for disclosure review.

  • IAS 24 related party relationships identified from control and key management
  • Related party transactions disclosed by nature, amount and outstanding balances
  • IFRS 8 operating segments determined from chief operating decision-maker reporting
  • Segment measures reconciled to consolidated financial statement amounts
  • Disclosure checklists mapped to financial statement line items and source evidence
  • Close controls assign ownership for judgements, estimates and note approvals

Participants can build, review and present a complete IFRS reporting file for a reporting period.

  • Reporting fact pattern analysed to identify applicable IFRS requirements
  • Accounting policy memo drafted with authoritative references and conclusions
  • Revenue, lease and financial instrument workings compiled from source data
  • Impairment, tax and provision estimates documented with assumptions
  • Primary statements and notes reviewed using presentation disclosure checklists
  • Management and audit review presentation explains judgements, risks and adjustments

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. IFRS accounting policy assessment template
  2. IFRS 15 contract analysis worksheet
  3. IFRS 16 lease calculation model
  4. IAS 36 impairment testing model
  5. IFRS financial statement disclosure checklist
  6. Audit-ready IFRS reporting file

Who should attend

  • Financial Accountants — prepare IFRS journals, reconciliations and statutory financial statements
  • Finance Managers — review reporting judgements, controls and period-end close outputs
  • External Auditors — assess IFRS treatments and challenge management accounting conclusions
  • Internal Auditors — test financial reporting controls and high-risk accounting estimates
  • Financial Controllers — manage close processes, disclosures and audit-ready supporting schedules
  • Investment and Credit Analysts — interpret IFRS results, adjustments and reporting quality

Skills and tools covered

IFRS technical interpretationFinancial statement presentationRevenue recognition analysisLease accounting calculationsImpairment testingConsolidation reporting

Tools and standards

IFRS Conceptual Framework, IFRS 15 five-step model, IFRS 9 expected credit loss model, IAS 36 impairment testing

How the course runs

Training methodology

Instructor-led sessions combine short technical briefings with worked IFRS calculations, annotated annual-report extracts and realistic reporting cases. Participants analyse contract terms, prepare selected accounting entries, review financial statement disclosures and compare alternative accounting conclusions. Group exercises focus on evidence, materiality and professional judgement rather than memorising standard paragraphs. Simulated close-review discussions develop the ability to explain conclusions to auditors, controllers and non-finance stakeholders. Individual application planning links course tools to participants' own reporting responsibilities.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand double-entry bookkeeping, trial balances, primary financial statements and common year-end adjustments. Experience in accounting, audit, financial control, reporting or finance analysis is expected. Participants should be comfortable reading financial statements and performing basic spreadsheet calculations. Prior IFRS study is helpful but not required; the course starts with the Conceptual Framework and the structure of IFRS requirements. Knowledge of local GAAP, tax law, advanced valuation techniques, consolidation software or prior audit experience is not required.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand basic accounting, double-entry bookkeeping and the main financial statements. Previous IFRS experience is useful but not required; the programme begins with the Conceptual Framework and core reporting principles.

Bring a laptop with spreadsheet software for calculation work and review of reporting templates. Participants may also bring anonymised annual reports, accounting policies or contract examples relevant to their role.

The course suits accountants, finance managers, controllers, auditors, internal auditors and analysts who prepare, review or use IFRS financial information. It is designed for professionals with practical accounting responsibilities rather than complete beginners.

General financial accounting courses focus on bookkeeping principles and financial statement mechanics. This programme concentrates on IFRS requirements, technical judgement, calculations, disclosures and evidence needed for statutory reporting and audit review.

Participants can use the accounting policy template, contract analysis worksheet, lease model, impairment model and disclosure checklist during close and audit preparation. The course also helps participants frame technical questions and document conclusions for reviewers.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes IFRS foundations and applies major transaction standards; the second week addresses estimates, tax, groups, disclosures and the final reporting-file capstone.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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