Professional Accounting Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Accountants, Assistant Accountants and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-A-109

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with double-entry bookkeeping, common financial statement terms and routine business transactions such as sales, purchases, payroll and payments.

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

Reliable accounting depends on more than posting transactions correctly. Finance professionals must interpret commercial events, apply recognition and measurement requirements, maintain evidence for balances, complete controlled period-end closes, and explain results to managers. Errors in revenue recognition, asset capitalisation, provisions, receivables or cash-flow classification can distort performance reports, delay decisions and create audit findings. This course addresses the practical accounting judgements and control routines needed to produce dependable financial information.

Participants work through the accounting cycle from source transactions to financial statements and management reports. The course covers double-entry records, IFRS-based recognition, revenue, non-current assets, inventory, receivables, provisions, month-end close, reconciliations, cash-flow reporting, cost analysis, budgeting, ratio analysis and internal controls. Participants gain the ability to analyse transactions, prepare adjustment journals, reconcile ledger balances, assemble core financial statements and investigate significant variances using clear supporting evidence.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings with realistic cases drawn from corporate, banking, public-sector and NGO finance functions. Participants assess transaction scenarios, prepare schedules, review financial reports, identify control failures and present accounting conclusions. They leave with a practical accounting workpaper pack containing reusable close, reconciliation, reporting and analysis templates that can be adapted to their own finance role.

The course is suited to accounting staff moving into broader reporting responsibilities, finance professionals who need stronger technical accounting judgement, and managers who review or rely on financial statements. It is delivered over five instructor-led days in classrooms in 50+ cities or live online, with a certificate of completion issued after attendance.

What you will be able to do

  • Apply IFRS recognition and measurement requirements to routine accounting transactions
  • Prepare adjustment journals, reconciliations and supporting schedules for period-end close
  • Construct primary financial statements and cash-flow reports from an adjusted trial balance
  • Analyse revenue, asset, inventory, receivable and provision accounting treatments
  • Calculate cost, margin, break-even and budget variances for management decisions
  • Interpret liquidity, profitability and working-capital ratios using financial statement data
  • Assess transaction-cycle controls using COSO principles and segregation-of-duties analysis
  • Draft evidence-based accounting policy conclusions and management reporting commentary

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence making and explaining routine accounting judgements
  • Practical month-end close and reconciliation techniques
  • Stronger preparation for accounting reporting responsibilities
  • Improved ability to identify material reporting errors
  • Reusable financial statement and variance analysis methods

For your organisation

  • More accurate and timely period-end financial reporting
  • Fewer unreconciled balances and unsupported journal entries
  • Better documented accounting judgements and audit evidence
  • Earlier identification of working-capital and margin issues
  • Stronger transaction controls and clearer management reporting

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can record transactions through the accounting cycle and trace their effects on financial statements.

  • Accounting equation analysis linking transactions, balances and financial statement effects
  • Accrual basis recognition compared with cash-basis reporting and timing differences
  • Double-entry journals using debit-credit rules and chart-of-accounts coding
  • General ledger postings, trial balance extraction and error tracing techniques
  • Materiality judgments and accounting estimates documented with appropriate evidence
  • Accounting cycle controls from source documents through period-end close

Participants can apply the IFRS 15 five-step model to common customer contract scenarios.

  • IFRS Conceptual Framework: assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses
  • Revenue recognition under IFRS 15 five-step model
  • Identify performance obligations and allocate transaction price using relative stand-alone prices
  • Contract assets, contract liabilities and significant financing components
  • Sales returns, variable consideration and constraint assessments supported by evidence
  • Journal entries and disclosures for multi-element customer contracts

Participants can account for acquisition, depreciation, impairment and disposal of long-term assets.

  • IAS 16 cost components, recognition thresholds and asset-ready-for-use dates
  • Component depreciation schedules using useful lives, residual values and methods
  • Subsequent expenditure distinguished between capitalisation, replacement and repair costs
  • IAS 38 recognition criteria for research, development and intangible assets
  • IAS 36 impairment indicators, cash-generating units and recoverable amount testing
  • Asset disposal entries, revaluation effects and disclosure requirements

Participants can prepare accounting treatments and supporting schedules for major working-capital balances.

  • IAS 2 inventory cost formulae, write-downs and net realisable value
  • Receivables ageing, expected credit losses and allowance journal entries
  • IFRS 9 simplified approach for trade receivable impairment measurement
  • Prepayments, accruals and provisions distinguished using recognition criteria
  • IAS 37 provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent asset disclosures
  • Working-capital schedules reconciled to ledger balances and supporting records

Participants can organise a controlled month-end close and resolve common ledger discrepancies.

  • Month-end close timetable assigning owners, dependencies, reviews and sign-offs
  • Bank reconciliations investigating timing differences, errors and unrecorded transactions
  • Balance-sheet reconciliations supported by ageing, subledgers and external evidence
  • Journal-entry controls covering preparation, approval, posting and audit trails
  • Cut-off testing for purchases, sales, payroll and inventory movements
  • Close variance analysis separating operational drivers from accounting adjustments

Participants can prepare core financial statements and supporting disclosures from adjusted accounting records.

  • IAS 1 presentation requirements for primary statements and comparative information
  • Statement of profit or loss classified by function or nature
  • Statement of financial position assembled from adjusted trial-balance accounts
  • Statement of cash flows prepared using IAS 7 classifications
  • Indirect cash-flow reconciliation from profit to operating cash movements
  • Notes, accounting policies and critical estimates drafted for material items

Participants can analyse costs, margins and budget variances to support operational decisions.

  • Cost behaviour analysis separating fixed, variable, mixed and step costs
  • Contribution margin and break-even calculations for product and service decisions
  • Activity-based costing drivers assigned to activities, products and customers
  • Standard costing variances for materials, labour and overhead investigated
  • Rolling budgets linked to volume assumptions, staffing and operating drivers
  • Responsibility-centre reports distinguishing controllable costs from allocated charges

Participants can interpret financial performance and communicate accounting-driven insights to management.

  • Common-size analysis comparing margins, cost structure and balance-sheet composition
  • Liquidity ratios calculated from current assets, liabilities and operating cash
  • Profitability ratios interpreting gross margin, operating margin and return measures
  • Working-capital ratios linking receivables, inventory, payables and cash conversion
  • Trend analysis separating volume, price, mix and timing effects
  • Management commentary translating variances into decisions, actions and accountabilities

Participants can assess accounting controls, document evidence and report control deficiencies.

  • COSO internal control components applied to transaction-processing risks
  • Segregation-of-duties matrices identifying incompatible authorisation, custody and recording responsibilities
  • Preventive and detective controls mapped to revenue and expenditure cycles
  • Fraud red flags in journals, vendor records and revenue adjustments
  • IESBA fundamental principles applied to reporting pressure and conflicts
  • Audit evidence, documentation standards and retention requirements for reconciliations
  • Control-deficiency reporting with risk ratings, owners and remediation dates

Participants can document technical accounting conclusions and plan improvements to their reporting process.

  • Accounting policy memos structured around facts, requirements, judgement and conclusion
  • Technical issue analysis locating applicable IFRS requirements and disclosure implications
  • Management reporting packs combining financial statements, KPIs and variance explanations
  • Finance-business partner discussions linking operational events to accounting consequences
  • Period-end action plan prioritising close improvements, controls and reporting milestones
  • Personal application plan defining stakeholder commitments, measures and review dates

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

What you take back to work

  1. Month-end close timetable template
  2. Balance-sheet reconciliation checklist
  3. IFRS accounting judgement memo template
  4. Financial statement preparation model
  5. Ratio and variance analysis worksheet
  6. Transaction-cycle control matrix

Who should attend

  • Accountants — need stronger judgement for journals, reconciliations and financial reporting
  • Assistant Accountants — are preparing for broader month-end and reporting responsibilities
  • Financial Analysts — need to interpret accounting treatments behind reported performance
  • Finance Officers — manage transaction processing and require reliable control routines
  • Finance Managers — review financial statements, close outputs and accounting judgements
  • Internal Auditors — assess accounting controls, evidence and financial reporting risks

Skills and tools covered

IFRS applicationPeriod-end closeFinancial statement preparationManagement accounting analysisInternal control assessmentFinancial report interpretation

Tools and standards

IFRS Accounting Standards, IFRS Conceptual Framework, COSO Internal Control—Integrated Framework, IESBA International Code of Ethics

How the course runs

Training methodology

The instructor introduces each method through short technical briefings, worked accounting examples and guided discussion. Participants apply IFRS requirements to transaction cases, prepare journals and schedules, complete reconciliations, review financial statements and investigate reporting variances. Small-group work focuses on realistic finance decisions, including revenue treatment, close issues, control failures and management reporting. Simulations test the link between source documents, ledger balances and reported results. Each participant develops an application plan for improving a current accounting, close or reporting process.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with double-entry bookkeeping, common financial statement terms and routine business transactions such as sales, purchases, payroll and payments. Experience using an accounting system, spreadsheet or general ledger is helpful. The course assumes participants can read a trial balance and distinguish assets, liabilities, income and expenses at a basic level. Prior IFRS study, audit experience, professional accounting membership and advanced spreadsheet skills are not required. This is not designed for participants with no prior exposure to accounting records or financial statements.

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 be familiar with basic bookkeeping, common financial statement terms and routine business transactions. You do not need prior IFRS training, audit experience or a professional accounting qualification.

Bring a calculator and, where permitted by your employer, examples of non-confidential accounting or reporting challenges you face. Course materials are provided, and live online participants should have access to a spreadsheet application.

It is designed for accountants, assistant accountants, finance officers, financial analysts and finance managers with existing accounting exposure. It also suits internal auditors who need stronger knowledge of accounting records and reporting controls.

Bookkeeping training focuses mainly on recording routine transactions, while financial analysis training concentrates on interpreting results. This course connects transaction recording, IFRS judgement, period-end close, financial statement preparation, controls and management reporting.

Participants can use the close timetable, reconciliation checklist, judgement memo and control matrix in routine finance work. The course also provides methods for investigating variances, documenting balances and explaining accounting effects to non-finance managers.

Each day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The five days move from accounting foundations and IFRS treatments through close, financial statements, management accounting, controls and workplace application.

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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