By Nancy Akullo
Head of Communications
The Public Accountants Examinations Board (PAEB) has noted a significant improvement in the performance of candidates who sat for the May 2024 examinations of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU).
This was announced on 18 June 2024 at the Protea Hotel by Marriott Kampala Skyz during a ceremony where the results for the May 2024 diet were released.
For the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) course, the average pass rate improved from 38.5% in the November 2023 examinations diet to 43.7% in the May 2024 exams diet.
For the Certified Tax Advisor (CTA) course, the average pass rate improved from 36.2% in November 2023 to 52.3% in May, while for the Accounting Technicians Diploma (ATD) course, the average pass rate was 54.7% compared to 51.2% in November 2023.
CPA Prof. Laura Orobia, the Chairperson of PAEB attributed the improvement in performance to the student engagement webinars which had been held between February and March 2024. There had been a marked improvement in attendance of the 2024 webinars compared to the previous sessions.
The student engagement webinars are interactive sessions between students and examiners and they are organised to assist students with preparation for examinations, especially regarding the question approach.
“We have noted that students who attended the recent engagement activities performed better in examinations and, therefore, we wish to encourage students to attend the sessions because these are part of interventions put in place by PAEB to help students appreciate what is required and subsequently improve performance in the various subjects,” noted CPA Prof. Orobia.
Prof. Orobia further attributed the improved performance to the updated study material for the new syllabus.
For CPA, there were 6,141 candidates compared to 5,976 in November 2023, representing a 9.9% increment.
In terms of age, 772 (16.5%) of the passes were scored by candidates in the age bracket of 18—24 years, 1,981 (42.4%) by candidates in the age bracket of 25—29 years, and 1,197 (25.6%) by candidates in the age bracket of 30—34 years. The remaining 718 (15.3%) of the passes were scored by candidates above 34 years of age.
According to the PAEB Chair, the age bracket of 25—29 years forms the bulk of the active students on the CPA course, that is, fresh graduates from institutions of higher learning.
Regarding gender, out of the 21 top positions for top candidates, 12 (57.1%) were taken by female candidates and 9 (42.9%) by male candidates. Out of those who completed the course, 41 (50.6%) are female and 40 (49.4%) are male.
81 students completed the CPA course compared to 76 in the November 2023 examinations, bringing the cumulative number to 5,051.
For CTA, 113 candidates wrote their examinations in May 2024, compared to 113 in November 2023. 7 candidates completed the course in May 2024 compared to 3 in November 2023, bringing the cumulative number to 88.
121 candidates sat for ATD examinations compared to 134 in November 2024.
In terms of age, 52% of the passes for ATD were scored by candidates in the age bracket of 18—24 years, followed by candidates in the age bracket of 25—29 years at 37.3%). The remaining 10.7% were by candidates of 30 years and above.
Regarding gender, of those who passed, 95 (63.3%) were female candidates while 55
(36.7%) were male candidates.
17 students completed ATD compared to 9 in November 2023, bringing the cumulative number to 1,857.
ICPAU Vice President CPA Ronald Mutumba congratulated the candidates who passed their examinations and encouraged them to work towards completing their courses.
“Congratulations to the top candidates of the May 2024 examinations diet and all those who passed their examinations,” said CPA Mutumba.
“Now use this energy to propel yourselves to the next level. We need you to complete the course so that you can join us on this prestigious side – the global network of CPAs,” he added.
The May examinations were held from 20 – 24 May 2024 at 7 regional examinations centres, namely: Arua, Fort Portal, Gulu, Kampala, Mbale, Mbarara and Nkozi. There were 6,375 candidates who sat for the various papers, compared to the 6,223 for November 2023, representing an increment of 152 candidates (2.4%). The next examinations diets for 2024 are: 19 – 23 August for CPA only, and 25 – 29 November for CPA, CTA and ATD.
Among other interventions to address students’ performance, ICPAU has introduced a masterclass for tuition providers. The goal is to broaden knowledge and skills for student-centred learning environments, with a focus on effective teaching methods. The first masterclass was held from 12 – 15 June 2024.
END.
