The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) recently (Sept.16) announced the results of the August 2024 Certified Public Accountants (CPA(U)) examinations, revealing a slight drop in the overall pass rate compared to last year.
The exams, which took place from 19 to 23 August 2024, were conducted at the Kampala examination center and attracted 4,401 candidates. Of these, 2,438 were female, and 1,963 were male.
According to the Public Accountants Examinations Board (PAEB), the average pass rate stood at 31.0%, a slight decrease from the 32.9% recorded during the August 2023 examinations.
Gender analysis showed that female candidates had a higher pass rate, with 32.2% of their scripts registering passes, compared to 29.6% for male candidates.
In terms of age distribution, the highest success rate (39.6%) was observed among candidates aged 25–29, followed by those aged 30 and above (15.8%), while 18–24-year-olds had a 15.6% pass rate.
CPA Prof. Laura A. Orobia, Chairperson of PAEB, attributed the decline in pass rates to inadequate preparation by candidates. “We believe poor preparation contributed to some of the lower performances in certain subjects. We encourage candidates aiming for the December 2024 exams to intensify their efforts for better results,” she said.
Prof. Orobia also urged prospective students to consider enrolling in the CPA(U) program at a younger age to ensure better competition with their peers.
CPA Josephine Okui Ossiya, President of the ICPAU Council, extended her congratulations to the successful candidates. In her speech, delivered by Vice President CPA Ronald Mutumba, she praised the candidates for their hard work, saying, “This achievement marks the beginning of a journey into a profession essential to the success of businesses and the global economy.”
CPA Derick Nkajja, ICPAU Secretary/CEO, emphasized the institute's role in promoting the accountancy profession and cautioned the public to refrain from recognizing individuals as accountants unless they are legally certified under Uganda’s Accountants Act.
PAEB also highlighted the positive impact of student engagement webinars, which have helped improve performance. These interactive sessions connect students with specialists to aid in exam preparation, especially about tackling questions effectively. PAEB urged candidates to participate in these webinars for future exams.
The August 2024 exams were held exclusively at the Kampala center and registered 80 finalists. PAEB has scheduled three examination diets for 2024: May, August, and December. The final diet of the year is set to take place from 2 to 6 December.
