One South African university achieved a 100% CA pass rate – and another 0%
The universities with the best pass rate for chartered accountant board exams in 2024 are the University of Pretoria, North-West University, and the University of Cape Town.
University of Fort Hare, Regent Business School, and the University of South Africa have the worst pass rates.
This is based on statistics from the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) regarding the pass rates for the January and June initial test of competence (ITC) exams.
The ITC exam is one of two exams that accountants must pass to become a certified Chartered Accountant registered with SAICA.
This exam assesses how well a candidate can apply the technical competence acquired through the academic programme by requiring the candidate to analyse and evaluate specific scenarios.
To pass the ITC, candidates must achieve an overall pass mark of 50% and secure a minimum of 40% in at least three of the four professional papers.
The second exam is the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) exam, which takes place after a period of 20 months working as an auditor.
This exam assesses how well individuals can apply technical competence gained from working as an auditor.
2,571 students took the January ICT exam. Of those, 1,726 candidates passed, resulting in a pass rate of 67%. This is far less than the 75% pass rate achieved in January 2023.
1,333 candidates took the June exam, but only 189 students passed – a pass rate of 14%. The second sitting mainly comprises candidates who were unsuccessful in the January sitting and some first-time candidates from academic providers with mid-year intakes.
This brings the total number of successful candidates for the 2024 ITC to 1,915.
SAICA said it is concerned with the performance of the June ITC candidates and believes that more needs to be done to support candidates, especially those repeating the ITC.
“While this pass rate is much lower than in previous years, SAICA remains steadfast in its commitment to creating a robust pipeline of students and newly qualified CAs(SA),” SAICA CEO Patricia Stock said.
“To achieve this, SAICA will adopt a strategic approach in collaboration with relevant stakeholders for the benefit of both students and the profession.”
Best- and worst-performing universities
The University of Pretoria was the best-performing institution, with a 100% pass rate in January and June, followed by North-West University and the University of Cape Town.
On the other end of the spectrum were the Regent School of Business and the University of South Africa (UNISA).
“The journey towards obtaining the chartered accountant designation is often demanding and multifaceted, requiring dedication, practise and resilience,” SAICA said in a media release.
“The challenging landscape of accounting, shaped by evolving regulations, complex financial principles and technological advancements, demands a robust curriculum that aligns with industry expectations.”:
“We understand that the path to achieving these qualifications can be filled with obstacles and we are committed to enhancing our support to academic providers through our quality assurance processes and our candidates in navigating this journey.”
The institution noted that there was an increase in first-time candidates from distance-learning education providers as part of their qualification journey this year.
“This trend allows many working candidates to pursue their accounting qualifications while continuing their careers,” the institution said.
“However, balancing the demands of studying with full-time work can be challenging and may impact candidates’ ability to prepare adequately for examinations.”
Below is an overview of the pass rates from all the institutions that had candidates in this year’s ITC exams.
| University | January Pass Rate | June Pass Rate |
| University of Pretoria | 100% | 100% |
| North-West University | 97% | 67% |
| University of Cape Town | 94% | 46% |
| University of Stellenbosch | 96% | 37% |
| University of Free State | 85% | 33% |
| University of the Witwatersrand | 92% | 11% |
| University of Johannesburg | 79% | 20% |
| University of Limpopo | 81% | 13% |
| University of the Western Cape | 67% | 25% |
| Nelson Mandela Univeristy | 83% | 9% |
| IIE | 56% | 21% |
| Institute of Accounting Science | 58% | 14% |
| Rhodes University | 68% | 0% |
| Milpark Education | 45% | 15% |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | 47% | 11% |
| University of Fort Hare | 33% | 13% |
| Regent Business School | 42% | 4% |
| University of South Africa | 34% | 9% |
| University Total | 67% | 14% |
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