ACCA Performance Management

Why our courses?

Fully accredited by various professional bodies, the International Professional Academy's philosophy is simple - provide individuals with the highest quality online courses, materials and digital tuition to enable them to pass their exams first time and help them develop their skills and flourish. Such individuals will safeguard their employer's reputation and maintain the highest levels of professionalism.

Each online professional course is comprised of our unique materials and bespoke teaching aids, which condense the study text into a more palatable size, whilst still covering the salient points of each course to ensure students have the highest chance of exam success.

The aim of the syllabus is to develop knowledge and skills in the application of management accounting techniques to quantitative and qualitative information for planning, decision-making, performance evaluation, and control.
The syllabus for Performance Management (PM), builds on the knowledge gained in Management Accounting (MA) and seeks to examine candidates’ understanding of how to manage the performance of a business. It also prepares candidates for more specialist capabilities which are covered in Advanced Performance Management (APM).
The syllabus begins by focusing on the information needs, technologies and systems required by organisations to manage and measure performance in the modern, competitive environment. It is vital for an accountant to understand how information systems and developments in technology influence the management accounting techniques employed and how vital information systems are in the mechanisms of managing and controlling an organisation.
The syllabus then introduces more specialised costing and management accounting topics.
There is some knowledge assumed from Management Accounting (MA) – primarily overhead treatments. The objective here is to ensure candidates have a broader background in management accounting techniques.
The syllabus then considers decision-making. Candidates need to appreciate the problems surrounding scarce resources, pricing and make-or-buy decisions, and how this relates to the assessment of performance. Risk and uncertainty are a factor of real-life decisions and candidates need to understand risk and be able to apply some basic methods to help resolve the risks inherent in decision-making.
Budgeting is an important aspect of many accountants’ lives. The syllabus explores different budgeting techniques, including quantitative techniques, and the problems inherent in them.
The behavioural aspects of budgeting are important for accountants to understand, and the syllabus includes consideration of the way individuals react to a budget. The preparation of fixed, flexible and incremental budgets is assumed knowledge from Management Accounting (MA).
Standard costing and variances are then built on. All the variances examined in Management Accounting (MA) are assumed knowledge in Performance Management (PM). Mix and yield variances and planning and operational variances are explored here, and the link is made to performance management. It is important for accountants to be able to interpret the numbers that they calculate and discuss what they mean in the context of performance.
The syllabus concludes with performance measurement and control. This is a major area of the syllabus. Accountants should appreciate the importance of both financial and non-financial performance measures in management and should also appreciate the difficulties in assessing performance in divisionalised businesses and the problems caused by failing to consider external influences on performance. This section leads directly to Advanced Performance Management (APM).
All of the subject areas covered in this syllabus could be examined in either a public sector or private sector context.
Section F of the syllabus contains outcomes relating to the demonstration of appropriate digital and employability skills in preparing for and taking the PM examination. This includes being able to interact with different question item types, manage information presented in digital format and being able to use the relevant functionality and technology to prepare and present response options in a professional manner. These skills are specifically developed by practicing and preparing for the PM examination, using the learning support content for computer-based examinations available via the practice platform and the ACCA website and will need to be demonstrated during the live examination.

The ACCA usually takes three to four years of study to achieve, although the structure of your studies often varies depending upon your employer.

The three main components of the ACCA are:

• Exams – up to 14 exams, depending on exemptions
• Experience – 36 months' experience in a relevant role (achieving the 13 performance objectives)
• Ethics – the Professional Ethics module.

Our Online Course Includes

• Video delivered online tuition, spanning the whole syllabus
• Bespoke course notes
• PDF notes for each chapter section
• Automated exam standard questions
• Automated mock exams
• Other helpful resources
• Online Tutor Support, as and when required

Student Registration and Examinations

Please note that you must still register as a student, remember to book your exam sittings, and pay any fees, as set out by your professional body.

The International Professional Academy courses are to be used in conjunction with the approved study text from your professional body.

Currently there are no Q&As for this course. Be the first to ask a question.