The ACCA Ethics and Professional skills Module(EPSM) is one of the mandatory and important courses that every ACCA student must pass for completing ACCA qualifications. The ACCA EPSM is an interactive course that is designed to develop the professional, digital, and ethical skills of students for real-world application of their learnings. While the course is mandatory, many ACCA students in Nepal make the common mistake of delaying the course. Delaying the EPSM is a mistake, as without it, you are not qualified to get ACCA certifications, although you have passed all 13 exams. Due to delays, many students end up missing opportunities. Meanwhile, timely completion of ACCA EPSM improves students’ professional judgment, skills, confidence, and communications.
In this blog, we explain What the ACCA Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM) is and what courses it covers. The time required to complete EPSM, its best time to do so, and details of the process to access and complete EPSM on the ACCA student portal are also explained.
What is ACCA Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM)
The ACCA Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM) is the mandatory online course conducted by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to fill the gap between course knowledge and its real-world applications. EPSM is designed to improve ethical judgment, communication, leadership skills, and commercial awareness of ACCA students.
Unlike other ACCA courses, this course uses simulations and interactive courses with quizzes. The EPSM is important to obtain the certification of completing the ACCA.
Why Is EPSM Mandatory For ACCA Membership?
EPSM is mandatory for ACCA students for completing the entire course. ACCA has made EPSM mandatory to develop students’ practical knowledge and improve professionalism, leadership, and decision-making abilities.
Even if a student completed other ACCA exams, without EPSM, they are not qualified to get certification of ACCA completion. To get ACCA certification and become qualified member of ACCA, the completion of EPSM is mandatory along with Practical Experience Requirement (PER) and other exams
What Does EPSM Cover?
EPSM covers 9 units or skills that are required for your success in finance, auditing, and business leadership roles. In addition, it also covers 14 questions in the final assessment, which requires a 50% score for passing the exam. The topics covered by EPSM include the following:
- Ethics and Professionalism
- Personal Effectiveness
- Innovation and Scepticism
- Commercial Awareness
- Leadership and Team Working
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- Data Analytics
- Integrated Case Study
- Strategic Professional Support
How Long Does EPSM Take?
The EPSM takes approximately 20 hours to complete according to ACCA. There is a 2-hour time limit to complete the final EPSM assessment. In case you are not able to complete the assessment, you can try or reattempt another try until you complete the EPSM module.
When Should You Do EPSM in Your ACCA Journey?
ACCA suggests that students should complete their EPSM module assessment during their ACCA journey at the end of completing their applied skills level exam and before starting strategic professional exams. The stage before starting as a strategic professional and after completing their applied skill level exam is a crucial step where you as an ACCA student have developed skills and knowledge to understand the ACCA module.
Attempting the EPSM module before the strategic professional exam also helps you to boost your professional judgment, ethical decision-making, communication, and business awareness. It helps you during the Strategic Business Leader (SBL) exam and develops overall performance. Also, it ensures you are not delayed in obtaining ACCA membership, which ensures you don’t miss early career and growth opportunities.
Step-by-Step Guide to Accessing and Completing EPSM on the ACCA Student Portal
The step-by-step guide to access and complete the EPSM module on the ACCA student portal is provided below:
1. Visit ACCA Website
The first step you must follow is to visit the ACCA Global official website and use your ACCA student login and credentials.
2. Purchase and Access the Module
Once you log in, navigate to the EPSM section and purchase the required fees to access the module. Once you have paid your fees, you can access the EPSM module in your account.
3. Start the Module
As you unlock the module in your account, start from module 1 and proceed with progress on each module.
4. Work Through the Units
Follow the sequence and complete all units, including Interactive scenarios, Videos and readings, Quizzes and activities, and Workplace simulations.
5. Complete the Final Assessment
You are required to complete your final assessment to complete your EPSM module. Understanding scenarios and concepts helps in successfully completing the final assessment.
6. Receive Confirmation
Your journey in completing the EPSM is not completed yet, as you are required to get its confirmation and certification of completion from ACCA. To get certification, access your portal and download your certification of completion.
Conclusion
The ACCA Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM) is one of the mandatory requirements for students to obtain ACCA certifications. It is not just a test to qualify for ACCA certification but is also a valuable learning module that bridges the gap between ACCA learning and real-world contexts. While the EPSM module takes 20 hours to complete, attempting the module at the end of the applied skills level exam and before starting strategic professional exams helps in developing skills and knowledge. Also, following proper steps helps to access and complete the course without any delays. Contact Seed Financial Academy for further details and the best guidance for the complete EPSM module. Seed Financial provides the best support and assistance to achieve your ACCA certifications faster and with the highest success rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is EPSM an exam?
EPSM is more like a learning module than a traditional exam like ACCA papers. The module includes quizzes, activities, and assessments you are required to complete for obtaining your ACCA certifications.
2. Can you fail in EPSM?
Yes, you can fail in EPSM if you cannot meet the requirement of securing a 50% score on your exam. However, if you fail to get the score, you can have unlimited attempts without requiring you to pay additional fees.
3. Does EPSM cost extra?
Yes, the EPSM costs extra fees that you must pay to access your exam. The cost may depend on your location. The cost of the EPSM fee for Nepal is set to £83 according to the ACCA official website.
