Accounting clerk: What does your day-to-day work look like?

Accounting clerks take care of administration and routine accounting tasks. Their tasks are

• Managing accounts receivable, accounts payable and general ledger accounting
• Checking, account assignment and posting of receipts
• Checking and filing all documents
• Process payment transactions and reconcile accounts
• Reminders and VAT settlements
• Administrative work and correspondence
• Assistance in preparing budgets, monthly and quarterly financial statements, balance sheets and income statements

Target group and skills: Who is the accounting clerk training course suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The edupool accounting clerk training course is aimed at the following target groups:

• Professionals who want to enter, change or re-enter the accounting field
• Persons with tasks in the area of accounting
• Self-employed people who want to acquire sound, specialist knowledge
• Persons who wish to take the professional examination for the federal certificate in finance and accounting and do not yet meet the admission requirements

Important personal skills for this profession are

• Enjoy working with numbers
• Accuracy and reliability
• Confidentiality and loyalty

Requirements for admission to the edupool accounting clerk training course:

The following prerequisites are required for admission to the edupool certificate examination for accounting clerks:

• Previous commercial knowledge
• Basic knowledge of accounting
• At least two years of general professional experience (basic vocational training is taken into account)
• Good written and spoken German (level C1)

Recommended:

• Diploma from the edupool commercial school, basic commercial vocational training or an equivalent qualification

Subject matter and content of the training

Schools that offer preparatory courses for the (external) edupool certificate examination for accounting clerks are based on the official information provided by edupool.

The following topics are covered in the course:

• Financial accountingAmong other things, tasks, sub-areas and organizations of accounting, double-entry bookkeeping system, accounting principles and regulations according to the Swiss Code of Obligations, depreciation, provisions, stock accounts, foreign currencies, balance sheet and income statement, stock corporation
• Value added taxincluding tax subjects and objects, tax rates, personal use and contribution taxation, tax claims, authorities, procedures and penalties
• Social insurancesContributions, statements, pay slips, wage statements, etc.
• Financial managementCash flow statement, financial planning, balance sheet and profit and loss analysis, balance sheet structure, profitability, cash flow analysis, cost center accounting, income statements, calculations, etc.

Some schools also offer electives or specialization options. Please contact the schools directly for details.

Costs and financing of further training

The costs are determined by the schools, so there may be differences. In general, the following costs must be expected for the 2-3 semester part-time accounting clerk course with edupool certificate:

• Course fees:Between CHF 4'280.- and CHF 6'300.-
  Note:Membersof the commercial association can benefit from a discount of up to 10%.
• Fee edupool certificate exam(external examination): The examination fee is charged by edupool and currently amounts to CHF 700 (as of February 2024)
• Some providers requireExtra costsfor
  • Enrollment
  • Teaching aids
  • Training documents
  • Internal examinations and examination training
  • Simulation test

It is best to contact the provider of your choice directly regarding the possible extra costs.

* Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations have been financially supported by the federal government. Depending on this, the edupool accounting clerk course is accepted as a preparatory course for the professional examination for specialists in finance and accounting. If, after completing the edupool certificate, you acquire the federal certificate in accounting within seven years and have not yet received any federal funding for your further training as an accounting clerk, 50% of the course costs paid (max. CHF 9,500) will be reimbursed by the federal government on request.Herefind out more.

Duration of study, training options, number of teaching hours, teaching format and learning effort

• The edupool accounting clerk training course is modular in structure and designed for part-time work. It lasts 2-3 semesters (depending on the provider and course offered).
• The training comprises approx. 250 lessons.
• The timetables are set independently by the schools. Lessons therefore take place on one working day or two evenings per week, depending on the school.
• The course can be completed in classroom teaching, in an online format or in a mixture of online and classroom teaching. Please contact the school of your choice directly to find out which teaching formats are offered.
• Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of the course, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Degree, diploma and title

Those who have successfully completed all modules of the "Accounting Clerk" course (they are completed individually) receive a certificate issued by the school.

The (external) examination for the edupool certificate takes place in so-called competence centers, i.e. examination centers of edupool.ch. The examination is carried out here and corrected by edupool. (If the school of your choice is one of the edupool-accredited schools, the edupool examination usually takes place there on site).

The edupool exam is held if at least 12 candidates meet the admission requirements. It can also be taken in German, French or Italian.

The written exam lasts a total of 4.5 hours and includes the following content:

1. Financial accounting (90 min.)
2. Value added tax (45 min.)
3. Social insurance (45 min.)
4. Financial management (90 min.)

Diploma and title

Successful graduates receive the edupool diploma, which is recognized in Switzerland and co-signed by the Swiss Commercial Association and veb.ch.

You are authorized to use the following title: "Accounting clerk edupool.ch"