Certification test guidelines

ICPA SERVICES INC (1) You will need to answer 80 multiple-choice questions in three hours and score a minimum of 70 %. Fighting spirit is very important. Try to score every mark on every question. You will be given pen and papers to scribble notes. (2) Common sense is essential. The standard theory type of questions - straight from a question set - can be around 15%. The scenario-based type amounts to 45%. You have to ask yourself -what makes sense in this situation? Don't be discouraged that you have not seen a similar question before. Think deeper, even if the entire concept is something you haven't studied before. (3) The exam relies more upon understanding than memory. For example, what are the essential points of posting key, depreciation etc? If a consultant has worked with this topic, then he/she should know these areas thoroughly. Understanding to memorization ration can be 3:1; This is in contrast to Microsoft or Cisco tests. Very few questions involve transaction codes and tables. (4) Mark every question that you are not sure, jot down notes/possible answers, then come back to review and decide in another round. Try to answer all questions in two and half hours. Use remaining half an hour to double check answers for questions you marked down. (This strategy worked well for me and you can use your own strategy based on your style, strengths and weaknesses). (5) Suppose you need to choose 4 out of 6 possible answers to a question. You need to understand the ERP concept. That is - What is the SAP way of doing things? How SAP designed the application to function? Think in this perspective to help you to eliminate wrong options. (6) You need to go through the model test papers and understand how the questions are asked. Then you will notice that there can be four or five ways to frame a question for the same answer. If you know the answer, you wont be confused by the way of asking questions. (7) Every topic in the list below would be asked. Hence you have to study the whole exam content page in detail. If you dont find much information for a particular topic in the certification guides, you can search it in help.sap.com.
Topic Areas with number of questions (as percentage of test):
1. Finance Master Data (11 - 20%)

_ Chart of Accounts _ General Ledger Accounts _ Reconciliation Accounts _ Account Groups _ Customer and Vendor Accounts _ Bank Accounts/Bank Keys
2. Document Control (11 - 20%)

_ Document types and Number ranges _ Posting Keys and Field Status groups _ Posting Periods _ Posting Authorizations _ Default Values _ Document Changes, Change Control _ Tolerance Groups & Payment Differences _ Cross-Company Code Transactions

_ Document Reversal _ Incoming and Outgoing Payments _ Discounts and Payment Terms _ Taxes _ Clearing (manual & automatic) _ Payment Differences _ Foreign Currencies and Exchange Rate Differences _ Cash Journal
3. Payment Program, Dunning Program, Correspondence, Interest Calculation (1 - 10%)

_ Payment Program Configuration _ Running the Payment Program _ Payment Media _ Dunning Program Configuration _ Running the Dunning Program and Dunning Printout _ Configuration Correspondence _ Processing Correspondence _ Configuration Interest Calculation _ Running Interest Calculation
4. Financial Closing (1 - 10%)

_ Month end and year end Processes & adjustments _ Financial Statement Versions & Reporting _ Receivables & Payables _ Profit & Loss _ Technical, Organizational and Documentary Steps
5. Special GL Transactions, Document Parking, Substitution/Validations and Archiving (1 - 10%)

_ Special GL Transactions _ Configuration of Special Gl Transactions _ Document Parking versus Held Documents _ Basics of Validations & Substitutions _ Basics of Archiving
6. Asset Accounting (11 - 20%)

_ Organizational Structures _ Master Data _ Asset Transactions (e.g. Asset Acquisitions, Asset Disposals, Asset Transfers) _ Periodic Processing in Asset Accounting _ Information System
7. New General Ledger (1 - 10%)*

_ Activation and definition of new General Ledger _ Parallel Accounting _ Document Splitting _ Real time integration CO => FI _ Periodic Processing _ Reporting with (new) FI-Standard-Reports
8. Analytics and Reporting in Financial Accounting (1 - 10%)

_ AR/AP Information System _ Drill Down reporting _ List Viewer _ Standard Reports in Financial Accounting

9. Parallel Accounting (1 - 10%)

_ Basic Mapping options in an SAP system with Classic General Ledger _ Handling of Valuation differences within FI
1. Fixed Assets:

_ Low Value Assets _ Intangible Assets

2. Current Assets

_ Individual Value Adjustments _ Foreign Currency Valuation

3. Provisions

_ Mapping of the reporting requirements that result from parallel valuation:

1. Cost of Sales Method 2. Cash Flow Reporting 3. Segmental Reporting 10. Solution Manager (1 - 10%)

_ Solution Manager- Overview

11. Experiences from Implementations (Case Study or Project)* (1 - 10%)

_ Setting Up Company Structures (organizational units in mySAP Business Suite) _ Integration and Dependencies