ACCOUNTING UNDERGRADUATES’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE VALUE OF ACCREDITATION EXEMPTIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM A SRI LANKAN UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Accreditation exemptions allow undergraduates to bypass selected professional examinations based on recognised academic achievements. In the Sri Lankan context, universities increasingly pursue such exemptions to enhance the perceived value and attractiveness of their accounting degree programmes. This study investigates accounting undergraduates’ perceptions of the value of accreditation exemptions granted by professional accounting bodies (PABs) in Sri Lanka, with specific attention to the motivating factors behind undergraduates’ decisions to pursue accreditation exemptions, the challenges they perceive in obtaining such exemptions, and how these exemptions shape their pathways into the accounting profession. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study employs a case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that accounting undergraduates primarily pursue accreditation exemptions to save time and costs, avoid duplication of studies, and better manage their academic workload. Peer influence also plays a role in shaping students’ decisions. However, undergraduates also perceive several challenges, including high exemption fees, complex application procedures, long waiting periods, perceived stigma, and concerns about potential knowledge gaps arising from differences between university curricula and professional syllabi. The findings further indicate that accreditation exemptions shape undergraduates’ career pathways by offering a faster and more structured route into the accounting profession, while simultaneously generating mixed perceptions regarding professional preparedness and long-term credibility. The study provides contextual insights into the role of accreditation exemptions in accounting education and offers implications for universities, PABs, and undergraduates in enhancing the effectiveness of exemption frameworks.