HomeCoursesAccountingCertificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
This qualification prepares you to keep the books for a business, either as an employee in an accounts team or as a contract bookkeeper working for several clients.
- Duration: 6 months to 18 months
- Study mode: Online, on campus and workplace based
- Course code: FNS40222
Where you can study this course
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Melbourne Polytechnic
- Campuses
- 13 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
A number of students find the organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching, while some rate the facilities and campus highly.
- Campuses
- 15 campuses
- Duration
- 6 months to 18 months
- Study mode
- Varies by campus
- Full fee
- $8,450
- Eligible students: subsidised from $1,980, concession $240
What students say
Many students speak well of the facilities and campus, and some rate the trainers and teaching highly, though opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching and student support, and some found the organisation and admin frustrating.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Victoria University
- Campuses
- 11 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Most students praise the student support, while others find it frustrating. Many rate the facilities and campus well, and some criticise the organisation and admin.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Charles Darwin University
- Campuses
- 12 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students often praise the facilities and campus, while some value student support and course content. Some found organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on trainers and teaching, with communication also a concern.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Swinburne University of Technology
- Campuses
- 8 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Some students praise the facilities and campus, while some criticise organisation and admin for being frustrating, and opinions are mixed on course content. A number also mention student support and teaching positively or negatively.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
TAFE Gippsland
- Campuses
- 11 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
RMIT University
- Campuses
- 15 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students often find organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching, while some praise the facilities and campus and student support.
- Visit course page → (opens in a new tab)
TAFE Queensland
- Campuses
- 6 campuses
- Duration
- Not stated by provider
- Study mode
- On campus with some online
- Full fee
- $6,970
- Eligible students: subsidised from $4,890, concession $4,265
What students say
Many students rate the facilities and campus highly. Some found course content and organisation and admin frustrating, while opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching.
Last reviewed 20 September 2026.
Is this course right for you?
Entry requirements
Nil
- Providers can set their own conditions, such as a minimum age or a current job in the industry, and practical training may need a workplace placement. Check each provider above.
- Yes. Persons providing a BAS service for a fee or other reward must be registered by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB). This qualification is currently cited as meeting the TPB education requirements for registration as a BAS agent, and other requirements apply, including a designated period of experience.
Entry recommendations
To be prepared for this course, it helps to have:
- an interest in numbers and financial records
- comfort with using computerised accounting systems and spreadsheets
- attention to detail when checking transactions and records
- an honest and careful approach to handling client information
What will you learn?
You learn to record day-to-day transactions, reconcile bank and ledger accounts, run payroll, prepare budgets and pull together the financial reports a business needs at the end of the year. It also covers the activity statements a bookkeeper prepares and lodges on a client's behalf, and the computerised accounting systems and spreadsheets most of that work runs on. The qualification is cited as meeting the education requirements for registration as a BAS agent with the Tax Practitioners Board, which also requires a period of relevant experience.
- Computerised accounting systems
- Business activity statements
- Payroll systems
- Ledger and account reconciliations
- Operational budgets
- Financial statements and reports
Units of competency (10 core, 3 elective)
The qualification is made up of 13 units. Everyone completes the 10 core units below, and the remaining 3 are electives chosen from the list on training.gov.au, so they vary by provider. Select a unit to see what it covers.
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Career pathways
Roles this qualification is a recognised route into, and what else you need.
A recognised route into Accounts Officer
Accounts Officer
Accounts officers process the invoices, payments and receipts that keep money moving in and out of an organisation.
Explore this career →- Weekly pay
- $1,442
- Full-time share
- 63%
- Employment size
- 93,000 workers
- Average age
- 45 years
- Average full-time hours
- 40 hours
- Gender share
- 85% female
- Future growth
- +5.9%
- Job market
- Not in shortage
Accounts clerk and accounts payable roles are common outcomes of this award. Employers set their own requirements and many hire on experience, so check the provider and the job ad.
A recognised route into Bookkeeper
Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers record the day-to-day financial transactions of a business and keep the ledgers behind its accounts accurate and up to date.
Explore this career →- Weekly pay
- $1,400
- Full-time share
- 40%
- Employment size
- 91,800 workers
- Average age
- 52 years
- Average full-time hours
- 41 hours
- Gender share
- 89% female
- Future growth
- +5.9%
- Job market
- Not in shortage
Bookkeeping is not licensed, but anyone charging a fee to prepare BAS statements must be a registered BAS agent with the Tax Practitioners Board, which has its own qualification and experience rules. The award alone does not confer registration; check that the provider's programme includes the BAS agent units.
A recognised route into Payroll Officer
Payroll Officer
Payroll officers run the pay cycle, applying award, tax and superannuation rules so that everyone is paid correctly and on time.
Explore this career →- Weekly pay
- $1,606
- Full-time share
- 71%
- Employment size
- 51,700 workers
- Average age
- 46 years
- Average full-time hours
- 41 hours
- Gender share
- 84% female
- Future growth
- +5.5%
- Job market
- Not in shortage
Payroll officer is listed among graduate roles for this award. Employers set their own requirements, so check the provider and job ads.
Where this fits
Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping in accounting: the study that leads into it, the study that follows, and other routes at the same level.
Before
No earlier step listed.
You are looking at
Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
Data from training.gov.au and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0).