Accounting Expertise: PIGIER-Bénin Hosts the Regional DECOGEF Exams

At PIGIER-Bénin, the exam rooms have taken on a new dimension since Monday, August 31. For several days, candidates advancing toward the profession of chartered accountant are sitting the regional exam for the Diploma in Accounting and Financial Management Studies (DECOGEF). For the 2025-2026 academic year, the institution was chosen to host in Benin the written and oral exams of the curriculum leading to the Diploma in Accounting and Financial Expertise (DECOFI). The DECOGEF exams run until September 10, followed by the DESCOGEF exams scheduled from September 14 to 26.

For Emmanuel Honkou, president of the UEMOA accounting expertise jury, these exams are part of a structured pathway around several qualification levels. “ The UEMOA accounting expertise curriculum is based on three main diplomas. The DECOGEF corresponds to the bachelor’s level, the DESCOGEF to the master’s level, while the DECOFI is the final diploma granting access to the title of chartered accountant “, he explained. This year, nearly 600 candidates are taking the exams across the sub-region, including about 130 in Benin. Facing the candidates, the jury president especially urged them to avoid failing grades, which can jeopardize their progress despite a good overall average.

PIGIER-Bénin, an accredited center

Hosting these exams is recognition of the work accomplished by PIGIER-Bénin, emphasized Vigan Arsène, director of studies. “We are honored to contribute to the training of future chartered accountants through the accreditation we obtained in 2020 “, he declared. ” Since that date, PIGIER-Bénin has been contributing to the training of future chartered accountants, following the new curriculum of DCG, DSCG, and accounting expertise “, explained the director of studies.

A particular feature of the program allows students to take certain teaching units in advance. “ From the first year, it is indeed possible to take some teaching units early and validate part of them “, specified Vigan Arsène. For him, this organization represents an important evolution in the training of future professionals. “It is one of the major reforms of this program”, he added.

An exam that opens the doors to a regulated profession

On the side of the Order of Chartered Accountants and Certified Accountants (OECCA), emphasis is placed on the rigor and demands attached to this training. Frédéric Codjia, vice-president of the Order, urges candidates to give their best. “ It is about giving the best of oneself. It is not simply an exam “, he insists. According to him, the DECOGEF is a decisive step in a pathway leading to the practice of the profession.

« The DECOGEF is not just an exam, but a passport to a regulated profession that requires heart, ethics, and technical skill “, recalled Frédéric Codjia. Access to the Order is governed by Beninese legislation, notably law no. 2023-35. Obtaining the accounting expertise diploma is among the required conditions. The pathway also includes three years of professional internship in a firm after the training cycles.

The OECCA thus intends to support accredited centers and competent regional structures to ensure rigorous monitoring of the process. “The Order of Chartered Accountants is therefore present today alongside accredited training centers and the Regional Commission for the Training of Chartered Accountants and Financial Experts of UEMOA, to guarantee rigorous monitoring, fairness among candidates, and the maintenance of the high level of requirement set by the Union “, explained the vice-president of the Order.

Training that goes beyond UEMOA borders

For Crescent Mebounou, coordinator of the DECOFI curriculum at ENEAM, the system also reflects the evolution of accounting training on the African continent. “It is a privilege for Africa to have such an eloquent pathway “, he asserts. According to him, the process no longer concerns only UEMOA countries today. “Today, the training process for chartered accountants no longer concerns only the UEMOA area. It has extended to the entire OHADA zone “, emphasized Crescent Mebounou. Cameroon and Gabon have notably joined the system, while other countries in the OHADA area are showing interest in this training.

Beyond the exams, the various stakeholders see in the DECOFI a tool for professionalization and skills development of African human resources. “This shows that we have elite training, which allows us to train our fellow citizens so that they acquire the qualifications and skills necessary to compete on an equal footing with those who received their training in Northern countries”, concluded Crescent Mebounou.

Through the organization of these regional exams, PIGIER-Bénin thus confirms its place in the accounting expertise training system. For the approximately 130 candidates engaged in this session, the coming weeks represent an important step on the long road leading to the DECOFI.