Accountants seeking to become authorised individuals for probate must demonstrate that they are appropriately qualified. One way that they can do this is to complete the Mercia-provided course for probate, which covers the ICAEW syllabus. As Mercia has been the main provider of probate training for ICAEW authorised individuals since 2014, ICAEW has undertaken a review of Mercia’s performance as a training provider. The results of this review are summarised below.
Key findings
- In summary, our review of Mercia as a training provider for the probate course found that it is performing to a satisfactory standard.
- In the absence of any changes to the structure of non-contentious probate, the curriculum has not been updated.
- We have not identified any concerns with the course content or delivery.
- No complaints about Mercia’s performance as a training provider for probate have been received by ICAEW or identified to ICAEW by Mercia in the review period.
- Mercia advised the limited feedback it received about the recent switch to an online-only course was largely positive.
- ICAEW requested details of how the online probate course exam is operated and invigilated. Mercia is working with a third-party provider to protect against the risk of cheating in online exams. There have been no incidents of this kind reported in connection with the probate course.
We will undertake a further review of Mercia’s performance as a training provider in 2025. Should any issues be brought to the attention of ICAEW, it will be considered whether this would warrant an accelerated review.
If you wish to provide feedback to ICAEW about the Mercia course, you can do so by completing this online form.
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