Certified Outsourcing Specialist™ – Finance & Accounting (COS-F&A)
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While IAOP’s Certified Outsourcing Professional® (COP) program is targeted for business leaders and operational management involved in the outsourcing industry, the Certified Outsourcing SpecialistTM family of designations is geared toward individuals involved in the delivery of outsourced services. Although the primary intention is to serve the need of the provider community, certifications in this family may be created to meet customer and advisor need as well.
COS-F&A Fact Sheet
Benefits of COS-F&A Certification
The COS-F&A test is a standardized, web-based multiple choice question test that evaluates the candidates knowledge areas and skills of human resources domain oriented tasks.
COS-F&A Certification Helps the Various Constituents of the Outsourcing Ecosystem
- Individual Employee: COS-F&A Certification helps workers demonstrate their skills via a reliable standardized test
- Outsourcing Service Providers: Most service providers use some form of proprietary knowledge test when hiring entry-level workers. By standardizing this testing across the industry, COS-F&A testing and certification saves hiring organizations money while improving their hiring decision process
- Outsourcing Customers: Customers are justifiably concerned about the quality of workers who execute their outsourced business processes. With IAOP’s COS-F&A certification, outsourcing customers can simply request the certificate.
- National Associations: To attract outsourcing customers and promote the growth of the local outsourcing industry, organizations need a reliable way to demonstrate the size and quality of their labor pool. IAOP periodically will publish reports of the number of COS-F&A certified workers in each of the top outsourcing destinations. These reports will help national associations reliably demonstrate the quality of their labor pool
COS-F&A tests are powered by technology from BeyondCore Inc. (
www.beyondcore.com). BeyondCore technology has been leveraged by Fortune 500, S&P 500 and Top 10 BPO service providers on four continents. COS-F&A testing is based on advanced methodologies pioneered by BeyondCore as well as student research conducted at the Harvard Business School and Stanford University.
What is learned from a COS-F&A test?
A COS-F&A is certified to have the knowledge and capabilities necessary to perform tasks and deliver services at a basic entry-level proficiency in the Finance and Accounting domain of the outsourcing industry. The COS-F&A test validates a candidates knowledge of:
- Accounting concepts and conventions
- Double entry bookkeeping system
- Books reconsiliation, ledger accounting, rectification of errors, inventory accounting
- Financial statements preparation and analysis
- Introduction to capital market and derivatives
- Use of IT in financial accounting
- Basic knowledge of BPO, personal management, English language, and computer skills
- For a complete list of the full knowledge and skills, or standards, required for certification, please click here.
In order to get the COS-F&A certification an individual has to successfully pass the online test comprised of 75 multiple choice questions (MCQ) with each having four options. The time allotted for the exam is 60 minutes. The MCQs will be generated randomly from the question bank. The minimum score for passing the test and achieving the certification is 70%.
It is recommended, but not required that the candidate should have had prior education (Associate Degree, Foundation Degree, Bachelors Degree to ensure a minimum aptitude and education level. It is also recommended that the candidate have some prior exposure to the fundamentals of finance and accounting as a function in order to do well on the test. An optional companion course to the test is available from Global Talent Track and this will give candidates the knowledge to handle finance and accounting responsibilities smoothly and better prepare for the test. COS-F&A Optional Companion Course description.
The test may be purchased individually and taken as a “self-assessment” where the operator is given a validation code that may be given to a single potential future employer who can conduct a free test to then confirm the candidate’s score. The test may also be taken at a Test Center partner (TCP) company who can administer and certify the results. Candidates are also provided a score certification code that they can share with potential employers so that employers can confirm the score online in the COS-F&A database.
IAOP Corporate Members receive 50 complimentary COS family of certifications tests per year and significant discounts for expanding their use of the test across their organization’s recruitment, hiring, and testing operations. Please contact memberservices@iaop.org for information on how your organization can receive this benefit.
COS-F&A Recertification
The COS-F&A certification expires two years from the issue date and the COS-F&A test must be retaken every two years to demonstrate continued or improved skill levels and keep the certification in force.
To purchase this or any tests in the COS family of certifications visit www.iaop-cos.com or for more information about free tests for IAOP corporate members contact memberservices@iaop.org.