Business

Diploma in Accounting Technicians (Accounting Technicians Diploma, ATD)

The Accounting Technicians Diploma (ATD) is a KASNEB-examined professional diploma that gives KCSE graduates a fast, structured route into accounting-support roles. It is organised into three progressive levels rather than academic years, each lasting roughly six months.

Level I covers introductory financial accounting, commercial law, entrepreneurship, and ICT; Level II covers financial accounting, management principles, business mathematics and statistics, and finance fundamentals; Level III covers economics, ICT fundamentals, public finance and taxation, and auditing.

Because it is examined and recognised nationally by KASNEB, ATD is widely accepted by employers as evidence of solid entry-level accounting competence, and Kenyan SMEs, SACCOs, and NGOs frequently hire ATD holders directly into accounts roles.

Training is delivered through KASNEB-registered colleges and university TVET directorates, combining lecture-based instruction with past-paper practice, since KASNEB sets standard national examinations at the end of each level.

Holders typically become accounts clerks, cashiers, junior bookkeepers, or tax-assistance staff, and the qualification exempts holders from common papers if they progress to KASNEB's CPA examinations.

ATD suits students who want the fastest, most examination-focused path into accounting work, including those who may later add a diploma or degree for career progression.

Duration: 18 months (3 levels of 6 months each)
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Private, up to: Ksh 50,000
Job market: Very high

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time, Online
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 45 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

8 subjects

Introduction to Financial Accounting
Introduction to Law and Ethics
Entrepreneurship and Communication
Financial Accounting
Principles of Management
Business Mathematics and Statistics
Principles of Public Finance and Taxation
Auditing

Modules

10 in the programme

Introduction to Law and Ethics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Basic legal principles and professional ethics for accounting technicians for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Entrepreneurship and Communication
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Business communication skills and entrepreneurship fundamentals for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Introduction to Financial Accounting
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Basic recording of transactions and preparation of simple financial statements for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Financial Accounting
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Financial accounting principles including bookkeeping, financial statements, and cost analysis for business decision-making.
Principles of Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Core management principles relevant to accounting and finance functions for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Principles of Public Finance and Taxation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Public finance concepts and Kenyan taxation principles for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Financial Accounting
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Intermediate financial accounting, including adjustments and financial for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Cost Accounting
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Cost accounting techniques including bookkeeping, financial statements, and cost analysis for business decision-making.
Auditing
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Fundamentals of audit procedures and internal controls for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Taxation
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Tax principles and compliance as applied to accounting technicians (accounting technicians diploma, atd) principles, practices, and professional competency requirements.

Specialisations

Financial Accounting Track
Emphasis on recording and reporting transactions, building toward full financial-statement preparation, preparing graduates for technical roles in Kenyan organisations with relevant regulatory and industry compliance requirements.
Taxation and Public Finance Track
Emphasis on tax computation, compliance, and public finance principles for roles in tax administration or advisory support.
Management Accounting Track
Focus on cost accounting, budgeting, performance measurement, and internal financial reporting to support business decision-making within Kenyan organisations and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Auditing Track
Focus on internal and external audit procedures, risk assessment, internal controls evaluation, and assurance services within the Kenyan regulatory framework and professional standards.

A day as a student

Classes are exam-focused, working through KASNEB's set syllabus level by level, with heavy use of past papers, revision kits, and timed mock exams alongside standard lectures on accounting, law, and taxation topics.

The trade offs

In its favour

Fastest KASNEB-recognised route into an accounting career, structured in three shorter levels rather than full academic years.
Direct exemptions into KASNEB's CPA programme for holders who wish to progress further.

Against it

National KASNEB pass rates for technician-level exams can be demanding, requiring disciplined self-study.
As a technician-level qualification, career ceiling without further study (e.g. CPA) is lower than for degree-level accountants.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 331 business courses

Public24k to 67k

24k at Meru University of Science and Technology67k at Kabete National Polytechnic

Private36k to 50k

36k at RAMSIS Technical Training College50k at KASNEB Tuition Providers

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KASNEB ATD. Meru 12K/stage, TVET 67K/yr. RAMSIS 17.8K/section (kasneb.or.ke, rttc.co.ke)

Students can access HELB loans and county bursaries; because ATD is comparatively low-cost and fast, many students self-fund per level.

Funding options

HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
Loan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited diploma programmes.
County Government Bursaries
Bursary
Bursaries for needy students from their respective counties.

Scholarships

2 recorded

County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Bursaries for needy students from their respective counties.
HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited diploma programmes.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C-
Alternative entry: Certificate in Accounting and Management Skills (CAMS), an IGCSE grade D, or any other KASNEB-approved technician or diploma certificate.

How you are assessed

1 components

KASNEB Level Examinations
Examination100% of the mark
Each of the three ATD levels is assessed through a standard national KASNEB examination sat at the end of that level.

Accreditation

Nationally examined by KASNEB; delivered through KASNEB-registered colleges and university TVET directorates across Kenya.

Accredited by

Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board
National professional examinationRequired
ATD is examined directly by KASNEB in three levels; colleges deliver tuition but KASNEB sets and marks the exams.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Accounts Clerk
Very high demandKsh 22,000 to Ksh 35,000
Handles routine transaction recording, filing, and basic reconciliations.
Cashier / Finance Assistant
High demandKsh 20,000 to Ksh 32,000
Manages cash handling, receipts, and basic financial record-keeping for a business or SACCO.
Tax Assistant (Junior)
Moderate demandKsh 24,000 to Ksh 38,000
Supports tax filing and compliance tasks under a senior accountant or tax agent.
Audit Assistant
Moderate demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 55,000
Supports internal and external audit processes including vouching, verification, and audit documentation within Kenyan accounting firms and organisations.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as accounts clerks, cashiers, junior bookkeepers, and tax-assistance staff, with direct exemptions into KASNEB's CPA programme.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

QuickBooks
Accounting softwarePrimary
Accounting software for bookkeeping and financial management
Sage Pastel
Accounting softwarePrimary
Accounting software widely used in Kenya for financial reporting
Microsoft Excel
Data analysis
Spreadsheet for accounting data analysis and financial modelling
KRA iTax System
Tax software
Online tax filing and compliance system for Kenya Revenue Authority

Industry links

Common misconceptions

ATD and the Diploma in Accountancy are the same qualification.
ATD is a KASNEB-examined national qualification structured in three levels, while the Diploma in Accountancy is a KUCCPS/university diploma; content overlaps but the examining bodies and structure differ.
ATD takes as long as a standard diploma.
ATD is structured in three levels of about six months each, so full-time students can complete it faster than a typical two-to-three-year diploma.
ATD alone qualifies someone as a CPA.
ATD is a foundation step; CPA status requires progressing through KASNEB's CPA examinations.