A critical analysis of self-assessed entry-level personal computer skills among newly-qualified irish chartered accountants

This article examines the extent to which Irish accounting graduates believe their tertiary education has provided the personal computing (PC) skills necessary for a career in accountancy. The analysis is achieved by comparing the entry-level self-perceived PC skills of relevant degree holders with the entry-level self-perceived PC skills of those holding other qualifications among all newly-qualified members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) admitted in 1997. Significant differences were found between the two groups in almost all of the PC skills identified. The findings reveal that relevant degree holders perceive themselves to be more computer literate than their nonrelevant counterparts. As a result, the ICAI may wish to review its PC skills programme to differentiate between relevant degree holders and those holding other qualifications to ensure that its resources are not wasted teaching students skills which they already possess.