The following are brief outlines of the DOFA syllabus to give you an idea of what is covered  - you should check the ICSA website for the full versions. July 2010 ICSA COFA DOFA Handbook (pdf)

DOFA Offshore Trusts and Companies Administration

The syllabus covers the following topics:

Offshore Company Administration: uses; types; tax; features; funding; rights and powers; directors; corporate service provider; beneficial owner.

Trust Law and Administration: Equity & common law; trust creation, uses and types of trusts; the trust instrument, parties to the trust, setting aside of trusts & equitable remedies; trustee; investment; discretionary trusts; trust accounts and trust reviews

Risk Management: in offshore centres; business acceptance and administration; risk management and control

DOFA Business Management in Practice

The syllabus covers the following topics:

Management Principles: theories of management; human behaviour; management in practice; management and work; organisations as systems.

The Nature of the Organisation: decision making and planning; structures and design; business functions.

Managing the business environment: nature of business environment; local, national and international environments; managing change.

DOFA Governance and Reporting

The syllabus covers the following topics:

Governance and Uses: public and private limited companies; principles, codes and roles; Multinational corporate uses of offshore vehicles; OECD report on the misuse of corporate vehicles; Finance sector regulation; ship registration and management; private uses of offshore vehicles and structures; partnerships offshore.

Reporting and Interpretation: Financial reporting environment; types of trust and accounting treatment; accounting concepts, conventions, principles and standards; tangible fixed assets; reporting financial performance; intangible fixed assets; accounting for post balance sheet events; provisions; ratio analysis; cash flow statements.

DOFA Portfolio Management

The syllabus covers the following topics:

Investment Strategy: Investment advice; portfolio management; Risk.

Taxation: International Tax; UK Tax.

Regulatory Environment: Regulation in UK, USA and Europe; takeover rules

DOFA exams are 3 hours long and are split into 3 sections.

Section A: 10 multiple choice questions worth a total of 10 marks

Section B: 10 short answer questions worth a total of 40 marks

Section C: Choice of 2 out of 3 essay-style questions worth 25 marks each.

Exams are held in February and July each year.

Campbell's College COFA DOFA Distance Learning enrolment form