UDSM Tops CPA Final Exams, Reinforcing Leadership in Professional Accountancy Training
By Jackson Isdory, CMU
The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), through its Business School (UDBS), has once again affirmed its national leadership in professional accountancy education after emerging overall top performer among 24 higher learning institutions in the November 2025 Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Final Examinations administered by the National Board of Accountants and Auditors (NBAA).
According to the official NBAA results, UDSM led the cohort of participating universities and institutes nationwide, underscoring its sustained dominance in producing high-calibre accounting professionals and its strong alignment with national and international professional standards.
The results reaffirm UDSM’s long-standing value proposition in delivering industry-relevant, competency-based and outcomes-driven education, with the University outperforming peer institutions in both scale and quality of performance.
The achievement reflects the strength of UDSM’s academic architecture, experienced faculty, rigorous assessment systems and a supportive learning environment that consistently enables students to excel in high-stakes professional examinations.
Commenting on the achievement, the Dean of the University of Dar es Salaam Business School, Prof. Omar Mbura, said the results were the outcome of deliberate and sustained strategic investments in quality assurance, curriculum transformation and strong engagement with professional bodies.
“This performance is not incidental. It is the product of a well-coordinated academic strategy that prioritises rigour, relevance and results. At UDBS, we benchmark ourselves against global standards while remaining responsive to national professional demands. We are proud that our graduates continue to set the pace in the CPA examinations,” Prof. Mbura said.
He added that UDSM’s continued success is closely linked to its strategic curriculum review agenda, which ensures that academic programmes remain responsive to evolving professional standards, regulatory expectations and labour market dynamics.
“Through systematic curriculum audits, alignment with NBAA competency frameworks and the integration of practical learning components, the University has strengthened graduate preparedness and employability”, he said.
Prof. Mbura further stressed: “Our strategic curriculum review and strong academic–industry linkages ensure that what we teach is firmly grounded in professional practice. This synergy has significantly enhanced student readiness and examination outcomes”.
A deeply embedded culture of excellence
The Head of the Department of Accounting, Dr. Patrick Reginald Mbwile, emphasised that a deeply embedded culture of excellence, accountability and continuous improvement remains central to the department’s sustained success.
“We have institutionalised a performance-driven teaching and learning ecosystem. Continuous assessment, structured mentorship and close alignment with NBAA competency frameworks have enabled our students to consistently excel. These results validate our commitment to producing accountants who are both technically competent and ethically grounded,” Dr. Mbwile stated.
The latest CPA performance further consolidates UDSM’s strategic positioning as a centre of excellence in business and accounting education, and as a reliable pipeline for producing competent, ethical and industry-ready accounting professionals. It also reinforces the University’s role as a trusted partner in the development of Tanzania’s professional human capital.
Beyond academic recognition, the achievement enhances UDSM’s institutional brand equity and strengthens stakeholder confidence in its mandate to lead in knowledge generation, professional training and national development.