Certified Accounting Technician

Vocational qualification

Distance

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Vocational qualification

  • Methodology

    Distance Learning

Suitable for: CAT is the ideal qualification for you if you are employed in an accounting support role, or looking for your first job in accounting, or are returning to work.

About this course

There are no entry requirements for this course, and you do not need any prior knowledge of accountancy. Register with the ACCA at the above address, preferably as soon as you start the course.

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Course programme

Being part-qualified having completed the first two levels will also help you get your first accounting job. Many businesses employ accounting technicians to do the work that used to be done by professional accountants. Salary levels are good - usually up to £25K for fully qualified CAT staff. And CAT is not only a qualification in its own right but it also acts as a stepping stone to professional accounting qualifications, for example giving you entry to the ACCA Professional Stage with exemption from three papers in Part 1. CAT is recognised globally and within the UK vocational qualifications framework.

CAT Introductory & Intermediate Levels

Awarding Body

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

The ACCA is the largest accountancy body in the UK and examines CAT worldwide.

Estimated study time

We suggest you allow a notional 40 hours for each course (ACCA directed study time guideline is 24 hours for Introductory subjects and 40 hours for Intermediate subjects).

Selecting your papers

You can take Papers 1-4 in any order, but the ACCA recommends the numerical sequence, and so you should normally complete the introductory level first.

If you are already employed in accounting, and have completed the training requirements as set out in the Technician Training Record, you can proceed direct to the Intermediate level without taking the introductory exams.

You will however need to be very confident of your basic book-keeping up to trial balance and of your understanding of basic cost accounting. If in doubt, you can purchase our course material for study without subscribing to the tuition service.

Courses for Advanced Level Papers 5 & 6 are now available. Guided learning hours are 40 hours for Paper 5, 60 hours for Paper 6. Papers 7, 8 in preparation.

Course includes:

• Accredited interactive training manuals from the leading ACCA-recommended publisher BPP, including both study manual and revision kit
• Our Study Guide for each subject, providing additional notes and commentary
• 10 Tutor-marked Assignments (five for each Paper) - bags of practice
• Tutor helpline (phone or e-mail) if you get stuck on anything
• 1-year service contract - allows you plenty of time to complete and up to two exams (renewable at a discount if you have not finished at the end of 12 months)

Course Information

Introductory & Intermediate Syllabuses

Paper 1: Recording Financial Transactions Business transactions & documentation, double entry bookkeeping, banking & petty cash, sales & sales records, purchases & purchase records, payroll, control accounts & initial trial balance.

Paper 2: Information for Management Control Use computer systems safely & efficiently, security confidentiality & legal issues, management information, income & expenditure, comparisons, decision making

Paper 3: Maintaining Financial Records Basic bookkeeping, including final accounts. Accounting standards principles & policies. Fixed assets & depreciation. Control accounts, reconciliations and errors. Adjustments to the trial balance. Final accounts.

Paper 4: Accounting for Costs

Management information. Cost classification & behaviour. Elements of cost. Marginal costing and absorption costing. Product & service costs. Estimating costs & revenues.
Prices (Introductory & Intermediate Levels)

  • Subjects: 1 or 2, 3 or 4: £125 each 1 + 2, or 3 + 4: £235 inclusive of UK postage
  • Price for enrolment covering Papers 1-4 inclusive £425. Plus Post & Packing if outside the UK
  • Papers 1 or 2, 3 or 4 £15.00 1 + 2, or 3 +4 £20.00
  • Papers 1-4 £25.00

Prices by instalments (UK only)

1 or 2, 3 or 4: deposit £57 and 3 payments of £25 (Total £132)
1+ 2, or 3 + 4: deposit £85 and 4 payments of £40 (Total £245)
1-4: Deposit £105 and four payments of £82.50 (course price £435).

CAT Advanced Level

Two papers are available. Further papers are in preparation.

Paper 5: Managing People & Systems

Business & Accounting Environment Effective management of business & accounting systems Individual effectiveness at work Health, safety and security in the working environment

Paper 6: Drafting Financial Statements

General framework Preparing financial statements Cash flow statements Interpretation of financial statements Consolidated accounts

Prices are the same

  • Paper 5 or 6 £125 Papers 5 & 6 £235 inclusive of UK postage
  • Inclusive Price Intermediate plus Two Advanced Papers: £425.00
  • Overseas clients: add Post & Packing: Paper 5 or 6 £15.00; Papers 5 and 6 £20.00
  • Papers 3-6 £25.00

Prices by instalments UK only

Examination Entry & Assessment

Exam Dates:

June and December

Introductory Level

The exams at Introductory Level are multiple choice and are 2 hours each. You can apply for the written paper exams or take a computer-based assessment. Our course will prepare you for either style of examination but if you plan to take CBE it is useful to familiarise yourself with the operation of the system.

Intermediate Level

The exam papers are 2 hours each and comprise both multiple choice and longer questions and can be taken as written exams or as a computer-based exam. Our course prepares you for the written paper exam.

Advanced Level

Paper 5 is 2 hours.
Paper 6: 3 hours
Both papers include a multiple choice element.

Registration and Exam Entry

You must be registered with the ACCA in order to take the
Information is given in the ACCA CAT handbook.
You must register by 31 December if you plan to take the exam the following June, or by 15 August for December.
ACCA Registration fee (2009): £58 (renewable by 1 January each year).
CAT Exam fees Introduction/Intermediate £37 per paper
CAT Advanced £42 per paper

You must send your exam entry to the ACCA by the following dates:

• June Exam 15 April
• December Exam 15 October

Training

As well as passing the exams, in order to progress from a Passed Finalist to a Certified Accounting Technician, you need to obtain at least one year's relevant accounting experience, supervised by a qualified accountant and verified by your employer. Your experience is logged in the Technician Training Record which you submit to the ACCA. The ACCA will give you advice on this when you register. You can also input your details to the TTR online in order to test what work you have already covered and what you still need to do.

Exemptions

Detailed advice on exemptions if you have obtained other qualifications are given on the ACCA website. Check for the lastet information or contact the ACCA if in doubt.

GCE AL Accounting Papers 1, 2 and 3
RSA Accounting 2 plus Practical Book-keeping Paper 1
LCCIEB Level 3 Accounting Papers 1 and 3
Pitmans Book-keeping & Accounts 2 plus computerized Accounts 2 Paper 1
Pitmans Accounting 3 Papers 1 & 3

Examination Subjects

INTRODUCTORY:

1 Recording Financial Transactions (*)
2 Information for Management Control

INTERMEDIATE:

3 Maintaining Financial Records (*)
4 Accounting for Costs

ADVANCED:

5 Managing People & Systems
6 Drafting Financial Statements (*)
7 Planning, Control and Performance Management and TWO from:

8 Implementing Audit Procedures (*)
9 Preparing Taxation Computations (UK)
10 Managing Finances

There are UK and alternative International paper options for those papers marked (*). Our material covers the UK options.

Certified Accounting Technician

Price on request