Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA)

Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA)

Introduction to ACCA Programme

The ACCA Qualification is designed to provide the accounting knowledge, skills and professional values which will deliver finance professionals who are capable of building successful careers across all sectors, whether they are working in the public or private sectors, practising in accounting firms, or pursuing a career in business.

In order to qualify as an ACCA member, you will complete:

• 14 exams (nine of which are eligible for exemption)
• relevant practical experience, with a minimum of three years
• a Professional Ethics module.

The ACCA Qualification embeds the global accounting education standards set by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). There is a strong focus on professional values, ethics, and governance. These skills are essential as the profession moves towards strengthened codes of conduct, regulation, and legislation – with an increasing focus on professionalism and ethics in accounting. These are examined at the highest level in the ACCA Qualification and are a core element of your practical experience requirements.

Programme structure

Student will need to complete 14 papers in total. A maximum of nine papers in the Fundamentals level are available for exemption.

FUNDAMENTALS (nine papers in total)

Knowledge

F1 Accountant in Business (AB)
F2 Management Accounting (MA)
F3 Financial Accounting (FA)

Skills

F4 Corporate and Business Law (CL)
F5 Performance Management (PM)
F6 Taxation (TX)
F7 Financial Reporting (FR)
F8 Audit and Assurance (AA)
F9 Financial Management (FM)

PROFESSIONAL (five papers in total)

Essentials

P1 Professional Accountant (PA)
P2 Corporate Reporting (CR)
P3 Business Analysis (BA)

Options (two to be completed)

P4 Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
P5 Advanced Performance Management (APM)
P6 Advanced Taxation (ATX)
P7 Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)

Entry Requirements

There various entry points on to the ACCA Qualification, depending on your age and previous academic qualifications.

Minimum entry requirements

• two A Levels and three GCSEs or equivalent in five separate subjects, including English and Mathematics.
• Full information on the minimum entrance criteria for each country is available in the ‘related documents’ section.

Mature Student Entry Route (MSER)

• Normally over age 21
• no academic qualifications required
• must pass the equivalent of Papers F2, Management Accounting and F3, Financial Accounting within two years before further progression to the ACCA exams is permitted.

Graduate-entry route

• relevant degree holders from ACCA-accredited institutions may be exempted from all nine exams within the Fundamentals level and register directly at the Professional level. Degrees with some relevance may also qualify for exemptions

Access to ACCA via CAT qualification

• no academic qualifications required
• sit Certified Accounting Technician
• (CAT) qualification first and then transfer to the Skills module of the ACCA Qualification by claiming exemption from the first three papers in the Knowledge module.

Registration with ACCA:

You must be a registered student to sit for the ACCA examinations. Whichever qualification you are applying for, there are two ways in which to apply for the registration:

Online Registration:

Students can register online by using the ACCA website that is .An easy way to register as a student with ACCA is by doing it online. This is how you do it:

• complete our online Registration Form
• print out and complete the ACCA Declaration Sheet, and enclose it with appropriate supporting documentation (proof of qualifications etc)
• Return it to our office in your country. If your country is not listed, send the form to ACCA in the UK
• You will be allocated a unique reference number by e-mail. Please keep a note of this reference number as you can use it to track your application on the web.

By post registration:

You can register as a student with ACCA by completing an application form and sending it to us. This is how you do it:

• request an information pack and registration form to be sent to you in the post. Use the online order form below, or telephone us
• when you have received the form, complete it and prepare your appropriate supporting documentation (proof of qualifications etc)

Return it to ACCA.

Registration Dates:

Registration can take place at any time. However, if you wish to sit for a specific examination session, the following deadlines apply:

For the June examinations

Register by 31 December of the preceding year

For the December examinations

Register by 15 August of the same year

Students should be aware of the closing dates for registration and examinations as these are strictly adhered to.

Examinations

The three-hour written or computerised external examinations are held twice a year (usually the first week in June and December).