Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant

ACA – A combination of four components Examinations Initial professional development Structured training in ethics Work experience

Entry requirements and entry routes

The ACA – minimum entry requirements Two A levels (or international equivalent) and three GCSE passes including Maths and English

The ACA – multiple entry routes Graduate route Don’t need maths/accounting at A-level 84% of ACA students have a degree Majority of these have a non-relevant degree – eg, law, civil engineering, modern languages, history… School- leavers (A-levels or international equiv.) Fast Track programmes (from AAT) Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business

Exams

Exams ADVANCED STAGE Case study 4 hour assessment 2 Advanced Stage modules – paper-based Each 3.5 hours long PROFESSIONAL STAGE 6 application modules – paper-based exam Each 2.5 hours long 6 knowledge modules – computer-based exam Each 1.5 hours long

ACA exam structure

Credit for prior learning / exemptions

Credits / exemptions available

Initial professional development

Initial professional development Technical and functional expertise Set up to ensure continuous development in the following key areas that define a chartered accountant Personal effectiveness Business awareness Professional judgement Ethics and professionalism

Structured training in ethics

Structured training in ethics Web-based interactive programme Updated ethics guidance and activities Three stages designed to be spread across training Ethics also integrated into exams

Work experience requirements

Work experience requirements 450 days of ‘real’ work experience of a financial, business or commercial matter Can include but is not limited to one of (or multiple) of: Accounting Audit/Assurance Taxation Financial Management Insolvency Information Technology

Employers – they include: Practice: From Big Four to sole practitioners Public sector: National Audit Office, Ministry of Justice, Department of Transport, Thames Water, Portsmouth City Council, Wales Audit Office Financial services: Barclays, American Express, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Royal SunAlliance, Royal Bank of Scotland, Old Mutual Business: T-Mobile, BUPA Care Homes, Barratt Homes, British Land Company

ACA training across the world

Where can students train for the ACA Europe Tuition at selected centres in France, Germany etc Cyprus and Greece Local tuition and exam centres UK HQ. Local tuition and exam centres across UK Russia Local tuition and exam centres China Office. Local tuition and exam centres for top-up ACA course from CICPA qualification Gulf Tuition in Dubai and Bahrain Malaysia Office. Local tuition and exam centres Romania Local tuition and exam centres Pakistan Tuition. Exam centres Singapore Office. Local tuition

Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant