1. Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant

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

3. Entry requirements and entry routes

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

5. 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

6. Exams

7. 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

8. ACA exam structure

9. Credit for prior learning / exemptions

10. Credits / exemptions available

11. Initial professional development

12. 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

13. Structured training in ethics

14. 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

15. Work experience requirements

16. 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

17. 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

18. ACA training across the world

19. 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

20. Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant