Pure Potential

With the ACA the whole world’s calling!

Would you like a career where you could travel the world? Whether you’re working for a large firm in a big city, or assisting a small company with their finances, you have the opportunity to succeed with the ACA qualification behind you.

The ACA from ICAEW is a professional business and finance qualification that attracts talented people from a variety of backgrounds. Our training produces chartered accountants and business advisers who are valued in all sectors, from practice to commerce, industry and the public sector. You will gain a solid foundation in finance, business, marketing, economics and management, ideal for opening doors to a wide range of career paths once ACA qualified.

The ACA puts you at the heart of business. It gives you the adaptable skills, expertise and experience needed to become a future business leader.

Earn while you learn

ACA training is a mixture of classroom tuition and work experience. When studying for the ACA you will work for an ICAEW authorised training employer on a training agreement. There are over 2,200 ICAEW authorised training employers of all sizes throughout the world who offer the ACA, in practice (chartered accountancy firms) commerce and the public sector. Your employer will generally fund all of your training and pay you a competitive salary at the same time, so you really do earn while you learn.

Routes to training

Organisations employ school leavers as well as graduates to study the ACA. There are a variety of opportunities available after your A-levels. You can train for the ACA straight from school or go on to study the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) qualification. After the AAT you can Fast Track to the ACA . Even better is if you choose the right modules we may be able to give you credit for prior learning (CPL) because you will have covered some of the ACA modules during your AAT. This means you could complete the AAT and ACA and become a chartered accountant in just four years!

If you decide university is for you, great, go for it! You can train for the ACA in just three years after you graduate, regardless of your chosen degree subject. The most important factor when applying to university, is that you choose a degree subject that you enjoy and you know you’ll be good at.

Want a taster without the commitment?

If you like the idea of chartered accountancy but are not 100% sure if it’s for you, why not try the Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB). CFAB gives you knowledge in finance, accounting and business fundamentals. It will enhance your employability by giving you the knowledge that employers have told us they are looking for. These computer based assessments are made up of the first six modules of the ACA, which means on completion you can obtain credits when starting your ACA study.

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements differ across employers, but as a guideline our suggested minimum entry requirements for the ACA qualification are;

• three GCSEs (most employers expect A or B grades in maths and English)
• two A-levels, or their equivalents, in any subjects. Many employers will be looking for a minimum of a 240-280 UCAS tariff score,
• a first or 2:1 in any degree discipline (or equivalent), if following the university route.

Find out more:
E careers@icaew.com
W icaew.com/careers
T +44 (0)1908 248 040