"There's no business like show business, but there are several businesses like accounting." -David Letterman
Accounting is a fundamental sector of work that is necessary to keep businesses working smoothly. Much of the hard work of accountants goes unnoticed; therefore, they can be called the unsung heroes of the finance, banking, and business worlds.
Albeit many tax and business laws differ from one country to the next, there is a worldwide accounting organisation that sets the standards for accountants across the universe. This organisation or structured program is known as an ACCA. The ACCA is an acronym for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
The purpose of the ACCA is to help use accountancy to assist economies in developing and developed nations to grow and prosper.
Based on statistics, there are currently 241,000 fully qualified members of the ACCA and over 540,000 future members worldwide that are studying an accounting qualification.
But, you might have some questions such as, what is an ACCA qualification? How can I get an ACCA degree? What jobs are available for ACCA members? And, how can I find an ACCA registered accountant? Thankfully, today's article has the objective of answering all of these questions and more.
What is an ACCA Qualification?
Whether you have any expertise or not in the field of accounting, it's worth stating that the ACCA is a big deal. Organisations from around the world, know and trust designations from the ACCA. Why's that? Well, the ACCA is a hardworking entity that connects with businesses large and small, governments, educational establishments and opinion formers. At the top emerging trends, legislation and legal requirements, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants does its best to shape them.
Due to the ACCA's involvement towards improving the world of business and finance, they can create innovative, strategic-thinking accountants for our fast-changing world needs.
But, what is an ACCA qualification? In the simplest of terms, an ACCA Qualification is for accountants in training that want to get trained with the most up-to-date skills they need to become a finance professional.
If you're wondering if there are different types of ACCA qualifications, the answer is yes. According to the ACCA website, there are multiple trusted and approved ACCA accreditations such as the "Foundations in Accountancy" course. This course programme is for entry-level students that want to understand how business finance works and how you can open up new career possibilities – both in finance and beyond.
Known by its acronym FIA, "Foundations in Accountancy" FIA will give you technical knowledge and a head start towards further finance and accounting qualifications at a university level, including the prestigious and globally recognised ACCA Qualification. The FIA course provided by the ACCA boasts the following benefits:
- Enhance employability with abilities that employers will value,
- Flexible options mean you can choose which exams you want to sit, how you want to study and how you want to progress at the pace that is best suited for you,
- Open to all types of learners,
- Get a headstart on the full and greatly revered ACCA Qualification,
- An easy entry route to a career in finance and accounting.
While the FIA course is a great starting point, what about more qualifications from the ACCA? Take a look at the following list to see the various professional and post-membership degrees that the ACCA sponsors:
- University of London MSc in Professional Accountancy,
- Oxford Brookes Global MBA,
- Cert BA - Certificate in Business Analytics,
- DIPIFR - Diploma in International Financial Reporting,
- Diploma in Accounting and Business - International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme,
- Diploma in Financial and Management Accounting - International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme,
- Certificate in Business Valuations,
- Oxford Brookes BSc degree.
Consider visiting the ACCA global website to get a better idea of the previously mentioned courses and how they are splendidly unique.
How Can I Get an ACCA Degree?
Since ACCA degree qualifications and courses prepare the world’s best-qualified and most highly sought-after accountants, and they work in every sector you can imagine, certain standards must be met before you're eligible to become a member. Such as? Let's take a look at the following minimum requirement that is necessary for all of the ACCA qualifications:
- Work Experience: three years,
- Number of Exams: up to 13 but that depends on the exemptions,
- Length of time: three to fours years on average,
- Additional skillsets: Ethics and Professional Skills module.
Also, before you even consider an ACCA degree, you'll need to have prepared yourself at a secondary school level since you'll need three GCSEs and two A Levels in five separate subjects including maths and English, or their equivalent. ACCA employees will carefully check things to ensure you have the correct requirements.
Nonetheless, since there are multiple ACCA-accredited courses from recognised universities, a few were mentioned in the previous subheading, and there are unique demands and obligations that depend on the course. For instance, some structured courses require a few of the following things:
- Completion of two modules and one capstone project,
- Two face-to-face workshops,
- Four Career Programme Core courses,
- Two International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Courses,
- Three ACCA exams.
You'll only know the specific requirements and examinations of your ACCA-approved course once you've checked the information and made a conscious decision about the degree related to accountancy that you'll want to explore at a further education stage.
Also, it's worth pointing out that since an ACCA qualification is universal and meant for accounting students from around the world, you'll want to find out more about the minimum entry requirements for all of our qualifications.
Before conclusuinfFinal acquisition of an ACCA qualification is granted once you've met all the conditions outlined by the course you've taken and you've completed all the assessments that are required. After tests are finished and you have a diploma, you can start looking for work; wahoo!
But, what careers are available in accountancy for people with ACCA degrees? Let's find out in the following paragraphs!
What Careers Are Available in Accountancy for ACCA Members?
As we've highlighted at the outset, ACCA qualifications are not simply for jobs in accounting but rather across many employment positions across the sectors of finance and banking. For example, certain trusted resources claim that there are over 100 different jobs available for accountancy graduates.
So, without delaying the matter any further, the following are a few of the potential jobs for ACCA graduates:
- Auditor,
- Tax Accountant,
- Corporate Treasurer,
- Financial Advisor,
- Management Accountant,
- Property Accountant,
- Chief Accountant,
- Loan Officer,
- CFO at a corporation or organisation,
- Forensic Accountant.
There you have it, some of the most popular jobs in accountancy. We highly recommend taking a look at sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor and applying for multiple positions before just settling on the first one that you find. We hope your job search is straightforward and successful!
How Can I Find an ACCA Registered Accountant?
While the majority of this article was based on ACCA qualifications and how individuals in the United Kingdom and abroad can take them, there's been so many positive things said about ACCA accountants and how much they individually bring to companies, you might be curious as to where you can find one available for hire.
So, where can I find ACCA accountants in the UK? By using the ACCA website and following the steps listed below in chronological order:
- When on the homepage of the ACCA global website, click members, then find an accountant, and finally find an ACCA firm.
- When you're on the find an ACCA firm, search for ACCA accountancy firms by location (city and country) and firm name. For example, enter London and the United Kingdom and you'll be shown all of the accountancy firms that have ACCA-certified accountants. Then click search!
- After you've selected search, you'll see many or few options, depending on where you're looking, and you'll be able to see the name of the establishment, the contact details, and the expertise of the accountants working there.
Also, it's worth stating that an overabundance of results can be very overwhelming and prevent you from actually finding an ACCA accountant. Therefore, take advantage of the filter searches and utilise the sector expertise, services offered, and certificates-held options to break down the results.
In conclusion, we sincerely hope that we've answered all your questions about the ACCA, its purpose, and the available qualifications. Let's get accounting!
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Excellent article! These ACCA learning organizations seem great. This provided me with some tips for my own business tax services UK.
Hi David. Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you found the article helpful, especially in relation to your business tax services in the UK. The ACCA learning organizations can be a fantastic resource for professionals looking to enhance their expertise in accounting and taxation.