ACCA: Full Form, Eligibility, Exams, Exemptions, Admission 2023, Course Fees, Scope, Jobs

Sounak Banerjee's profile photo

Sounak Banerjee

Associate Content Manager

ACCA stands for the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, which is a global body that provides students with a ‘Certified Chartered Accountant’ certification. ACCA subjects include Business & Technology, Management Accounting, Financial Accounting, Corporate and Business Law, Taxation, Performance Management, Financial Reporting, Audit and Assurance, Financial Management, Strategic Business Leader, Strategic Business Reporting, Advanced, Financial Management, Advanced Performance Management, Advanced Taxation, Advanced Audit and Assurance. 

See Also: Finance Courses

ACCA subjects are divided into 3 levels which are Knowledge, Skills and Professional. Students have the opportunity to avail themselves of various ACCA exemptions based on their education. Students having a BCom or MCom degree will need to sit for 9 exams instead of 13 and students with CA will need to sit for 4 Exams instead of 13. 

See Also: Top ACCA Colleges

ACCA Exam takes place 4 times a year which are March Session, June Session, September Session and December Session. The ACCA course fee is around INR 170000. The whole fee structure is in GBP and thus the exchange rate of the Rupee comes into play. Students after completing ACCA will have a salary ranging between INR 7-8 LPA. 

ACCA Course Details

ACCA Full Form Association of Certified Chartered Accountants
Course Level Professional
ACCA Course Duration 1-7 years
ACCA Course Fees INR 28,000 to INR 2,60,000
ACCA Exams 13 exams
ACCA Eligibility Criteria 10+2 with minimum 65% aggregate in Maths/Accounts and English, and 50% in other subjects
ACCA Career Prospects Accountants, Auditors, Finance manager, Business Analyst, Taxation Expert
ACCA Average Salary INR 3.5 to 4 LPA
Top ACCA Recruiters PwC, EY, Deloitte, KPMG, Grant Thornton

What is ACCA?

ACCA is a certificate that is conferred by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of the UK which is a global body for professional accountants. ACCA is an accounting organization with more than 2 Lakh members and 6 Lakh students spread across 180 countries. Check: ACCA Qualification

ACCA course promises a rewarding career in the field of accounting, Finance and Management. The core values of ACCA are to provide opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability.

See Also:

Why Study?

Students get various advantages after completing the ACCA course. The main advantages are mentioned below

  • Students get a certificate that is globally recognized and thus can get opportunities from all these countries. The scope for job opportunities in 180+ markets and recognition from 80 international bodies.
  • ACCA is in high demand in the big 4 MNCs. The students get to work in senior roles that are strategically important. It is one of the most affordable ways to get an International Professional Qualification. 
  • Although it is co-ordinated from the UK, ACCA has 100 offices globally providing localized support. It also contains local law and tax education making the course relevant in each country. 
  • There is great flexibility in doing ACCA and students will be able to complete their ACCA certification along with graduation. 

See Also:

Who should Study?

  • Students who are interested in a career in Accounts, Finance and Auditing career. It has a flexible and student-friendly examination system helping students who are doing their graduation along with ACCA. 
  • Students who are in the Accounting line get various exemptions from exams. Thus students with BCom or MCom will get the certificate with fewer exams to give.
  • Students who want to do accounting, finance or auditing jobs in big 4 MNCs must do ACCA. 

ACCA Admission

ACCA students can take admission after class 10th. Although they will need to complete a Diploma course before starting on the main ACCA subjects which are 13 in number. 

ACCA Eligibility

The best part about ACCA is that it has almost no eligibility criteria. The basic eligibility criteria is mentioned below:

  • Students with no formal education will be able to apply for ACCA Foundation. On passing the Diploma course for ACCA Foundation, students will be able to apply for ACCA qualification which is the main ACCA certification exam
  • A student who has passed class 12 must have more than 65% in subjects like English, Mathematics and Accounts. Apart from these, students must have more than 50% in the other subjects.

Check: ACCA Eligibility

ACCA Exams

Particulars Foundations Level Applied Knowledge Level Applied Skills Level Strategic Professional Level
Exam Duration 2 hours 2 hours 3 hours 4 hours
Passing Marks 50% 50% 50% 50%
Total Marks 100 100 100 100

ACCA Exemptions

Students with some kind of degree gets exemption from various ACCA Exams. The ACCA exemptions are mentioned below:

  • Passing Class 12: Students who have passed class 12 will be exempted from the Foundational Diploma course of ACCA. This exam is for students who have no formal education. 
  • Passing BCom or MCom: Students who have graduated with BCom or MCom will be exempted from ACCA Knowledge level exams like Business & Technology (BT), Management Accounting (MA), and Financial Accounting (FA). They will also be exempted from the Corporate and Business Law Exam of Skill Level Exam. 
  • Clearing Chartered Accountancy: Students who have cleared CA will have 9 papers exempted from 13. Thus Skill Level and Knowledge Level will be completely exempted. Students will have to give only the 4 exams at the Professional Level. 
  • Clearing CA IPCC: Students who have cleared CA IPCC will need to sit for 8 Exams in ACCA. Only 4 Exams will be exempted which are Business & Technology, Management Accounting, Financial Accounting, Taxation, Audit and Assurance. 

See Also:

ACCA Exam Dates

ACCA exam dates are available in 4 cycles or Sessions. The dates of March Session, June Session, September Session and December Session are mentioned below.

March Session 2023

Date Topics
March 6, 2023 Audit and Assurance (AA), Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
March 7, 2023 Taxation (TX), Advanced Taxation (ATX), Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
March 8, 2023 Performance Management (PM), Advanced Performance Management (APM), Advanced Taxation
March 9, 2023 Financial Reporting (FR), Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
March 10, 2023 Financial Management, Advanced Financial Management (AFM), Corporate and Business Law (LW)

June Session 2023

Date Topics
June 5, 2023 Audit and Assurance (AA), Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
June 6, 2023 Taxation (TX), Advanced Taxation (ATX), Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
June 7, 2023 Performance Management (PM), Advanced Performance Management (APM), Advanced Taxation
June 8, 2023 Financial Reporting (FR), Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
June 9, 2023 Financial Management, Advanced Financial Management (AFM), Corporate and Business Law (LW)

September Session 2023

Date Topics
September 4, 2023 Audit and Assurance (AA), Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
September 5, 2023 Taxation (TX), Advanced Taxation (ATX), Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
September 6, 2023 Performance Management (PM), Advanced Performance Management (APM), Advanced Taxation
September 7, 2023 Financial Reporting (FR), Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
September 8, 2023 Financial Management, Advanced Financial Management (AFM), Corporate and Business Law (LW)

December Session 2023

Dates To Be Announced

ACCA Syllabus

The ACCA Syllabus contains Foundations in Accountancy, Knowledge Level, Skill Level and Professional Level. The detailed ACCA Syllabus is mentioned below: 

ACCA Levels Particulars
Foundations in Accountancy ACCA Diploma in Financial and Management Accounting (RQF Level 2)
ACCA Diploma in Financial and Management Accounting (RQF Level 3)
ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business (RQF Level 4)
Certified Accounting Technician (CAT)
Knowledge Level Business & Technology
Management Accounting
Financial Accounting
Skill Level Corporate and Business Law (LW)
Taxation (TX)
Performance Management (PM)
Financial Reporting (FR)
Audit and Assurance (AA)
Financial Management (FM)
Professional Level Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
Optional Subjects in the Professional Level Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
Advanced Performance Management (APM)
Advanced Taxation (ATX)
Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)

ACCA Course Fees

The total ACCA Fees is around INR 1,70,000. The detailed ACCA Course Fees is mentioned below

Particulars Fees (INR) 1GBP=90 INR
Initial Registration 2,700
Annual subscription 10,440
Knowledge Level 22,680
Skill Level 69,660
Professional Level 64,170
Total 1,69,650

ACCA Course Comparison

ACCA course is a very relevant financial course that is comparable to Chartered Accountancy and CPA courses. The detailed comparison is mentioned below: 

ACCA vs CA

Particulars ACCA CA
Signing Authority Overseas India
Recognition 180+ countries India, England, Wales, Australia and Middle East Countries
Duration 6-24 Months 5 Years
Attempts 6 Monthly 3 Monthly
Course Structure Knowledge Level, Skill Level and Professional Level CA Foundation, CA Intermediate and CA Final
Eligibility Pass class 12 with 65% in Maths, Accounts, English with 50% in the rest of the subjects Pass class 12
Registration Fee INR 7900 + subscription Fees of INR 11600 per year INR 9,000
Job Profile Accounting Advisory, Transaction Advisory, Treasury, Auditing Statutory Audit, Internal Audit, Investment Management, Direct and Indiect Tax

ACCA vs CPA

Particulars ACCA CPA
Course Structure Knowledge Level, Skill Level, Professional Level Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Regulation, Business Environment and Concepts
Duration 6-24 Months 1-1.5 Years
Eligibility Pass class 12 with 65% in Maths, Accounts, English with 50% in rest of the subjects Exam – Graduation + 1 year of Post Graduation (120 credits)
Licence – Graduation + Post Graduation (150 credits)
Average Pass Percentage 30-40% 50%
Recognition 180+ countries Worldwide
No of Papers 15 Papers 4 Papers
Work Experience 36 Months 2000 hours or 2 years

ACCA Scope

There is a huge scope of ACCA in the future with the increase in globalization. Companies are providing services and products from all over the globe. Major scope for ACCA are described below:

  • ACCA is recognized by more than 180 countries making it one of the most valued certifications. Most ACCA professionals from India work in countries like UK, Australia, Singapore, and Germany.
  • Foreign companies working in India have a huge demand for ACCA professionals. They hire professionals who are qualified for international work and know about international accounting. They must be able to work for US GAAP and IFRS. 
  • The job scope of an ACCA is equivalent to a CA. An ACCA professional also has the opportunity to do the same kind of job in 180+ countries.
  • Government, educational institutions, and various businesses both small and large are connecting with ACCA. ACCA has 7500+ approved employers and 80 partnerships with accountancy bodies. 

ACCA Jobs

The salary after ACCA largely depends on the duration of work experience. ACCA students start their careers with a salary of around INR 7 LPA which rises to more than 15 LPA with experience. BDO, Grant Thornton, J. P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley are some of the top companies that hire ACCA in accounting to finance. 

ACCA Salary

Job Opportunities Salary (INR)
Accountant 3,50,000
Chartered Accountant 9,50,000
Finance Manager 9,60,000
Auditor 6,25,000
Associate Auditor 3,70,000

ACCA: FAQs

Ques. Is ACCA difficult than CA?

Ans. Considering the number of years, the number of papers, the course levels, and the diversity of both courses, it is typically believed that the CA course is more difficult than the ACCA course. 

Ques. What are the 13 subjects in ACCA?

Ans. The 13 subjects of ACCA are:

  • Business & Technology 
  • Management Accounting
  • Financial Accounting
  • Corporate and Business Law (LW)
  • Taxation (TX)
  • Performance Management (PM)
  • Financial Reporting (FR)
  • Audit and Assurance (AA)
  • Financial Management (FM)
  • Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
  • Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
  • Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
  • Advanced Performance Management (APM)
  • Advanced Taxation (ATX)
  • Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)

Ques. Is ACCA difficult course?

Ans. The ACCA exam is not particularly challenging. In actuality, the ACCA is simpler to pass than other professional finance and accounting programs like the CA and CFA. Of course, it is more difficult than the exams pupils are used to taking in high school and college.

Ques. Does ACCA contain maths?

Ans. Studying for the ACCA Qualification and passing tests require strong math and English language skills. You can use the resources on this page to determine your present math and English skills and get some ideas for improving them.

Ques. Is ACCA expensive?

Ans. The sums shown above cover registration expenses, exam fees, payments for required training programs, coaching fees, and the price of books. With starting pay packages in the range of INR 5–6 lakhs annually, investment in ACCA is comparable to that of other financial courses.

Ques. Is ACCA tough to pass?

Ans. ACCA is an easy examination to skip in case you are prompted and trust that it isn't an essential step to your career. You should have the right mindset. As you progress, the issue stage of ACCA tests will rise.

Ques. How many years does ACCA take?

Ans. You should consequently whole all the assessments in years. However, as you furthermore may want 3 years realistic to enjoy earlier than you could turn out to be an ACCA member and be taken into consideration a certified accountant, the qualification takes at least 3 years the whole.

Ques. Is ACCA better than a degree?

Ans. The ACCA Qualification is broadly equivalent to degree standard when you take the first nine papers (the Fundamentals level). When you take the Professionals level, it is equivalent to a masters degree

Ques. How many attempts ACCA per year?

Ans. We have 4 examination cycles a yr for each centre-primarily based totally and remotely invigilated checks. Students can take most of 4 checks at some stage in every examination cycle throughout most of 8 awesome checks over the direction of a calendar yr.

Ques. How long is ACCA valid for?

Ans. After your 10 12 months time restrict is reached, you may lose any Strategic Professionals effects which are seven years old, or older, and you may want to take those assessments again. Check your myACCA account to discover while your Strategic Professional effects will expire.

Ques. In which country ACCA is valid?

Ans. The ACCA or Chartered Certified Accountant qualification is absolutely regarded in each the UK and Ireland. Under its Charter, ACCA works withinside the public interest. It is a Designated Professional Body beneathneath the Financial Services and Markets Act, enterprise activities.

Comments


No Comments To Show