The 4 key elements of the ACA
Exams
There are exams to study and pass and they are split over three levels - Certificate, Professional and Advanced. They focus on different aspects of accountancy, finance and business and complement the experience you will gain at work.
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Practical work experience
Once you have secured your training agreement, you will need to complete at least 450 days of practical work experience as part of it. This will provide you with an opportunity to put theory into practice, involving real-life work of financial, business or commercial nature.
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Ethics and professional scepticism
Develop your knowledge and behaviour and feel confident in decision making. Ethics underpins the ACA exams; you will need to complete the Ethics Learning Programme and discuss ethics scenarios as part of your six-monthly reviews once you have secured a training agreement.
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Professional development
There are seven professional development ladders to complete. They will develop your communication skills as well as teamwork, decision making, problem solving and more. Record how you meet each skill and discuss them at each six-monthly review meeting once you have secured a training agreement.
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For your diary
Our handy planner contains all the key dates and deadlines for you to bookmark and regularly check.
Finding a training agreement
You will need to secure a training agreement to complete the ACA qualification. Your current employer may be able to become authorised. Alternatively, search our Training Vacancies platform to find current vacancies.
CV support
Does your resume need a little refresh? As your ultimate selling tool, research suggests that recruiters make a decision about your resume within 20 seconds.
CV support
Online training file
Your online training file is a record of your progress and development and must be updated every six months throughout your training.
The soft skills are just as important as the spreadsheets.
Meet Ashwini
Ashwini has already started studying for the ACA and we are following her throughout her journey. Read her journey to date and keep an eye out for more to come.
Student Roadmap
Use our template roadmaps to discover the key milestones on a typical student journey and chart your own progression.
