How to make Specialised Learning work for you and your students

Alongside exams, professional skills and work experience, Specialised Learning is a key element of the ACA. It helps students build the professional skills, technical knowledge and sector insights they need to thrive now and throughout their careers. 

But what is Specialised Learning and how can you guide your students to choose the right courses for their development needs? 

Specialised Learning at a glance 

Specialised Learning is a suite of engaging, interactive e-learning courses designed to complement the other components of the ACA.  Each bite-sized course is between one and four units, with each unit equal to around one hour of learning. With courses spanning a wide range of topics, ACA students must complete a minimum of 30 units of Specialised Learning during their training agreement.  

As an employer, you can access the Specialised Learning platform where you can view the full catalogue of courses and run reports to track your students’ progress. As of October 2025, there are 25 introductory courses available. A further 25 courses will launch by April 2026, with more to follow in September 2026 and beyond to ensure your students always have access to relevant, up to date content. 

Building skills that go beyond exams 

Specialised Learning isn’t just about meeting the minimum requirements of the ACA. It provides an opportunity for students to tailor their learning to their personal development needs and learn about emerging topics and trends in the accountancy profession. By taking control of their learning, students develop a mindset of lifelong learning, preparing them for membership and ongoing continuing professional development. 

For employers, Specialised Learning provides a clear way to support student development, developing broader skills that go beyond the exams while ensuring that learning is aligned with business priorities. 

Helping your students make smart choices 

Specialised Learning is designed to be personal and flexible, so ICAEW have not specified any courses students must complete. You can help guide your students to make choices about their Specialised Learning with the following tips:  

• Start with professional skills courses 
  Many of these map directly to the professional skills element of the ACA and will be relevant to all students, such as courses in communication, teamwork and decision-making.* 

• Master Excel early on  
  The practical Excel Unleashed course is likely to be useful for all ACA students at the start of their studies. 

• Explore sector specific content 
  Choose courses that reflect the industries that your organisation or clients work in, such as banking, insurance and the public sector. 

• Relevance is key 
  With a wide range of options and more courses added to the platform regularly, taking the time to identify knowledge and skills gaps can help narrow down the search. 

• Encourage a good pace 
  Students need to complete a minimum of 30 units, but there’s no requirement to do them all at once. A sensible benchmark would be around 10 units per year for a three year training agreement. 

• Make it part of the review process 
  Discussing progress is key to the six-monthly review process, so consider Specialised Learning as part of these review meetings to keep momentum going. 

What you can do next 

Now you’re familiar with Specialised Learning and how to help your students get started, explore the courses available and take a look at the Specialised Learning platform. Then start conversations with your students about which courses will support their development needs and fit with your organisation’s goals. 

By guiding your students towards the right mix of courses, you’ll not only help them succeed in their ACA studies but prepare them to thrive as future ICAEW Chartered Accountants. 

*If your students are apprentices, avoid duplicating apprenticeship content by advising them not to enrol in the following courses: Introductory Project Management Skills, (Level 7), Building Resilience (Level 4 and Level 7), Professional Communication Skills (Level 4 and 7), Managing your time effectively (Level 4), and Professional Presentation Skills (Level 4 and 7).  Overlap with the apprenticeships is explained in more detail here.