Technology in accountancy
It's easy to think of technology as a relatively recent phenomenon. However, you only have to look at the evolution of the profession to realise how it has always been integral to accountancy.
As the world of business gets more and more complicated, the really interesting thing is no one’s really sure what’s driving what. Is the evolution of technology driving the complexity of business, or is the complexity of business driving the evolution of technology?
With the accountancy profession often being early adopters of new technologies, more recent developments have certainly been transformative - particularly the age of the internet and now the advent of artificial intelligence.
People have talked about the ‘next industrial revolution’ for a very long time, and certainly the proliferation of the internet was a big driving force in completely changing the world of business. AI feels like another step change, where the capability of the technology is moving on very rapidly and opening up a lot of opportunities – a lot of challenges as well, and a lot of complexities and new risks that people need to think about. But it does feel like this new age of AI is really changing the conversation.
Technology in the ACA
Technology is one of three central themes in the ACA, sitting alongside ethics and sustainability. Rather than being addressed in one single exam or component, instead technology runs throughout all elements of the ACA.
Technology in isolation doesn’t make sense. It’s such a pervasive part of the world that we live in and the way that accountants work, that carving it out doesn’t work. There’s an inevitability of the role of technology in all the exams.
As technology moves on, so too does the ACA, with annual updates to the syllabus introducing students to key themes and trends as they emerge. In recent years, this has centred around the interrogation of data, with data analytics software being brought into some of the exams in 2021. Data analytics in exams is not so much about the mechanics of being able to manipulate data, it's about the interpretation, helping students understand how to be presented with a dashboard and find the information that they need in it that's interesting, relevant and requires further discussion.
Data is one of the four 'ABCD' technology trends introduced in the syllabus, along with AI and automation, blockchain and cyber security. While they're all important and will play an increasing role over the coming years, the key area that students need to get to grips with is automation. This involves an understanding of the interconnectivity between systems and how that works at a high level to have meaningful conversations about processes and information flow. Accountancy is increasingly going to be system driven, and accountants need to understand how it all fits together.
Developing digital fluency
Technology is rapidly changing and evolving. In response, Specialised Learning is another element of the ACA designed to future-proof students' skills by providing an expanding library of flexible units. Here, new content can be created rapidly to respond to emerging developments, while giving students the opportunity to tailor their learning to the topics that matter most to them, such as technology.
In addition, the ICAEW Technology Hub gives ACA students the opportunity to explore accountancy technologies in a sand-box environment. In partnership with multiple technology suppliers, students can experiment and build their digital confidence with different software covering audit analytics, data automation, cloud accounting and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
Technology beyond the ACA
While the onus is on students and members to keep pace throughout their careers, the integration of technology throughout the ACA sets students up with the technological skills they need now, as well as equipping them with the skills to adapt to future changes. Ultimately one of the key aims of the ACA is to empower students to be the future drivers of technological change.
You can trust that we are working hard to ensure we’re up to date with what's going on in the world of technology – because that can be different to what it was six months ago and will be different again in another six months’ time. Equipping students with the skills and the exposure to the technology landscape will give them the confidence to be those drivers of change.
Develop future-ready talent
Last updated: June 2026