ACCA or CIMA

crissy

hi everyone!

I have just taken unit 11 and 33 in December. I have unit 10 and the optionals to do yet but Im already thinking about what to do next and I cannot decide between ACCA or CIMA.

Im a distance learning student and moved out of the UK a few months ago, Im not sure which route is better as for job opportunities abroad.

Have you decided already what you want to do next?!!

Thanx

Cris

NeilH

Hi

Where are you living now? EIther will put you in good stead in the UK, but you might want to consider where you are/want to work.

ACCA is often touted as "international" but most countries have their own bodies so consider how well it would be accepted in individual countries as it could fair better or worse than the "home" qualification.

Neil

PGM

Probably ACCA unless you're planning on staying there, in which case I don't know!

crissy

Hi

Thanks for your replies!

I currently live in the UAE and planning to stay here for a few years.. I've just being doing some research and it seems like both ACCA and CIMA are well recognised and quite demanded here so I suppose I just need keep having a look around and then just decide for one of them..

Cheers

Cris

Andypandy

Why doesn't anybody ever mention the AAT2ACA fastrack? Seems like a good bet to me, specially when you can do it in a minimum of 2 years.

jow774

Dont you have to have an ICAEW registered employer/employment contract for ACA?

SandyHood

Students that have done CIMA with Chichester have told me that 2 years after they've got their ACMA they get a letter inviting them to join ACCA with no further exams

NeilH

Andypandy wrote: »

Why doesn't anybody ever mention the AAT2ACA fastrack? Seems like a good bet to me, specially when you can do it in a minimum of 2 years.

True, but you do have to work for an approved employer and the costs can be somewhat more than ACCA or CIMA. Also, there is no distance learning provision for ACA.

Neil

Bookworm55

Andypandy wrote: »

Why doesn't anybody ever mention the AAT2ACA fastrack? Seems like a good bet to me, specially when you can do it in a minimum of 2 years.

I had an interview for an ACA training contract with a mid-tier firm a few months back. I have both the AAT and a degree in accounting. They would have insisted I did every single exam: no exemptions. I didn't get the job though, so I don't know if there would have been any negotiation on that point.

Andypandy

Hmmm, thanks for the replies folks! I'd better start investigating the costs.
Andrea.

Paul24

Its also possible to complete CIMA in two years (Maybe slightly over depending on exam timings) if you get all AAT exemptions without putting undue pressure on yourself.

Bookworm55

Paul24 wrote: »

Its also possible to complete CIMA in two years (Maybe slightly over depending on exam timings) if you get all AAT exemptions without putting undue pressure on yourself.

I looked at that: you'd have to be pretty dedicated, but it's doable.

Sitting 1 (eg May 2010): All 3 Operational papers
Sitting 2 (Nov 2010): All 3 Managerial papers
Sitting 3 (May 2011): All 3 Strategic papers¹
Sitting 4 (Nov 2011): TOPCIMA²

You still need three years work experience though. Having said that, in principle the experience you got while doing the AAT can count, but you will also need some higher level experience for CIMA.

I'm deliberately taking my time to try and get some better work experience on my way through: I'd rather not pass the last exam before I have at least most of the experience I'll need for full membership.

¹You have to do all 3 Strategics together anyway.
² There is no new material for TOPCIMA, it's an extended case study drawing on material from all the other papers.

NeilH

Bookworm55 wrote: »

There is no new material for TOPCIMA, it's an extended case study drawing on material from all the other papers.

In the strictest sense this could be considered true because the technical skill and knowledge for TOPCIMA does come from the previous papers. HOWEVER, the style and actual content of TOPCIMA is completely different from the previous papers. You'll have pre-seen material that give general information of a fictional organisation (but could be based in fact) - such as general strategy, economical and political situation etc this needs a thorough dissection in its own right even if it is the same pre-seen as that for any of the strategic exams. In the exam you'll be given unseen material of (usually) 8 to 10 very specific issues affecting the organisation. You'll then have to analyse these from various aspects and make recommendations as well as advise on ethical issues in the format of a report to management that must contain certain types of information in a specific way.

What I'm trying to say is that although TOPCIMA draws heavily on strategic papers, the approach/technique (both with the pre-seen and the exam itself) is key and learning and perfecting this for the exam takes at least as long as studying for a strategic paper. Unlike previous papers, very few marks are available for technical skill/knowledge.

Neil

Bookworm55

NeilH wrote: »

In the strictest sense this could be considered true because the technical skill and knowledge for TOPCIMA does come from the previous papers. HOWEVER, the style and actual content of TOPCIMA is completely different from the previous papers. <snip>
What I'm trying to say is that although TOPCIMA draws heavily on strategic papers, the approach/technique (both with the pre-seen and the exam itself) is key and learning and perfecting this for the exam takes at least as long as studying for a strategic paper. Unlike previous papers, very few marks are available for technical skill/knowledge.

Sure, and perhaps I oversimplified. I certainly didn't mean to suggest you could do it without any additional preparation.

What I am saying is that I will probably 'skip' an exam sitting between finishing the last managerial exam and the Strategics, to give me plenty of time to do all three Strategics justice. But then do the TOPCIMA at the very next opportunity.

SandyHood

There are extra topcima exams sessions aswell as those in the May Nov sittings

Andypandy

Just had a look, & (if anyone's intrested) there's a nice long list of AAT2ACA vacancies on the ACA site, listed by area.