After Level 4 - Which is best?

kay26

After Level 4 has been completed what is the best route to take? CIMA, CIPFA, ACCA? Also could someone explain what chartered means?

Thanks!

burg

Chartered is often referring to a qualification with the ICAEW as a 'chartered accountant'. ACCA would be a 'chartered certified accountant'. Both are effectively the same but with different bodies. CIMA is generally for those working in industry while CIPFA is for Public Finance accounts such as councils, nhs, etc.

No particular one is best but each have their differences for different roles and organisations.

More info on what you do and what your ambitions are would help in coming up with what may be more suited to you personally.

kay26

Thanks for your reply.

I'm currently working as a bookkeeper / payroll clerk for a construction company so I'm lucky enough to be gaining some good experience from this and its an excellent position but there is a ceiling as to how far I can progress in this role. The company has an outside accountant doing the profit and loss, balance sheets etc so I will never have to do this. I just gather everything together at the end of the year for the accountant so obviously after a number of years I will have got everything out of the job that I possibly can and it will be time to move on to bigger things.

I would love to work in government finance so CIPFA was a route I wanted to take but my college only does CIMA so I would have to travel to study and I'm not sure the hours would suit my job. Also if I wasn't successful to ever find a job in government finance would I have the right qualification to do other jobs?

My friend has ACCA qualifications so wondered how this differed from CIMA.

I just don't want to take the CIMA qualification solely for the reason of being able to study locally and it not conflict with my work.

Also, what is the highest possible position you can work to in accountancy?

burg

There are CIMA's who work in government likewise for ACCA and ICAEW I imagine. CIPFA would possibly be a no go as you don't currently work in government. CIMA would suit you as you are in industry. ACCA and ICAEW both have a mixture of industry and practice throughout the qualification but practical experience is needed to gain full membership.

As for the highest qualification in Accountancy that depends on what your view is. It could be running your own practice or being a partner in a practice. It could be being a Financial Director for a company. There are also accountants who are Managing Directors of FTSE 100 companies which is a high profile job but it isn't necessarily an Accounting role.