Am I on the right course

geek84

Hi Folks

I graduated about 20 years ago (although with a not very good pass mark!), and now want to go into acountancy - my background is in office administration and credit control. I started on the AAT course about 6 months ago (as advised by the people at the AAT), with the aim of going onto studying the acca or cima.

However, recently I have heard that a graduate can start on the acca or cima straight away, without having to go through the AAT route? Is that true?

If so, do you think I have wasted the last 6 months or so, studying the AAT? If it is better for me to go on to the acca or cima straight away, then shall I drop the AAT course?

Thanks in advance for your response.

PGM

Not easy to answer. I did AAT then ACCA. I felt like I started ACCA with a much better grounding than going straight in.

Also started ACCA already having a qualification, which was my aim considering a lot of people don't manage to complete the chartered qualifications.

And, depends what you want out of it, AAT can be more relevant to the middle level accountancy jobs.

ps assuming you can pass the ACCA exams, going straight into it is the faster route, but you will get some exemptions once you pass AAT.

geek84

Good Morning PGM

Thanks for your speedy reply.

The reason why I was thinking of transferring onto the acca or cima course now, is that it would take me a shorter time to get the required qualifications, without having to spend a year or two doing the AAT first, although I am aware that it is possible to get exemptions if the AAT is completed first.

PGM

geek84 wrote: »

Good Morning PGM

Thanks for your speedy reply.

The reason why I was thinking of transferring onto the acca or cima course now, is that it would take me a shorter time to get the required qualifications, without having to spend a year or two doing the AAT first, although I am aware that it is possible to get exemptions if the AAT is completed first.

If you've already done 6 months, you might not save all that much time switching now. And theres still the risk of not passing the chartered course..

Let us know what you decide

geek84

Hi PGM

Yes, you do have a valid point.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but how long did it take you to do the AAT and then the ACCA?

I am approaching my mid 40s now, and thinkng that if I carry on to complete the AAT and then go on to do the ACCA, I will be nearing 50 years of age. At that point, I don't think many employers will consider taking me on? What do you think?

Also, I hope you don't mid me asking - how did you get your first accounting role? I do have a back fround in credit control, but that is it. So, what would you suggest I do in order to get my 'foot in the door'?

Thanks in advance.

PGM

geek84 wrote: »

Hi PGM

Yes, you do have a valid point.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but how long did it take you to do the AAT and then the ACCA?

I am approaching my mid 40s now, and thinkng that if I carry on to complete the AAT and then go on to do the ACCA, I will be nearing 50 years of age. At that point, I don't think many employers will consider taking me on? What do you think?

Also, I hope you don't mid me asking - how did you get your first accounting role? I do have a back fround in credit control, but that is it. So, what would you suggest I do in order to get my 'foot in the door'?

Thanks in advance.

I started in accounts about 14 years ago, I was lucky at the time to get a job through a friend of the family. Jobs market seems very bad at the moment, hopefully some experience you have will help you get an accounts role, especially if you're looking at small firms that need people to be flexible. I would consider voluntary if I wasn't working.

I started ACCA years ago and soon gave up. Started AAT a few years later with renewed motivation, took me two years and then a further 2.5 years to pass the remaining ACCA modules. But I only did 2 exams per sitting, which seemed plenty to me!

geek84

Good Moirning

Thanks for your reply.

Considering it took you 2 years to complete the aat, it didn't take very long to complete the acca.

I was under the impression that it takeas approx twice as long to complete the acca compared to at the aat?

PGM

Theres 14 modules for ACCA, at 2 per sitting, 2 sittings per year thats 3.5 years.

But you will get exempt from 3(?) for doing aat, So that would take you down to 3 years.

geek84

Hi PGM

I see what you mean.

Thank You.

katz568

I think its also worth bearing in mind that if you have not got any relevant experience to back up the qualification then its worth completing the AAT and trying to get a job before going onto ACCA.
I completed the AAT last summer and in effect was overqualified for my experience and it was only the luck of the draw I landed a position just before christmas, i'm now hoping to continue on to chartered over the next few months.