Apply for MAAT

yumyum

Hello,

I have recently completed the AAT qualification and I just wanted to know if applying for MAAT status is really worth applying for.. it cost £80 for the annual membership and £40 for the online MAAT assessment fee.. total £120.

I mean what are the real benefits of having this? and having MAAT beside your name, does it really increase the potential chance of getting shortlisted for a job or even getting a job in an accountancy sector?

For those who have applied for MAAT, can you explain to me how this has helped you please.

Be grateful for your views, as i am unsure whether to apply for this status.

Many thanks

Yum

Steve Collings

I don't subscribe to the belief that having MAAT after your name will necessarily guarantee that you are either short-listed for a job, or be guaranteed a job because whilst having MAAT may give you an advantage over your counterparts who may not have MAAT (or indeed any accounting qualifications) under their belt, what I think is important is the experience you have in accountancy which will then go hand in hand with your qualification. Many passed finalists of AAT (and indeed ACCA) struggle to get a job if they don't have the experience, so employers tend to favour candidates who have a qualification but decisions are usually swayed on the basis of qualification AND experience.

I believe you should become a member of AAT because not only have you done the work to pass the exams, but being a member also demonstrates you are complying with the standards associated with a professional organisation.

Kind regards
Steve

stevef

I agree with Steve Collings, being a subscription paying member of AAT sows that at some poin you achieved the required academic standards, but more importantly, it proves that not only have you achieved the required professional standards but also maintain those standards through CPD.

But being a bit more contraversial, why would you not join? If you do not you have wasred all that time studying hard. AAT exams are not a free standing academic exam like 'A' levels or an HNC, they only exist is to prove that you have sufficient knowledge (in addition to practical experience) to be admitted to membership.

As an employer in my eyes, you are either an AAT member or you are not, the only other state is an AAT Student. If you apply for a job in my organisation and you tell me that you passed the exams, but did not apply for AAT status, I would score you on the basis that you were not AAT qualified.

Monsoon

stevef wrote: »

I agree with Steve Collings, being a subscription paying member of AAT sows that at some poin you achieved the required academic standards, but more importantly, it proves that not only have you achieved the required professional standards but also maintain those standards through CPD.

But being a bit more contraversial, why would you not join? If you do not you have wasred all that time studying hard. AAT exams are not a free standing academic exam like 'A' levels or an HNC, they only exist is to prove that you have sufficient knowledge (in addition to practical experience) to be admitted to membership.

As an employer in my eyes, you are either an AAT member or you are not, the only other state is an AAT Student. If you apply for a job in my organisation and you tell me that you passed the exams, but did not apply for AAT status, I would score you on the basis that you were not AAT qualified.

I fully agree with this, and I think the bit I've made bold is a really good explanation.

In my mind, the main point of the exams is to get the letters after your name, and to show what you have achieved. I don't consider someone qualified until they take full membership; anything less and you're a student who's passed all your exams. Don't get me wrong, the exams are a great achievement in and of themselves, but it just seems odd to me why someone wouldn't take full membership, unless they really, really couldn't afford it.