ACCA/ATT/CTA After AAT?

stephleedz

Hi everyone hope you are all well?

I am due to finish the AAT July/August this year...fingers crossed/touch wood! Has anyone been thinking what if anything they may do after AAT?

I would like to continue with progression after AAT but having difficulty deciding exactly what? You would have thought at age 27 I would know what I want to do.

I know if I did attempted the ACCA I would have a much wider qualification and think that this would look good on the CV. One of the things that puts me off is knowing I would have a further 11 exams (14-3 exemptions) which if I didnt have to resit any (unlikely) it would take 3 1/2yrs! I am also concerned about the wordy/written exams as I am definitely more of a calculation girl myself. Does anyone know how many exams involve calculations and written questions?

I do like Tax for some strange reason hence why I was thinking of ATT then possibly CTA but I know if I did this then I would be going down 1 route and 1 route only.

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Steph x

reader

Hi Steph

I'm also finishing soon; what assessments do you have left?

I would agree with your comments, i.e. ACCA is a long journey but you come out of it with a very well respected and broad qualification (financial, management, audit, tax, law, etc.).

ATT/CTA, if you like tax and work in tax, I don't think is as long and distressing but limits you.

I see myself working in practice, specifically tax, which is why I'm going down the ATT/CTA route.

Also I think that a lot of the stuff I'll learn on ACCA I'll never use in real life and I think you also require 3 years of work experience at an ACCA training firm in order to get ACCA memebership and then another 3 years of post qualification experience in order to get the practicing certificate. I'm 25 and don't like the sound of all those extra years.

Maybe I'll regret my decision later on; who knows?

stephleedz

Thank you reader this is very helpful.

I dont work in a accounts team but a financial control team within a company whom are paying for my studies...dont really understand why but I am not complaining. After I have finished with study whenever that maybe I am contractually oblidged to stay with this company for a further 12months or I would have to repay my study fees.

I say PTX 23rd Feb so waiting and praying for results. I then have BTX 19th April then Financial Statements which I am hoping to sit around 19th July.

Yes I understand what you mean...I would like to know a little more about ACCA then work out if I would benefit from sitting all the exams. I may feel differently after a break from study over the summer I am not sure but it is quite daunting. As I say I do like tax but dont know what/if I could do if I decided to do ATT/CTA route or ACCA route...if this makes sense?

Thank you

Steph

Rozzi Rainbow

stephleedz wrote: »

I know if I did attempted the ACCA I would have a much wider qualification and think that this would look good on the CV. One of the things that puts me off is knowing I would have a further 11 exams (14-3 exemptions) which if I didnt have to resit any (unlikely) it would take 3 1/2yrs! I am also concerned about the wordy/written exams as I am definitely more of a calculation girl myself. Does anyone know how many exams involve calculations and written questions?

Hi Steph

I'm currently studying ACCA. F4 Law and F8 Audit are mainly written papers with very few, if any, calculations. The other 4 F papers are much more on the calculations side, with some written parts to show knowledge. I'm like you - I much prefer numbers to words! But I managed to get through F4 and F8 somehow.

reader wrote: »

Also I think that a lot of the stuff I'll learn on ACCA I'll never use in real life and I think you also require 3 years of work experience at an ACCA training firm in order to get ACCA memebership and then another 3 years of post qualification experience in order to get the practicing certificate.

The 3 years work experience to gain membership doesn't have to be with a training firm (I think you're maybe thinking of ACA there) it just has to be relevant experience which can be signed off by an appropriate person. This can be done at the same time as sitting the exams - I've already got my 3 years work experience even though I'm only half way through the exams. The post qualification experience is only required if you also want to obtain the practicing certificate - i.e. to run your own practice one day.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

reader

Rozzi Rainbow wrote: »

The 3 years work experience to gain membership doesn't have to be with a training firm (I think you're maybe thinking of ACA there) it just has to be relevant experience which can be signed off by an appropriate person. This can be done at the same time as sitting the exams - I've already got my 3 years work experience even though I'm only half way through the exams.

Thanks for clarifying- I checked the ACCA website and I think you're right.

However I think the "appropriate person" has to be a chartered accountant.

Rozzi Rainbow

reader wrote: »

However I think the "appropriate person" has to be a chartered accountant.

Quite possibly - I'm not sure myself without double checking so selected my words carefully! My boss who is an ACA signed mine off.

Bluewednesday

reader wrote: »

Thanks for clarifying- I checked the ACCA website and I think you're right.

However I think the "appropriate person" has to be a chartered accountant.

They prefer it to be but it's not written in stone. My line manager was QBE and had 35 years experience and they allowed him to sign off my work experience for membership.

jenny3549

Bluewednesday wrote: »

They prefer it to be but it's not written in stone. My line manager was QBE and had 35 years experience and they allowed him to sign off my work experience for membership.

That's something I have been wondering about also. I'm thinking about continuing on to ACCA but wondered if it was worth it if I could never gain membership. My boss (MD) has no relevant accounting qualifications nor any experience whatsoever so I have no-one to sign me off (and have been at my current firm for 10 years). Do you think they might allow our auditors (PWC) to maybe sign for me since they have audited me for the last 10 years?

It would seem a pity otherwise to sit all the exams (assuming I were to pass them!) and not be able to use the letters.

NeilH

Hi

I bbelieve that the ACCA will allow your company auditors to counter sign the training record. Used to say something to this effect in the practical experience guides etc.

Neil

jenny3549

NeilH wrote: »

Hi

I bbelieve that the ACCA will allow your company auditors to counter sign the training record. Used to say something to this effect in the practical experience guides etc.

Neil

Excellent! Thanks very much Neil.
:thumbup1:

Newbie

In my opininon if you looking to work in practice, you cant beat the ATT

reader

Hi Newbie

Have you finished ATT; how hard did you find it? How much of a step up is it from AAT?

Chelle

I'm glad I have read this thread as it has given me a bit more insight with regards to ACCA etc.

I too was wondering whether to carry on with ACCA or CIMA but after reading this thread I don't think I would be able to with the time issue ((I am nearing 40 and being a single parent) It's been such a struggle up to now)) and plus I am self employed and have no one that could sign me off.

I also prefer the taxation side of things so was thinking possibly that would be my best route to go but need to read up on ATT/CTA.