I’m a school-leaver. Is AAT suitable for me?

AAT

Yes – the AAT Accounting Qualification has no formal entry requirements. Some training providers require students to have passed core GCSEs, but each has a different position on this so it's worth contacting them directly to get confirmation.

You don’t need to have studied accountancy or even A-Level Maths before. AAT is designed to help people with little or no accounting experience reach a level where they can work confidently in an accountancy environment.

Studying AAT lets you gain the skills and practical experience employers value without building up student debt at university.

Becoming AAT-qualified gives you generous exemptions if you decide to move on to chartered accountancy. You could become a fully-qualified chartered accountant more quickly than someone who has gone to university.

Lots of school-leavers study AAT through an apprenticeship. You’ll earn while you learn with your employer’s support, and instantly apply the skills you acquire to the workplace. Not only that, but research has shown that high-level apprenticeships can lead to career earnings on a par with those of graduates.

Next steps

Would you like to learn more about AAT?









More information/resources

• Take AAT Skillcheck to see which level of the AAT Accounting Qualification is best for you.

• The parent of a school-leaver explains how he came to see the value of apprenticeships.

• Learn more about how apprenticeships work at apprenticeships.org.uk; or learn more about AAT apprenticeships at the AAT website.

• AAT career coach: Top tips for landing an apprenticeship

• AAT career coach: Why bad A-Level results aren't the end of the world

• AAT research: Poor careers advice is hampering young people's aspirations
  

• Are vocational qualifications a better option than university?
  

• Degrees v. apprenticeships
  

• Apprentices from Venn Group explain why they decided to study AAT through an apprenticeship rather than go to university:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNyLJ2Q6Z-A

• Top tips for school-leavers interested in a career in accountancy/finance:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFYSD8IGJAA

• In this extensive 20-minute discussion, Harry Collins of PKF and Emma Mason of Baker Tilly explain why they chose AAT apprenticeships over university:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntk3drzA9-g