Degree then AAT or ACCA

Daner

Hello, is it wise going from a undergraduate Business and Finance degree to AAT? Or would you suggest going straight on towards ACCA? I currently haven't no experience. Also, if AAT was the option, would it be possible to go straight on to level 4 through home study? Or would I struggle? Thank you.

CeeJaySix

I would always recommend it, as it gives you a better grasp of the basics than skipping straight to chartered. However the vast majority of graduates do go straight to chartered and do just fine; ultimately it depends on where you see yourself in the future as to whether a better understanding of the nitty gritty would benefit you.

Level 4 is the equivalent of the first computer-based chartered papers, so if you're going straight to level 4 there may be little point. Personally I think the the two AP papers at level 3 are the most beneficial in learning how accounting works at the basic level.

It's a personal decision. Have you considered graduate training schemes in practice? They will put you straight onto chartered with tuition from Kaplan or BPP, and is probably the most common route into larger firms.

Daner

Seeing as Im most likely going to leave uni with a 2:2 in business and finance, I think it will be hard trying to get on a grad scheme. Unfortunately, because I would have loved to been able to do so.

I think maybe AAT is wise, considering I have no previous experience, and it should hopefully help me secure an entry level job for now which may be beneficial in the future as most employees will want experience.

ChristianB

Hi @Daner

Considering you have no relative work experience, AAT would be the best option for you. From the outset, you would be learning more practical skills that you can apply in the work place straight away, so in the short term you would be more employable as an AAT student. Also, it’s worth noting that there are lots of employers who would take you on as an AAT student and then fund you to do a chartered qualification like ACCA after having completed AAT – this is very common, just have a look at job search websites to get a better picture of this for yourself.

It’s really easy to find out which level of the AAT is best for you to start at – simply take our free Skillcheck which is a short multiple choice test you can do at any time and at the end it will tell you which level is best for you to start with.

It is possible that we could exempt you from certain units of Levels 3 and 4 based on your current credentials but it's hard to say for sure over the forums. I'd advise that you contact our team at 020 3735 2434 for a quick, informal chat.

All the best

ariadne

I've completed L3 and now trying to study L4 modules alongside the very similar first few ACCA papers. The ACCA book covers all the AAT stuff (plus a teeny bit more) and moves very quickly while AAT is more relaxed and easy to follow. If you covered accountancy in uni I'd be tempted to skip to ACCA but otherwise you could use AAT L3/4 to bridge the gap as it will ease you in more gently. Just get a copy of the L2 basic accounting books to prep for L3 as there is hardly any recap of double entry, old copies off ebay will do. Once you have read through some of the syllabus you can then decide on whether it's worth taking the exams or skipping to L4 or even ACCA - you may find you are covering areas you already know well and it's not useful to go over them again in such detail. For a taste of ACCA have a look at the tutorials for F2 and 3 on opentuition.com - it starts from no prior knowledge and F3 is the financial accounting side with double entry and financial reports.