How to choose the optional units?????

System
System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
edited 10:26AM in AAT student discussion
Hi,

I am finishing the intermediate level this december, I am sitting both ECR and FRA and I am going to order my technician level books soon. I am studying with the FTC distance learning.

I was looking at the optional units and I am not really sure what to choose. :shock: I am thinking of going for both taxation units even if they are probably the toughest ones.

Can anyone advise me on this choice????

Any help is really appreciated!!!! :lol:

Thank you so much!
Manu

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Hi Manu

    Do you have any idea in which direction you want to take your career in accounts? Practice or industry?

    It was maybe easier for me as when it came to choices as we were governed to some degree by the college timetable. If you are still planning to do distance learning that won't apply. I took PTC as the tutor said it would be "of interest" to most people. I remember being torn between cash management and business tax. I bought the books for cash management as I worked in industry at the time and thought that it would be of most use. But I also thought I wanted to work in practice so the tax tutor said it would be better if I took BTC which I did. I'm glad I took both, but spread them between Dec and June exams. (PTC first) There is so much to take in, I don't think I could have coped with both at the same time, although some do. I imagine it is even harder if you are doing it distance.

    Don't know if this has been of any use, but good luck ( to everybody) with the exams in Dec.
    Jan
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Hi

    I did distance learning with FTC and as it didn't really matter which topics I did I plumped for the personal tax(exam)and cash management(skills test), but you could do the 2 skills tests options if you are not keen on exams and the options do not effect your chosen career path.

    Best of luck with whatever you chose
    Eva :D
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    I did all four as my college were only offering the tax units as an optional extra. I wanted to do them as I plan to go on to ACCA next year and they would be useful to me. It really does depend on what your future plans are. As Eva said, the tax is exam based and so you may want to consider this when making your decision. For the record, I found them both very interesting!
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    At my college we haven't been given a choice, we are doing all of the units including both PTC and BTC. We have had since September to get ready for the PTC and DFS exams in December and we will be taking the rest next June. Some of us on my course wish we had the choice, but I'm glad we don't because I wanted to do them all anyway and I was dreading in having to choose.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Hi everyone,

    Thanks for your advice. I feel like I would not like to choose because they all seem of interest in carrying on with the ACCA, maybe it would be a good idea to do all of them really... I will discuss this option with my distance learning tutor.

    My future plans are to carry on working in industry for a while and start with the ACCA but also at some point while I study the ACCA maybe do a bit of accounts work on the side for myself (so probably the taxation units would be the better solution).

    It is really difficult to choose, while if you know you have to do them all you get on with it. I am also scared that doing all of them would be really difficult and push my "deadline" further. I am hoping to finish the technician level next december (starting in January 2007) and sit the compulsory exams in june and the optional ones in December. Does anyone think that's too much? :? Is it doable? :? I am really scared to set myself too high goals and fail them which would make me feel disappointed. :shock:

    It's great to have the forum to discuss these things because I am the only person I know around my area doing AAT because doing distance learning I am on my own, so really THANKS! :D

  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Hi Manu,

    I am only sticking with doing them all and having no social life, because my current job is not my intended job within accounts, I also want to go onto either ACCA or CIMA and one day start working for myself.
    With the AAT, as you are probably aware, is that you can study it at your own pace, but if you want that big Accountant status now rather than later then the hard work is well worth it.
    Be true to yourself and know your own speed of learning taking on too much could be both costly to your bank account and you self confidence.
    Ian :D
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Hi Manu

    Just to pick up on one thing that you said about doing ACCA and some work on the side - ACCA do not allow that at all - if you check their website, it is there somewhere in the small print.

    Good luck - by the way I did the two tax papers, other people have said that audit and cash management are the easier options as they are only assessments.

    Claudia
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    That may be true about the ACCA, but if you are qualified with the AAT there's nothing stopping you doing some work on the side using qualifications already gained, surely!
    I think the AAT would have something to say about that!
    Ian :lol:
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    As an ACCA student you cannot prepare accounts, submit tax returns etc for other people regardless of the fact that you do not mention anywhere your ACCA student status. According to a thread quite a long while ago, more people are thrown out of ACCA for that than for anything else :cry:

    Claudia
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    http://rulebook.accaglobal.com/lpbin21/

    Claudia

    Sorry - the link only goes to the front page - then it is section 2.1.8


  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Info required is on the ACCA website under 2.1.8 Registered students obligations and rights.

    It does state work on the side can be done, but you will need to read it for yourself as it's too long to put on the forum, I'd be here all day!

    Basically anything other than basic book-keeping needs to be supervised by a qualified person and you can be paid for it.

    Cheers
    Ian :D


  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Hi,

    I too am studyinbg with FTC via distance learning and am also hoping to start technician level in Feb - as I still have my Unit 31 & Prof ethics unit to do. (Dip pathway).

    I am also weighing up my options on which units to sit. Although with the Dip pathway Cash management was compulsory at the intermediate stage. So that is not an option.

    The only skills test that I could sit would be Auditing. I was not planning to do this but I want to do ACCA and am sure that this comes up in there, so it would be a good head start in a way.

    Is it true that BTC & PTC overlap? As if they do then the workload may not be too much. Or is this just wishful thinking?

    MP
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Hi,

    They do overlap in a kind of way, so I've been told, but more from a following on kind of way.

    Cheers
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    Thanks Ian.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,534 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:How to choose the optional units?????

    They do overlap, so we were taught and sat both together, but I couldn't get my head around BTC. I passed auditing, so I was happy not to have to concentrat on BTC too much (failed the whole thing)!

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