How to become a chartered accountant

To qualify as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant you must complete the ACA, a highly-respected professional qualification that requires students to complete at least three years on-the-job training while passing a series of exams. You can start your training by completing ICAEW's Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (ICAEW CFAB), which is made up of the first six modules of the ACA, before going on to complete the rest of the qualification.

01

What is the ACA qualification

02

How is the ACA qualification structured?

03

How to complete the ACA qualification

04

The support you will receive

01 What is the ACA qualification?

The ACA qualification is valued by businesses worldwide, with more than 5,000 employers currently training ACA students.

Completing the ACA qualification enables you to use the title ‘ICAEW Chartered Accountant’, offering a way to stand out from the crowd by providing employers with a specified, certified skillset.

The knowledge and skills provided by the ACA means that ICAEW Chartered Accountants are highly sought after professionals.

They often command higher salaries throughout their careers:

• The average annual salary of an ICAEW Chartered Accountant in business is £134,000 (Indicative based on mean averages of specified salary bands - Member profiles response 2018).

• The average global member salary across all sectors is £108,000 (Indicative based on mean averages of specified salary bands - Member profiles response 2018).

02 How is the ACA qualification structured?

The ACA qualification is made up of four elements which provide students with a combination of finance knowledge, accountancy skills and real-world business experience.

They are:

450 days of practical work experience – offering invaluable insights into the realities of a career in chartered accountancy.

15 exam modules* – covering a broad range of topics including: financial management, law, assurance and business strategy.

Professional development – preparing you to successfully handle different situations that you’ll encounter throughout your career.

Ethics and professional scepticism – providing you with the skills to work under close scrutiny and be confident you are making the right decisions..

The ICAEW ACA Modules

There are 15 modules over three levels – Certificate, Professional and Advanced. They can be taken in any order with the exception of the Case Study which has to be attempted last. You must pass every exam.

*Credit for prior learning (CPL), also known as exemptions, are available for some of the Certificate level and Professional level exam modules.

Check our CPL Directory to see if you can apply for credits at apps.icaew.com/cpldirectory.

Why ICAEW?

ICAEW Chartered Accountants are recognised worldwide and sit on the Boards of 78% of FTSE 100 companies. You can be one too. Let the facts speak for themselves.

Globally, their average salary plus bonus 0-2 years post qualification is £49.9k

They work for organisations of all shapes and sizes

of the world's 100 global leading brands employ ICAEW Chartered Accountants

The global average salary for ACA qualified accountant in the first two years of their career

I developed my interest in accountancy and numbers since young. My mother works in the field and she would always share her experiences, challenges and successes at work with me, and that inspired me to do what she does.

Winning the world prize was never on my mind. All I thought of was doing the best I can. I’ve always believed that when you work hard, you will be luckier.

- Ng Yi Sze, Sunway TES Centre for Accountancy Excellence

03 How to complete the ACA qualification

Find your route

Becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant has never been more accessible. Options to complete elements of the ACA qualification include: ICAEW apprenticeships, undergraduate degrees, postgraduate qualifications, ICAEW Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business and joint programmes with other professional bodies.

Finding an employer

To complete the ACA you must complete 450 days of work experience at an ICAEW authorised training employer (ATE). There are c5000 ATEs offering ACA training agreements, including accountancy firms of all sizes, private businesses and public sector organisations.

Register as a student

To start the ACA qualification you must register with ICAEW as a student. The majority of students do this once they have secured a training agreement, but it is also possible to register and begin studying the ACA before you have found an employer. Learn more about the registration process.

Apply for credit for prior learning

Those who have already completed a qualification in accountancy, business or finance, might be entitled to exemptions from one or more of the ACA modules. A full list of eligible qualifications and information on how to apply for credits is available on our CPL directory.

Complete the four elements of the ACA

To successfully achieve the ACA qualification you must demonstrate that you have: completed 450 days of work experience at an ATE; passed 15 exam modules; undertaken professional development; and have advanced your ethical understanding and professional scepticism.

04 The support you will receive

As part of your training, you will undertake classes with an ICAEW-authorised training provider. These can be face-to-face or online, and will give you the benefit of an expert tutor.

Alongside this, your employer will provide you with a mentor to help you through the ACA and you will receive support from your colleagues.

ICAEW will also provide you with a range of tools and resources to help you, including:

an ACA planner;
webinars;
Vital magazine;
an online training file;
access to societies, groups and online communities;
helplines; and
the ACA student app.

Listed below are The ICAEW approved tuition providers in South-East Asia

here are many ICAEW approved tuition providers located in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam to provide tuition and study support to our students.

To locate a tuition centre in a city nearest to you, click here

High Pass Rate

Certificate Level first time pass rates (2018)

Business Technology
and Finance

Assurance

Principles of Taxation

Accounting

Management Information

Law

Professional level exam pass rates (2018)

Across nine subjects between 70% - 90%

Case Study pass rates (July 2017)

% of passes at the final exam (Case Study) – 77%

ICAEW ACA Students in South-East Asia

Ng Yi Sze

Sunway TES Centre for Accountancy Excellence

Sunway College

I developed my interest in accountancy and numbers since young. My mother works in the field and she would always share her experiences, challenges and successes at work with me, and that inspired me to do what she does.

Winning the world prize was never on my mind. All I thought of was doing the best I can. I’ve always believed that when you work hard, you will be luckier.

Pearlyn Lau Xin Wei

PwC Singapore

I choose to undertake the ICAEW ACA qualification as it is globally recognized, which opens doors to many international opportunities.

i would encourage students who are interested in a career in the accountancy profession to pursue the ACA qualification.