Foundations in accountancy

Are you already working in a finance role and do you want recognition for your experience? Or are you looking for a career in accountancy? Either way, choosing ACCA qualifications means you can start at the right level for you.

ACCA Qualification

If you have two A Levels and three GCSEs in five separate subjects including English and maths (or equivalent qualifications), you can start your studies at the ACCA Qualification.

The ACCA Qualification is broadly equivalent to UK university degree standard when you complete the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills exams. When you complete the Strategic Professional exams, it is equivalent to a UK university Master’s degree.

Once you have successfully completed your exams, Ethics and Professional Skills module and professional experience requirement, you will be qualified professional accountant.

To find out more and decide if this is the right place for you to start your studies, visit the ACCA Qualification page

Foundation level qualifications

If you don't have these entry requirements, you can start your career in accountancy with ACCA with our Foundation-level qualifications. These awards are broadly equivalent to GCSE level and a degree or HND programme.

If you have no previous qualifications we recommend that you start with the ACCA Diploma in Financial and Management Accounting (RQF Level 2) and work your way through the rest of the qualifications.

This is because results show that students who achieve the ACCA Diploma in Financial and Management Accounting (RQF Level 2) first perform better in the ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business (RQF Level 4) exams than those who skip the other qualifications and start at the Diploma level.

Our Foundation-level awards are a stepping stone onto the ACCA Qualification. So once you achieve the ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business (RQF Level 4) you can start studying the ACCA Qualification and claim exemption from the Applied Knowledge exams. You can then continue your journey to becoming a fully qualified professional accountant

For more information on both the ACCA Qualification and the Foundation- level qualifications and how it can help accountancy careers, please visit the Qualifications at a glance section of the site.