ACCA accountancy qualifications

The ACCA Qualification gives you the most up-to-date skills you need to become a finance professional.

You need three GCSEs and two A Levels in five separate subjects including maths and English (or their equivalent) to start the ACCA Qualification

Find out more about the minimum entry requirements for all of our qualifications.

Entry requirements

The Foundation Diploma is the best preparation for the ACCA Qualification if you don’t have any other qualifications or experience.

Complete the Diploma, and you will be automatically transferred onto the ACCA Qualification, free of charge, and given exemptions from the first three exams.

In Pakistan, the Intermediate Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) has awarded HSSC (Intermediate in Commerce) equivalence to the Foundation Diploma.

If you wish to obtain such equivalence, then you must apply for the Foundation Diploma after completing O’ Levels, or Matriculation. Read more about equivalence

You simply need to be a registered ACCA Student and have opted-in to the BSc Degree Scheme. 

Currently we offer two pathways to the MSc in Professional Accountancy; pathway one for students and pathway two for affiliates and members. From 2021 we will no longer be accepting applications to pathway one.

Requirements
For the student pathway, you simply need to be a registered ACCA student and have successfully completed the Strategic Professional Essentials exams.

For the affiliate and member pathway you are automatically eligible, however, if it has been more than five years since you passed your final Strategic Professional exam you will be required to successfully pass the University of London Professional Accountancy Online Preparation Test.

ACCA member or a minimum of three years’ professional/managerial work experience.

There are no formal entry requirements, but we recommend that an educational or vocational background in business valuations is gained before starting this certificate. Primarily the course is aimed at people who already have a professional accountancy qualification.

The ACCA Certificate in Digital Innovation for Finance is aimed at accountancy, finance, business and advisory professionals who wish to develop their knowledge, skills and awareness of innovations in digital technology and its impact on the finance profession.

No prior knowledge required.

This Certificate is targeted at those working in Global Business Services or looking to work in GBS.A level of accountancy knowledge equivalent to FA1/MA1 is recommended before starting the CertGBS. It has been prepared for new entrants to the Global Business Services, Shared Services and Outsourcing industry as well as staff with practical experience but without formal professional qualifications.

This certificate also benefits ACCA members who would like to develop their skills and knowledge within their outsourcing environment.

Designed for professional accountants and auditors qualified in their national accounting standards who need to update their skills to meet the challenges involved in adopting and implementing IFRS in their workplace. An educational or vocational background in financial reporting is recommended before starting the Cert IFR. This course also benefits ACCA members who gained their qualification prior to the introduction of IFRS. For ACCA members whose qualifications are already based on IFRS, the Cert IFR is an opportunity to update their IFRS knowledge for recent IASB publications.

What's involved?

Who is it for?

Professional accountants and auditors working in practice and industry and qualified in national accounting standards are eligible to take the qualification.

Practitioners not yet qualified, but who can verify at least one of the following, are also eligible:

• Membership of an Accountancy Professional Body
• A relevant degree  (attracting exemptions from AB – LW..   4 exemptions ) plus two years' relevant work experience in an Accounting environment
• Three years' relevant work experience
• ACCA Affiliate
• ACCA Diploma in Financial Management (or Certified Diploma in Accounting & Finance)
• ACCA Certificate in International Financial Reporting plus two years relevant work experience.

Designed for professional accountants and auditors working in audit or seeking to make a move in to audit practice. An educational or vocational background in auditing is recommended before commencing the Cert IA.

This course would benefit ACCA members who qualified before the clarified ISAs were introduced or for members who wish to ensure that their audit knowledge is up to date with all relevant IAASB publications.

No formal qualifications are required. Designed for professional accountants and auditors qualified in national accounting standards or International Financial Reporting Standards, the module is written as an introduction to IPSAS, on the assumption that the reader knows a reasonable amount or has sufficient experience of accounting and financial reporting.

There are no formal educational requirements to beginning the Cert PFM.

It has been prepared for:

• New entrants to the public sector.
• Staff with practical experience but without formal professional qualifications.
• Professional accountants moving into the public sector from the corporate sector or professional practice.

Equivalent to the ACCA Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business, these Russian Language exams develop the strong, broad and practical finance skills required of future strategic professional accountant in any sector or industry.