whats is better ACA or ACCA and why
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Ive just done my Alevels. Im really confused which way to go ACA or ACCA? In future i want to do job in Australia or in Middle East. I really need experts' help. 
l hope l can weigh in with my two cents,
l am an ACCA affiliate who being an international student has decided to also study for the ACA, theoratically they are the same but there are some differences.
The reason l want to do this is because in my home country, there is a CA body which has mutual recognition with the ICAEW, therefore it is easier to get work if you are a CA student or qualified.
Furthermore the biggest economy in our region, where l have plans to work, has a very dominant CA body which controls registration, education and even to an extent subsidises lecturers who teach on its accredited curriculum, suffice to say the lecturers are not surprisingly all CAs.
The other thing l noted is that the ACA has many advantages in that the countries which are leading business and finance countries all recognise the ACA, this is not the case with the ACCA, e.g. Hong Kong, if you have the ACCA you have to do a number of exams, Australia the same. ln my country they were interchangeable, the local CA and the ACCA, but now the CA is miles ahead. lt is interesting to note that Canada does not give the ACCA any recognition at all unlike the other countries where you may have to do a few exams.
Therefore for me the ACA is the more marketable one if you are considering a career in the international sphere. The ACCA is well represented globally, l believe it is the largest in terms of numbers of students and members but may also be part of the problem it is maybe too common.
Exams wise the content is essentially the same with the ACCA giving options in Performance Management, Tax, Audit and Finance. With the ACA the exams are not optional. Secondly the ACA has a higher pass threshold of 55 compared to 50 for the ACCA at the comparable levels which are professional ACA and Fundamentals ACCA. At the final level they all ask the same which is fifty.
Exams wise, l also think the ACA in some parts is more challenging, take tax for instance, the ACA has three tax papers. The ACCA has two and only one is compulsory. So to me this is a huge difference.
Talking of exams, when you get to the advanced stage of the ACA, the exams are more challenging as you are expected to be working in a professional services environment so the structure, content and tone of your answer has to be more professional. l did see some of that in the ACCA but that was for audit.
The other thing l think the ACA has a more integrated exam focus than the ACCA, i.e. if you are doing a final paper e.g. business reporting, in that exam you will not only deal with corporate reporting but you will have to contend with tax, audit and other areas. So it is more challenging.
The ACCA papers are more one track, if it is audit you will deal with audit and nothing more. The last difference for me is that with the ACCA when you have done the options and you get the experience you can become a member.
The ACA has a slightly different tack, where you have to do a capstone course similar to the CIMA. ln this exam you have to write an exam which is supposed to replicate a normal working day for a CA. This means you will have preseen information and unseen information you get in the exam.
One thing l must point out is that the ACA is somewhat more expensive in fees than the ACCA so do bear this in mind. ln earlier days the ACCA was more accessible, i.e. no degree required but now so is the ACA. Also the ACA is now offered in more countries around the world so to that extent it may be closing the gap with the ACCA and lastly the ACA is more flexible than before you do not need a contract initially to study but you cannot take the capstone without fulfilling the experience elements.
For me the biggest selling point for the ACA is that is more recognised and prestigious although maybe not as prevalent as the ACA. Ultimately l think it is not what you have which matters but what you do with it. People possessing both qualifications have gone on to do amazing things.
So ultimately it is a question of where you are, what you want to do and where you want to get into it. l think either should lead to a good future so you cannot go wrong with any of the two.
l am an ACCA affiliate who being an international student has decided to also study for the ACA, theoratically they are the same but there are some differences.
The reason l want to do this is because in my home country, there is a CA body which has mutual recognition with the ICAEW, therefore it is easier to get work if you are a CA student or qualified.
Furthermore the biggest economy in our region, where l have plans to work, has a very dominant CA body which controls registration, education and even to an extent subsidises lecturers who teach on its accredited curriculum, suffice to say the lecturers are not surprisingly all CAs.
The other thing l noted is that the ACA has many advantages in that the countries which are leading business and finance countries all recognise the ACA, this is not the case with the ACCA, e.g. Hong Kong, if you have the ACCA you have to do a number of exams, Australia the same. ln my country they were interchangeable, the local CA and the ACCA, but now the CA is miles ahead. lt is interesting to note that Canada does not give the ACCA any recognition at all unlike the other countries where you may have to do a few exams.
Therefore for me the ACA is the more marketable one if you are considering a career in the international sphere. The ACCA is well represented globally, l believe it is the largest in terms of numbers of students and members but may also be part of the problem it is maybe too common.
Exams wise the content is essentially the same with the ACCA giving options in Performance Management, Tax, Audit and Finance. With the ACA the exams are not optional. Secondly the ACA has a higher pass threshold of 55 compared to 50 for the ACCA at the comparable levels which are professional ACA and Fundamentals ACCA. At the final level they all ask the same which is fifty.
Exams wise, l also think the ACA in some parts is more challenging, take tax for instance, the ACA has three tax papers. The ACCA has two and only one is compulsory. So to me this is a huge difference.
Talking of exams, when you get to the advanced stage of the ACA, the exams are more challenging as you are expected to be working in a professional services environment so the structure, content and tone of your answer has to be more professional. l did see some of that in the ACCA but that was for audit.
The other thing l think the ACA has a more integrated exam focus than the ACCA, i.e. if you are doing a final paper e.g. business reporting, in that exam you will not only deal with corporate reporting but you will have to contend with tax, audit and other areas. So it is more challenging.
The ACCA papers are more one track, if it is audit you will deal with audit and nothing more. The last difference for me is that with the ACCA when you have done the options and you get the experience you can become a member.
The ACA has a slightly different tack, where you have to do a capstone course similar to the CIMA. ln this exam you have to write an exam which is supposed to replicate a normal working day for a CA. This means you will have preseen information and unseen information you get in the exam.
One thing l must point out is that the ACA is somewhat more expensive in fees than the ACCA so do bear this in mind. ln earlier days the ACCA was more accessible, i.e. no degree required but now so is the ACA. Also the ACA is now offered in more countries around the world so to that extent it may be closing the gap with the ACCA and lastly the ACA is more flexible than before you do not need a contract initially to study but you cannot take the capstone without fulfilling the experience elements.
For me the biggest selling point for the ACA is that is more recognised and prestigious although maybe not as prevalent as the ACA. Ultimately l think it is not what you have which matters but what you do with it. People possessing both qualifications have gone on to do amazing things.
So ultimately it is a question of where you are, what you want to do and where you want to get into it. l think either should lead to a good future so you cannot go wrong with any of the two.
Original post by Shakz
anyone who did accounting at uni, do u think its possible to study it at uni even if i never took any business/eco related subjects at a-level? also, how stressful is the course? any help will be greatly appreciated
You do not need any prior background in accounting to do an accounting degree in uni. It isn't very difficult or stressful as long as you're on top of your studies. Like other degrees, some courses will build up on your knowledge of previous ones. So if you do start slacking early on, you may find it difficult to do well on later courses (i.e. Financial Reporting requires a knowledge of Financial Accounting).
Source: took accounting modules as part of my degree.
Original post by Shakz
anyone who did accounting at uni, do u think its possible to study it at uni even if i never took any business/eco related subjects at a-level? also, how stressful is the course? any help will be greatly appreciated
If you're planning to become a chartered accountant, you will probably find our latest accountancy and finance industry survey interesting. We spoke to 149 employers and asked what they look for in their entry level candidates. The results are very interesting:
•
CIMA, ACCA and AAT are the most recommended qualifications for entry-level accountants;
•
46% of employers place importance on a professional qualification when looking for entry-level accountancycandidates;
•
73% rate previous work experience as “extremely important” or “important”;
•
88% employers stated that communication skills are regarded as the most useful attribute, closely followed by people skills and teamwork (84%).
If you’d like to see more, LSBF and GAAPweb’s Industry Report; ‘What do Financial and Accounting Employers Want?’ can be accessed here: blog.lsbf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/LSBF-GAAPweb-Accountancy-Industry-Report.pdf
Best,
LSBF Team
Original post by London School of Business and Finance (LSBF)
If you're planning to become a chartered accountant, you will probably find our latest accountancy and finance industry survey interesting. We spoke to 149 employers and asked what they look for in their entry level candidates. The results are very interesting:
If you’d like to see more, LSBF and GAAPweb’s Industry Report; ‘What do Financial and Accounting Employers Want?’ can be accessed here: blog.lsbf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/LSBF-GAAPweb-Accountancy-Industry-Report.pdf
Best,
LSBF Team
•
•
CIMA, ACCA and AAT are the most recommended qualifications for entry-level accountants;
•
46% of employers place importance on a professional qualification when looking for entry-level accountancycandidates;
•
73% rate previous work experience as “extremely important” or “important”;
•
88% employers stated that communication skills are regarded as the most useful attribute, closely followed by people skills and teamwork (84%).
If you’d like to see more, LSBF and GAAPweb’s Industry Report; ‘What do Financial and Accounting Employers Want?’ can be accessed here: blog.lsbf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/LSBF-GAAPweb-Accountancy-Industry-Report.pdf
Best,
LSBF Team
"CIMA, ACCA and AAT are the most recommended qualifications for entry-level accountants"
Funny how it works out the "most recommended" qualifications are the ones LSBF offers tuition for. It's almost like you're kind offer to provide advice to people on a student forum is actually due to an ulterior motive? Funny indeed. Well thank god we all know the ACA isn't "most recommended", we can all just forget all about that one based on whatever 149 people you picked had to say (and lets all go do the AAT as it's the clear winner). Can't believe all those massive accounting firms are getting it so wrong! Have you considered dropping the big 4 an email to let them know your findings?
ACA vs ACCA, there really isn't much difference. At our firm we have people doing both (though with about 95% on the ACA and 5% on the ACCA) and you study the same stuff. As for international exposure: tons of people who have done the ACA (which supposedly isn't as globally recognized the ACCA or some would have you believe) have gone successfully on international secondments within audit.
They're both accounting qualifications, choosing one over the other will not be a determining factor in your career.
They're both accounting qualifications, choosing one over the other will not be a determining factor in your career.
ACA is much the same content, but the exam structure us much harder. If you fail an exam, you often lose your job. And you have to take the exams while working under quite grueling conditions. ACCA on the other hand can be taken much more flexibly, making it the much easier qualification to obtain. In terms of what you learn, there is little to no difference, it's just that the ACA is just tougher to pass due to the stressful and intense exam structure. Being able to pass exams, doesn't mean you're actually any better as an accountant.
Original post by Classical Liberal
ACA is much the same content, but the exam structure us much harder. If you fail an exam, you often lose your job. And you have to take the exams while working under quite grueling conditions. ACCA on the other hand can be taken much more flexibly, making it the much easier qualification to obtain. In terms of what you learn, there is little to no difference, it's just that the ACA is just tougher to pass due to the stressful and intense exam structure. Being able to pass exams, doesn't mean you're actually any better as an accountant.
Are the ACA exams really that hard? I don't think so, thousands of people do them successfully every year while working full time (though obviously getting college/study time) and the pass rates are around 75-85% so quite high.
Original post by snakesnake
Are the ACA exams really that hard? I don't think so, thousands of people do them successfully every year while working full time (though obviously getting college/study time) and the pass rates are around 75-85% so quite high.
The pass rates are fairly high - but there are two factors that probably pull up the pass rate.
(a) The average ACA trainee is somebody who has excelled academically and is well versed in taking exams, as they have often just finished university. By comparison, ACCA trainees aren't of the same "academic caliber".
(b) Most ACA trainees have a massive incentive to pass their exams, because if they don't, they'll end up unemployed. Failing an ACA exam, as well as being a nuisance and quite embarrassing, is financially quite costly, unlike an ACCA exam.
That being said, the ACA isn't the hardest material in the world, but it can just be hard to study sufficiently when you've already had to work for 50 hours during the week.
Most ACA trainees are degree holders, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily accounting major graduate. For ACA/ACCA/CIMA, accounting and finance are new stuff.
The ACA has higher pass rates partly because trainees are under higher pressure to pass (standing fear of losing the contracts by failing), partly because their exams are open-book and materials at advanced stage are handed out before the exam dates, so candidates at least are familiar with the materials, and they can do a few premature calculations and analysis;
On the other hand, though ACCA allows you to pass one paper at a time and may not have constant pressure to be first time passes, the exams are entirely close book, and we don't have early hand-out materials at later stage.
And one last thing, the reason for most ACCA candidates do not have degree, doesn't necessarily mean we are not academically excelled, that we didn't go to college because of poor grades. Some of us have to take responsibily at young age, because we don't have mommies and daddies to foot the university bill. Some of us did go to university, but wanted to switch career.
Honestly, some people, they are like those brats depicted in the "Young Riot Club" film, full of themselves.
The ACA has higher pass rates partly because trainees are under higher pressure to pass (standing fear of losing the contracts by failing), partly because their exams are open-book and materials at advanced stage are handed out before the exam dates, so candidates at least are familiar with the materials, and they can do a few premature calculations and analysis;
On the other hand, though ACCA allows you to pass one paper at a time and may not have constant pressure to be first time passes, the exams are entirely close book, and we don't have early hand-out materials at later stage.
And one last thing, the reason for most ACCA candidates do not have degree, doesn't necessarily mean we are not academically excelled, that we didn't go to college because of poor grades. Some of us have to take responsibily at young age, because we don't have mommies and daddies to foot the university bill. Some of us did go to university, but wanted to switch career.
Honestly, some people, they are like those brats depicted in the "Young Riot Club" film, full of themselves.
(edited 9 years ago)
Did you get accepted to LSE with AAB?
Did you get accepted to LSE with AAB?
I want to start studying ACCA in a few weeks and was wondering how many modules do you recommend I should I start with? For example, shall I start by doing F1,F2 and F3 in my first exam period? Or is that way too much? I know it depends on the person and if you can cope with so much work load but I just want to know how you guys studied for your ACCA because I don't want to spend too long studying it. I hope to finish it in 3 no more than 4 years.
Original post by -so-fly
I want to start studying ACCA in a few weeks and was wondering how many modules do you recommend I should I start with? For example, shall I start by doing F1,F2 and F3 in my first exam period? Or is that way too much? I know it depends on the person and if you can cope with so much work load but I just want to know how you guys studied for your ACCA because I don't want to spend too long studying it. I hope to finish it in 3 no more than 4 years.
What is your academic background and are you planning on studying full time or part time?
Original post by ajj2000
What is your academic background and are you planning on studying full time or part time?
I have a 2:1 degree in Economics and Finance from Birmingham City Uni and would be studying part time as I have full time job at the moment. So would be looking to do evening and weekend classes
Original post by -so-fly
I have a 2:1 degree in Economics and Finance from Birmingham City Uni and would be studying part time as I have full time job at the moment. So would be looking to do evening and weekend classes
I'd check if you are entitled to any exemptions before signing up to courses. There seem to be 4 exam sittings a year for ACCA exams at present - people seem to adopt different styles depending on how they like to study. If you are working full time 4 exams a year seems a sensible number.
If you google "ACCA forum" there are some useful student sites to get some insight into peoples experiences of the best ways to study.
Hi, I have decided to study ACCA and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations to who to study it with? I think I would be going with one of BPP, Avado or Kaplan. I will be studying online on my own and was wondering if there's anyone on here who has studied with either one? And could tell me if they're any good with the material, resources and lectures they supply
Original post by -so-fly
Hi, I have decided to study ACCA and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations to who to study it with? I think I would be going with one of BPP, Avado or Kaplan. I will be studying online on my own and was wondering if there's anyone on here who has studied with either one? And could tell me if they're any good with the material, resources and lectures they supply
I've never heard of Avado but have had staff who studied with Kaplan and BPP who were pretty happy. Opentuition.com is worth a look - its free (not that that matters if your employers pay) so you can see if the courses suit.
Original post by ajj2000
I've never heard of Avado but have had staff who studied with Kaplan and BPP who were pretty happy. Opentuition.com is worth a look - its free (not that that matters if your employers pay) so you can see if the courses suit.
I will be paying for the course myself and have had a look at opentuition.com. Do you recommend just studying from opentuition.com or actually going with an approved content provider such as BPP?
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