start your journey with acca

8/11/2019 Start Your Journey with ACCA

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Think about something you like

It could be your favouritefood. Your favourite gadget.Or your favourite movie.

Now think about the companies thatproduce your favourite things. Whydo they produce them? Well, theywant you to be a happy customer.Because happy customers are goodfor business. Happy customers makea company money. And money is themain reason why companies exist.Even charities and not-for-profitcompanies need to make sure theyuse their funds in the most efficient

way. And every single organisation,big or small, local or global, is inbusiness to make money. Or savemoney. Or advise other businesseshow to make and save money.

All have one thing in common. Theyneed professionals who understandfinance. Who can play a fundamentalrole in running the business. Who canhelp make the business a success.

There you have it. Youre thinkingabout a career in accountancy.

A career in accountancy is agreat choice and can offer youexcellent job prospects. You couldwork your way right to the verytop of an organisation with theright professional accountancyqualification. And becauseaccountants play a central function inany business, accountancy can offeryou prestige and responsibility.

Theres a lot to think about and

consider. You may already knowyou want to become a professionalaccountant and the type of workyou want to do. You just needto decide which accountancyqualification to complete. Or youmay still be undecided and want tokeep your options open in termsof where you work and what typeof accounting role you choose.

Whatever stage you are at in yourcareer planning, ACCA can help. Wehave a range of qualifications, relevantto all business sectors, to help youreach your career destination.

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Here are just some of thereasons why you should chooseACCA as your route to a careerin accountancy and finance.

Studying for our qualificationswill provide you with skills andknowledge relevant to any business,which means you are free to choosewhich type of accountancy role andorganisation you want to work for.

ACCA is known as the global bodyfor professional accountants andour qualifications are available

around the world. It means you canstudy and work wherever you wishyour career path to take you.

People already working in theaccountancy and finance professionknow and respect our organisationand the qualifications we offer. Byassociation, it means you will be indemand. Employers will recogniseand respect your qualificationsand know you have the right skillsneeded to get the job done.

Weve been around for a long time over 100 years. It means peoplein business know about us for allthe right reasons. We have a provenreputation for quality and excellence.Our qualifications remain globallyrelevant. Which is why employersrecruit individuals who have ourqualifications and why we have somany students and members. Wecurrently have 147,000 members and424,000 students in over 170 countries.

We have a network of 83 officesaround the world to offer you supportwhile you complete your qualification.

www.accaglobal.com

Are you starting out inaccounting and finance or alreadyworking in finance but haveno formal qualifications? Thenyou can choose to take any orall of our following entry-levelqualifications, referred to asFoundations in Accountancy:

Introductory Certificate in Financialand Management Accounting 16

Intermediate Certificate in Financialand Management Accounting 17

Diploma in Accountingand Business 18

Certified AccountingTechnician (CAT) Qualification 110

Are you a school leaverwith university entry-levelqualifications or a graduate? Thenyou meet the entry requirementsto start your studies on the ACCAQualification. You can achievequalifications on the way tobecoming an ACCA member.

The ACCAQualification 12

Diploma in Accountingand Business 18

Advanced Diploma inAccounting and Business 19

BSc (Hons) degree inApplied Accounting 20

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Think about ACCA


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FOUNDATIONS IN PROFESSIONALISM MODULE

+ PROFESSIONALETHICS MODULE

MATHS AND ENGLISH SELF-CHECK MODULES (optional)

= INTRODUCTORY

CERTIFICATE INFINANCIAL ANDMANAGEMENTACCOUNTING

+ 2 exams

= INTERMEDIATE

CERTIFICATE INFINANCIAL ANDMANAGEMENTACCOUNTING

+ 2 exams

= DIPLOMA INACCOUNTINGAND BUSINESS

+ 3 exams

+ 6 exams

= ADVANCED DIPLOMAIN ACCOUNTINGAND BUSINESS

= ACCA member

+ 5 exams

+ PER INCLUDING 36 MONTHSWORK EXPERIENCE*

Foundations in Accountancy

ACCA Qualification

ENTRY LEVEL 1No prior qualifications required.

ENTRY LEVEL 2Technician level entry orequivalent eg CAT.

ENTRY LEVEL 3Graduate entry for accredited degreesfrom recognised institutions. Thesegraduates will also need to completethe Professional Ethics module.

*Relevant practical experience can begained before, during or after exams.

ENTRY LEVEL 3

ENTRY LEVEL 2

ENTRY LEVEL 1



5

= CERTIFIED

ACCOUNTINGTECHNICIAN

(CAT)

BSc from Oxford Brookes University

MBA from Oxford Brookes University

+ FPER

INCLUDING12 MONTHSWORK

EXPERIENCE

+ 2 exams from 3

SPECIALISTOPTIONSAWARDS

What qualifications you have now willdetermine at which point you startyour journey with us. But its up to

you to decide how far you wish toprogress your career in accountancy.Of course we hope you go all theway and become a professionalaccountant and an ACCA member.

There are lots of qualifications youcan pick up along the way to measureyour success and keep you motivated.And all of our qualifications can bestudied as single qualifications too.

So it really is up to you to decide

how far you wish to progress.All we ask is that you have theambition and determination towork hard to succeed. We hopethe information in this brochurewill help you make that decision.

Enjoy yourjourney


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IS THIS SUITABLE FOR ME?This certificate is suitable for anyonelooking to do an introductoryqualification in accountingand finance, including schoolleavers or those already workingin accounts-support roles.

DO I NEED ANYQUALIFICATIONS TO START?No previous academicqualifications are required tostudy for this qualification.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?It is broadly equivalent to GCSE level.

WHAT KIND OF WORK COULD IDO WITH THIS QUALIFICATION?

You could work in a variety ofaccounts-support roles including: junior accounts clerk/junior

bookkeeper role in an SME a range of junior accounting

administration roles within anaccounting department of a

larger organisation or financialshared service centre.

WHATS INVOLVED?To achieve the Introductory Certificatein Financial and ManagementAccounting you will need to registeras a student for Foundations inAccountancy and complete: two exams: FA1, Recording

Financial Transactions and MA1,Management Information

a professionalism and ethicsmodule called Foundationsin Professionalism.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKETO COMPLETE?Its up to you as there is no timelimit. You can sit the exams ondemand as computer-based exams,or paper-based exams in Juneand December, at one of our 380exam centres around the world.

You can complete Foundations inProfessionalism before or after theexams. So you could complete thiscertificate in six months or even less.

CAN I MISS OUT SOMEEXAMS IF I HAVE RELEVANTQUALIFICATIONS?

Yes. Please visit our website to checkwhat exemptions you may claim basedon your previous qualifications.

CAN I GO ON TO DO OTHERACCA QUALIFICATIONS?We hope you will continue to studywith ACCA and progress to the nextlevel. You can go on to complete theIntermediate Certificate in Financial

and Management Accounting or theDiploma in Accounting and Business.


Introductory Certificate in Financialand Management Accounting


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IS THIS SUITABLE FOR ME?This certificate is suitable for anyonelooking to do an introductoryqualification in accountingand finance, including schoolleavers or those already workingin accounts-support roles.

DO I NEED ANYQUALIFICATIONS TO START?No previous academic qualificationsare required to study for thisqualification. However, youmay wish to complete ACCAsIntroductory Certificate inFinancial and ManagementAccounting before attemptingthe Intermediate certificate.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?It is broadly equivalentto A level standard.


You could work in a variety

of roles including: a bookkeeping or cost clerk role in

a small to medium size organisation a range of accounting

administration roles within anaccounting department of alarger organisation or financialshared service centre.

WHATS INVOLVED?To achieve the IntermediateCertificate in Financial andManagement Accountingyou will need to register asa student for Foundations inAccountancy and complete: two exams: FA2, Maintaining

Financial Records; and MA2,Managing Costs and Finance


Please note, if you have alreadycompleted Foundations inProfessionalism, to achieve theIntroductory Certificate in Financialand Management Accounting, youdont have to complete it again.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKETO COMPLETE?Its up to you as there is no timelimit. You can sit the exams ondemand as computer-based exams,or paper-based exams in June

and December, at one of our 380exam centres around the world.

You can complete Foundations inProfessionalism before or after theexams. So you could complete thiscertificate in six months or even less.



CAN I GO ON TO DO OTHERACCA QUALIFICATIONS?We hope you will continue to studywith ACCA and progress to the nextlevel. You can go on to complete theDiploma in Accounting and Business.

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Intermediate Certificate in Financialand Management Accounting


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IS THIS SUITABLE FOR ME?This Diploma is suitable for anyonelooking to do an introductoryqualification in accountingand finance, including schoolleavers or those already workingin accounts-support roles.

DO I NEED ANYQUALIFICATIONS TO START?It depends. There are two waysyou can achieve this qualification.If you dont have any previousacademic qualifications you cancomplete the Diploma, but youwill need to register as a studentfor Foundations in Accountancy.

However, you may wish tocomplete ACCAs IntroductoryCertificate and/or the IntermediateCertificate in Financial andManagement Accounting beforeattempting the Diploma.

If you have a minimum of three

GCSEs and two A levels in fiveseparate subjects, including mathsand English, you can registerfor the ACCA Qualification andcomplete the Diploma on the way toachieving the ACCA Qualification.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?It is broadly equivalent to the firstyear of a degree programme/HND.


You could work in thefollowing type of roles: basic bookkeeping trainee accountant in a commercial

organisation or accounting practice accounts clerk in public sector.

WHATS INVOLVED?You can achieve the Diploma inAccounting and Business in oneof two ways, depending on whatqualifications you have beforeyou register with ACCA.

Route 1If you do not have any formalqualifications, or you havecompleted the Introductory and/orIntermediate Certificate in Financialand Management Accountingyou will need to complete: three exams: FAB, Accountant

in Business; FMA, ManagementAccounting; and FFA,Financial Accounting


Please note, if you have alreadycompleted Foundations inProfessionalism to gain either theIntroductory and/or IntermediateCertificate in Financial and

Management Accounting, you donthave to complete the module again.

Route 2If you have qualifications to meetthe minimum entry requirements tostart the ACCA Qualification, you canachieve the Diploma on the way toachieving the ACCA Qualification. Youwill need to register as a student onthe ACCA Qualification and complete: the first three exams of the

ACCA Qualification. These are:F1, Accountant in Business; F2,Management Accounting; andF3, Financial Accounting


HOW LONG WILL IT TAKETO COMPLETE?Its up to you but please note thereis a 10-year time limit to completethe exams when achieving the ACCAQualification. You can sit the examson demand as computer-basedexams, or paper-based exams inJune and December, at one of our380 exam centres around the world.

You can complete Foundationsin Professionalism before or afterthe exams. So you could completethis Diploma in 612 months.



CAN I GO ON TO DO OTHERACCA QUALIFICATIONS?We hope you will continue to studywith ACCA and progress your career

to the next level. If you completethe Diploma via the Foundations inAccountancy route, you can eithercontinue your studies with theCertified Accounting Technician (CAT)Qualification and gain our technician-level qualification. Alternatively, youcan continue your studies to becomea professional accountant. Havingcompleted the Diploma, you cantransfer to the ACCA Qualification,miss out exams F1, F2 and F3 andcontinue your studies from F4onwards. If you registered on theACCA Qualification to take theDiploma, you can continue with theACCA Qualification from F4 onwards.


Diploma in Accounting and Business


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At ACCA we believe accountantswho are good ie are professionaland ethical make goodaccountants. As a professionalaccountancy body, it is importantto ACCA to ensure all our students irrespective of which qualificationthey are studying for and towhich level they wish to take theircareer understand what it meansto work and act professionallyand ethically in the workplace.

So if you become one of ourstudents and study for any of ourentry-level qualifications withinFoundations in Accountancy, you arerequired to complete Foundationsin Professionalism. This is an online,interactive module, designed to helpyou develop your understanding ofwhat it means to act professionallyand ethically in the work you carry out.

You can complete Foundationsin Professionalism before or after

completing the exam componentof the qualification you are aimingto achieve and you only need tosuccessfully complete the moduleonce, even if you decide to completeone or more of our qualifications.

There is no set time allocatedto completing Foundations inProfessionalism. We encourageyou to complete the module atyour own pace to allow you toreflect on what you have learnt.

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Foundations inProfessionalism


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IS THIS SUITABLE FOR ME?The CAT Qualification is suitablefor anyone looking to gain asolid foundation of knowledgein finance and accounting. It willprovide you with all the technicalskills and knowledge you need toperform an accounts-support roleand work at a technician level.

DO I NEED ANYQUALIFICATIONS TO START?No previous academicqualifications are required tostudy for the CAT Qualification.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?It is broadly equivalent to the firstyear of a degree programme/HND.


You could work in thefollowing type of roles: a wide ranging and responsible

accounting role in a small to

medium size organisation a financial reporting and/or

financial decision-support role,possibly in a supervisory role,within an accounting departmentof a larger organisation

a financial supervisory ormanagement role in accountspayables and/or receivables,or a financial role in fixed assetaccounting or in financialshared service centres

an accounting technician rolein a commercial organisation.

WHATS INVOLVED?To achieve the CAT Qualificationyou will need to register as a studentfor Foundations in Accountancyand complete nine exams:FA1 Recording Financial TransactionsMA1 Management InformationFA2 Maintaining Financial RecordsMA2 Managing Costs and FinanceFAB Accountant in BusinessFMA Management AccountingFFA Financial Accounting

plus two of the following:FTX Foundations in TaxationFFM Foundations in Financial

ManagementFAU Foundations in Audit

You will need to complete aprofessionalism and ethics modulecalled Foundations in Professionalism.

You will also need one yearsrelevant practical experience,in any accounting environment,to demonstrate you can applythe knowledge you have gainedfrom the exams to the workingenvironment. Experience can becompleted before, at the same timeor after completing the exams.

You will be awarded certificatesand a diploma along the way as youcomplete the exams. This is a greatway to demonstrate to employers yourlevel of knowledge and capabilitiesand helps motivate you to keep

studying. Youll be awarded theIntroductory Certificate in Financialand Management Accounting whenyou have completed exams FA1 andMA1; the Intermediate Certificatein Financial and ManagementAccounting when you have completedexams FA2 and MA2; and the Diplomain Accounting and Business whenyou have completed exams FAB,FMA and FFA. To achieve theseawards you must also completeFoundations in Professionalism, butyou only need to complete it once.

Foundation Certificates in Taxation,Financial Management and Audit

It is possible to complete the optionsexams as individual exams and,if you complete the professionaland ethics module Foundations inProfessionalism, you will be awardeda certificate in that subject area.Perfect if you are working orwanting to work in tax, financial

management or audit and want tovalidate your knowledge and skills.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKETO COMPLETE?Its up to you as there is no time limit.

You can sit most of the exams (notthe options) on demand as computer-based exams, or paper-based examsin June and December, at one of our380 exam centres around the world.

You can complete Foundations inProfessionalism before or after theexams. The practical experiencecan be completed before, at thesame time or after the exams. Soyou could complete the CATQualification in one or two years.



Also, you can use any relevantpractical experience you haveto claim exemption from exams

FA1, MA1, FA2 and MA2.

CAN I GO ON TO DO OTHERACCA QUALIFICATIONS?We hope you will continue to studywith ACCA and progress your careerto the next level. After completingyour CAT Qualification, you cancontinue your studies with the ACCAQualification and work towardsbecoming a qualified charteredcertified accountant. You will beable to claim exemption from threeexams of the ACCA Qualification(F1, F2 and F3) and start your studiesfrom F4 onwards. The one yearsexperience you have completedto gain the CAT Qualification cancount towards the three years ofpractical experience needed toachieve the ACCA Qualification.

Youve made a great start towardsachieving the ACCA Qualification,so why not continue the journey andbecome a professionally qualifiedaccountant and an ACCA member?


Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) Qualification


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FASTFACTS

Name CHRIS TANG

Job title CREDIT ANALYST

Employer CHINA CONSTRUCTIONBANK

Studies Chris completed his CATexams in 2000 and achievedhis ACCA Qualification in2005. Through his studieshe also achieved a degree graduating with a BSc inApplied Accounting fromOxford Brookes Universityand Master of Financefrom Curtin University ofTechnology, Australia

Career at Eight years at a listed banka glance in Hong Kong, including

six years in a managementrole and joined ChinaConstruction Bank in 2010

Hobbies Going to the movies,spending time with familyand friends, and travelling

Firmfoundations TO MAXIMISEVALUE FROM MY

OPPORTUNITIES

WITH ACCA I TOOKMY CAT STUDIES TO

THE NEXT LEVEL

AND COMPLETED

THE ACCA

QUALIFICATION AND

THE BSC DEGREE.

Its Chris Tangs ambition to be a chiefcredit analyst or portfolio managerin his bank and he is already wellon his way to achieving it. I startedmy CAT Qualification studies whileI was doing a four-year honoursprogramme at what is now knownas Hong Kong Shue Yan University,explains Chris. Just over four yearslater not only had I attained the CATQualification but Id also successfullycompleted the ACCA Qualificationand got a degree from a prestigiousUK university all with ACCA.

Embarking on his studies, Chriss aimwas to take at least two exams everysix months. Sometimes I managed tocomplete four papers in a six-monthperiod which was great progress especially as I chose self-study, saysChris. But he decided to maximisehis chances of passing his ACCAQualification exams by attending anACCA Approved Learning Partner.I was one of the first students to

complete the CAT Qualificationback in 2000, Chris says proudly.The skills I acquired helped me torapidly advance my career from asupport role into management.

Chris is now a credit analyst atChina Construction Bank andbefore that he worked for anotherlisted bank for eight years. As wellas my role at China ConstructionBank I am also a senior lecturer forstudents taking ACCA Qualificationexams, explain Chris. Im proudto have taught students whohave been awarded prizes fromACCA for achieving top marks.

The job prospects for accountingprofessionals are bright, says Chris.CAT and ACCA are recognisedworldwide and are regarded aspremium business qualifications. Theycover the essential skills needed tounderstand the financial activitiesand performance of a company andallow students to make sense of

different aspects of business so theycan prepare themselves to take upfurther challenges in the future.

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IS THIS SUITABLE FOR ME?You should choose this qualificationif you want to become a professionalaccountant and have the choice ofworking in any type of accountancysector, either in your own country orother countries around the world.

DO I NEED ANYQUALIFICATIONS TO START?

Yes. You need a minimum ofthree GCSEs and two A levels,in five separate subjects,including maths and English,or equivalent qualifications.

If you dont have these minimumqualifications, you should registerfor Foundations in Accountancy andstudy for one, or all, of our entry-levelqualifications. You can study for theACCA Qualification after you havecompleted the Diploma in Accountingand Business, but you may wishto complete the Introductory andIntermediate Certificates in Financial

and Management Accounting first.Please refer to these sections inthis booklet for more information.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?Professional exams are hard work,so only those with the determinationto succeed should apply. TheFundamentals level (the first ninepapers) is equivalent to degreelevel and the Professional level isequivalent to a masters degree.

WHAT KIND OF WORK COULD IDO WITH THIS QUALIFICATION?As a qualified chartered certifiedaccountant you could work in anysector, in any type and size oforganisation. For example, withthe ACCA Qualification you canspecialise in one area of accountancy,eg audit or tax, with a small firmof accountants or one of the bigaccountancy firms. Or you maywish to work in a consultancy role,provide financial information andadvice, or manage the finances of

a large multinational company.


HOW LONG WILL IT TAKETO COMPLETE?It depends on what qualificationsyou have before you register withus. The quickest way to qualify is towork and study at the same time. Ifyou do, you could qualify in three orfour years. Studying for the ACCAQualification is very flexible andyou can progress at your own pace.ACCA has a ten year time limit, fromthe date of registration, for you tocomplete the exam component.


Yes. For example, if you have arelevant degree from an accreditedinstitution, you may be exempt fromour first nine exams, leaving youonly five exams to complete. Pleasevisit our website to check whatexemptions you may claim basedon your previous qualifications.

DO I JUST NEED TO PASS EXAMSTO BECOME ACCA QUALIFIED?No. You will also need to completethree years relevant practicalexperience and achieve 13performance objectives. Dont forget,you will also need to complete theProfessional Ethics module too.

CAN I GO ON TO DO OTHERACCA QUALIFICATIONS?Yes. As an ACCA member, you willbe required to keep your knowledgeand skills up to date. We providelots of learning opportunities foryou to do this, including technicalresources, articles to read, coursesand seminars. We also offer an MBAwith Oxford Brookes University formembers who wish to achieve ageneralist business qualification.

The ACCA Qualification

WHATS INVOLVED?

To achieve the ACCA Qualification youwill need to complete exams, an ethicsmodule and practical experience.

Exams

You need to complete 14 examsin total. A maximum of nineexams in the Fundamentals levelare available for exemption.

FUNDAMENTALS LEVEL

Knowledge exams

F1 Accountant in BusinessF2 Management AccountingF3* Financial Accounting

Skills exams

F4** Corporate and Business LawF5 Performance ManagementF6** TaxationF7* Financial ReportingF8* Audit and Assurance

F9 Financial Management

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL

P1 Governance, Risk and EthicsP2* Corporate ReportingP3 Business Analysis

Two of the following options

P4 Advanced FinancialManagement

P5 Advanced PerformanceManagement

P6** Advanced TaxationP7* Advanced Audit and Assurance

* These exams are based oninternational standards for financialreporting and auditing and havealso been adapted for nationalaccountancy practices in Hong Kong,Ireland, Singapore and the UK.

** In some countries, it is possibleto take versions of these examsbased on local law and tax.We call these variants. Visit our

website for more details.


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Ethics

A Professional Ethics module designed to give you exposure to a rangeof perspectives to develop your ethical knowledge. Its importantto ACCA that you know how to behave ethically and professionally.This module should be completed before, at the same time as orsoon after completing Paper P1, Governance, Risk and Ethics.

Experience

You will need to complete three years relevant practical experience and achieve13 performance objectives. This will help you to demonstrate to potentialemployers that you can apply your knowledge to the workplace and areready for business. You can achieve your work experience before, at the sametime as or after completing your exams. Ideally, at the same time is best.

ESSENTIALS (all nine to be completed)

Professionalism, ethics and governance

1 Demonstrate the application of professional ethics, values and judgement2 Contribute to the effective governance of an organisation3 Raise awareness of non-financial risk

Personal effectiveness

4 Manage self5 Communicate effectively

6 Use information and communications technology

Business management

7 Manage ongoing activities in your area of responsibility8 Improve departmental performance9 Manage an assignment

OPTIONS (any four to be completed)

Financial accounting and reporting

10 Prepare financial statements for external purposes11 Interpret financial transactions and financial statements

Performance measurement and management accounting12 Prepare financial information for management13 Contribute to budget planning and production14 Monitor and control budgets

Finance and financial management

15 Evaluate potential business/investment opportunitiesand the required finance options

16 Manage cash using active cash management and treasury systems

Audit and assurance

17 Prepare for and collect evidence for audit18 Evaluate and report on audit

Taxation19 Evaluate and compute taxes payable20 Assist with tax planning

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Destination anywhere FINANCIALEXPERTISE IS NOTONLY AN ADVANTAGEFOR ANY MANAGER,BUT A FUNDAMENTALREQUIREMENTFOR THOSE ATTHE TOP OF ANYORGANISATION.


Its a career whereboth your earningand travel potentialare limited only bythe opportunities youchoose, says SarahPumfrett FCCA. Havingleft school at 16 to work

in a shop, she startedher ACCA studies aged27. Sarah has now seenthe world, and hasnever looked back.

I left school at 16 and startedwork the following day in anironmongers shop, says Sarah.I sold everything from fine chinato maggots! From there, I held

a variety of jobs in a number ofsectors including engineering, localauthority, education, agriculture,and also in charity. At the sametime I went to night school to gainsome qualifications. I was 27 when Imade my big decision. I had two joboptions driving an ambulance andtraining to be a paramedic or takinga role as an internal audit clerk. Andthe rest, as they say, is history.

Just over a decade later, Sarah is

now a senior internal auditor atShell, a global group of energyand petrochemicals companieswith around 101,000 employees inmore than 90 countries. Internalaudit is more common sense thanrocket science, explains Sarah.Essentially, what I do is find outwhat management wants to achieve,identify what can get in the way,and assess whether or not thereare controls in place to allow themto manage, monitor and evaluatetheir progress towards their goals.

Sarah started her ACCA studies in1998. Back then she was employedfull-time, simultaneously ran abusiness par t-time, and had sixhorses to look after. During herstudies she attained a couple ofpromotions and also changedemployer, moving from the publicto private sec tor. I wont lie, it wastough admits Sarah. It wasntpossible for me to attend regulartuition or intensive study sessions.

So I simply bought the approvedtextbooks and studied as best I couldduring evenings and weekends.

ACCA isnt an easy option. It willtake hours of study, experienceand hard work. But the dedicationwill pay dividends as employersrecognise the value qualifiedaccountants bring to business. Itsa profession with great flexibility,which truly can be fitted in aroundlife in terms of work/life balance.

Sarah attempted four exams eachexam session every six months. Buttowards the end of her studies shefocused on one paper at a time.There were some papers I foundeasy and passed first time and therewere some that I struggled with,admits Sarah. There was always adilemma between studying fewerpapers and attempting to get a goodpass first time, or studying as manyas I could and then retaking any thatI failed. I decided that, for me, there

was more value in qualifying thanbeing a prize-winning student.

Sarah completed her final exams in2003. Attaining ACCA after all thehard work finally gave my motherthe opportunity to wear a hatat my graduation. I remember thefirst t ime I wrote ACCA aftermy name. Id been asked to writea reference for somebody and itwas a fantastic feeling to add theauthority of my designation.


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FASTFACTS

WHATSINVOLVED?

Name SARAH PUMFRETT

Job title SENIOR INTERNALAUDITOR

Employer SHELL

Studies Joined ACCA in 1998,completed her final exams in

February 2003 and achievedmembership a month later

Career at 12 years experience workinga glance across Africa, Asia, the

Middle East, Europe andthe Americas, includingassignments in PortHarcourt, Nigeria; Tehran,Iran; Damascus, Syria;and Anchorage, the US

Hobbies Caring for fourhorses and two dogs,gardening, reading andlistening to music

SARAHS WORK FALLS INTOTHREE BROAD PHASES

PreparationFinding out about the business.

FieldworkInterviewing, reviewing evidenceof risk management controls,

documenting results.

WrapConcluding on the effectiveness ofrisk management controls, performingroot cause analysis on controlgaps and failures, agreeing actionsto address the deficiencies withmanagement, and issuing the report.Her work covers upstream getting theoil/gas out of the ground and throughto a point for processing, midstream initial processing (such as liquefyingnatural gas), downstream turning the

condensate into chemicals, lubricantsand by-products at the refineries, throughto sales on the garage forecourt.

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Thinking big

IF YOU WANT ACHALLENGING AND

REWARDING CAREERITS ESSENTIAL THATYOU GET QUALIFIED.AT THE END OF THEDAY, WHEN YOU STEPINTO A BOARDROOM,YOU WANT TO ADDVALUE AND SPEAKWITH AUTHORITY.


Having enjoyedworking for a Big Fourfirm in Barbados,Canada and theBahamas acrossa broad range ofindustries it is littlewonder that Chris

Brome FCCA, a seniormanager at KPMG,cant think of anythingelse hed rather do.

I really enjoy travelling and exploringnew places, says Chris. I love toexperience new cultures and people,and fortunately my current job hasafforded me travel to a numberof places across Europe, North

America and the Caribbean.

Originally from Barbados, Chrisstudied for a degree in computerscience and accounting from theUniversity of the West Indies. Ichose subjects in my degree thatclosely followed the ACCA syllabusso that when I registered withACCA my degree studies would berecognised and I could gain maximumexemptions. As a result, I only hadto sit seven exams with ACCA.

I joined KPMG Barbados in 1998and started my ACCA studies. Ifound that a combination of self-study, group study and revisionclasses worked best for me. Chriscompleted his final exams two yearslater and achieved membership thefollowing year. As I was workingwhile I was studying I was ableto put my studies into context.This meant my work helped meunderstand the theory and I foundthat I could immediately put into

practice what I was learning in mystudies. It also helped that I wasearning while I was learning.

Chriss decision to study ACCA stillrequired careful thought: Be awareof the uncertainty, but inspired bythe possibility, is his advice. As youconsider whether or not to pursuean ACCA qualification there maybe tremendous doubt in your mindabout registering and whether ornot you will pass the exams. But ifyou look past that, you can be reallyinspired by the possibilities thatare almost immediately created.

Chriss achievements, includingbeing top Barbados student in twosubjects, were recognised at workthrough remuneration and promotion.It also enhanced his ability tomanage relationships with clients.

I was invited to travel to Toronto in2002 where I started to work in thefinancial advisory services area. By2003 I was an assistant manager.But I continued to have a keeninterest in corporate finance. And I

maintained contact with colleaguesin the Caribbean. In 2004, Chrisreturned to Barbados. Two yearslater he was promoted to managerand was working on transactions upto US$370m, for which he enjoyeda secondment to the Bahamas.

He is now a senior manager at KPMGin Barbados in the corporate financearea and has experience of workingacross a number of industries. WhatI most enjoy is that no two days arethe same. I get satisfaction fromseeing a completed assignmentin the form of a report, and fromthat report your client taking actionbased on what youve advised. Itsalso about working with a goodteam of individuals on a project.

Working in a Big Four firm likeKPMG provides variety both interms of the people and companiesthat you get to work with andyou can expect to enjoy upward,global and cross-functional mobility.

I cant think of anywhere else Idrather be. And theres one thingmy job will never be dull.


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FASTFACTS

WHATSINVOLVED?

Name CHRIS BROME

Job title SENIOR MANAGER ADVISORY

Employer KPMG BARBADOS

Studies Joined ACCA in 1998,completed his final

exams in December2000 and achievedmembership in 2001

Career at 12 years experiencea glance working mainly in financial

advisory services inBarbados, the Bahamasand Canada in offshorebanking, insurance,telecommunications,retail, hospitality, tourismand leisure, oil and gas,government and not-for-profit organisations

Hobbies Liming (hanging out) withfriends and playing the piano

IN PRACTICE

Chris was part of an internationalteam performing an evaluation ofthe operations for the privatisationand development of an airport.

He managed a team of regional resourcesthat performed financial due diligencefor a multimillion-dollar transactionwhich involved reviewing the operationsof a hotel and development costsfor a number of villas in St Lucia.

Chris led a team of professionals thatperformed bid defence services for a clientinvolved in a hostile takeover situation.

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As you study and train for the ACCA Qualification, there are lots ofqualifications you can achieve along the way as you progress towards ACCAmembership. This is a great way to demonstrate to employers the knowledgeand skills you have acquired and helps keep you on track and motivated.

On your way to ACCA membership you can achieve:

a Diploma in Accounting and Business (see page 8) an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business

a BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Accounting fromOxford Brookes University (see page 20).

Collect qualificationsalong the way




IS THIS SUITABLE FOR ME?If you decide to complete the ACCAQualification, you can achieve theAdvanced Diploma in Accountingand Business on your way tocompleting the ACCA Qualification.


You need the minimum entryrequirements to start the ACCAQualification, which is three GCSEsand two A levels in five separatesubjects, including maths andEnglish. Or you could completeACCAs Diploma in Accounting andBusiness first via the Foundationsin Accountancy route and thengo on to complete the AdvancedDiploma. If you choose this route youcan miss out exams F1, F2 and F3.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?It is broadly equivalent to anundergraduate degree programme.


You could work in thefollowing type of roles: a wide ranging and responsible

accounting role in a small tomedium size organisation

a financial reporting and/orfinancial decision-support role,possibly in a supervisory role,within an accounting departmentof a larger organisation

a financial supervisory ormanagement role in accountspayables and/or receivables,or a financial role in fixed assetaccounting or in financialshared service centres

an accounting technician rolein a commercial organisation.

WHATS INVOLVED?You will need to register tocomplete the ACCA Qualification.

When you have completed theFundamentals level exams (F1-F9)and also the Professional Ethicsmodule, you will be awarded theAdvanced Diploma in Accountingand Business. You can progress tothe Professional level to continueyour ACCA Qualification.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKETO COMPLETE?Its up to you, but please note thereis a 10-year time limit to completethe exams when gaining the ACCAQualification. You can sit the exams inJune and December at one of our 380exam centres around the world. Youcan complete the Professional Ethicsmodule before or after you completePaper P1, Governance, Risk and Ethicsto be awarded the Advanced Diploma.


Yes. Please visit our website tocheck what exemptions you mayclaim based on your previousqualifications. However, pleasenote you will have to complete atleast two of the Fundamentals levelexams and the ethics module to beawarded the Advanced Diplomain Accounting and Business.

CAN I GO ON TO DO OTHERACCA QUALIFICATIONS?Yes. We hope you will continuewith your Professional level examsto gain the ACCA Qualification.

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Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business


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BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Accounting

IS THIS SUITABLE FOR ME?You can achieve a BSc (Hons) degreein Applied Accounting, awardedby Oxford Brookes University,while you work towards your ACCAQualification. Perfect for those ofyou who havent got a degree. Andeven if you are a graduate, you getthe opportunity to achieve a degreeawarded by a UK university withan excellent reputation. OxfordBrookes University has been voted

the best modern university in theSunday Times Good UniversityGuide for 10 years in succession.


You can complete this qualificationas you work towards achievingACCA membership so you needthe minimum entry qualificationsto start the ACCA Qualification,which is three GCSEs and two Alevels in five separate subjects,including maths and English. Or you

could complete ACCAs Diploma inAccounting and Business first viathe Foundations in Accountancyroute. If you choose this route youcan miss out exams F1, F2 and F3.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?Although this degree programmeis exclusively available to ACCAstudents, it is awarded byOxford Brookes University andis the same level as any other UKundergraduate degree programme.

WHY WOULD I WANT ADEGREE IF IM WORKINGTOWARDS A PROFESSIONALACCOUNTANCY QUALIFICATION?ISNT A PROFESSIONALQUALIFICATION A HIGHERLEVEL OF QUALIFICATION?

Yes it is and even if you have arelevant accounting degree you wouldstill need to complete a professionalaccountancy qualification to becomea qualified accountant. But if you want

to add valuable qualifications to yourCV and boost your job prospectsyou should consider completingthis degree. A degree gives youcredibility in the workplace. Youalso develop new skills which arehighly valued by employers and canlead to improved job prospects.The combination of a degree anda professional qualification makesyou very employable. And thegood thing about this degree isthat you gain it at the same timeas you are studying for your ACCA

Qualification. So you get twoqualifications without doubling yourworkload (or the cost of studying).

WHATS INVOLVED?You dont actually have to goto Oxford Brookes and studyfor three years to complete thisdegree. What you have to do is: register for the ACCA Qualification complete the Fundamentals

level exams (F1-F9) complete the Professional

Ethics module submit a Research and

Analysis project.

As two of these three steps arerequired anyway to completethe ACCA Qualification, theonly extra work you have to dois complete a business-relatedResearch and Analysis project.

CAN I GO ON TO DO OTHERACCA QUALIFICATIONS?We hope you will continue to studywith ACCA and progress yourcareer to the next level. If you havecompleted the degree you will also

be awarded the Advanced Diplomain Accounting and Business (havingcompleted the Professional Ethicsmodule and exams F1-F9) and canprogress with the Professional levelexams of the ACCA Qualification.

IN TERMS OF THEUSUAL TIME ANDCOSTS INVOLVEDIN UNDERTAKING ADEGREE ITS GREATVALUE FOR MONEYAND A CLEVER WAYOF GETTING YOURACCA STUDIESRECOGNISED BY AUK UNIVERSITY.


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FASTFACTS

Name AFFAN ALIJob title AUDIT ASSISTANT

Employer ROHAN MAH ANDPARTNERS, SINGAPORE

Studies Joined ACCA in 2005and completed his finalexams and gained his BScin Applied Accountingin December 2008

Career at 14 months experiencea glance working at PwC in Lahore,

Pakistan, and has workedat a firm in Singapore for

the past nine monthsHobbies Watching and playing

cricket and football

Degree ofconfidence

Affan Ali, originally from Pakistan andnow living in Singapore, completedthe CAT exams, ACCA exams andgained a degree from the UKs leadingmodern university, all within five years.Whats best is that I didnt have torepeat any studies, says Affan. Iused the CAT Qualification as a fast-track on to the ACCA Qualification,and the ACCA exams I passedcontributed towards achieving theBSc degree. It meant I only neededto complete a Research and AnalysisProject and the Professional Ethicsmodule to gain a BSc (Hons) degreein Applied Accounting awardedby Oxford Brookes University.

Attaining the degree showsemployers that you have the keygraduate skills of self-reflection andcommunication, explains Affan.To complete the project I chose tofocus on the accounting and businessissues within an organisation andexplained why a companys financial

performance had changed. You needto look into its business environmentand identify those actions taken bythe company, its competitors andgovernment which led to changes inthe overall business performance.

Affan chose Shell and was awardeda prize for the best project outof the 2,500 ACCA students whosubmitted their projects at the samesession. Judges said his analysis wascoherent, accurate, informative logicaland intelligent. Its my proudestachievement to date, says Affan.

It took Affan about two months tocomplete his Research and AnalysisProject. In terms of the usual timeand costs involved in undertaking adegree its great value for money anda clever way of getting your ACCAstudies recognised by a UK university.But more than that, I wouldnt haveotherwise had the opportunity to beawarded a degree. And the beautyis that students can gain a degree

from Oxford Brookes Universityfrom anywhere in the world.

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READY TO APPLY?

So youve now decided which ACCA qualification is right for you and at whatlevel you need to start.

The next thing you need to do is apply to be a student.

You can register at any time of the year. The easiest and quickest way to applyis online and enter for your exams at the same time. There are lots of extrabenefits if you do. You can: register, apply for exemptions, and enter for exams all in one online

application part-complete an application and return to complete at a later date upload all your supporting documentation, saving time and postage costs track your application start studying! Your application will only take a short time to process and we will confirm at which level you can progress your studies.

Apply online at www.accaglobal.com/applynow

If you cant apply online, please contact ACCA Connect our global customercontact centre for further information on how to register. Youll find the detailson our website and on the back cover of this brochure.

If you wish to apply as a student and then enter for exams at a later date, pleaseensure you allow plenty of time to submit your initial application so you still have

time to enter for exams. Visit our website for exam entry closing dates.

As a guideline, if you are applying fully online, including paying and uploadingsupporting documentation, it can take up to 15 working daysfrom ACCAreceiving your application to you receiving your registration confirmation andexam entry details and 20 working daysif supporting documents have beenposted to ACCA.

It is especially important to allow this amount of time if an exam entry closing dateis approaching. This allows us time to contact you should there be any issues withyour initial application.

OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH NATIONAL ACCOUNTANCY BODIESIn certain countries, ACCA works in partnership with the national accountancybody to allow you to gain membership to both ACCA or CAT and the nationalbody at the same time. We refer to these partnerships as Joint ExaminationSchemes. It means you only need to sit one set of exams to meet the examrequirement for the ACCA or CAT Qualification and the national bodyqualification. You will need to register with ACCA and the national accountancybody if you live in a country where we have a Joint Examination Scheme.Please visit our website for further information.




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ARE YOU READY TO STUDY?Completing our self-check modulesin maths and English can helpyou decide if you are ready tostart your studies with ACCA.

The self-check modules are optionalto complete, free of charge, andcould save you time and money asthey provide instant feedback onyour levels of ability in maths andEnglish the language in whichACCAs exams are assessed.

Not only could the modules boostyour confidence, but they may alsogive you the reassurance you needto begin studying with ACCA.

Also available are e-learningmodules to improve your maths,as well as information on learningmaterials offered by other providersto enhance your English languageskills. Visit our website to completethe self-check modules and

access the learning resources.

GETTING STARTEDAfter you have registered with usas a student, you will need to thinkabout how you want to study forthe qualification you have chosen.There are lots of different ways tostudy so you need to decide whatstudy method is right for you.

You can choose to study at a tuitionprovider, by distance learning oreven self study. And you can choosefull-time or part-time, depending onhow much time you have available.

If you decide face-to-face learningis for you, ACCA has a network ofover 440 tuition providers aroundthe world. Some of them are part ofACCAs Approved Learning Partnerprogramme, which means they arechecked by ACCA and offer high-quality tuition and support. You canfind your nearest Approved LearningPartner on the ACCA website.

THE RIGHT MATERIALSHowever you decide to study, youshould make sure you use the mostup to date study materials availableand preferably from one of ACCAsApproved Learning Partners - content(or ALP-c for short). BPP LearningMedia is ACCAs only PlatinumApproved Learning Partner - content.

You can find BPPs contact details onthe back of this brochure. As BPP isACCAs Platinum Approved LearningPartner - content, its materials aresubject to quality assurance by ACCA,including exclusive examiner reviewsof study texts and exam question kits.

ACCA also has a number of qualityassured Gold Approved LearningPartners - content. The Gold ALP-cproviders, as of 1 January 2011, arelisted on the back of this brochure.Please visit our website to find themost up-to-date details of ACCAsApproved Learning Partners -content. You will also find details of

non-approved learning materialsand suggested wider reading whichmay help support your studies.

PROVE YOUR ABILITYIf you have chosen to completethe CAT Qualification or the ACCAQualification, you also need togain relevant training. Its up toyou to decide if you want to workand study at the same time orcomplete your exams first.

We have a global network of over8,500 Approved Employers whowe work closely with to make surethey provide you with the righttype of training and development.But you can gain your trainingwith any employer. They donthave to be approved by ACCA.

It is your responsibility to find anemployer to work for but we willgive you lots of guidance andsupport to help you make the rightchoice. Through our website we will

provide you with resources to helpyou record your relevant training.


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ANY QUESTIONS?

Contact ACCA Connect our global customer services centre byemail or telephone or visit our website for further information.

[email protected]

+44 (0)141 582 2000www.accaglobal.com

PLATINUM APPROVED LEARNING PARTNER - CONTENT

BPP Learning Media is ACCAs PlatinumApproved Learning Partner - content

[email protected]+44 (0)845 075 1100

www.bpp.com/learning-materials.aspx

GOLD APPROVED LEARNING PARTNERS CONTENT

Get Through [email protected]+44 (0)845 257 5729www.getthroughguides.co.uk

[email protected]+44 (0)1189 890629

www.kaplan-publishing.kaplan.co.uk

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