Starting your ACCA Exams in 2024?
Here are a few things you should know…
Starting your ACCA journey is a big step towards a fantastic career in accountancy. But before you jump into studying, it’s really important to know what to expect.
Getting the lowdown on the ACCA exams can make a huge difference, helping you feel ready and confident instead of stressed out. Whether you’re just out of school, switching careers, or boosting your qualifications, being prepared is key.
So, take a moment to get the scoop and set yourself up for success. Your exciting future in accountancy begins here!
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How many exams do I need to pass?
FREE ACCA Study Texts!
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| Access our online ACCA study texts completely free when you create your free Astranti account! |
How many exams do I need to pass?
The ACCA qualification comprises of 15 exams, divided into three levels: Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills, and Strategic Professional. Each level is designed to build on your knowledge and skills progressively.
But, you don’t need to complete 15 exams to get qualified!
Once you reach the Strategic Professional level, you must complete the two compulsory exams, alongside two further exams from a choice of four.
All in all, therefore, you’ll be required to sit a maximum of 13 ACCA exams.
Understanding the ACCA exam structure
Now, we’ve touched on one of the ‘levels’ already, but how exactly is the qualification structured?
Well, the 15 ACCA exams are split across three levels:
Level 1 – Applied Knowledge
Business and Technology (BT)
Management Accounting (MA)
Financial Accounting (FA)
Level 2 – Applied Skills
Corporate and Business Law (LW)
Performance Management (PM)
Taxation (TX)
Financial Reporting (FR)
Audit and Assurance (AA)
Financial Management (FM)
Level 3 – Strategic Professional
Essentials (compulsory):
Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
Options (choose 2 of 4):
Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
Advanced Performance Management (APM)
Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
Advanced Taxation (ATX)
Each module is designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in various aspects of accountancy, ensuring you are well-prepared for professional challenges.
Ethics and Professional Skills Module:
Once you have passed your Applied Knowledge exams, and before you tackle the Strategic Professional exams, you need to complete an additional module, ‘Ethics and Professional Skills’.
This module provides you with some of the base knowledge required for the Strategic Professional exams, and prepares you for a successful career as a trusted and confident professional accountant.
The different ACCA exam formats
The ACCA qualification features various exam formats designed to test a range of skills and knowledge areas.
Here’s an overview of each ACCA exam format:
On-demand computer-based exams:
On-demand computer-based exams (CBEs) offer ACCA students flexibility and convenience, allowing them to sit exams at any time throughout the year.
On-demand CBEs include:
+ Business and Technology (BT) – 2 hours
+ Financial Accounting (FA) – 2 hours
+ Management Accounting (MA) – 2 hours
+ Corporate and Business Law (LW) – 2 hours
Session computer-based exams:
Session-based exams are scheduled at specific times throughout the year and are available for both the Applied Skills and Strategic Professional levels of the ACCA qualification.
These exams assess more complex and advanced topics, requiring a deeper understanding and application of knowledge.
Session CBEs include:
+ Performance Management (PM) – 3 hours
+ Taxation (TX) – 3 hours
+ Financial Reporting (FR) – 3 hours 15 minutes
+ Audit and Assurance (AA) – 3 hours
+ Financial Management (FM) – 3 hours
+ Strategic Business Leader (SBL) – 3 hours 15 minutes
+ Strategic Business Reporting (SBR) – 3 hours 15 minutes
+ Advanced Financial Management (AFM) – 3 hours 20 minutes
+ Advanced Performance Management (APM) – 3 hours 20 minutes
+ Advanced Taxation (ATX) – 3 hours 15 minutes
+ Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA) – 3 hours 15 minutes
Pre-seen-based exam:
The ACCA Strategic Business Leader (SBL) exam is a 4-hour assessment based on a pre-seen case study. It includes tasks like report writing and presentations, assessing skills in strategic planning, risk management, and financial analysis. You can learn more about the pre-seen exam format on our ACCA SBL guide.
Which ACCA exam is the hardest?
So, with 13 exams to complete and a decision to be made about which options exams to choose at strategic professional level, you’re probably wondering how the exams differ in terms of difficulty…
To give you an idea, we’ve taken the average pass rate for each of the exams between March 2022 and March 2024, for you to compare below:
As we can see, the toughest exams appear to be APM and AAA. Followed by ATX, AFM, AA and PM. So, auditing and performance management are definitely common themes among the exams students find the trickiest.
At the other end of the scale, it seems like the earlier exams have on average had higher pass rates over the last few years. BT and LW, in particular, had average pass rates above 80%!
The cost of ACCA exams
Your exam fees will depend predominantly on your geographical location, the format of the exam you choose (in-centre vs remote) and how long before your exam date you book.
It’s therefore recommended that you take a look at the ACCA website for more details.
However, to give you an idea of what to expect, we’ve added the typical exam fees for a UK student below:
*Standard exam fees as of July 2024 to the best of our knowledge for a UK-based student. Please refer to ACCA directly for the most up to date fees for your individual circumstances.
2024 ACCA exam dates
If you’re planning for your very first ACCA exam, it’s likely it’ll be one of the Applied Knowledge exams (provided you don’t have exemptions).
If that’s the case, then the only exam date you need to work towards is the one you set yourself, as the Applied Knowledge exams (BT, FA and MA – plus Applied Skills exam LW) can be sat On-Demand, at any point in the year
However, as soon as you move onto the remaining Applied Skills and Strategic Professional exams, you’ll need to abide by the exam windows/sessions set by ACCA.
For the remainder of 2024, these exam windows are as follows…
September 2024:
December 2024:
Our top 5 tips for exam success
Success in ACCA exams requires strategic preparation. Here are five top tips to help you excel:
1. Create a Study Plan: Organise your study time effectively, setting clear goals and deadlines.
2. Practice Past Papers: Familiarise yourself with the exam format and types of questions by practising past papers.
3. Join Study Groups: Collaborate with fellow students to share knowledge and tackle challenging topics together.
4. Focus on Weak Areas: Identify and dedicate extra time to areas where you need improvement.
5. Manage Exam Stress: Practice relaxation techniques and maintain a healthy study-life balance to keep stress levels in check.
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