2026 Guide to CIMA vs ACCA:
Which is right for you?
Interested in becoming a chartered accountant? One of the trickiest (and most important) steps can be deciding which accounting body you want to qualify through.
You might even be wondering why accounting bodies exist!
The important part for you to remember is that if an employer sees that you are an accountant certified by a chartered accounting body, such as ACCA or CIMA, they can feel confident that their finances are in safe hands. This reassurance is in no small part due to the rigorous examinations that these bodies demand their students pass.
But CIMA and ACCA are not interchangeable, and you need to be prepared to make your choice.
You will want to be sure that the modules you study will be relevant to your chosen career. And, you need to ensure that your qualification will be valued by your target employers, so it’s really important to take some time to choose the benefits of having CIMA vs ACCA listed on your CV.
About the author:
Nick Best has been helping CIMA and ACCA students pass their exams for more than 20 years and is the founder and CEO of Astranti. Over 150,000 people have benefited from the Astranti team’s courses and study materials, known for their simplified and easy-to-follow approach and for demystifying what it really takes to pass the exams.
CIMA vs ACCA: What type of accountant do you want to be?
Accountancy is a broad term for a wide range of work in finance. The main factor that should play into your CIMA vs ACCA decision is what area of accounting you would find most rewarding.
Members of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) tend to work in more technical areas of accounting.
This lends itself to careers in tax, audit, and consulting. As you would expect, the modules you study tend to focus more towards this side of accounting. Accounting firms, like PwC, usually prefer ACCA-qualified accountants as ACCA indicates greater technical acumen.
Members of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) tend to work in more business strategy-focused areas of accounting.
This qualification trains students to help recommend and implement business decisions. This qualification might lend itself to a career as a management accountant, business analyst, consultant, or financial controller. This makes you a great candidate for roles in the finance department at companies of various sizes.
This isn’t to say that either the ACCA or CIMA qualifications are limiting.
Plenty of ACCA-qualified students go on to become management accountants, and there are parts of the ACCA course tailored towards this, like the Strategic Business Leader module (we’ve actually written a guide specifically about that module if you’d like to know more).
There are also CIMA students who go on to become auditors. And in CIMA, you have to study financial accounting throughout.
When weighing up CIMA vs ACCA, you won’t necessarily be closing any doors, but your choice may make applying to certain positions easier if you choose the right qualification!
How many exams do I need to pass for each?
Whether it’s for ACCA or CIMA, both governing bodies have a rigorous process where you need to pass a set of exams before receiving your qualification.
Although all exams are computer-based, only CIMA exams can be completed remotely. ACCA exams need to be completed in your local exam centre (should you have one).
Note: Both bodies allow students who’ve already got relevant qualifications in business or accounting to skip various modules, so be sure to check with ACCA or CIMA when enrolling.
ACCA requires students to pass 13 exams broken up into 3 groups, plus an ethics and professional skills module.
The Applied Knowledge exams provide an introduction to accounting and business.
Applied Skills will help you to develop that knowledge and (as the name suggests) apply it.
And the Strategic Professional exams focus on developing your leadership abilities.
We’ve broken down each of the exam levels for you below:
ACCA Qualification Exams
Applied Knowledge Exams:
- Business and Technology (BT)
- Financial Accounting (FA)
- Management Accounting (MA)
Applied Skills Exams:
- Audit and Assurance
- Corporate and Business Law (LW)
- Financial Management (FM)
- Financial Reporting (FR)
- Performance Management (PM)
- Taxation (TX)
Strategic Professional Essentials Exams:
- Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
- Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
Strategic Professional Options Exams (2 of the following):
- Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
- Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
- Advanced Performance Management (APM)
- Advanced Taxation (ATX)
For CIMA, you have a choice of two routes.
CIMA FLP Route (3 exams):
The first option, is the CIMA Financial Leadership Programme (FLP) route, where students are only required to complete 3 formal exams!
The rest of the testing is undertaken through online assessments as you learn.
The structure of the CIMA FLP route, you’ll notice, is fairly similar to the PQ route below (but the three case study exams are the only formal exams that remain, the rest are online assessments while you learn):
CIMA FLP Modules & Exams
Foundational Level Modules:
- Introduction to Business and Finance
- Introduction to Financial Accounting
- Introduction to Management Accounting
Operational Level Modules & Exam:
- Digital Finance
- Management Accounting
- Financial Reporting
- OCS – Operational Case Study [exam]
Management Level Modules & Exam:
- Performance and Project Management
- Advanced Management Accounting
- Advanced Financial Reporting
- MCS – Management Case Study [exam]
Strategic Level Modules & Exam:
- Strategic Management
- Risk Management
- Financial Strategy
- SCS – Strategic Case Study [exam]
If you want to know more about the FLP route, check out our page all about CIMA FLP.
CIMA Professional Qualification Route (16 exams):
Through the CIMA PQ (Professional Qualification) route, you will need to pass 16 exams in total, including 3 case study exams.
The CIMA PQ is broken down into four levels, starting with Certificate level, then Operational level, Management level and finally Strategic level.
We’ve broken down each of the exam levels for you below:
CIMA Professional Qualification Exams
Certificate level exams:
- BA1 – Fundamentals of Business Economics
- BA2 – Fundamentals of Management Accounting
- BA3 – Fundamentals of Financial Accounting
- BA4 – Fundamentals of Ethics, Corporate Governance and Business Law
Operational exams:
- E1 – Managing Finance in a Digital World
- P1 – Management Accounting
- F1 – Financial Reporting
- OCS – Operational Case Study
Management level exams:
- E2 – Managing Performance
- P2 – Advanced Management Accounting
- F2 – Advanced Financial Reporting
- MCS – Management Case Study
Strategic level exams:
- E3 – Strategic Management
- P3 – Risk Management
- F3 – Financial Strategy
- SCS – Strategic Case Study
We’ve written a page all about the CIMA exams if you’d like to know more.
The exams (or mini-assessments) you will face in the qualification could be a big factor in your choice of CIMA vs ACCA, so make sure you consider them carefully.
How difficult are the exams?
The general trend is that ACCA is easier at the start but becomes more difficult than CIMA as it gets more technical.
Here are the pass rates for each of the ACCA and CIMA exams (latest available as of 17/11/25):
As you can see, generally the average pass rate for ACCA exams tends to be a bit lower than CIMA, with the gap widening in the higher level exams.
How can you start?
The good news is that you don’t need a degree to start either ACCA or CIMA; though, as mentioned before, you could get exemptions from certain modules if you have prior qualifications.
For ACCA, you need 2 A Levels, and 3 GCSEs (or international equivalents) across five different subjects, in order to start your studies for the ACCA qualification. But there’s no need to worry or give up if you don’t have these as ACCA offers a ‘Foundations in Accountancy’ course that you can enter even without formal qualifications. From here, you can progress onto the ACCA qualification!
CIMA doesn’t require any qualifications at all! You could be a school leaver with no qualifications, or even still be at school, and start your CIMA studies. You just need to be at least 16 years old and ready to meet the demands of a challenging course! If you go through the PQ route, you’ll begin with the CIMA Certificate level and with the FLP route you’ll start with the Foundational Level.
Whether it’s ACCA or CIMA, you’ll be able to find a route that’s accessible to you.
Can I switch from one qualification to the other?
In a word: Yes.
If you are already partway through your ACCA or CIMA studies, and feel like your current qualification is no longer suited to you, then you have the freedom to switch to another qualification if you wish.
What you’ll need to do is find out whether you could be due any exemptions, though. Doing this could potentially save you time and money!
A switch for current ACCA students to consider…
Since the news broke about ACCA removing the option to complete ACCA exams remotely, some students have made the switch to the CIMA qualification.
Not only does the CIMA still offer remote exams, but CIMA’s FLP route provides a faster and simpler route to becoming a qualified management accountant.
If you’re an ACCA student and you’re considering the switch, why not book a call with our team of student advisors. They’ll be able to help you decide which is the best route forward for you.
How long will it take, and is it expensive?
The CIMA and ACCA qualifications are broadly similar when it comes to the time required from start to finish.
Typically, the traditional exam routes for CIMA and ACCA will take students 3-4 years to complete.
However, as we know already, CIMA has another route, the CIMA FLP route, which reduces the number of exams to just 3. This FLP route can take students as little as 1-2 years to complete!
As for the cost, this question has no single answer, as there is a multitude of options you can choose from for ACCA or CIMA. There are different providers, course routes, individual exam costs, international variations and many more!
Let’s run through different costs for each examining body (for a student in the UK as of 17/11/25):
£326 - members
£123 - Applied Skills
£150 - students (after year 1)
£335 - members
As you can see, CIMA vs ACCA fees are broadly similar, with the notable exception that there’s no exemption fee for the CIMA qualification. Therefore, if you already have some qualifications in business and accounting, and want to save some money, this saving could help make up your mind choosing between CIMA vs ACCA.
How much will I earn with each qualification?
There is no set amount you will earn after qualifying with ACCA or CIMA.
What you would earn after qualifying on either ACCA or CIMA would vary depending on many factors, particularly your location and your chosen role. However, we can give you a range of salaries for the UK as an illustration.
According to Kanan International, the average recently qualified ACCA accountant earns £48,000 a year. According to Prospects, a qualified CIMA accountant stands to earn £41,000-£54,000 a year on average. Likewise, Hays reports that there is little difference in salary for CIMA vs ACCA when the professional is newly qualified.
Whether your qualification is ACCA or CIMA, you should anticipate a good salary befitting a highly qualified professional. And, as you gain experience and perform well, your salary will only continue to rise!
The above averages are based on the UK job market, but ACCA and CIMA are both globally respected qualifications, so you should anticipate a good, professional salary no matter where you are.
Which is better? What do employers prefer?
Ultimately, it’s hard to say that either ACCA or CIMA is definitively better than the other.
Both of these qualifications will set you up for a well-respected career in accounting. The main factor to consider when deciding CIMA vs ACCA is what kind of finance work you want to do. You might be more interested in technical financial accounting, or in business strategy, and this will help you weigh up CIMA vs ACCA.
And, in terms of getting a job, employers will consider your qualifications based on what kind of accountant they need! A ‘Big 4’ accounting firm like PwC would probably prefer a candidate with the technical knowledge ACCA provides. However, a finance function within a large company may prioritise the business know-how and strategic thinking that a CIMA-qualified accountant could bring to the table.
CIMA vs ACCA isn’t a choice between which is the better accounting body. It’s a choice between which works better for you and what you want to achieve in your career.
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