ACCA Exam Sitting Advice | Kaplan

Find out how the four ACCA exam sittings can work for you and in what order to sit your ACCA exams. Skiptomaincontent check Awardwinningtrainingprovider check Excellentpassrates check Tutorsupportuntillate check Marketleader check Awardwinningtrainingprovider check Excellentpassrates check Tutorsupportuntillate check Marketleader info_outline"PlansforlivingwithCOVID"measuresnowinplace.Moreinformationchevron_right home Courses ACCA ACCAexamsittingadvice ACCAexamsittingadvice ACCArunfourexamsittingsayearinMarch,June,SeptemberandDecember.Itcanbeconfusingastowhichexamtositwhen,soherearesomeofyouroptions.It’sentirelypersonalhowyouapproachyourstudies,sothisisjustaguide. Findoutmore: ContactStudentServices Howthefourexamsittingscanworkforyou Whatorder? Whattochoose? Examadviceforeachlevel Howthefourexamsittingscanworkforyou ACCAallowyoutosituptofoursubjectsinoneexamsittingandamaximumofeightperyear.Whenplanningyourstudies,it’simportanttoconsiderfactorssuchas: yourworkload-doanyoftheexamsittingsclashwithbusyperiodsatwork? yourpersonallife-willtherebeanyholidaysorimportanteventsthatwillmakestudyingtoaparticularsittingdifficult? andwhatbestsuitsyourapproachtolearning? Dependingonwhenyouwanttostudy,thesearesomeofthemostcommonchoices: Twoexamspersitting,twiceayear Studyingtwosubjectsintwocoresittings(eitherJuneandDecember,orMarchandSeptember)willgiveyou12to16weekstoprepareforyourexamsandstillallowyoutoknowtheresultsfromyourpreviousexamsittingbeforemovingontothenext. Youcanreallyfocusonyournewsubjectswithouthavingtoworryaboutwaitingforexamresults.Plus,youcanstillusetheothertwosittingstoresitanypapersandkeepyourstudiesontrack. Oneexampersitting,fourtimesayear Studyingonepapereverythreemonthsallowsyoutofocusononesubjectatatimewhichyoumayfindbeneficialasyouprogresstothehigherlevelpapers.Thisisbecausesomeofthesubjectsinthehigherlevelareharder,orhavealargersyllabustocover. However,thismightmeanthatyouhavetostartstudyingforyournextpaperbeforeyouhavetheresultsofyourmostrecentexamifyouwanttohavetheoptimumamountoftimetoprepare. Usingamixofexamsittingsformoreflexibility Thisapproachisidealifyouwanttohavemoreflexibilitythroughouttheyearandvarythenumberofpapersyoutakeateachsitting,toallowforpeaktimesinworkorimportanteventsinyourpersonallife.Forexample,youcouldsitonesubjectinMarch,twoinJuneandanotherinDecember.Thiswouldmeanyouarestillsittingfourexamsinayear,butyouhavetimeforasummerholiday. Whatorder? WiththeACCAqualificationyoucanchoosetosityourexamsinanyorder.However,therearesomeimportantconnectionsbetweensubjectsyoushouldconsidertogiveyourselfthebestchancesofpassing: Youshouldhaveagoodunderstandingofthefinancialreportingrulesbeforeyouattempttolearnhowtoauditasetofaccounts.SositFinancialReporting(FR)beforeAuditandAssurance(AA),orFinancialReporting(FR)andAuditandAssurance(AA)atthesametime. Similarly,inthepathwaysabove,wehaveputStrategicBusinessReporting(SBR)beforetheoptionsexams,especiallyifyou’rechoosingAdvancedAuditandAssurance(AAA)asanoption.DoingStrategicBusinessReporting(SBR)firstwillgiveyouthebestchancesofsuccessinAAA. BeforeyouattempttheStrategicProfessionalexams,werecommendstudyingtheEthicsandProfessionalSkillsmodule.ThismoduleisdoneinyourMyACCAportalandshouldtakeabout20hoursintotal.ItcouldbecompletedinthegapbetweenfinishingoneofyourAppliedSkillsexamsandstartingstudyingforthenewStrategicProfessionalexams.Ifyoucompleteitatthistime,ACCAsaytheresultsshowyouwillbe25%moresuccessfulinyourStrategicProfessionalexams. Finally,ifyouareaLevel7apprentice,pleasebeawareitiscompulsorytodoStrategicBusinessLeader(SBL)asyourlastexam,asthisisyourEndPointAssessmentforyourApprenticeship. Otherwise,itisuptoyouwhetheryouchoosetosittheStrategicBusinessLeader(SBL)examlastornot,butbeawareitdoesinvolveadifferentsetofskillstoothermoretechnicalexams.SomestudentsfeelbetterplacedtoattemptthisexamoncetheyhavebuiltuptheirconfidenceandabilitywithsomeoftheotherStrategicProfessionalexamsfirst. Itmightalsobeworthconsideringyourjobrolewhenyouaredecidingwhichexamstodonext.Forexampleifyouworkinanaccountancypractice,itmightbehelpfultodoFinancialReporting(FR)andeitherTaxation(TX)orAuditandAssurance(AA),dependingonthedepartmentyouworkin,beforeyoudoPerformanceManagement(PM),asthesesubjectscouldhelpyouinyourdaytodaytasks. Youmayalsofindtheknowledgeyouhavefromworkhelpsyoutopreparefortheseexams,makingthemagoodplacetostarttobuildyourexamconfidence.Ifyouworkinindustryhowever,PerformanceManagement(PM)maybemorecloselylinkedtoyourjob,sotheroutesabovewouldbeideal. WhatOptionssubjectstochoose? Yourjobrolenow,oryourfuturecareeraspirationswillbekeyinyourdecisionaboutwhichoptionstochooseatStrategicProfessionallevel.Otherthingstoconsiderwouldbehowmuchyouenjoythesubjectandhowgoodyouareatit.IfyouachievedagoodscoreinFinancialManagement(FM),thenyouwouldbewellplacedtoattemptAdvancedFinancialManagement(AFM)forexample. InthestudyresourcessectionontheACCAwebsite youwillfindapageforeachoftheoptionssubjects.ScrolldowntothetechnicalarticlesandthereisanarticleforeachsubjectexplainingthestepupandkeydifferencesfromtheunderlyingsubjectattheAppliedSkillslevel. HavealookattheACCApublishedpassrates fortheoptionsexams,butdon’tbetooputoffbyexamswiththelowestpassrates.IfthesearegoingtobecrucialtoyourfuturecareerorifitwasasubjectyoulovedatAppliedSkillslevelthentheyarestillworthconsidering,butyoushouldbeinformedaboutwhichtendtobethetrickiestforstudents. Examadviceforeachlevel ACCAismadeupofthreelevels:AppliedKnowledge,AppliedSkillsandStrategicProfessional. Youcanmoveontoexamsatthenextlevelaslongasyouhavecompletedthepreviouslevel,oraretakingyourfinalexamsofthepreviouslevelatthesametime.Otherthanthat,ACCAdonothaveanyrulesonwhichordertheexamsshouldbeattempted. AppliedKnowledge YoucanoverlapwithAppliedSkillsaslongasyouareonthelastexamofAppliedKnowledge.Theorderoftheseexamsisn’tcritical,althoughsomestudentsfindManagementAccounting(MA)makesmoresenseiftheyhavedoneFinancialAccounting(FA)andlearntthebasicsofbookkeepingfirst. AppliedSkills Subjectscanbesatinanyorder,butasmentionedearlier,youshouldsitAuditandAssurance(AA)withorafterFinancialReporting(FR).Youcanoverlapwiththelowerlevelexamsaslongasyouareonthelastexam(s)ofAppliedKnowledgelevel. StrategicProfessional Again,youcansitStrategicProfessionalexamsatthesametimeasthosefromthelowerlevelaslongasyouareonthelastexam(s)oftheAppliedSkillslevel. YoushouldalsobeawarewithallsubjectsatthisleveltherewillbeacertainamountofassumedknowledgefromearliersubjectsatAppliedSkillslevel,soifyouwereexemptorsatthesesometimeago,youshouldusetheresourcesandadviceinthebeginningofyourcoursetorefreshyourunderstanding. Ifyouhaven’tyetenrolledonyourcourseandyouwantsomeinsightintotheassumedknowledgeforasubject,therearesomereallyhelpfulsyllabusguidedocumentsineachsubject’sstudyresourcessectionontheACCAglobalwebsite,whichwillhelpyouidentifywhichsubjectsfeedintoeachexamattheStrategicProfessionallevel. YoucanchoosetosityourEssentialsandOptionssubjectsinanyorder,butdoreadthe‘Whatorder?’sectionaboveforsomecrucialtipstoensureyouhavethebestchancesofpassing.IfyouarestudyingACCAunderaLevel7ApprenticeshiprememberyoumustsitStrategicBusinessLeader(SBL)last,asitisyourEndPointAssessment. Needhelpdeciding? Ifyouwanttospeaktosomeoneaboutyouroptions,pleasegetintouchwithStudentServices. report_problem Internetexplorernolongersupported:MicrosoftwillnolongerbeupdatingInternetExplorer.Forthebestandmostsecureexperienceonthissitewerecommendyouchangeyourbrowser. close