Chartered Accountancy Careers Advice

For an exciting and successful career in modern business, look no further! The ACA qualification from the ICAEW is the most valuable and prestigious financially based business qualification there is.

Accountants used to be perceived as number crunchers, well not any more! Chartered Accountancy is widely recognised as one of the most valuable and versatile careers around, offering unlimited opportunities to enter a varied and demanding future. As a Chartered Accountant you really can achieve great things and become one of tomorrow’s red hot business leaders!

If you already have ideas of an area of business you want to get into, or even if you don’t, the ACA qualification is your ideal start that can open doors to unlimited colourful opportunities.

What do Chartered Accountants do?

Chartered Accountants work across all business sectors as business advisers, working on a whole range of challenging projects, in roles such as forensic accountant, partner, business recovery, financial analyst and management accountant.

Chartered Accountants are often regarded as some of the most respected professionals. Their training and expertise gained throughout their career equips Chartered Accountants to help businesses make top-level decisions to create and shape an organisation’s strategy.

So what is the ACA?

The ACA (Associate Chartered Accountant) from the ICAEW is the premier financial business qualification for students looking to train as Chartered Accountants and enter a career in business or finance.  It’s a qualification that can take you wherever you want to go.

You will be equipped with a broad range of skills to provide a valuable insight into different types of business which leaves you ready for a successful future career.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales is the largest professional body in Europe.  It has an unrivalled global reputation that leads to many exciting international opportunities.
Many employers regard the ACA as the best in the business, 93% of the FTSE 350 companies have at least one Chartered Accountant (ACA) on their board of directors.

How do I get it?

To qualify as an ACA, you will need to complete a training contract with one of our authorised training organisations, of which there are currently around 2,200 in the UK. Whether you start your training straight from A levels or after university, there are a multitude of opportunities to gain the professional knowledge, array of skills, broad work experience and personal development needed to succeed.

The training contract combines paid work and study, and will involve an examination process set by the ICAEW, this will all be coordinated within a training contract of between 3 and 5 years, depending on the route you take to qualify.

Where shall I start?

Your exam results are key to entering ACA training. Employers want the best, and they’ll typically be looking for an A or B in GCSE maths and English and a minimum 220 UCAS Tariff Score from your A levels. However, many organisations will expect 280 Tariff Score or higher, and a 2:1 or 1st in any degree subject if you are entering training after university.

Not just that, they will also be looking for you to demonstrate the skills to become a top business adviser.   You’ll need business awareness, great communication skills, numeracy and the ability to work as part of a team.

Most students enter training after university, but if that’s not for you, then there are other options. There are an increasing number of opportunities to enter the profession straight from school or college.  The AAT-ACA Fast Track scheme allows you to qualify as an ACA in as little as four years after leaving school.  You’ll start by spending two years studying to become a qualified Accounting Technician (AAT), before transferring that experience to your ACA training.  This in theory means that you will be a qualified Chartered Accountant before your peers who choose to go to University.

To embark on a training contract, you will need to apply direct to an ICAEW authorised training firm. These can be found using our Guide to Training Vacancies, which not only lists hundreds of employers looking to recruit for the ACA, but also more information about how to prepare for the recruitment and interview process.
It would be hard to think of another qualification than one that opens the door to so many exciting and rewarding opportunities in the modern business world - The ACA.