CPA Exam Registration Process? – A Step-by-Step Guide
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Yes! You can complete the ACCA course and its exams in 2 years. However, you will require a minimum of 3 years to receive the ACCA certification. It is because the ACCA requires its candidates to have three years of practical experience before becoming ACCA members and being considered qualified accountants.
The exams, however, can all be completed within two years. The maximum allowed time to complete the ACCA course is set for seven years by the ACCA.
ACCA, or Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, is a well-reputed and globally recognized accounting body based in London, UK. This association offers one of the most coveted certifications with the same name – ACCA. The students and working professionals choose this excellent career booster to get ACCA-certified and work in the top MNCs worldwide. Moreover, they can grab highly lucrative job roles with the help of this certification enlisted in their CVs and can reach top-level positions.
Becoming an ACCA requires every candidate to clear its pretty comprehensive exam, with 13 papers to be passed. Well! You need to understand certain factors if you are wondering how to clear all these in the least time possible. Read ahead to learn the tips on how to complete ACCA in 2 years.
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants conducts four exam sessions per year. Candidates are allowed to take a maximum of four exams at each session. There are a total of 13 exams in the complete ACCA course.
Here is a complete list of the 13 ACCA exams that candidates need to take for the three ACCA levels:
Applied Knowledge Level
F1: Business & Technology (BT)
F2: Management Accounting (MA)
F3: Financial Accounting (FA)
Applied Skill Level
F4: Corporate and Business Law(LW)
F5: Performance Management(PM)
F6: Taxation (TX)
F7: Financial Reporting (FR)
F8: Audit and Assurance (AA)
F9: Financial Management (FM)
Professional Level
Compulsory subjects:
P1: Strategic Business Leader(SBL)
P2: Strategic Business Reporting(SBR)
Optional subjects (Any 2):
P3: Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
P4: Advanced Performance Management (APM)
P5: Advanced Taxation (ATX)
P6: Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
For the Strategic Professional Level, candidates must take the P1 & P2 exams and any two exams from P3-P6.
Therefore, if you take four exams in a year, you can easily complete all ACCA exams in two years.
Also, if you are eligible for exemptions, you may apply to get exempted from a few subjects. This would also help you complete the ACCA exams even more quicker. If you are qualified enough to get the most exemptions, you can complete the ACCA exams in six months!
ACCA Course Eligibility:
To be eligible for ACCA, candidates must have passed their Class 12 exams. They would need a minimum score of 65% in Mathematics / Accounts and English and a minimum of 50% score in other subjects. Candidates who fit these criteria and are currently pursuing or have completed their graduation can also apply for the ACCA certification.
Students who do not fit the above criteria need not worry as they can also apply for the ACCA course via the Foundation in Accountancy (FIA) route. If you have passed your 10th exams, you can also become an ACCA by starting with the FIA course.
Let us look at the ACCA course exemptions that can help you complete the ACCA course in under two years.
| Qualification | Exemptions allowed | No. of ACCA Examinations to Take |
| Class 12 | None | 13 |
| B.Com | BT, MA, FA, LW | 9 |
| CA IPCC (Both Groups) | BT, MA, FA, TX, AA | 8 |
| Final CA | BT-FM (9 subjects) | 4 |
| MCom Post Graduate | BT, MA, FA, LW | 9 |
To get all the exemptions for the CA IPCC qualification, the candidate must have passed five subjects, including English and Mathematics / Accounts, with 65% in at least two subjects and more than 50% for the rest subjects.
Also, CA Final candidates are eligible for additional exemptions if they’ve scored 40 or above in their examination for relevant subjects.
Thus if you have the required qualification, you must apply for an ACCA exemption, allowing you to easily complete ACCA in 2 years or even less. Once you register for exemptions and pay the required fee, you will be approved within three weeks of receipt of all necessary documentation.
If you are confused about whether you are eligible for exemptions, then you visit the official ACCA website and enter your relevant qualification on the exemption calculator. You will then be guided regarding what exemptions you are eligible for.
Although it is possible to complete ACCA in 2 years, the maximum time limit for the ACCA course is seven years. The reason for the 7-year time limit is that ACCA aims to provide equal opportunities to all candidates. It also wishes that the candidates are up to date with the latest information in the field. Therefore it continually revises its syllabus. It also allows employers to be confident while hiring ACCA professionals knowing they have relevant and up-to-date knowledge that will help them enhance their organizations.
This rule applies to all students registered for the exam after December 2015. Those who registered for the ACCA course before December 2015 have a 10-year time limit to complete the qualification from the date they registered as a student.
All other students need to complete their ACCA course within seven years. If they cannot pass all the Strategic Professional Level exams and reach affiliate status in these seven years, then they will lose any progress that they achieved in these seven years. To finish the ACCA course, they will need to retake the course from the beginning.
As mentioned above, it is possible to complete ACCA in 2 years. However, this would require smart planning and perseverance on the part of the candidates. Here are some expert tips that can help you complete the ACCA exams in 2 years.
ACCA is a great course that can help you get a great boost in your accountancy career. Also, it is a course that can be completed in a short duration of 2 years with the help of a reputed ACCA training institute.
NorthStar Academy is a reputed institute that can help you easily crack all the ACCA exams in 2 years. So you will be easily able to complete ACCA in 2 years while studying under the expert guidance of exceptional mentors like Mr. M. Irfat. You will have professional support at every step of the ACCA journey. Our experienced mentors will guide you from registration to applying for exemptions, and they are always there to answer all your queries. A premium institute like North Star Academy not only guides you but also offers placement assistance. We offer the best study material in association with BPP Learning Media to help our students learn on the go.
Book a free demo class today to understand how NSA can instantly help you realize your ACCA dreams. For more information, give us a call at +91 8147470707.
To study efficiently for the ACCA exams, you must be aware of the ACCA exam pattern and plan your studies accordingly. You should prepare efficiently for the exam, attempting the maximum number of mock tests and doing revision regularly. It is always better to study under experts who can provide the right resources for your studies and help you with important tips and tricks to crack the ACCA exam
ACCA has three levels: Applied Knowledge Level, Applied Skills Level, and Strategic Professional Level. There are a total of 13 exams, and candidates who have not applied for any exemption need to take all these 13 exams to complete their ACCA certification. The subjects are as follows:
Business & Technology (BT)
Management Accounting (MA)
Financial Accounting (FA)
Corporate and Business Law(LW)
Performance Management(PM)
Taxation (TX)
Financial Reporting (FR)
Audit and Assurance (AA)
Financial Management (FM)
Compulsory subjects
Strategic Business Leader(SBL)
Strategic Business Reporting(SBR)
Optional subjects (Any 2):
Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
Advanced Performance Management (APM)
Advanced Taxation (ATX)
Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
Depending on your current level of qualification, you can apply for the following exemptions:
B.Com graduates can opt for these exemptions: BT, MA, FA, LW
CA IPCC qualified can opt for these exemptions: BT, MA, FA, TX, AA
CA qualified can opt for these exemptions: BT-FM (9 subjects)
M.Com Postgraduates can opt for these exemptions: BT, MA, FA, LW
ACCA is an international-level certification that isn’t like a conventional undergraduate degree program. However, many educational institutions do consider ACCA as an equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in accountancy. Candidates must keep in mind that when it comes to career opportunities, ACCA is far more valuable than a conventional undergraduate degree program in accountancy.
ACCA is a very flexible course, and there is no limit set to the number of failed attempts. You can take an exam as many times as you like after paying the exam fees. However, the only limit set by the ACCA is that of time. Candidates need to pass all the ACCA exams within seven years from their date of registration as a student. If a candidate fails to pass all the exams in 7 years, they will have to retake all the courses, and all their progress till that point will be considered nil.
To be eligible for the ACCA course, candidates must pass their Class 12th exams with a minimum aggregate score of 65% in Mathematics / Accounts and English and at least 50% marks in other subjects. Candidates who fit this criterion and are currently pursuing or have completed their graduation can also apply for the ACCA course. Students who do not fit the criteria mentioned above can apply for the ACCA course via the Foundation in Accountancy (FIA) route.
