Acca technician course

Connery

If I completed an Acca Technician course, what exemptions will i gain if i went for full ACCA qualification?

Are the exams difficult?

FMI

You would only be exempt from the first three i.e. F1, F2 and F3.

personally i nver recived any advise whatsoever and thought as i had no business degree etc (i.e. science background) that i had to do CAT 1st. you dont if i was you and you satisfy the requirements just phone ACCA 0044 141 582 2000 and ask them.

I completed 5 of the CAT up to July before i found out that i coul have started ACCA straight off. Do you really want to do 9 exams in CAT before progressing to ACCA being expemt from 3 CBE(Computer based exams) these CBE's can be taken as many times as you want so if you fail in October you can take it again next week or the week after etc.

I would in my own experience advise you to go staright for ACCA and ignore CAT.

Need any further help just PM me.

All the best.

Smiley G

FMI wrote: »

You would only be exempt from the first three i.e. F1, F2 and F3.

personally i nver recived any advise whatsoever and thought as i had no business degree etc (i.e. science background) that i had to do CAT 1st. you dont if i was you and you satisfy the requirements just phone ACCA 0044 141 582 2000 and ask them.

I completed 5 of the CAT up to July before i found out that i coul have started ACCA straight off. Do you really want to do 9 exams in CAT before progressing to ACCA being expemt from 3 CBE(Computer based exams) these CBE's can be taken as many times as you want so if you fail in October you can take it again next week or the week after etc.

I would in my own experience advise you to go staright for ACCA and ignore CAT.

Need any further help just PM me.

All the best.

Sorry to but into this thread, but I am starting CAT next week and would like to know if I can use study material from 2008 rather than the most recent issues of the books? If there are no recent law changes then the only difference I can see in the text books is the updated exam info at the very front (I have paper 5 book from June 2008 already) and this info can be obtained from the acca website anyway. The reason I'm asking is that money is tight and last years books are half price of the most recent June 2009 issue.
I have put the question to my college but they have not replied as yet and my course starts next week so would really like to order the books asap as they'll take over a week to arrive from the uk.

betonit

FMI wrote: »

You would only be exempt from the first three i.e. F1, F2 and F3.

personally i nver recived any advise whatsoever and thought as i had no business degree etc (i.e. science background) that i had to do CAT 1st. you dont if i was you and you satisfy the requirements just phone ACCA 0044 141 582 2000 and ask them.

I completed 5 of the CAT up to July before i found out that i coul have started ACCA straight off. Do you really want to do 9 exams in CAT before progressing to ACCA being expemt from 3 CBE(Computer based exams) these CBE's can be taken as many times as you want so if you fail in October you can take it again next week or the week after etc.

I would in my own experience advise you to go staright for ACCA and ignore CAT.

Need any further help just PM me.

All the best.

hello, so you went straight for ACCA with a science background? Are you working in the finance filed now, or are you just doing exams while doing your current job.

FMI

Hi Betonit,

Dont take this as Gospel truth, but im sure you can be working at anything whilst studying for ACCA and even complete exams as well, however you must have at least 3 years in a working environment for the ACCA qualifaction to count. Plus on average people complete the exams over ~ 3-4 years from the start in can be done quicker, but you will have no social life.

I did CAT when i was working in Science (only 5 modules and just transferred to ACCA as had 4 exams to do in Decemebr and thought ACCA 3 exams F1,F2,F3 in december would be easier to do, as also ACCA exams are multiple choice and can be retaken alomost immediately) have been working in Accountancy now about 18 months, better to be working in the environment study wise, as its starts to make sense.

Personally not a fan of accountancy, and goal is to work in Taxation Advice, so its a means to an end. I know i can do AITI but better to have ACCA as something fall back on.

All the best,

FMI

betonit

Thanks FMI.
I want to completely change career as im being made redundant and want to do someting else. I was looking at ACCA but just dont have th balls to go through a few years and find out I cant do it as I have no experience in the finance world.
So im going to do th TMITI tax technician course this year. Its only one year and at least ill have something after a year and see from there.

How did you get started working in accountancy coming from a different background. Did have the exams already started

FMI

Hi Betonit,

Wont bore you with all the details but went to the UK worked for a couple of years in Forensics (wooo glamourus...quite the opposite) money not good, and goverment job, took ages to introduce and change stuff etc. Decided how can i make money, accountants make money....

SO i satrted with CAT no info on course no research etc about 3 years ago only managed to do 5 subjects over that time as doing self learning and never really commited to it, enjoyed life more, in hindsight wished i had of knuckled down as would be qualifed by now.

Wont lie to you dont enjoy accountancy myself and not planning on been accountant i.e sit in office 9-5 number crunching, yep i'll have to do it for few years, but Tax advice is were im heading, in my last 9 months in UK i applied for a role and luckily the guys took me on first role in a small practice, location little village population 1000 people but loved the job, so rewarding, was working with clients from all walks of life people earning 5K to £250k per year and some small companys £35k to £3.5mil. Doing tax returns and annual returns for clients. Actors (one from Hollyoaks, my claim to fame) and electricans, doctors, stockbrokers to pilates instructors you name it.

Absolutley loved meetinmg these people, doing their accounts, analysing information and showing them how to make savings on tax bill, advising if worth setting up company for tax savings etc....this was the only time in the 3 years of studying CAT that i knew i had made right choice.

Im also doing AITI just did part 1 during the summer, not sure how i did:(, your propbably doing the right thing with the TMITI, but not sure if it exempts you from any of the AITI, might worth giving the AITI a shot? lectures in Dublin very good, espically Accountancy lectruer, i learned more accountancy in the 8 or so classes i had with her than i did on my own in the 3 years (as i said was not fully decidated in those 3 years).

All fourms i've read etc reccomend ACCA with AITI and not so much AITI as standalone qualifaction, if your good at the tax you can still make it, but i would imagine most employers perefer person to be accountant as well, hence why im doing the ACCA. At present i think there is a lot of tax consultants out of jobs, as obviuolsy not demand for them at present, but that will change.

Hope i've helped you a bit, and not bored you with my lifestory, just thought i'd give my viewpoint. plus im 29 so either you have years on me or in the same boat either way good luck......

All the best,

FMI

betonit

FMI, i really appreciate all that info thanks... and im 37

Paddy Irishman

Hello, I'm 27 and also considering doing the ACCA CAT course, starting full time next week. However I feel like one of the previous posters

Originally posted by betonit
I was looking at ACCA but just dont have the balls to go through a few years and find out I can't do it as I have no experience in the finance world.

So I rang the college and it was explained to me that it's suitable for all applicants regardless of whether you have a degree or previous accounting knowledge. To my surprise I was also told that the course will be completed by next May as it's full time. I initially thought the CAT was 2 years long. I've gone through the ACCA website looking over the course syllabus and past exam papers and would be fairly confident of getting to grips with the early papers, but I'm still a little apprehensive about the whole thing as it's a step into the unknown and as it's only 1 year in duration I'm worried that it might become too overwhelming. I would like hear from someone who has completed this course and how they found it, especially if like me they started from the beginning. Many thanks!