Help needed RE IATI Qualification

The Fiddler

Is the IATI qualification lower than a Degree in Business Studies (Accountancy Stream)

barneystinson

The Fiddler wrote: »

Is the IATI qualification lower than a Degree in Business Studies (Accountancy Stream)

Yes.

It doesn't appear to be recognised on the National Framework of Qualifications (http://www.qualifax.ie/qf/QFPublic/?Mainsec=courses&Subsec=course_details&ID=434), but it's certainly academically a lesser course.

smcgiff

Can't say definitively, but I would consider it lower than a degree. Not much mind

The Fiddler

I done a Degree in Business Studies in WIT. I specialised in Accounting. I'm working in an Accountancy practice for the last two years. I am also doing the ACCA exams.

I got exempt from all the F's with the exception of F4 & F8. I passed F4 and failed F8 twice and P1 once. I am due to sit F8 again on Thursday. However i feel like im not going to pass it this time either. I felt i done a good exam paper the last time and was full sure i passed it. I only managed to get 36% the first time i got 35%. I appealed it and got nothing out of it. I feel and have heard that the ACCA is just a money racket as the pass rate is gone very low the last few years.

I am now sick of doing these exams and feel like i am wasting my life studying for something that seems like i am never going to pass. I also think i don't want to be a fully qualified accountant anymore. I'll be satisfied with a career as an accounts technician.

I was thinking of doing the IATI course but if this is lower than the degree is there much point. Please help as i am in a very confused state and dont want to feel like im qualified at nothing. All help and information will be very much appreciated.

smcgiff

Hi,

Firstly, don't give up. You'll have a long life to regret it.

The acca exams are harder than university degree exams. I remember when I was part qualified (only Half way to qualified) working in a large US multinational I had several bbs below me doing rather menial jobs.

Getting qualified will open up a huge amount of opportunities - whereas being degree qualified is about as relevant as having the leaving cert in the last recession.

Take a break if you must - but don't give up. You will get there eventually.

Btw, the qualifications you have already would likely entitle you to technician membership.

Good luck

The Fiddler

Thanks smcgiff. I took a break and did not do any exams in June gone. I think because i failed it twice already my conscious is telling me i am never going to pass it especially with the pass rate being so low.

I am a worrier and have very low self confidence. I don't think i would regret not finishing the ACCA because i don't think i want to become a fully qualified accountant. I am happy doing the accounts up to and including the trial balance stage. I don't think i would regret it. But if i did want to become a qualified accountant in years to come i could do CPA (Doubt the ACCA would let me back in!)

There is some areas that i still struggle with and was thinking if i done the IATI course i would pick up the pieces i am missing.

DUBACC

Hi Fiddler,

As smcgiff was saying, dont give up! I was in an identical position to you soem years ago. I failed most of the exams at some stage or other, had little or no confidence in my abilities as a result and my work suffered too. I kept ploughing on through them, thanks in no small part to a very supportive gf, now wife, and i'm so glad i listened to her. I qualified, got my practising cert and now have my own practice! Your confidence just takes off once you get the exams out of the way one by one.

Like you, i considered a few other careers as i thought 'why do i want this?' but it really is worth it, trust me!

smcgiff

Plenty people have problems passing exams and go on to qualify. Couple of points to consider....

Acca would allow you back in.
Don't assume cpa is any easier to pass

Finally, you might be happy doing what you're doing now, but what about in 10 years time if you are doing the same thing taking orders from someone 10 years your junior?

Take a break, get some lectures, join a study group, get study texts from lower levels, but don't give up !

tenchi-fan

The Fiddler wrote: »

I done a Degree in Business Studies in WIT. I specialised in Accounting. I'm working in an Accountancy practice for the last two years. I am also doing the ACCA exams.

I got exempt from all the F's with the exception of F4 & F8. I passed F4 and failed F8 twice and P1 once. I am due to sit F8 again on Thursday. However i feel like im not going to pass it this time either. I felt i done a good exam paper the last time and was full sure i passed it. I only managed to get 36% the first time i got 35%. I appealed it and got nothing out of it. I feel and have heard that the ACCA is just a money racket as the pass rate is gone very low the last few years.

I am now sick of doing these exams and feel like i am wasting my life studying for something that seems like i am never going to pass. I also think i don't want to be a fully qualified accountant anymore. I'll be satisfied with a career as an accounts technician.

I was thinking of doing the IATI course but if this is lower than the degree is there much point. Please help as i am in a very confused state and dont want to feel like im qualified at nothing. All help and information will be very much appreciated.

The best paid of all my friends is an accounts technician. He is holding off doing the professional exams until his company pay him an incentive. So I don't think professional exams are the be all and end all..

As for your theory that exams are a money-making racket.. I'd disagree there. The exam fees aren't that high considering QFA charge something like €500 per exam for multiple choice exams. The fact that you got the same mark twice really means there's something wrong with either your knowledge of the subject or your exam technique.

djk1000

Can I ask you if you are taking classes and doing revision courses for the professional exams? I know quite a few people that have accounting heavy degrees that got a major shock when they jumped into the professional exams.

Professional exams are obviously about knowledge and application, like your degree, but exam technique and squeezing out an extra couple of marks is what the prof exams are about. If you're getting 36% on a 4-5 question paper (for instance), then you need to be getting an additional 3-4 marks per question. I would suggest that an additional 3-4 marks per question could be down to question technique and last minute question practice as much as anything else.

Don't give up, the exams are a giant pain, but they are worth it in the end, with ACCA you have 10 years to get them done if you need to! Take one every 6 months for the next year, make sure you go to a class and do a revision course, think time/technique as much as knowledge/application and you'll be fine!