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Why more finance and accountancy professionals are choosing ACCA

Published on: 29 Mar 2019

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is one of many qualifications available to aspiring accountancy and finance professionals, and it is growing in popularity.

According to the 2018 GAAPweb Salary Insight Report, 35% of 2,000 industry professionals hold an ACCA qualification. This represents a 7% increase since 2017, making it the most popular qualification amongst the GAAPweb audience.

Recent data also revealed that ACCA qualified candidates are becoming more attractive to employers. Last month, recruiter searches for ‘ACCA’ on the CV database increased by 25% month on month and 31% year on year.

What is the ACCA and why is it becoming more popular?

Key Facts about the ACCA

  • The ACCA is the fastest growing accountancy qualification in the world. There are 208,000 members worldwide, with 503,000 students in 178 countries.
  • It is a truly global qualification, as it is recognised by other countries as being equivalent to their local qualification.
  • ACCA covers all areas of business; management accounting, financial statements, business taxation and law, business ethics and audit.

What makes the ACCA attractive to prospective accountancy and finance professionals?

  • You will become a Chartered Certified Accountant, able to work in any aspect of finance or management in any business
  • You will not only be gaining specialist knowledge in accounting and finance, but you will also develop your organisational, management and strategy skills
  • You will gain a skillset that will allow you to progress into more senior management positions
  • Holding this qualification is evidence that you possess skills / knowledge in high demand by employers in areas such as consultancy, banking, auditing, taxation etc
  • The course involves a combination of both theoretical and practical learning
  • ACCA is internationally recognised and IFAC compliant
  • The qualification is equivalent to completing a full University Degree
  • You can complete the course alongside full time employment 

The Finer Details

  • 14 exams maximum
  • Exams held 4 times a year (March, June, September and December)
  • You can do up to 4 exams at once
  • Usually takes 2/3 years to finish the qualification (but you have up to 10 years to complete it)
  • You can study in many different ways; attend courses, study online or study at home
  • Practical experience can be completed in any business sector you are working in

If you’d like to register or find out more about the ACCA, click here to visit their website.

Or if you’re recently qualified or working towards your qualification, you can browse a range of roles suitable for ACCA Accountancy and Finance Professionals on GAAPweb.com.