Accountancy

What does it mean to be a chartered accountant?

Is it helping businesses make crucial decisions? Is it having a pivotal role and being at the forefront of an industry where your passion lies? Building sustainable change from the inside out? It's all of it. Chartered accountants create, shape and build strong economies and communities globally.

The ACA is our globally recognised chartered accountancy qualification. It's designed to provide trainees with the professional skills and strategic insight they'll need to make a real impact.

As a school leaver, the most common routes to studying the ACA is via an ICAEW apprenticeship or through a training agreement .

Find out more about studying the ACA straight from school .

Entry requirements

Entry requirements can vary between employers, so please check individual training vacancy listings. GCSE and UCAS points result requirements vary, however most employers will expect a at least three A*-C grades.

Once qualified ICAEW Chartered Accountants can go into a wide range of career specialisms and industries, enabling you to align your passions and interests to your career in chartered accountancy.

Ready to get started? Find your trainee role today and kick-start a dynamic career in chartered accountancy.

The ACA explained

Combining technical knowledge, professional skills and practical experience, the ACA ensures that students are well-prepared for the complexities of the accounting profession. This well-rounded training makes ICAEW Chartered Accountants highly respected and sought after, as they are equipped not only with theoretical understanding but also with the practical abilities needed to excel in real-world scenarios.

The ACA is made up of three elements, integrating the key themes of sustainability, technology and ethics throughout.

Business, finance and accountancy exams

A future-fit syllabus will build the professional skills you'll need to excel in the modern workplace. With a 'step-by-step' learning journey, you'll be supported to succeed at every stage as you complete 14 exams split across three levels: Certificate, Professional and Advanced.

Professional skills and experience

To complete the ACA you must be in a training agreement with an ICAEW Authorised Training Employer. You'll gain invaluable business and commercial insight by putting what you learn into practice, completing a minimum of 450 days of professional experience.

Chartered accountancy is about much more than crunching numbers, so you''ll also build transferable professional skills and a lifelong learning mindset.

Specialised Learning

To achieve your career goals faster and stay at the cutting edge of new developments, you'll tailor your learning to your individual development needs, completing a minimum of 30 units of Specialised Learning from a wide range of regularly updated interactive e-learning content.