Accountancy

Nebzor

Nebzor

Nebzor

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Quick question.

Do the NVQs from the AAT (Foundation NVQ2, Intermediate NVQ3, Advanced NVQ4) mean much in regards to qualifications for accountancy?

As in, does a person with the NVQ2/3/4 from AAT and their ACCA stand as much of a chance as a person with say a degree in something and an ACCA, or do they not really count for much?
 
Are you saying does someone who has AAT and ACCA = someone with a degree and ACCA?

It's debatable. I know that doesn't help you much though lol
 
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If it is a degree in Accountancy then it doesn't mean that much. I was researching around this subject when choosing university degrees. Employers see accountancy degrees as having little meaning since it doesn't fall into either ACCA or CIMA standards. Yes certain degrees actually count towards ACCA and CIMA standards, but you still need to get the final certification afterwards. I hope to obtain an MSC in Business Economics, find a job and then work on CIMA qualifications part time.
 
Yep, they'll both be on the same level, at least in terms of qualifications. So, in an interview it'll come down to job experience and generally the way you present yourself an interact with your interviewers.
 
I'm not an accountant but as with other areas of finance I'd bet there is some snobbery in big firms with regards to this. It probably shouldn't matter as you've had to pass the same set of professional exams - if anything the non-grad who spent time working & doing ATT exams has probably got a bit more of a thorough grounding than the guy who instead spent 3 years studying some random subject at uni.
 
If u have yout ATT technition, then your exempt from the first year of ACCA

if you have an accountancy degree you get about 8 exemptions,

once u have your acca no one will know or care if you were exempt via AAT.
 
A lot of accountancy firms now offer graduate level positions where you are shoved in the Auditing department to learn the ropes. They give you time off for CIMA/ACCA lessons though.
 
I'm not a graduate, though :p

I'm debating whether or not I should be trying to go through Uni, or whether I should be doing the AAT route and aiming to get experience while I do it.

It seems though that the ACCA is the clincher, though? Regardless of what led up to it i.e. am I right in thinking that once you've got your ACCA it's all about having more (relevant) experience than the next guy rather than having a degree or AAT technician or whatever?
 
I'm AAT qualified (MAAT), most people see it as a step toward CIMA or ACCA I've never had an employer really recognise the qualification in it's own right.

It's worth doing if you don't have the experience either in exams or work. If you're confident enough and have some financial background, I'd just go for CIMA/ACCA.
 
Dont mean to be nosey but how much can accountants expect to make? What are the ceilings? I've always though of accountants as up there with docs,engineers etc so just curious.
 
Killa_ken said:
Dont mean to be nosey but how much can accountants expect to make? What are the ceilings? I've always though of accountants as up there with docs,engineers etc so just curious.
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I am about to start studying for ACCA and will be on £23k, once qualified this rises to £33k and then the ceiling is about £50k (this is govt btw).

I don't think accountants do too badly but from my understanding you would have to open your own practice to be earning large sums.
 
Depends on the organisation. Private sector in a medium to large firm can earn around £60k plus, public sector is about 2/3 rds that. Trainees start at 16 to 20k. Also you have to take into account the different types of accountant. Managerial accountants (CIMA) generally earn more than a standard certified accountant (ACCA), due to the nature of the work. My friends father is a CIMA qualified accountant who now owns a venture capital firm and is (was) on upwards of £500k/year plus bonus.
 
M0T said:
I am about to start studying for ACCA and will be on £23k, once qualified this rises to £33k and then the ceiling is about £50k (this is govt btw).
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50k is no where near the max in the public sector for an ACCA:D
 
Just to add to the thread, most grad jobs put their graduates onto the ACA. Not the ACCA or CIMA.

With the ACA being highly regarded in the UK, the ACCA being highly regarded internationally and CIMA being geared towards a more business focus.
 
i thought you could study for the ACCA straight off, without having to do AAT qualifications first?

OP - my younger brother left school after A levels and has a job as a trainee accountant at a local firm, at age 18 an apprentice salary of £8k doesn't seem very generous but he will be put through all of the relevant qualifications at the companies expense (the way he sees it - an accountancy degree would have probably cost him ~£15k over three years, so if he ends up qualified without debt - any money in the bag is a bonus)!
 
If you defo want to do something like accountancy, I recommend a good academic subject, like economics, which is actually quite interesting too.
 
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