1. Structure
This level consists of three exams: Corporate Reporting, Strategic Business Management, and a Case Study, which tests overall knowledge. This level will take six to twelve months to complete.
Entry requirements
You are advised to have passed the ACA Professional exams before progressing onto Advanced level.
Syllabus
Subjects:
Corporate Reporting (CR)
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 11 days
Live Online: 22 sessions
OnDemand: study at your own pace
- Subject assessment: computer-based exam
You’ll learn how to employ your technical knowledge, analytical techniques and professional aptitude to resolve compliance and business ideas in corporate reports and auditing. You’ll learn how to analyse financial statements across a range of industries over time, explain the control and planning used in auditing, create and evaluate corporate reporting policies, and identify and explain ethical issues.
From July 2021, ICAEW is introducing Data Analytics software launch into the Corporate Reporting (CR) exam.
Strategic Business Management (SBM)
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 7 days
Live Online: 14 sessions
OnDemand: study at your own pace
- Subject assessment: computer-based exam
You’ll demonstrate your quantitative and qualitative skills to make business recommendations in complex scenarios. You’ll apply professional judgement to examine quantitative and qualitative data from many sources, to evaluate different solutions. When you complete this unit, you’ll be able to evaluate the implications of strategic choices and recommend strategies to achieve stakeholder objectives; advise appropriate finance requirements and evaluate financial risks; use ethics to determine safeguards against threat; explain and implement assurance; and interpret and apply corporate reporting.
Case Study (CS)
- Number of lessons:
Classroom: 10 days
Live Online: 20 sessions
- Subject assessment: computer-based exam
The Case Study assess your knowledge of complex business issues, using everything you’ve learned across all three levels. You’ll use your ability to analyse financial and non-financial data, and use professional and ethical reasoning to provide insight and solutions. Ahead of the exam, you’ll be given background details (known as ‘Advance Information’) on the organisation and its business environment. The exam is 4 hours long. All areas of the syllabus may be tested over time.
£1,208.40 - £1,684.80
(inc. VAT)
Enrol ›
2. Study methods
Do you prefer face-to-face learning? Online learning in your own time? Have family or work commitments? We have study methods that suit different learning styles, to fit around your life. You’ll benefit from award-winning tutors, practical learning methods, and ongoing support, even after your exams.
Study methods available for this qualification
You can be confident in your exams whatever study method you choose, as we offer hundreds of practice questions and marked mock exams. We provide expert support during evenings and weekends, and we have flexible study methods and course start dates.
grid_onStudy method comparison table
Award winning tutor-led online course with flexibility to start anytime, anywhere. Not available for ACS.
- Unique online resources designed to keep you motivated
- Tutors guide you efficiently through the whole syllabus
View OnDemand 5 day trial ›
A traditional scheduled programme with face to face tutor led classes.
The same as classroom, but live interactive online classes at a set time.
- Interactive live lectures delivered online by our expert tutors
- Re-watch and replay lessons through recordings
- Full weekday, weekend, afternoon or evening classes available
Timetables - Classroom and Live Online
Please click the link below for timetables of your chosen centre
date_rangeView timetables
3. Exams, sittings and resits
Timings and working towards a sitting
The ACA qualification is made up of 15 exams, advancing your knowledge across accountancy, finance, and business. When you complete the qualification, you will be an ICAEW chartered accountant.
You can take the exams in any order, apart from the Case Study, which needs to be attempted last, in the final year of an ACA training agreement. However, we recommend starting from the Certificate Level units first, then finishing with the Advanced Level exams.
At the Advanced Level, exams are computer based, and there are two exam sittings a year - July and November. Generally students sit three subjects together, or split between (Corporate Reporting (CR)/Strategic Business Management (SBM) July, Case Study (CS) November).
Students must be in the final years of a training contract to sit the final CS paper. It must be taken after or alongside CR/SBM exams.
CR/SBM are 3.5 hours long, and CS is 4 hours. The pass mark is 50%.
How long does it take to pass?
The ACA qualification is made up of three levels, each of which will take six to 12 months to finish. To complete the qualification, you’ll also need to have a minimum of 450 practical work experience days. Students usually complete the qualification
in three years.
The ICAEW exam software is being updated
The new exam software launch is launching in March 2021 and includes:
- Spreadsheet software that reflects commonly used applications. The spreadsheet contains standard functionality that allows you to make your calculations and adjust them if needed, just as you would in the workplace
- A word processor that auto-adjusts to the size of the response that you are writing, and allows you to copy in the data from the spreadsheet as part of the report (only the word processing section will get marked)
- Digital copies of relevant permitted texts such as the tax tables within the exam so that you can easily search for the content that you need.
From July 2021, ICAEW is introducing Data Analytics software launch into the Corporate Reporting (CR) exam.
Resits
If you have failed an exam, don’t worry. There are exam resits and resit courses available. Contact student services to book exams and courses.
All Advanced (CR and SBM) resit courses include:
Prior to Exam Preparation course you will get:
- A resit diagnostic video, including examiner top tips, common issues, and study guidance
- Additional articles, tricky topic tutorials and additional questions
- A marked resit mock
- A resit guidance document
- Syllabus update document for any students resitting under a new syllabus
- Study planner
- Access to Kaplan’s Academic Support team to answer technical
queries:
You then attend a classroom based Exam Preparation course and get:
- Access to Kaplan tutor
- Final marked mock
Advanced Case Study resit courses also include:
Prior to Exam Preparation course:
- Pre-resit mock exam (marked)
- Tricky topic tutorials (provided via MyKaplan)
You then attend a 5 day Exam Preparation course and get:
- Access to Kaplan tutor
- 2 days tutor-led preparation of a revision mock (Students attempt revision mock at the end of day 2, which is sent off for marking)
- 3 days tutor-led preparation on the real case study advance information (including around 20 exercises based on the real exam and a full 4 hour practice exam with illustrative script and marking key)
- Additional practice exam on the real case study exam (includes illustrative script and marking key)
Resit fees
| Subject |
Fees |
| Corporate Reporting (CR) |
£540.00 |
| Strategic Business Management (SBM) |
£540.00 |
| Case Study (CS) |
£792.00 |
If you need to take a resit, please get in touch with Student Services.
4. Study materials and delivery costs
Study materials
Classroom, Live Online and OnDemand students will receive printed and online study materials.
Materials included in the price of every course:
Kaplan workbook
Kaplan produced workbook that brings out key areas of the syllabus, integrates with online content and provides question practice.
ICAEW Materials
Purchased in addition to course price but needed for every paper.
All ACA and ICAEW CFAB learning materials for exams in 2021 will be published in a digital format.
Students will access their materials through the ICAEW Bookshelf, and will be able to view, annotate and highlight passages.
ICAEW workbook
Examining body (ICAEW) workbook of all technical content that could be examined.
ICAEW question bank
Examining body past exam questions that are set in class.
Open books
These materials are specific to the paper you're studying and are purchased in addition to the course price.
IFRS book
This book is required to assist you in your studies for the Corporate Reporting paper.
Audit Standards book
This book is required to assist you in your studies for the Corporate Reporting paper.
Delivery costs
subscriptions
How much it costs to deliver your study materials and how long it takes depends on where in the world you live.
Delivery fees are as follows:
UK - £7.20 (£6 + VAT) for the first package, £7.20 for subsequent packages
Isle of Man Classroom courses - £30 (£25 + VAT) per transaction
EU - £35 (£29.17 + VAT) for the first package, £30 for subsequent packages
Rest of the World - £50 (£41.67 + VAT) for the first package, £50 for subsequent packages
Please note that due to varying interpretations of the post-Brexit EU/UK trading agreement, some EU countries are imposing import duty on the value of the goods received from the UK. It is payable by the end consumer via the delivery company and your delivery may be withheld until paid. This may vary from country to country and be up to a value of 20% of the value of the study material.
A package relates to all the materials for a specific subject, for example ACA Corporate Reporting (CR). If purchasing a course for more than one subject, the additional package charges will apply.
Delivery fees are capped at 3 x the cost, per single order. So, if you buy 5 courses for UK delivery in a single order, it will be £7.20 x 3, rather than £7.20 x 5.
Our standard delivery times for Live Online, OnDemand, Online and Distance Learning are:
UK – 3 to 5 working days
EU – 5 to 7 working days
Rest of the World – 7 to 10 working days subject to availability.
Our standard delivery time for UK classroom courses is one week prior to the first course date.
Delivery charges apply to all Classroom and Live Online courses which include printed materials.
5. MyKaplan: online learning environment
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MyKaplan explained (1m:26s)
MyKaplan is an online learning portal with additional resources, including mock exams, to help you prepare for your exams. Your MyKaplan account forms the core of your study experience with Kaplan, and includes the following:
Online features
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View your online materials in one place and access your content in a few clicks
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Contact a tutor directly using live chat. You can also email or request a callback
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Complete practice tests and get instant feedback
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Take part in forum discussions with students and tutors and find answers to common questions
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See instantly when your assessments have been marked
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Access to VideoBank - hundreds of tutor-led videos to help you get the most out of your course.
Access duration
Your chosen study method determines how long you can access your content for.
Classroom
8 months after exam sitting.
Live Online
8 months after exam sitting.
OnDemand
8 months after exam sitting.
computerMinimum system requirements for MyKaplan
6. Tutor support
We'll support you every step of the way throughout your ACA learning experience with us. You can contact a tutor and get the help you need quickly and easily.
Provided by our Academic Support team (our dedicated team of expert tutors):
- Live chat (instant response via online messenger system)
- Email (we'll get back to you within 4 hrs)
- Discussion forum (we’ll get back to you within 4 hrs)
- Request a callback so you can speak to a tutor (we’ll arrange a call with you within 24 hours). Please note request a callback is only available to UK based students.
Academic Support opening times
Monday - Thursday: 8am - 8pm
Friday: 8am - 5:30pm
Saturday: 9am - 5pm
Sunday: 9am - 1pm
7. Testing and mocks
We have a wealth of materials to help you revise for and pass your exams. All study options come with the following:
Online learning modules
MyKaplan interactive modules that guide you through each syllabus area.
Knowledge checks
10 multiple choice questions set on MyKaplan after an online learning module/classroom day during the Knowledge phase.
Consolidation Test
20 multiple choice questions set on MyKaplan after a number of online learning modules/classroom days during the Knowledge phase.
Progress Tests
Progress tests are exam-style tests to check your progress and get you ready for sitting your mock exams. A recorded debrief of the tests will be provided after you’ve sat them so you can tailor any follow-up work and concentrate on areas that need more attention.
Tricky topic tutorials
10-15 minute tutor debrief on challenging areas of the syllabus.
Mock exams
Mock exams mimic the real exams. They are taken during the Exam Preparation phase of the course and can be found on MyKaplan. They are marked by the Kaplan marking team, who will provide tailored feedback so you can focus on areas you found difficult or could improve.
8. Pricing structure
Subject prices can differ depending on your study method and location. .
Subjects are all priced individually, so you can purchase them altogether (for a discount), or separately as you need them. This also helps you split the cost to make it more affordable.
Download ACA Course Fee Sheet ›
Enrol now
To enrol, download the form, fill in your details and send it to us via post or email.
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Funding options
You may be eligible for an Apprenticeship through your employer, depending on your circumstances. For more information, contact our Student Services team.
Your employer may fund the costs of your studies if you’re already working in a related field and want to develop your learning. You’ll need to speak to them to see if you’re eligible.