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ATT CTA Tax Pathway

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Overview

The ATT CTA Tax Pathway lets you study for both Tax qualifications at an accelerated rate. The Tax Pathway is very flexible, affording you an earlier opportunity to specialise.

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Average duration

2-3 years

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Assessments

Nine

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Kaplan pass rate

Consistently higher than global average for both ATT and CTA

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Qualification status

Taxation Technician and a Chartered Tax Adviser

Who it’s for

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements needed to register onto the Tax Pathway. If you are already studying ATT and have completed no more than two ATT papers, you can transfer onto Tax Pathway and pay the balance of the registration fee.

Learning outcomes from the course

The ATT CTA Tax Pathway course is designed to equip learners with the technical expertise and practical skills required for a career in tax. Upon completion, students will be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of UK tax law, apply tax principles to real-world scenarios, and critically assess complex tax issues. They will also develop advanced skills in professional responsibility and ethics, as well as gain the ability to manage client relationships effectively. The course prepares individuals for both technical tax roles and leadership positions in the field.

Pathway

The ATT and CTA tax pathway lets you fast track through two tax qualifications to become both a Taxation Technician and a Chartered Tax Adviser. It also gives you the opportunity to specialise at an earlier stage.

There are five key stages to the ATT and CTA tax pathway:

Accounting, Law, and Ethics CBEs

This stage comprises three exams, which are assessed as Computer Based Examinations (CBEs). These exams must be passed before ATT membership can be achieved. All three exams must be passed before you can enter your final CTA paper.

Each exam is a one-hour online examination of multiple-choice and multiple-response questions, which you can sit at any time during the year.

The pass mark for the CBEs is 60%, and you receive the results from each exam straight after it is attempted.

Core knowledge one

Students sit two ATT papers of their choice. There is complete flexibility as to which papers are taken. These two papers must be sat and passed before the CTA Advanced Technical or CTA Application and Professional Skills papers can be attempted.

These papers are sat in May and November each year and you can sit any number of papers at a time. For each paper passed you are entitled to apply for a certificate of competency from the ATT.

Paper options

  • Personal Taxation (PT)
  • Business Taxation (BT)
  • Business Compliance (BC)
  • Corporate Taxation (CT)
  • Inheritance Tax, Trusts, and Estates (IHTTE)
  • Value Added Tax (VAT)

Core knowledge two

Students can either sit a third ATT paper, or the CTA Awareness paper. At this point, students should note that if they sit the Awareness paper, the three Modules they choose for that paper cannot be the same areas of tax as the two papers that will be taken at the CTA Advanced Technical stage.

Complete this stage, gain the required work experience, and you'll be ATT qualified.

Advanced Technical Stage

In this stage, students sit two CTA Advanced Technical (AT) papers. If a student has already taken three ATT papers, then the student can choose freely which Advanced Technical papers they wish to take. If the CTA Awareness paper has been taken, then the Advanced Technical papers must cover different specialisms from the three Modules chosen for Awareness. These papers are sat in May and November each year, and you can sit any number of CTA papers at a time.

Application and Professional Skills Stage

This final stage focuses on applying your technical knowledge in a practical, real-world context. You'll sit one CTA Application and Professional Skills (APS) paper, designed to test your ability to analyse information, provide advice, and communicate effectively in a professional setting. This paper is sat in May and November each year and is typically taken once the Advanced Technical stage has been completed.

Complete this stage, gain the required work experience, and you'll be CTA qualified.

Not sure where to start? Get in touch with our expert team who can help advise you.

Courses

Inc VAT, excludes exams

Full tax pathway

from £3,867

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Everything you need to succeed

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Specialist ATT and CTA expertise

With years of experience delivering ATT and CTA training, we understand exactly what it takes to pass. Our courses are designed to align with both qualifications, helping you master technical content while developing the skills and confidence to succeed in your career.

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Expert material

Our study materials are designed by subject specialists to give you the best possible preparation. You'll get printed and digital resources, marked mock exams, and a vast bank of practice questions to reinforce your learning.

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Academic support

Our team of 50+ finance experts and advisors provide gold-standard personalised academic support 7 days a week. We offer exam strategies, study plans, and proactive resit advice.

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Pass Guarantee

If your results aren't as expected, we provide free access to extra content, extended tutor support, and guidance for resitting until you pass your exams.

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Well-being support

Access well-being support through our resource library or speak confidentially with Kaplan's Mental Health First Aiders, safeguarding team, or your tutor and talent coach.

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Accessibility

We're committed to an inclusive learning environment, ensuring accessibility and personalised support for all students to succeed.

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What’s included

We offer both tuition and revision courses for the ATT and CTA papers. With tuition, the focus is on learning the syllabus from the study manual, with basic question practice. With revision, you’re expected to have studied the syllabus prior, as the focus is on exam question practice and technique.

Tuition courses

  • Study Manuals and accompanying Question Banks1

    The Study Manuals cover the syllabus for each course and are the key source of your learning material. The Question Banks are designed to test your understanding of the fundamental principles covered in each chapter in the corresponding Study Manual.

  • Course Workbooks and Workbook Q&A

    The Course Workbooks are available if you’re a Classroom or Live Online student. These detail the core areas of the syllabus which will be covered during the Classroom and Live Online courses, incorporating worked examples. Additional questions to attempt in class are provided in the workbook Q&A section.

  • Pre-revision question bank2

    The pre-revision question bank contains more challenging questions for you to consolidate your knowledge of the full syllabus for each paper.

  • Course exam3

    The course exam, Knowledge Test and Practice exam, have been designed to test your understanding of the material covered during your studies. They are at a simpler level designed to test your knowledge as you work through the content.

  • Pre-revision mock

    The pre-revision mock has been designed to be attempted after you've worked through the the pre-revision question bank. The pre-revision mock is harder than the course exam, designed to prepare you for the revision phase of your studies.

1 The study manuals for Law, Ethics, and Accounting must be purchased directly from the CIOT website.
2 Not included for Law, Ethics, and Accounting CBE courses.
3 One course exam per ATT paper with the exception of PT and BT which have two exams called Knowledge Test and Practice Exam.

Revision courses

  • Revision question bank1

    The revision question bank contains exam standard questions and recent past papers (all with answers updated to the relevant Finance Act), providing excellent final preparation for the exam.

  • Memory joggers2

    The memory joggers contain short summaries of the key rules covered in each chapter of the study manuals and also include any useful proformas. They are designed to refresh your knowledge on any areas you’re stuck on as you work your way through the revision question bank.

  • Revision mock

    To be attempted after you've worked through the revision question bank. This is an exam standard exam designed to prepare you for sitting the real exam.

1 Pre-revision Question Bank is not applicable for Application papers.
2 Memory Joggers are not applicable for Application papers and are not included in Law, Ethics and Accounting CBE courses.

All courses include

Personalised online learning portal called MyKaplan. Access your additional online materials, contact your tutors, and take part in discussion forums.

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Study methods

Get everything you need to succeed, along with tailored features depending on which study method you choose.

Feature

Classroom

Live Online

OnDemand
CBE courses only

Distance Learning

Live, tutor-led classes at set times
Interactive elearning modules
Speak face-to-face with tutors and other learners on the same course
Speak online with learners on the same course
Pass Guarantee available on full course
Study at your own pace

Ways to pay

Pay for your course using a debit card, credit card, or PayPal. We also offer alternative payment methods to suit your needs.

Invoice your employer

Your employer may fund the costs of your studies if you're already working in a related field and want to develop your learning.

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PayPal Pay in 3

A buy now, pay later service that splits your purchase into three equal interest-free payments. Offering a flexible way to spread the cost.

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Become a Kaplan client

If you're looking to train your staff and upskill your organisation, you can register as a Kaplan client.

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Alternatively, you can apply for one of our payment plans. Spread the cost by paying monthly, so you can focus on learning and passing exams.