Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Fundamentals Level*

Applied Knowledge:

• Business and Technology
• Management Accounting
• Financial Accounting

Applied Skills:

• Corporate and Business Law
• Performance Management
• Taxation
• Financial Reporting
• Audit and Assurance
• Financial Management

Strategic Professional

Essentials:

• Strategic Business Leader
• Strategic Business Reporting

Options Papers (two from four):

• Advanced Financial Management
• Advanced Performance Management
• Advanced Taxation
• Advanced Audit and Assurance

Students who need to complete all elements can do so over a four year period. Students with exemptions will take less time than this, while others may opt for a longer period of study. Tuition hours are between 50 and 60 hours per paper, depending on level. The exception is Strategic Business Leader, which has 90 tuition hours. 

*Students taking the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills papers can choose between external ACCA exams or internal, exemption awarding university exams. These internal exams earn exemptions from ACCA's Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills papers on a paper by paper basis, as well as earning University of South Wales awards, a Certificate of Higher Education (Professional Accounting) on completion of 120 credits and a Diploma of Higher Education (Professional Accounting) on completion of 240 credits.

ACCA's Practical Experience Requirements

In addition to completing their exams and the Ethics & Professional Skills module, all ACCA students are required to complete the PER (Practical Experience Requirement) before they can become a full ACCA member. See more information about the PER here and on the ACCA website.

Study Duration

Students who need to complete all elements part-time can do so over a four year period. Students with exemptions will take less time than this, while others may opt for a longer period of study. Note that study of Applied Skills and Strategic Professional Levels on a full-time basis will take two years (one year for each Level). Tuition hours are between 50 and 60 hours per paper, depending on level. The exception is Strategic Business Leader, which has approx. 84 tuition hours.

Workshops are delivered in various combinations of morning, afternoon or evening sessions (session availability subject to student demand). Tuition occurs in weekly slots, with students attending one day per week. Our brochure gives details of tuition offered for December and June exams. September-December deliveries also include one to three additional whole study days. Students can commence their studies in either September or January.

Delivery of our ACCA course has been designed to offer an excellent platform to learn, with knowledge built up gradually and sustainably through exam question practice which is undertaken week-on-week.

This mode of delivery also ensures that students are not required to be absent from their work place for long periods of time.

Tuition includes all key elements that you need, for one price per paper. Our teaching team impart the required knowledge (syllabus content), engage you in question practice, and undertake revision sessions close to exam time. Progress tests are included for all papers; mock examinations are included for externally examined papers.

We offer tuition for all 15 papers of the Professional Qualification (Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills and Strategic Professional papers) on a part-time basis, and some papers are offered on either a day release or afternoon-evening basis, subject to sufficient student demand.

Fees, timetables and the next available entry points can be found in our brochure.

Note that our tuition fees include the provision of study texts, but exclude fees paid directly to the ACCA Professional Body.

For the latest information about fees payable directly to ACCA, (including student membership, exemption and exam entry fees) visit the ACCA website.

The internal papers are assessed by coursework (30%) and an end of module examination (70%).

The coursework is designed to test soft skills such as group work, report writing and presentations. The external papers are assessed by end of session examination.

Two A Levels and three GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths. Students who do not have the minimum academic qualifications may be eligible for the Foundations in Accountancy qualification. Holders of relevant degrees and accounting technician qualifications can apply to ACCA for exemptions. For example, holders of AAT or CAT qualifications are exempt from the ACCA Applied Knowledge Papers.

The course welcomes international applicants and requires an English level of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component or equivalent.

Please note that whilst this course does not require a DBS Check for entry, some professions will not consider candidates who have certain types of criminal convictions.    Therefore, if you have a criminal conviction and you are considering a particular career path we would recommend that you check with the relevant professional body or refer to their recruitment policy to make sure that your conviction will not disadvantage you.

Register with ACCA

Students wishing to join the course MUST also have applied for student membership with ACCA before the start date and obtained confirmation of their exemptions. Ensure to upload your exam/exemption statement as part of your application if you already have these.

How to Apply

Applications for all professional courses should be made directly through our MyUSW online portal. Once you have submitted your application, you will be contacted for your paper choices and preferred session dates and times.

It is possible to study individual papers or enter part-way through the qualification. 

USW's ACCA qualification, subject to ACCAs practical experience requirements, enables you to become a Chartered Certified Accountant, use the designatory letters ACCA after your name and to typically work across a range of finance or management roles in any business. Some students then opt to study at postgraduate degree level.