The Professional Accountant apprenticeship includes our flagship professional accountancy qualification and trains you to understand complex business issues as well as all areas of accountancy and financial analysis. As a professional accountant, you’ll be a respected leader in accountancy, taxation, finance and business. You’ll provide strategic business advice and lead organisations and people to make responsible and sustainable financial decisions.
The apprenticeship is equivalent to Master's degree level and focuses on real-life work scenarios and uses the latest technologies to ensure that you're ready for the workplace. You’ll also develop transferable skills including English and Maths to progress your career.
You’ll study the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills exams, which include all areas of accounting, reporting and management, as well as our Strategic Professional Level exams, where you can start to specialise in your chosen area. You’ll have interactive lessons, access to a tutor and an online community of fellow students.
You’ll also take the Ethics and Professional Skills module where you’ll develop the important ethical behaviour and judgement required for the modern business world.
Along with accounting knowledge, you’ll also gain invaluable skills in the following areas:
To get an idea of how our apprenticeship is structured, download our diagram (PDF, 25 KB)
You’ll work, study and take exams, and be assessed and mentored by an experienced professional, and keep a log showing what you’ve learned.
You’ll gain the technical knowledge, skills and behaviours required for the Level 7 apprenticeship standard, which has been set by employers in the accountancy and finance industry.
The apprenticeship consists of two main elements, the on-programme assessment and the end-point assessment.
The programme:
As part of the end-point assessment, you’ll take the SBL exam.
This is an innovative case study involving key competencies from strategy, leadership, governance and risk, to innovation and performance management. It uses real-world scenarios are used to set you challenges that require you to blend your technical, professional and ethical skills in your response.
With ACCA’s unique partnerships, you can also study for an optional BSc in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University and an MSc in Professional Accounting from the University of London.