Exams vary in their structure and style. For detailed guidance on this, you should refer to the individual syllabuses and study guides.
Most examinations consist of a mix of computational and written questions. Certain subject areas lend themselves better to written questions than others but you should be prepared for both.
Our website includes a full sample exam for both the paper-based and computer-based versions. Visit the ACCA Study Hub (accessed from the my qualifications area of your myACCA account) to access practice questions, flashcards, study chapters and more.
In addition, our approved publishers BPP Learning Media and Kaplan Publishing include practice questions and practice exams as part of their study materials.
These materials are intended to support both paper-based and computer-based exams and therefore include CDs and/or online materials to support revision for computer-based exams.
We use questions from past exams as part of our question bank for future computer-based exams.
We have decided not to publish past exams as a way of discouraging candidates from simply memorising these questions and answers. Students should therefore become familiar with the range of question styles they might meet in the exam instead. They can do this by practising questions from study materials and by practising questions in class. Our examiners have reviewed the questions included in study materials by our official publishers BPP Learning Media and Kaplan Publishing.
By using these texts, students can be confident that they are practising questions of the right type and standard. In addition, specimen exams are available for each of the exams. These are updated on an annual basis to ensure they reflect the latest syllabus and study guide. We also publish an examiner’s report each year that releases up to six questions, which includes a discussion of how students performed and how they can arrive at the correct answer.
Exams must be taken in line with the following module order, however you can attempt the exams within each module in any order:
If your status allows you to enter for exams across modules, please remember that you must complete the exams in order and enter for outstanding exams in your current module if you wish to enter to sit exams in the next module.
For example, you may have already passed the Accountant in Business (AB) and Management Accounting (MA) exams. You can enter for the Financial Accounting (FA) and Corporate and Business Law (LW) exams at the same time, but you would not be allowed to only enter for Corporate and Business Law (LW).