If anybody has time to offer advice I would be grateful. I am only just starting to look into my options now and I have lots of reading still to do.
I have worked for several years in a variety of finance roles. I started in accounts payable, then moved on to accounts receivable & credit control, financial accounts (mostly balance sheet recs with some basic tax work) and more recently I have had a few management account roles.
I completed the ACCA CAT exams and then transferred to the ACCA qualification, I hope to be 'part qualified' on Feb 8 if I pass my last exam at that level.
I am however not sure if I want to carry on studying the ACCA qualification (if I do I have 5 exams left to be qualified) and I am seriously considering moving into bookkeeping with the aim of working for myself as a bookkeeper at some point in the future.
I will have to move jobs very soon as my fixed term contract comes to an end, do you think I will be able to get work as a bookkeeper with my qualifications/experience?
As for qualifications to help me work as a bookkeeper going forward I would like some help. It sounds like AAT may be best and I wish I had completed the AAT qualification rather than CAT as I believe you can offer more as a self employed bookkeeper than you can with the ACCA CAT qualification (I am only just beginning to look into this now). I had a very quick look on the AAT website and I will definitely need to spend a bit more time trying to familiarise myself with the AAT qualifications over the next few days. Is anybody familiar enough with AAT to advise if I would be given any exemptions as I already passed all the CAT exams or would I have do start from the beginning. Also if you complete 'The AAT Qualification' do you complete the bookkeeping (manual and/or computerised) exams along the way or are the bookkeeping units stand alone?
Thanks for taking time to read this and if you can help in anyway it would really help.
you're not being ignored but you may want to bounce this at 8 a.m. on Monday morning as afraif that you've picked the wrong week for this sort of question.
You've probably noticed that the posts are mainly technical or stressed out silliness this week but normal service should return next when I look forwards to chatting,
Sorry for the delayed reply, you've not been forgotten about,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
If you scroll down to "How do I join?", click on the green link "guidance for professional applicants" in the first paragraph after this title. This will download a pdf. If you scroll down the pdf you will eventually get to a section which shows what exemptions are available for ACCA part qualifieds.
As a part qualified you will probably have to do the Professional Competency Test. This is a simple Level 2, 40 question multiple choice test which they give you loads of time to do. You can do this test at work if they are prepared to set it up for you. I decided it was easier to go to AAT HQ in London and do the test there.
I am CIMA part qualified and joined AAT via this route.
Shamus and David
Thank you very much for taking time to respond to my question.
The AAT option for part qualified students sounds exactly what I need. I am writing my practical experience up now (although I think this will take me a few weeks as things are a bit hectic at the moment and I may as well get the CAT AND ACCA professional qualification experience both done at the same time) and hope to be part qualified by next week. I can then think about applying for MAAT. I can still carry on with my ACCA professional qualification if I want too so it sounds like I have some options.
I just need to get a job back in financial accounts or bookkeeping while I am looking into all of this and then I can't see why my long term goal of working for myself cannot happen.
I don't know if you have been following the other thread on here of a PQ looking to practice under the ICB banner but ACCA regulation 8 effectively prevents you from being ACCA (any strain of it ACCA professional qualification, FIA or CAT) and practicing under someone elses banner.
I note that you say that you are looking to move up to PQ (well done you, great qualification) but also MAAT where whilst that is a great move if you just want more letters in order to gain employment, if you are looking for self employment whilst training it's a non starter.
What of course you can do whilst you are a PQ is register with HMRC for MLR and offer services up to trial balance including VAT and Payroll. (No accounts, no tax).
You cannot however make any reference anywhere to your ACCA or CAT status in relation to offering your services so to all intent and purpose there is no difference to someone viewing your details to an unqualified offering their services.
What I'm basically saying is that MAAT and PQ closes the door to offering bookkeeping services directly. PQ without MAAT it's fine but you must be registered for MLR with HMRC and cannot go beyond trial balance unless supervised.
If you are looking at employment only then MAAT and PQ is a fantastic way to go.
Sorry, the whole things a minefield of non joined up thinking and it's so easy to make a costly mistake.
Sure that we'll be talking again soon about this,
kindest regards,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Shamus
OK, so I have lots of options and I need to decide what I actually want to do and do lots more reading too before I do anything else, lesson learnt!!
Your post is really useful, thank you for taking time to respond.
