ACA (ICAEW) Course Modules and Structure for International Students

Stage 1 - Knowledge

If you have a degree in accountancy or business, an AAT qualification or membership of a professional body accredited by ICAEW you may be exempt from this stage. The Knowledge stage gives students the basic tools needed in order to progress onto the Application stage. All exams are computer based assessments.

Find out more about the Knowledge stage

Stage 2 - Application

If you have a relevant degree you may be granted exemptions from some of the papers. The papers in this stage can be taken in any order, which gives students the opportunity to tackle courses in an order that suits them. The Application stage exams build upon the knowledge gained during the Knowledge stage, and require students to apply this knowledge to scenario based questions. All exams during this stage are 2.5 hour written examinations.

Find out more about the Application stage

Stage 3 - Advanced

The advanced stage tests all your professional skills through multidisciplinary exams. There are two technical papers that are both 3.5 hours long and your studies culminate with a 4 hour case study based on the Harvard Business School Model.

Find out more about the Advanced stage

Back to the ACA (ICAEW) Course page