ICAEW ACA Accounting (ICAEW)

It is ICAEW's chartered accountancy qualification, described by ICAEW as one of the most advanced learning and professional development programmes available and valued around the world in business, practice and the public sector. Accounting sits at Certificate Level, the first stage, and underpins the technical modules that follow.

It is aimed at people beginning ACA training, including graduates, school leavers on apprenticeship routes and career changers, plus finance staff in business or the public sector who need a formal grounding in double-entry bookkeeping and financial statement preparation before moving on to more advanced modules.

Expect double-entry bookkeeping, books of prime entry, ledger accounts, the trial balance, period-end adjustments such as accruals, prepayments, depreciation and irrecoverable debts, and the preparation of a statement of profit or loss and statement of financial position for a sole trader or simple company.

This page does not state the number of questions or the exam duration, because the ICAEW module page could not be retrieved when the page was written. Check the current ICAEW syllabus and exam guidance, or ask your tuition provider, before you plan your timing practice.

The pass mark is not stated here. ICAEW sets and publishes its own pass marks and grade boundaries, and these can change between sittings, so confirm the current requirement directly with ICAEW rather than relying on second-hand figures from forums or older study material.

No fee is quoted on this page, since the relevant ICAEW page was unavailable at the time of writing. Exam and tuition fees are set by ICAEW and vary by location and by whether you sit through a tuition provider, so check your student portal or the ICAEW website for current pricing.

Retake rules, including any limit on the number of attempts and any waiting period between sittings, are not stated here. These are governed by ICAEW regulations, so read the current student regulations or contact ICAEW directly before assuming you can resit immediately.

Build ledger mechanics first: debits and credits, books of prime entry and the trial balance. Then practise period-end adjustments until each is routine. Only then attempt full financial statements under timed conditions, because most marks are lost in adjustments rather than in the basic bookkeeping.

Typical errors include reversing debits and credits, forgetting to adjust the trial balance for accruals and prepayments, misposting depreciation to the wrong account, and running out of time on the statement of financial position. Practise writing out workings neatly so method marks are visible.

No. This is independent study material written to help candidates revise. It is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or approved by ICAEW, and it does not reproduce any official question bank. Always treat ICAEW's own syllabus, regulations and exam guidance as the authoritative source.