CPA v ACCA

gwendoc

Hi, looking for some advice. I am currently studying ACCA, but to be honest I am finding it a real struggle to study and still have the family/house committments also. The level of committment needed to study the volume of work in ACCA is unreal, I am trying to do 2 papers at a time, over the last 3 sittings I have passed 1 and failed 1, at this rate it will be another 4 years before I finish. I compared the pass rates for CPA to ACCA and the CPA are roughly 20% higher than ACCA. If I transfeered to CPA I would have 1 Formation 2, 2 P1 & the P2 papers to finish. I am working in practice for the last couple of years and hope to continue in practice (boss said it doesnt matter to her what 1 I do once I get qualified; the partners are a CPA & ACCA mix), I am in my 40's and have no intentions of working abroad.
Should I stick with ACCA and do the 1 at a time or switch to CPA?

Thanks
G

Past30Now

Hi Gwendoc,

I'm a member of the CPA and you'd be very welcome to take up student membership of the institute. You don't state how far along the ACCA route you have progressed but judging by your comment that you are passing one paper each sitting and expect to take another four years, you must have in the region of 8 papers remaining.

If you take up the CPA qualification you will have nine papers remaining - the difference in the standards required between my institute and the ACCA institute cannot be as big as your email would suggest. In Prof 1 you are obliged to sit all four papers in one sitting (not certain if this is still the case but it was up until recently). I would be annoyed if anybody suggested that my qualification was in some way inferior to the ACCA qualification.

I can't comment on the difference in pass rates between the two institutes but I would suggest that there is a lot to be gained by joining the CPA institute. For starters it is an Irish institute which provides detailed technical assistance to its membership, particularly those working n practice.

This however shouldn't turn into a CPA vs ACCA argument. It is very difficult to qualify as an accountant with any institute. To do so when you have family/home commitments takes a special kind of dedication. The fact that you have got close to the halfway line suggests that you have the kind of commitment required. Stick with ACCA. Take on two papers each sitting and give it the extra couple of percent it will take you to get across the line. With luck and elbow grease you'll be qualified in 2010.

Good luck.

Past 30

Climber

It is very difficult to qualify as an accountant with any institute

You've hit the nail on the head there.

Like anything in life worth getting, it's not easy!

gwendoc

Thanks girls for the advice, I think your right

Past30Now

gwendoc wrote: »

Thanks girls for the advice, I think your right

I was clearly too empathic with my response to your original post. I should have told you just to suck it up.:D

gwendoc

Moderator edit: Gwendoc, not sure where this response came from, but tone it down in future. It brings absolutely nothing to the forum.

Fishyfreak

gwendoc wrote: »

Hey
but maybe thats CPA members, they took the easier option so I suppose thats reflected in their general outlook on life.

Its a bit more of a "manly" qualifacation than the CPA.

Always one muppet isn't there.

For an aspiring ACCA your spelling and grammar is terrible, perhaps you should have taken the "easier option" too.

If you keep failing maybe you should consider one paper at a time, it might help you along. I doubt you could do 4 papers at a time with CPA if you struggle with only 2!!!

Ahh bless........ he's not the smartest.

Bren1609

gwendoc wrote: »

Hey
Sorry if I upset you, it wasnt my intention, but your response was a bit girly; but maybe thats CPA members, they took the easier option so I suppose thats reflected in their general outlook on life. "suck it up"; going on your reply its you thats been doing the sucking over the last couple of years, and we all know what you've been sucking; ya pussy. I've taken your advice and gona stick with ACCA, Its a bit more of a "manly" qualifacation than the CPA.
Good luck with your career and dont spend too much time in the bushes in the public parks this winter, apparently its gona be a cold 1.

Thanks love
G

Where's the moderator on this one?

gwendoc

Hey, I apologise for my actions, I unfortunately (for my family that is) suffer from acute depression and on occasions my actions and responses exceed expected normal reponses. Please anybody that is offended or insulted by my prior response excuse my actions.
Good luck to you all for the future
G

sunshine123

I would like to know where I can attend part time ACCA courses...starting from this year...if I am still on time! Many thanks..

indiewindy

sunshine123 wrote: »

I would like to know where I can attend part time ACCA courses...starting from this year...if I am still on time! Many thanks..

Your too late for this year, try www.dbs.ie. There are a few other colleges doing them , look at the acca site

steelbar

If you are finding the work load too much with ACCA only doing 2 exams at a time then CPA wouldnt be a good option. At the F2 and P1 stage you have to sit all exams at the same time, which without exeptions would be 4. As past30now said. At P2 you have a choice, but then you are limiting you chances.

Also you only have 4 attempts within a 2 yr period to pass or you cant continue.

And there is the marginal fail rate at these levels too, which is if you get below 35% in a subject, you lose all passes at that level, even if they were in previous sittings

The sittings on in April and August, which isnt really ideal.

I am currently at the p2 level, and if I had done proper research into it before i started, I don't know if I would of done CPA.

So my advice to you is stick with ACCA. It will be worth it

adro98

steelbar wrote: »

If you are finding the work load too much with ACCA only doing 2 exams at a time then CPA wouldnt be a good option. At the F2 and P1 stage you have to sit all exams at the same time, which without exeptions would be 4. As past30now said. At P2 you have a choice, but then you are limiting you chances.

Also you only have 4 attempts within a 2 yr period to pass or you cant continue.

And there is the marginal fail rate at these levels too, which is if you get below 35% in a subject, you lose all passes at that level, even if they were in previous sittings

The sittings on in April and August, which isnt really ideal.

I am currently at the p2 level, and if I had done proper research into it before i started, I don't know if I would of done CPA.

So my advice to you is stick with ACCA. It will be worth it

Hi there
Studying for 3 exams(P1 stage) for the April 2010 sitiings-AUD,CR,CL&G. I'm doing it by distance learning with BPP. Just wondering what the best way of studying is by doing exam papers or is by going through the whole syllabus using the book. The workload is quite daunting.Did you study by distance lraning or was it classroom based?

samsung22

Bren1609 wrote: »

Where's the moderator on this one?

He's over on the PROC;)