Accounting Technician Course

millyvanilli

josiepau wrote: »

well, my dilemma was rather whether I CAN do it... not whether to do it or not... but I've decided to go for it with the help of your kind words... so wish me luck... also, does anyone know where to find any tests from previous years from this course? thanks[/quo

All past papers are on the student section of the IATI website.or as it is now called accounting technicians ireland try this link

http://www.accountingtechniciansireland.ie/Students/Course_Materials/Past_papers/Past_papers.html

josiepau

millyvanili, you're the best... thanks sooooo much...

musky

Did the IATI and finished it just over 2 years ago, my friend was doing the CAT, I looked at the text books she had and they were not the same at all.

IATI is at least twice the qualification of the CAT

The CAT seems quite dumbed down IMO.

Also when I was in a recruitment agency back in 2007 looking for a job the guy there told me that the CAT isn't really regarded highly with any institution other than the ACCA wheras the IATI is perceived to be as good as a pass degree and will give you great exemptions.

josiepau

hi musky, I have heard that CAT is not as good as IATI... one would expect that when ACCA is offering it would be something better... I can't really compare myself as I have just started IATI few weeks back but seems that we are going through a looooot of stuff... not sure whether I will remember all of it at the exam week... would prefer to have exams twice a year and split the amount of information but I don't think they are going to do that just because of me... hopefully will pass those exams....

musky

Hi Josie,

I think that the exams just once a year has its advantages (as well as disadvantages).

I felt that it allowed me to focus on that week in may instead of dreading two sets of exams in a(an academic) year.

As a result I was able to score quite well in the exams, i would recommend that you really scrutinise the exam papers and make yourself an exam plan as soon as you can, repetition and planning paid off for me.

Even if you revise each subject for an hour or two a week it will really help to reinforce the material, i can remember switching off in class many a time and the weekend read over was crucial.

The great thing about the IATI is that your exams are averaged so that your award can be 'brought up' if you score higher in the subjects that you are good at.

I'm considering CIMA myself and it allows two exam sittings a year, i would be tempted to do 8 exams in the year but i may make a balls of them if i try to do too much.

I'm not sure why the ACCA have the CAT exams so weak, but maybe they're trying to emphasise their main qualification as beng more attractive.

Best of luck in the exams, if you put the work in you will do well.

josiepau

hi musky,
I will try to study a little bit (or a bit more ) every week... I know it didn't really pay off when I studied back home and thought I can learn everything in one week... but have to say I had a great time during the whole year... we also had 2 sets of exams which to me is an advantage... as I think there is just too much information to remember otherwise... but maybe my brain is not big enough... or maybe it's just lazy... :rolleyes: I am not quite sure in which subject I will be good at... (if any)... but will do my best... :cool: our finance director did CIMA... but it could have been few years back... good luck to you with all the exams whether you take it easy or will want to score 8 a year...

musky

Thanks Josie, you'll be fine, remember if I can do it anyone can

The law is very interesting and the management and IT is a bit boring (to me anyway)

abi sant clare

Hi Miss Piggy
I'v just applied for IATI in limerick senior. After 2 years doin Accounting Technician can u go on and do BBS? I tink i would like to go down the same path as u did but i don't have any work experience. Do they put u in work experience as part of the course? Wud appreciate any advice you might have.
Thanks in advance

misspiggy40

Hi there. I have just finished my BBS (Hons) Accounting with the IPA who are accredited by NUI Maynooth. I got into year 3 with my accounting tech exemptions. (They don't send you on work experience though.) I found the IATI a fabulous basis for the BBS. I don't know what exemptions other colleges give.

My thinking was this. Two years in IATI gets you two exempt years in the BBS. The BBS gets you to professional level in the ACCA (nine exams exempt). I hope to finish the ACCA in 12-18 months.(another 5 exams) I probably would not have finished the ACCA any sooner and I now have the Accounting Tech and BBS as well.

Hope all goes well for you. I was 20 years out of education when I started the IATI. It really does start from the very beginning so give it a good lash. Keep in touch if you like.;)

abi sant clare

thats brillant advice, thanks very much

russ2010

HI

I was thinking of registering for the iati course this sept. Basically i work with Sage Accounts and payroll at the moment and im hoping to further my studies to gain a higher qualification in accounts.

Can anyone give me some advice on the iati course and what are the possibilities after finishing this 2 year course. Example, exemptions onto other courses?

thanks

misspiggy40

Hi Russ. The following link shows the exemptions.

http://www.accountingtechniciansireland.ie/Files/Documents_and_Forms/Guide_to_Further_Studies.pdf

russ2010

Thanks for your help much appreciated.

Have you completed the iati course ? If so, what is your views of the course.

smcgiff

misspiggy40 wrote: »

Hi Russ. The following link shows the exemptions.

http://www.accountingtechniciansireland.ie/Files/Documents_and_Forms/Guide_to_Further_Studies.pdf

Interesting - the notoriously stingy (when it comes to exemptions) CIMA and CPAI give good exemptions, whereas CAI (surprisingly as they are the IATI sponsors) and ACCA give relatively poor exemptions.

misspiggy40

I am a total fan of the course though not neccessarily of the IATI themselves. The course is a great foundation for further studies. It starts from basics. The syllabus has changed somewhat since I did it. I would say for the better. The IT part, which I found woefully boring, has been swapped for Integrated accounting systems. I gather that is Sage or Tas plus other stuff. I sailed through Tax, Man Acc and Financial Accounting in my BBS with the IATI as a basis. In fact I would go as far as to say that the IATI was every bit as tough as the degree was because I was starting from scratch.

You pay for every item with IATI. Even if you need transcripts later you have to pay. I suppose it is all like that now though. Nothing for nothing. It is also €160 a year membership after you qualify if you want to use the MIATI letters.

I got into year3 with IPA for their Business Degree after the IATI and I see that is not on the list.;);)

Neyite

Accounting Technicians Course (ATI – Formerly IATI)

Year 1: Financial Accounting 1 Pass Rate 50% Core Subject
Taxation 1 Pass Rate 50% Core Subject
Law & Ethics Pass Rate 40%
Business Management Pass Rate 40%

Year 2: Financial Accounting 2 Pass Rate 50%
Taxation 2 Pass Rate 50%
Integrated Accounting Systems Pass Rate 70%
Management Accounting Pass Rate 50%

You may have exemptions in these subjects if you have studied before, but you will need to check with ATI, and probably pay a fee not to sit the exam.

Once you pass your exams, you become an Affiliate member. You need to complete 2 years minimum related work experience to become a full Accounting Technician. if you are already working in an accounting field, and have the experience you can become a full member immediately after completing your exams. Exam sessions are twice a year, May and August.

Study wise – expect to spend a minimum of 100 hrs per subject excluding your classes and possibly homework. per year. They give seminars on each subject twice in the year – weekends. Expect to study more in second year as it’s a little tougher.

Costs: like a few people have said, you pay for everything. But I can give you a breakdown of what are mandatory and what are optional, and what I paid over 2 years:

Year 1
Registration – once only €100 Mandatory
Annual Subscription €90 Mandatory
Textbooks for all subjects €176 Mandatory
Exam fees each per subject €70 x4 Mandatory
Seminars each €70 Optional
Course fees to College varies Mandatory (750 in my College)

Year 2
Annual Subscription €95 Mandatory
Textbooks each €60 Mandatory
Exam fees each per subject €70 x3 Mandatory
Integrated Accounts Systems Exam Fee €120 Mandatory
Seminars each €70 Optional
Course fees to College varies Mandatory (800 in my College)

Be aware that if you decide to get additional grinds, defer, exemptions, transcripts etc there are additional costs to pay.

Some employers may cover some or all of the costs, some don’t. Others are agreeable to working out a deduction over the year from salary to smooth out costs. Same for study /exam leave some employers give this, some don’t.

Overall, I am glad I did the course. There were problems with the textbooks last year, with errors in some, especially tax. A new one was eventually issued in January, with a free seminar thrown in. They were also a stupid price, considering they were a basic spiral bound A4 booklet, whereas the previous year, they used published textbooks you would find in a bookshop. This year, the price of the books may come down as it did not go down well last year at all.

We had one lecturer who, while very nice as a person, just could not teach for toffee. So if comparing certain colleges make sure you ask existing students there how good the lecturers are. For Tax and Accounting especially, you will need them. (to a certain extent IMO, the other subjects can be self-learned if you are good at theory learning) with the others, it’s mainly technique following a set format.)

There were other issues, such as the fact that the chapter questions in the books didn’t have solutions- these were only available after Christmas on the website. The institute was given this feedback last year from our class and I’m sure others had the same gripes, so maybe they will have addressed these issues. i have heard though that the institute is no better and no worse than the others in the accounting industry, through talking to fully qualified and students of the other bodies.

this is not the kind of course that you can turn up and just get certified at the end of it. it does require a lot of effort. i think that some in my class (and myself also) had the ‘how hard can it be, its only sums’ and got a rather big surprise.

if you have never studied bookkeeping or Accountancy, or are out of study for some time, its worthwhile picking up the leaving cert accounting book and having a go at that before you sign up. The classes, once they start, move fast and are intensive, so for the few quid a second hand one will cost, i think its worth it.

abi sant clare

which college did you study??? i'm hoping to hear from limerick senior and am wondering what its like there

Neyite

nope, not limerick. i dont know anyone who went there, sorry.

Lolllyf

Hi, I am thinking of applying for the Accounting Technician Course (IATI) in Waterford City. They are holding the course in the CTI and the WIT and was wondering if anyone has ever done the course in ether colleges? I am currently working in payroll & accounts and am looking for a qualification, can anyone tell me if it would be worth my while?
Thanks

smcgiff

Lolllyf wrote: »

I am currently working in payroll & accounts and am looking for a qualification, can anyone tell me if it would be worth my while?
Thanks

I imagine it depends on whether you want to progress from payroll to a broader role. The Technician qualification may help you progress within your current company.

Of course having the IATI qualification will also make you more employable externally, but to what degree is debatable.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

Francesco10

Would there be any point in doing this after graduating with a degree in Business studies? I'd be getting exemptions for first year so I'd only be doing second year. I'd really like to forge a career in finance and find myself unemployed so rather than doing nothing I was hoping this would help further my opportunities.

kilburn

If I was you, I would check what exemptions you can get from ACCA and ACA for the chartered route, take a little longer and you will have far better prospects.

06MO

I'm currently in year one of the ATI accounting technician course. I'm hoping some of you who have finished the ATI course can offer me advice about how to progress to ACCA because I was told this is the best route to take to become qualified.

1) In order to get exemptions from ACCA what percentage do I need to get in years 1 and 2 of the ATI exams and what ACCA exams would I be exempt from?

2) Is it true that if I fail one of the ATI exams in May but pass it in August that I would not qualify for the ACCA exemption as all exams have to be passed in one sitting?

3) I was told the ATI course would exempt me from three of the ACCA exams, would I need to do 11 more ACCA exams to become qualified?

4) How do most people study for the ACCA exams, i.e, in a college like DBS or buy the books and study alone. What are the sort of costs I should expect if I choose to do ACCA?

I would really love to hear from anyone who did the ATI course and what route you took afterwards?

oz_solo

Hi, I am looking for some advise too!
I am considering doing the ATI exams or starting with ACCA exams any advise about what is best would be a great help!

* Is the ATI a good building block for future acca exams as i ve not been in college for over 10yrs? Or is it a waste to study ATI
for 2 yrs just to get exempt from 3 acca exams when you could have been studying for acca exams instead?

*Or is it best to start with acca exams?

Any advise appreciated.
Thanks