CAT - total beginner, help

EdwardHopper

Hi Guys, looking for advice. I have no accountancy experience. I want to start studying for CAT but the myriad of websites are confusing me.
1) Is it possible to study it part-time without committing to classes twice a week? I've been out of studying for 15yrs now, my job is unrelated to this, high stress, will not allow me study leave etc (and I don't want to tell them I'm studying this yet anyway).
2) A number of websites (eg BPP) I've looked up seem to advertise doing ACCA but when you look deeper they don't seem to do courses for CAT - am I right?
3) If I could knuckle down is it feasible I could do the CBEs alone with no classes?
Bit of background: I've never done commerce or accountancy. I did do hons maths to leaving cert and have a good feel for figures but I've bought one book and the whole double entry thing has thrown me

jockey#1

I have completed both the CAT and ACCA professional exams. To answer your questons

1. It is definitely possible to study the CAT course part-time.
2. Do you intend on doing the course wth classes or distance learning? BPP provide distance learning materials. I am sure colleges in Cork and Dublin provide this course by night.
3. The course is relatively straightforward, distance learning would be more than adequate. Double entry will come to you with time.

If I had my time again I would not bother with the CAT exams and go straight to doing the ACCA exams. If your long term plan is to be an accountant then I would consider the ACCA exams over the CAT. With the CAT qualification you get exemptions from the first three ACCA exams however doing the CAT course means taking eight exams.

Best of luck anyhow

Jockey

Zamboni

Hi it depends what you need.

I am doing the CAT finals at the mo and have used the courses, books etc.

I find the BPP books incredibly poor. I am tempted to make a list of terms that are questioned in the past papers which never even get mentioned in the books and make a complaint.

If you need assistance getting the basics down like double entry do a couple of classes.

To be honest if you have the head and the self discipline you can pass the exams using just the ACCA CAT study guides for each subject and the past papers and answers.
All of the information and better than a book provides are freely available on the internet.
It's a hell of a lot cheaper too.

EdwardHopper

Thanks both of you.

I'll try with self discipline first - I can't commit to 2 nights a week & hoped for a 1 night a week option but that doesn't seem to exist.

I've got a couple of books (Kaplan and another) for the first level & it all seemed logical enough until we hit the double entry issue . . . cue crisis of confidence! But I'll have a go at it again.

kilburn

I wouldnt bother with the CAT.
I just finished IATI and realised that I have wasted 2 years of my life, you should just go straight into the ACCA exams

smcgiff

Ah to be fair, you've probably only wasted 1 year

kilburn

feels like 20 not gonna repeat if i fail any nots its the which to do aca or acca what are these choices so hard lol

EdwardHopper

The reason I was thinking CAT rather than ACCA was that I'm not sure I want to actually be an accountant . . . so I thought that would be a more suitable qualification for someone with mgmt experience in an unsecure private sector job who's trying to add to their knowledge, who's kinda interested in the accounts end of things, who wants a qualification with legs.

Should I still be thinking CAT rather than ACCA?

smcgiff

EdwardHopper wrote: »

Should I still be thinking CAT rather than ACCA?

Well, to help (or muddle even further) ACCA now give a diploma after the first 3 exams of the ACCA professional course and an advanced diploma after 6 other exams. Your situation is one of the reasons why they have brought in this diploma

EdwardHopper

Interesting smcgiff, is that the same as the DipFM they do?
I've just come across it, you can do it 1 night a week in DBS and it is awarded by ACCA, but I can't find anything about exemptions so I'm thinking it's a different thing to the Dip you mention. It might be a good intro to studying again though.

bananaskins

Bit late, but as an acca student i know the website can be confusing and not that user friendly so in the hope its some help here goes.No i think its a different one to the degree they currently offer from oxford brookes i think you have to submit a thesis to get that. Ive just completed F8 so must look into it now .
smcgiff is right acca now offer a dipolma after the first 3 exams which are very doable but you might want to email someone for confirmation i think its only goin to be introduced in 2011 and isnt retrospective:mad:........would have liked it for my wall hehe. F1 id easy enough to do yourself mostly theory bit of a money maker if u ask me, and CBE are great for letting you spread out the exams a bit and immediate results are great giving you the option to repeat quickly if needs be. So imo i would go for acca as its gives the option to progress if you wish n if not you can get a dipolma etc