After two years in an accountancy technician course, what's the next step?

legendary.xix

Hi all, I've been looking over past threads on Accountancy Technician courses. I'm looking for clarity on the next step after the two years? Is someone looking at two or three more years before being fully qualified?

My understanding is that a one year CPA course, only having to do two modules if have successfully gone through 2 years of ATI, is one next step before a possible other two years. Is there a short-cut of is that the best option.

barneystinson

legendary.xix wrote: »

Hi all, I've been looking over past threads on Accountancy Technician courses. I'm looking for clarity on the next step after the two years? Is someone looking at two or three more years before being fully qualified?

My understanding is that a one year CPA course, only having to do two modules if have successfully gone through 2 years of ATI, is one next step before a possible other two years. Is there a short-cut of is that the best option.

If you want to be an accountant do the professional accountancy exams, if you want to be a bookkeeper or accounts payable etc do the ATI, there's not much point doing the ATI in order to become an accountant.

Pauvre Con

barneystinson wrote: »

If you want to be an accountant do the professional accountancy exams, if you want to be a bookkeeper or accounts payable etc do the ATI, there's not much point doing the ATI in order to become an accountant.

I don't think the likes of the ACCA except anyone off the street. An accounts technician course gives access to the chartered bodies and gives exemptions.

legendary.xix

barneystinson wrote: »

If you want to be an accountant do the professional accountancy exams, if you want to be a bookkeeper or accounts payable etc do the ATI, there's not much point doing the ATI in order to become an accountant.

I've read a number of people on here come from that angle.

I want to be an accountant. Being in my late 20's in a way I'd like the quickest route but I've little grounding in business studies. I did all science subjects for my leaving and didn't even do business studies for the junior cycle.

From the research I've done, I'll be happy to build up a two year grounding in the accounts technician course even if it is the scenic route. What's for one person is not for another.

Thanks for your input. It's appreciated to give me food for thought!

Pauvre Con wrote: »

I don't think the likes of the ACCA except anyone off the street. An accounts technician course gives access to the chartered bodies and gives exemptions.

Thanks for your reply. My understanding is I could go the ACCA route and it's a shorter route. Where it does not seem for me is I want to build up a grounding and have something to show for at least two years work. I think I'll benefit from the class environment of the accounts technician course. I'd hope from there I'll have more of an idea of my next step.



I read on the CPA website:
"Once you have completed the Accounting Technician exams, you are entitled to a number of attractive exemptions from the CPA exams.

Formation 1: All subjects - Exempt
Formation 2: Financial Accounting - Exempt, Taxation - Exempt, Information Systems - NOT Exempt, Management Accounting - NOT Exempt

This will leave a total of 10 subjects: 2 subjects at Formation 2, 4 subjects at Professional 1 and 4 subjects at Professional 2.

The CPA qualification is open to all and you do not need to be working in a relevant area to start your study. Flexible study options are available at our approved educators around the country, including full time, part time, weekend, distance and E-Learning options. In many cases you will have studied for your accounting technician’s qualification with an educator that also teaches the CPA qualification. If you have previous relevant experience it may be possible that it will count towards the three years relevant supervised training you must obtain to become a fully qualified CPA."

Is that the next step. I know the college where I'm looking to do the accounts technician course have a year course for Formation 2.

Where the step after that? Is it doing a two year business degree course that covers Professional 1 and Professional 2? Or is there a number of options at that stage?

Pauvre Con

I can vouch from a personal perspective is that it's best to go the shortest route! If you are able to join the ACCA now it's much better to do that than spend two years studying an accounts technician course and then still have a lot of exams still ahead of you. I have an AAT (the UK version of the IATI) and an accounting degree and aren't too impressed with myself that after all that study I'm still doing more of it by having to plough through the ACCA units. Accountancy is not exactly a fun subject to study.

smcgiff

Pauvre Con wrote: »

I don't think the likes of the ACCA except anyone off the street. An accounts technician course gives access to the chartered bodies and gives exemptions.

If you are over 21 they will.

Also, there's an acca route that allows you to have a technician qualification as you study for the prof exams. Other bodies may have similar routes.

Personally, i'd advise against the technician route as per the info supplied by the op, but each to their own.

Pauvre Con

smcgiff wrote: »

If you are over 21 they will.

Also, there's an acca route that allows you to have a technician qualification as you study for the prof exams. Other bodies may have similar routes.

Personally, i'd advise against the technician route as per the info supplied by the op, but each to their own.

Really? Someone that left school at 16 and worked in the Argos stockroom for 10 years could join the ACCA? :eek:

smcgiff

Yes - you are given 4 chances to pass two exams. If you do you are transferred to the General student body.

The_Conductor

Pauvre Con wrote: »

Really? Someone that left school at 16 and worked in the Argos stockroom for 10 years could join the ACCA? :eek:

Providing the pass the exams- yes. They have two chances to pass- and if they fail in those two chances- thats it, ACCA closed off.

smcgiff

smccarrick wrote: »

Providing the pass the exams- yes. They have two chances to pass- and if they fail in those two chances- thats it, ACCA closed off.

Is it only two, thought it was 4, no? Only two does seem a bit harsh.

Edit - just checked, 2 years to pass, which would be 4 sittings potentially.

Pauvre Con

Hmm. Was it always so inclusive? If that's the case then I agree, I wouldn't do an accounts technician course either. I'm realising now that I made some poor decisions in my 20s and wish I'd have had something like boards.ie to have gotten some wisdom!

Pauvre Con

Actually I've just checked the ACCA website myself and perhaps the UK is different to Ireland (I'm English) and it looks like someone without any qualifications has to sit up to 7 exams (no time or age limit) to be able to study the ACCA qualification. But as this ultimately gives you exemptions from F1-3 it's still preferable to going down an accounts technician route.

http://www.accaglobal.com/en/qualifications/glance/foundation-level/how-it-works.html

smcgiff

Hi P C,

Google MSER - mature entry

The Idyll Race

The next step?

Spend the next twenty years working for a load of beggars-on-horseback as their Company Accountant who think you are a miracle worker and abuse you from a height when you are not.

SBWife

Mature entry route for ACCA, you pass the equivalent of F2 and F3 over a2 year period, then you are eligible to take the remainder of the Exams. TBH they are very easy exams and if you can't get them on the first sitting, you'd have very little chance of being able to complete the remainder.

legendary.xix

Pauvre Con wrote: »

I can vouch from a personal perspective is that it's best to go the shortest route! If you are able to join the ACCA now it's much better to do that than spend two years studying an accounts technician course and then still have a lot of exams still ahead of you. I have an AAT (the UK version of the IATI) and an accounting degree and aren't too impressed with myself that after all that study I'm still doing more of it by having to plough through the ACCA units. Accountancy is not exactly a fun subject to study.

Did you have a good base in business studies? The accounts technician course can provide part-time courses which I think would benefit someone in my position than diving in to ACCA which is more or less self-thought if I'm right on that?

If I'd done business studies I'd consider ACCA but it doesn't seem the right route though shorter. Two years down the road I could decide to go another direction. I also need to get back into the study environment.

smcgiff wrote: »

If you are over 21 they will.

Also, there's an acca route that allows you to have a technician qualification as you study for the prof exams. Other bodies may have similar routes.

Personally, i'd advise against the technician route as per the info supplied by the op, but each to their own.

Am I right in saying ACCA is more self-thought? There's plenty of option in accounts tech courses. Each to their own as you say but for some need a study environment to get back into studies.

Pauvre Con wrote: »

Hmm. Was it always so inclusive? If that's the case then I agree, I wouldn't do an accounts technician course either. I'm realising now that I made some poor decisions in my 20s and wish I'd have had something like boards.ie to have gotten some wisdom!

Hmmm. I hope I won't be thinking the same. I need to get your answer from above first but there's surely something to be said for accounts tech course for people without a foundation in business studies at all?

SBWife wrote: »

Mature entry route for ACCA, you pass the equivalent of F2 and F3 over a2 year period, then you are eligible to take the remainder of the Exams. TBH they are very easy exams and if you can't get them on the first sitting, you'd have very little chance of being able to complete the remainder.

I've asked for advice, I am listening. Thanks to the three of ye for ye're input so far. Ye three make it a 3-0 vote for ACCA! I'd like to ye're view on the following:

1) For someone without a base in business studies in secondary level, I'd see the accounts technician course as a good basis to get into accounting in a study/college environment while still being able to work.

2) Unless I'm mistaken, ACCA is self-thought. I'd see it as a good route for people with some grounding in business studies. For people without that grounding, accounting technician though longer would seem to be the better route to go. Firstly in terms of building up knowledge in the area and second the use of tutorial classes an an environment to learn.

SBWife

You can take courses for ACCA they're offered by Griffith, Independent, and DBS among others. Or you can buy the texts and practice questions and work through them yourself, regardless of the route you take opentuition.com is a very helpful site for students.

There's no assumed knowledge, the foundation level (F1-3) starts with the very basics.

I don't see any reason to take the ATI unless you actually want to be a bookkeeper.

Pauvre Con

smcgiff wrote: »

Hi P C,

Google MSER - mature entry

Yeah, I saw that. But I also read that its been abolished as of last year and these new foundation entry level units put in place instead. Reading the website of the ACCA it makes no mention of a mature student exemption.

legendary.xix wrote: »

Did you have a good base in business studies? The accounts technician course can provide part-time courses which I think would benefit someone in my position than diving in to ACCA which is more or less self-thought if I'm right on that?

If I'd done business studies I'd consider ACCA but it doesn't seem the right route though shorter. Two years down the road I could decide to go another direction. I also need to get back into the study environment.

I did an AAT in England with absolutely no prior knowledge of accounting. However looking at the new ACCA "Foundation in Accountancy" units (see link I posted on page 1) these seem like they'd give you a good platform from which to go on and study the ACCA units proper. Personally I can't stress enough how much I now regret wasting my time doing an accounting technician course and a degree as my enthusiasm for study was finite and after 4 years worth of it I'd absolutely had enough of the subject. Now years later I am reluctantly working my way through the ACCA exams in an attempt to become qualified; but it's all the more galling as I know full well that I'm merely jumping through hoops to get a bit of paper that won't actually make me a better employee. My advice is an emphatic yes to starting immediately on the road to getting chartered. Don't make the mistakes that I made!

smcgiff

Pauvre Con wrote: »

Yeah, I saw that.

Must have missed where you mentioned it.

It looks like mature students that don't have the minimum requirements must do a foundation course. But, you would have been able to go straight into ACCA through the MSER.

Pauvre Con

smcgiff wrote: »

Must have missed where you mentioned it.

It looks like mature students that don't have the minimum requirements must do a foundation course. But, you would have been able to go straight into ACCA through the MSER.

I'm learning all this out today, mate. I was looking at it from the perspective of the OP i.e. what's relevent now. But you're right, as I was in my early twenties when i decided to change track and go into accountancy I would have been able to claim MSER - unless in 2000 the rules were different back then. I only regretted going to uni before today - now I regret the AAT too! lol :rolleyes:

But that's why I really don't want people to make the same mistakes, only to regret it years later.

legendary.xix

SBWife wrote: »

You can take courses for ACCA they're offered by Griffith, Independent, and DBS among others. Or you can buy the texts and practice questions and work through them yourself, regardless of the route you take opentuition.com is a very helpful site for students.

There's no assumed knowledge, the foundation level (F1-3) starts with the very basics. I don't see any reason to take the ATI unless you actually want to be a bookkeeper.

Pauvre Con wrote: »

My advice is an emphatic yes to starting immediately on the road to getting chartered. Don't make the mistakes that I made!;)

Pauvre Con wrote: »

I'm learning all this out today, mate. I was looking at it from the perspective of the OP i.e. what's relevent now.
But that's why I really don't want people to make the same mistakes, only to regret it years later.

Thanks all for ye're words of wisdom and opening my eyes, giving me a wider perspective on what I've been looking at. What ye're saying makes perfect sense. I'll have to go back to the drawing board and research this ACCA option. I know little on it to be honest but thankfully I've an uncle in this line of business, I'm well armed to quiz him for the direction I'll look to take!

Good luck in ye're respective careers!

spygirl

came across your thread while looking for information on this very subject. Just wondering if you made anymore headway with your research?

legendary.xix

spygirl wrote: »

came across your thread while looking for information on this very subject. Just wondering if you made anymore headway with your research?

I'd agree with information provided that ACCA seems a better route. I'm busy working abroad at the moment but early next year I'll be looking to sign up for ACCA exams.

Sok878

Hi Legendary,
The route I took was ATI - 2 years. Then CPA -3 years. ( can be done in two ) my main reason for this was that if accountancy wasn't for me and I left after two years at least I would have a qualification. If you start ACCA or CPA and leave after two years you get nothing. ATI is also a great grounding for studying either body CPA or ACCA. When I finished ATI our class went both routes ( CPA & ACCA) and all said that they were ahead of the others in class that never did ATI.

(I can only advise on my CPA route )
If you qualify ATI in 2 years then your first year CPA is only 2 subjects after exemptions . Some ambitious students( not me ! ) decided to sit the two year 1 CPA subjects in August after finishing the ATI in May( reason being is that the two CPA subjects were very alike the subjects you had just studied in year two ATI. By doing this and passing them it meant going straight to P1 in your 3rd year of study. Then P2 the final year and you're qualified. ( 4 years ) Simple eh !!

I wasn't that ambitious so decided that year 3 with two subjects would be a bit of a break from the hard task of 4 subjects. So like I said. 5 years it took me. A long slog but graduate in December coming so thankfully it's at an end.
Best of luck in your choices,
Any accountancy qualification is a great asset to have both in Ireland and worldwide.
Enjoy !