Thinking of a career in Accountancy?

With this qualification you can call yourself an ICAEW chartered accountant. You will need to pass 14 exams and do at least 3 years of on-the-job training. It’s a very well respected and valued by businesses worldwide.

It is often thought that this is a more demanding qualification than the ACCA, but that is up for debate.

With this qualification you will become a Certified Chartered Accountant. Again this is a qualification which is respected all over the world. This is the largest exam body with 527,000 students and 219,000 fully qualified members.

You will need to complete 13 exams.

Again, internationally recognised, this qualification is often an entry route into ACA or ACCA. AAT is a Level 4 qualification whereas ACA and ACCA are Level 7.

Many students start at Level 2 to qualify for entry-level accounting roles, but you can start at Level 3 if you have relevant skills and experience. These qualifications give you the opportunity to progress to an AAT Licensed Accountant (you can even open your own practice!).

This qualification is also internationally recognised and focuses on Management, Costing & Financial Accounting whereas the focus of ACCA is more on auditing and accounting. This qualification could be better for you if you're looking to pursue a management or strategic business role. You will become a management accountant.

This qualification is dedicated to public financial management so great if you want to work in the public sector. Again it is a Level 7 qualification and globally recognised.

ICAS is a global professional membership organisation, regulator and educator, like many of the other awarding bodies. Although headquartered in Scotland, ICAS has members and trainees all over the UK. Members can use the letter CA (chartered accountant) after their name. ICAS is one of the smallest awarding bodies in terms of trainee numbers but is highly respected as a qualifcation.

The Association of Taxation Technicians is a charity and the leading professional body for those providing UK tax compliance services. They have over 9,900 Members and Fellows (qualified individuals), together with over 7,000 students. Members and Fellows use the practising title 'Taxation Technician' or 'Taxation Technician (Fellow)' respectively.