WHAT IS THE CAT QUALIFICATION?
CAT stands for Certified Accounting Technician and the qualification provides a strong foundation of knowledge in finance and accounting. It is provided by the ACCA for those students who do not wish to study for the full ACCA Qualification or who do not satisfy the entry requirements and wish to study later for the full ACCA Qualification.
BENEFITS OF OBTAINING THE CAT QUALIFICATION
The qualification proves to employers that you have all the technical skills and knowledge needed to perform an accounts-support role and that you are capable of working at a technician level.
In addition, once the qualification has been obtained you are able to continue your studies with the ACCA Qualification and will be exempt from the first three ACCA examinations.
STUDYING FOR THE CAT QUALIFICATION
In order to obtain the qualification it is necessary to pass 9 examinations (although if you have previous qualifications or relevant practical experience then you may be exempt from some of the examinations).
- FA1, MA1, FA2, MA2, FAB, FFA and FMA
- two of the three specialist papers (FAU: Foundations in Audit, FFM: Foundations in Financial Management or FTX: Foundations in Taxation)
- a practical experience requirement
- Foundations in Professionalism (online ethics module)
You can study in any way you like – you can attend courses, study at home with books, or study on-line.
Free study materials for the CAT Qualification are available on the OpenTuition
The exams are held twice a year – in June and in December – and at each sitting you can attempt as many exams as you like (up to a maximum of 4 at one sitting), or no exams at all! There is no time limit for completing the examinations.
Exams are held at the same time in most countries throughout the world. Please check FIA exam dates
HOW TO REGISTER AS A CAT STUDENT
You must register as a student with the ACCA before starting to take the examinations.
This can be done on-line using the ACCA’s website ( www.accaglobal.com )
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The only compulsory costs are those payable to the ACCA. They charge a registration fee, an annual subscription while you are a student, and an exam fee each time you take an examination. You can find the current costs and deadlines here >>
These costs do not cover the cost of studying for the exams. This depends on how you choose to study.
FIND OUT MORE
You can find full details of the CAT qualification and the examinations on the ACCA page