General ACCAWhen is the best week for the ACCA to hold exams?

Hello all, Not sure if everyone feels the same on this. I just think that booking a time off during month-end week is difficult. Hope the ACCA team will move the time to say, 3rd week of the month? Then everything for month-end would have been completed. Ed

Hi. They will never move it but I agree, it's annoying that an accountancy qualification sets exam dates close to month-end when everyone is super busy. It is what it is, we just need to get on with it.

I definately agree with the request...especially, I need to travel to another city to take exams and the company I work for has extremely strict deadlines (not days even hours in some cases)...every time I take ACCA exam, it creates big problem on my schedule (late leave from office days before and backlog to eliminate immediately the day after)...

Third week of the month for me - this would allow me to complete most of my month end work before I went off. My company allows me the time off anyway but it's not ideal - I'm sure my colleagues would be happier if it was the middle of the month!

Thank you OT for opening a poll. I think ACCA has to re-think the exam week, as it is not currently ideal for working people in the accountancy profession. I understand that there are a number who are full time students as well, so they are not bothered about it, hence we may find that first week would still be good for them and would rather choose the current system to a 'better option' for everyone.

Third week.. I keep avoiding month end closure.. it's surprising that an accounting qualification is not considering this.. but hey.. It is what it is

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I can only agree, first week is always a challenge to balance with work during month-end work. Both for time off and for last revision.

I agree. I always comment on this in the surveys that ACCA asks me to fill in. I simply cannot understand that a professional body of accountancy like ACCA which focuses so much on practical experience organizes exams in the first week of a month when most people working in finance are super-busy with the closing activities. How stupid is that???

Logical to move exams out of the month end periods. Almost seems like common sense, but if ACCA haven't even considered it for the last however many years, they're not going to do it any time soon..

I don't understand why a majority of the people vote for the 1st week, my guess is that they either work in a non-accounting role or they just love not being at work and leave their poor colleagues / bosses take their month-end workload :) Clever

@eagledave said: I don't understand why a majority of the people vote for the 1st week, my guess is that they either work in a non-accounting role or they just love not being at work and leave their poor colleagues / bosses take their month-end workload :) Clever

I noticed they also aren't keen on changing when the results are released, judging by the voting in the other poll regarding results release day.

@eagledave said: I don't understand why a majority of the people vote for the 1st week, my guess is that they either work in a non-accounting role or they just love not being at work and leave their poor colleagues / bosses take their month-end workload :) Clever

You would be pleased to know, in the UK and Ireland. students vote for week 3.. some other countries .. more students prefer week 1.. there will be a breakdown by country

I cannot understand the logic of having exams in the first week of the month. This is the busiest week for anyone that actually works in an accounting role. It is causing unnecessary extra stress for students. The fact that the majority of people have voted the first week baffles me!! Any week other that the first week would surely make more sense. Just goes to show that ACCA don't look at those surveys we fill out every quarter!

For those working as management accountants like myself, it is impossible to get any extra time off around exam time due to the dreaded month-end! Mid month please ACCA! :)