If I want to train to be a chartered accountant should I go to university or get a job straight from school?

Answer 1

If you are interested in training to become a chartered accountant then I would suggest that the best course of action to take is to get yourself a job as a trainee accountant as soon as you have finished your A-levels.

The reason for this is that you will be gaining important work experience while studying for your exams and you will, of course, also be earning money. If you go to university then you will incur heavy debts and it will take you much longer to qualify.

I went to Kent University and studied Accountancy and Finance and even though I left with a 2.1 degree and obtained some exemptions from my ACCA exams it still took me 3 years to finish all 14 of the professional exams you need to pass in order to gain membership.

However, if you start work as a trainee accountant at the age of 18 you should be in a position to qualify as a chartered accountant after 4 years of study and therefore be fully ACCA qualified at the age of 22.

You can also gain a degree. This is because the ACCA has a partnership agreement with Oxford Brookes University which allows ACCA students to submit a 5,000 word essay to the university after they have completed the first two levels of their exams. If this essay is accepted as being up to standard by Oxford Brookes University then you will be awarded a BSc degree in Applied Accountancy by the university with your degree class being based on the results you have gained in your ACCA exams.

Given that your employer will probably be paying for your ACCA study and exams the cost of obtaining this degree to you will be the cost of submitting the essay to Oxford Brookes University. This will be less than £100 which is obviously much cheaper than it would cost you to study for a degree full time.

I hope this is of help. There are a couple of useful links that you might find useful below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4796287.stm

http://www.accaglobal.com/allnews/students/2007/NEWSQ1/Features/BScStudent

Answer 2

How old are you now? How qualified are you to go further along this desired path.
The best solution would be an apprenticeship as an accountant within a firm of accountants and then have have them sponser you later on a course for upgrades.

Might not be an option in your area, but worth trying for. Just phone all the accountants you can and see what they say.

I do know that university is almost a waste of time in the UK, unless you are an immigrant or foreign student. First of all beware that the course you may spend four years studying may NOT be appropriate for your desired job or career at the end of it! That sad fact occurs only too often now and explains why most Uni Graduates still work in McDonalds.

You should work in your chosen field at the lowest possible level if you have to and work up through training on the job whilst earning a wage. You should not waste your time, life and struggle to survive whilst running up huge debts as you study at Uni on a course that the outside world will rarely acknowledge.
Please trust me on this. Work, earn money, train on the job, do NOT get into debt, enjoy your young years and do not waste them struggling.

Answer 3

,I would suggest that you get a job in chartered accountancy to see if you like it,if you do, see if your employer will sponsor you through university,you can work this off in the holidays and when you finish university