The Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) Qualification will provide you with a solid foundation in finance and accounting – providing you with all the necessary technical skills and knowledge required to perform an accounting-support role.

So whether you wish to start a career in finance, gain recognition for the wealth of skills and experience you have already achieved, or want accelerated progression to the ACCA Qualification and a more senior position in accountancy, ACCA’s CAT Qualification will help you towards your career of choice.

To achieve CAT status you will need to complete a set of exams and one-year’s practical experience in the workplace.

Entry requirements
There are no formal academic qualifications necessary to register for the CAT Qualification. But your previous qualifications may entitle you to exemptions from some of the CAT exams. This means that you will start your studies at the most appropriate level according to your knowledge and skills, and, more importantly, avoid studying subjects you already know.

Exemptions
Your previous qualifications may entitle you to exemptions from some of the CAT exams. This means that you will start your studies at the most appropriate level according to your knowledge and skills.

You may also be able to claim exemption from the introductory papers of the CAT Qualification if you already have one year’s relevant practical experience.

Plus if you already have an NVQ level 4 in Accounting, you will not need to complete the practical experience requirement.

Course structure
You will need to complete a maximum of nine exams for the CAT Qualification, which are split into three levels. These are all designed to test the knowledge, skills and understanding you will need to work in accounting support roles. The exams cover the key areas of accounting, finance, IT and management. The Advanced Level exams are of equivalent standard to the first year of a university degree and offer a choice of options to suit your career needs.

INTRODUCTORY LEVEL
1 Recording Financial Transactions
2 Information for Management Control

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
3 Maintaining Financial Records
4 Accounting for Costs

ADVANCED LEVEL
5 Managing People and Systems
6 Drafting Financial Statements
7 Planning, Control and Performance

Management
plus two options from:
8 Implementing Audit Procedures
9 Preparing Taxation Computations
10 Managing Finances

There is no time limit to completing the exams and individual subject passes are allowed for all papers. Exams can be attempted twice a year in June and December.

You can sit the papers in any order to suit your own career or study needs, however we advise that they should be attempted in numerical order. And there is no restriction to the number of exams you may attempt, allowing you to choose to sit as many or as few papers as you like at each exam session. You are, however, recommended to attempt a maximum of four papers in each sixmonth period.

Computer based exams
At Introductory and Intermediate Levels of the CAT exams, you can choose to sit some or all of these papers as computer-based exams (CBEs). CBEs offer you the flexibility to sit papers outside the set June and December exam sessions, providing immediate access to your results upon completion - CBEs are held at ACCA CBE Licensed Centres.

Awarding body
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)

Qualification level
Level 5

Course Commencement
February and September

Duration of the course
Introductory and Intermediate Levels: 15 weeks
Advanced level: 22 to 24 weeks