ACCA Exam Dates 2026: Every Paper, Every Deadline, Every Sitting
Missing an ACCA exam deadline does not just delay your qualification. It costs you money, momentum, and three months of your career. This guide gives you every date, every paper window, and every registration cutoff for 2026 in one place, so you never lose a sitting to poor planning.
What ACCA Exam Sessions Exist in 2026?
ACCA runs four quarterly exam sessions per calendar year. Each session has a defined exam window (typically five working days), plus separate entry deadlines that close weeks before the exams begin.
The four 2026 sessions are:
- March 2026: Exam window 3-7 March
- June 2026: Exam window 2-6 June
- September 2026: Exam window 1-5 September
- December 2026: Exam window 1-5 December
Applied Knowledge papers (AB, MA, FA) are the exception. These are available on-demand throughout the year at Pearson VUE test centres, so they are not tied to the quarterly schedule.
Why This Actually Matters
If you are working full-time and studying ACCA at night, missing a deadline is not a small inconvenience. It means:
- Three months lost. You cannot resit or attempt that paper until the next quarterly window.
- £100-£200 wasted. Late entry fees add up, and missed deadlines mean paying again next session.
- Momentum destroyed. Three months of waiting erodes the knowledge you have already built. You will need to revise topics you thought were done.
- Career delay. Every missed sitting pushes your qualification date further out, which delays promotions, pay rises, and the professional mobility you are working towards.
For anxious, time-poor students, the cost of one missed deadline compounds far beyond the fee itself.
2026 ACCA Exam Dates: Full Breakdown
March 2026 Session
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Early entry deadline | Mid-January 2026 |
| Standard entry deadline | Early February 2026 |
| Late entry deadline | Mid-February 2026 |
| Exam window | 3-7 March 2026 |
| Results release | Mid-April 2026 |
June 2026 Session
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Early entry deadline | Mid-April 2026 |
| Standard entry deadline | Early May 2026 |
| Late entry deadline | Mid-May 2026 |
| Exam window | 2-6 June 2026 |
| Results release | Mid-July 2026 |
September 2026 Session
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Early entry deadline | Mid-July 2026 |
| Standard entry deadline | Early August 2026 |
| Late entry deadline | Mid-August 2026 |
| Exam window | 1-5 September 2026 |
| Results release | Mid-October 2026 |
December 2026 Session
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Early entry deadline | Mid-October 2026 |
| Standard entry deadline | Early November 2026 |
| Late entry deadline | Mid-November 2026 |
| Exam window | 1-5 December 2026 |
| Results release | Mid-January 2027 |
ACCA Papers: Complete Guide by Level
ACCA has 13 exams across three levels, plus two foundation-level papers that some students are exempt from. Here is every paper, its format, and which exam sessions it is available in.
Applied Knowledge (On-Demand)
These three papers are available year-round at Pearson VUE centres. No quarterly scheduling required.
| Paper | Full Name | Format | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB | Accountant in Business | CBE (MCQ + multi-task) | 2 hours |
| MA | Management Accounting | CBE (MCQ + multi-task) | 2 hours |
| FA | Financial Accounting | CBE (MCQ + multi-task) | 2 hours |
Key point: Many graduates have exemptions for these papers. Check your exemption status on myACCA before booking.
Applied Skills (Session-Based)
These six papers are only available during the four quarterly exam windows.
| Paper | Full Name | Format | Duration | Pass Rate (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LW | Corporate and Business Law | CBE | 2 hours | 80-85% |
| PM | Performance Management | CBE | 3 hours | 40-45% |
| TX | Taxation | CBE | 3 hours | 50-55% |
| FR | Financial Reporting | CBE | 3 hours | 45-50% |
| AA | Audit and Assurance | CBE | 3 hours | 40-45% |
| FM | Financial Management | CBE | 3 hours | 45-50% |
Key point: PM, FR, AA, and FM have the lowest pass rates. These papers require structured question practice, not just reading. If you are sitting any of these, start practicing past questions at least four weeks before the exam.
Strategic Professional (Session-Based)
You must pass SBL and SBR (both compulsory), plus two of the four optional papers.
| Paper | Full Name | Format | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBL | Strategic Business Leader | CBE (case study) | 4 hours | Compulsory |
| SBR | Strategic Business Reporting | CBE | 3 hours 15 min | Compulsory |
| AFM | Advanced Financial Management | CBE | 3 hours 15 min | Optional |
| APM | Advanced Performance Management | CBE | 3 hours 15 min | Optional |
| ATX | Advanced Taxation | CBE | 3 hours 15 min | Optional |
| AAA | Advanced Audit and Assurance | CBE | 3 hours 15 min | Optional |
Key point: SBL is a unique 4-hour case study exam. It tests professional skills (communication, analysis, scepticism) alongside technical knowledge. Most students underestimate the preparation required.
If You Are Working Full-Time
Most ACCA candidates work full-time and study around their jobs. Here is how to plan your sittings realistically:
- One paper per sitting is the safest approach if you work 40+ hours per week. You need 150-200 hours of study per paper, which means roughly 12-15 hours per week over a 12-week preparation period.
- Two papers per sitting is achievable if the papers overlap in content (e.g., FR and AA, or PM and FM) and you can commit 20+ hours per week.
- Three or four papers per sitting is high-risk for working students. The failure rate increases sharply, and resits cost both money and time.
Set calendar reminders for entry deadlines at least two weeks in advance. Do not rely on ACCA emails alone.
Common Mistakes
- Booking late and paying extra. The difference between early and late entry can be £50-£80 per paper. Over 13 exams, that adds up to hundreds in unnecessary fees.
- Attempting too many papers per sitting. Ambition is good, but spreading yourself thin leads to failing multiple papers at once. One solid pass is better than two marginal fails.
- Not checking exemptions properly. Some students sit papers they are already exempt from. Verify your exemption status before booking anything.
- Ignoring withdrawal deadlines. If you realise you are not ready, withdrawing before the deadline saves your fee. Sitting unprepared wastes both the fee and the attempt.
- Assuming all papers are available every session. Applied Knowledge is on-demand, but all other papers are session-only. Plan accordingly.
- Not accounting for results timing. Results come out 6-7 weeks after the exam window. If you need a prerequisite result before booking the next paper, factor in the gap.
Exam Thinking Layer
ACCA examiners publish examining team reports after every session. These reports reveal:
- Which syllabus areas candidates performed poorly on. These areas tend to reappear in future sittings because examiners want to see improvement.
- Common mistakes. Examiners flag the same structural errors repeatedly: not reading the requirement properly, not answering in the format requested, and spending too long on one question.
- What scores marks. At Applied Skills and Strategic Professional level, marks are awarded for structured answers, not for volume. A concise, well-structured response scores higher than a long, rambling one.
Read the examining team report for your paper before you start revising. It takes 20 minutes and tells you exactly what the examiner is looking for.
Comparison: On-Demand vs Session-Based Exams
| Criteria | On-Demand (AB, MA, FA) | Session-Based (All Others) |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Year-round at Pearson VUE | Four quarterly windows only |
| Booking flexibility | Book any available slot | Must meet entry deadline |
| Results timing | Immediate provisional result | 6-7 weeks after exam window |
| Late entry penalty | None | £50-£80 additional fee |
| Resit waiting period | Can rebook immediately | Must wait for next quarterly session |
Calm Summary
You now have every 2026 ACCA exam date, deadline, and paper detail in one place. The next steps are simple:
- Check which papers you need to sit (verify exemptions on myACCA).
- Pick your next sitting based on realistic study hours.
- Set a calendar reminder for the early entry deadline.
- Start your preparation at least 12 weeks before the exam window.
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