How Many ACCA Exams Are There?

How Many ACCA Exams Are There?

The ACCA qualification consists of 13 exams, structured across three levels: Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills, and Strategic Professional. You must also complete the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM) to qualify as an ACCA member. The journey is a marathon, not a sprint, requiring careful planning.

Why this actually matters

Knowing the total number of exams isn't about memorizing a figure; it's about understanding the path ahead so you can focus your limited time correctly. If you don't have a clear map of the stages, you risk studying the wrong things at the wrong time, wasting precious energy and making the journey feel longer and more stressful than it needs to be.

Structured breakdown

- Total Exams: There are 13 exams in total, assuming you are not eligible for any exemptions.

- Applied Knowledge Level: This is the foundation and consists of three exams. These exams introduce you to the world of accounting and business.
- Business and Technology (BT)
- Management Accounting (MA)
- Financial Accounting (FA)

- Applied Skills Level: This level builds on the knowledge from the previous stage and consists of six exams. These equip you with the strong, broad, and practical finance skills required for the future.
- Corporate and Business Law (LW)
- Performance Management (PM)
- Taxation (TX)
- Financial Reporting (FR)
- Audit and Assurance (AA)
- Financial Management (FM)

- Strategic Professional Level: This is the final level, requiring you to pass four exams. It builds on your technical expertise by exploring advanced concepts and developing strategic decision-making abilities.
- Essentials: You must complete both Strategic Business Leader (SBL) and Strategic Business Reporting (SBR).
- Options: You must choose and pass two of the following four exams: Advanced Financial Management (AFM), Advanced Performance Management (APM), Advanced Taxation (ATX), or Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA).

- Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM): This is a mandatory online module that you must complete. It is designed to develop a range of professional skills and is best completed before tackling the Strategic Professional exams.

- Exemptions: You may be exempt from some exams, typically at the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills levels, if you have relevant prior qualifications (like a university degree in accounting). You must claim these via the myACCA portal.

If you're working full-time

Studying for ACCA while working a demanding job requires a realistic plan, not burnout. Do not look at the total of 13 exams and feel overwhelmed. Your focus is only ever on the next paper.

For most people working full-time, studying for one paper per exam sitting is the most sustainable and effective approach. This allows you to dedicate sufficient focus to master the content without sacrificing your mental health or work performance. Applied Knowledge exams might be manageable at a faster pace, but once you reach Applied Skills and Strategic Professional, the depth required for each paper increases significantly.

A typical, sustainable pace is aiming to clear 3-4 papers per year. This means the journey is a few years long. Accept this from the start to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Your goal is to pass each exam, not to race through them and risk repeated fails.

Common mistakes

- Underestimating the difficulty jump: The leap from Applied Skills to Strategic Professional is significant. What worked for your PM or FR exam will not be enough for SBL or SBR.

- Ignoring the Ethics Module: Many candidates leave the EPSM until the very end. This is a mistake. The module provides skills directly applicable to the Strategic Professional exams, especially SBL.

- Choosing the 'easy' option papers: Do not choose your option papers based on pass rates or what your friends say is easy. Align them with your career goals. If you want to work in tax, take ATX. If you aim for a CFO role, AFM is a better fit.

- Not checking for exemptions properly: Some students start studying for a paper they could have been exempt from. Always validate your exemptions on the myACCA portal before you start.

- Doubling up on Strategic Professional papers: While it might seem like a way to finish faster, studying for two Strategic Professional papers while working full-time is a direct path to burnout and a likely fail for both.

- Forgetting the time commitment per paper: Each exam, especially from Applied Skills onwards, requires around 150-200 hours of focused study. Factor this into your planning.

- Booking exams before being ready: Don't book an exam based on a hopeful timeline. Book it when your practice scores and confidence indicate you are prepared to pass.

How examiners think

Examiners are not trying to catch you out; they are testing if you can think and act like a professional accountant. They are less interested in your ability to recite definitions and far more interested in your ability to apply knowledge to a given scenario.

At the Applied Skills level, marks are awarded for correctly applying technical knowledge. For example, in FR, it's not enough to know the IFRS 16 standard; you must be able to calculate the lease liability and right-of-use asset from a scenario.

At the Strategic Professional level, examiners look for professional acumen and skepticism. For SBL, they want to see you provide practical, business-focused advice. For SBR, they are testing your ability to critically evaluate and communicate accounting treatments. Simply stating a rule will not score well. You must explain why it applies and what its implications are for the stakeholders in the case study.

High-scoring answers demonstrate a clear structure, directly address the verb in the requirement (e.g., 'evaluate', 'advise'), and are grounded in the specifics of the scenario. Generic, textbook answers will always score poorly.

FAQ

Calm summary

Your task is not to conquer 13 exams at once. It is only to pass the next one. This week, take these two concrete steps to regain control and focus your energy effectively.

1. Verify Your Path: Log in to your myACCA portal. Navigate to the section showing your exam status. Confirm exactly which papers you are required to sit, and crucially, check that any exemptions you are entitled to have been fully awarded.

2. Plan One Sitting Ahead: Open your calendar. Look at the next available exam sitting. Choose one paper to focus on. Block out 1-2 hours on weekday evenings and a 4-hour slot on the weekend for the next month. This is your starting plan. Nothing more. Focus entirely on preparing for that single exam.