What to Do After ACCA: Your Career Guide After Passing Exams

Congratulations! Passing your ACCA exams is a significant milestone on your journey to becoming a globally recognized finance professional. Each successful exam step demonstrates growing expertise and commitment, unlocking new opportunities along the way.

But what exactly are those opportunities? And what should you focus on after receiving that coveted pass slip? Passing the exams, while crucial, is part of a larger path towards achieving ACCA membership and building a successful career.

This blog post will guide you through the next steps after completing exams at each ACCA level, exploring potential career paths, companies to target, typical salary expectations, and how to continue your progress within the ACCA framework. So, you have conquered the exam hall… but what opportunities does that unlock? Let’s find out.

The ACCA qualification is structured progressively, building knowledge and skills across three main levels:

● Applied Knowledge: Covers the fundamentals of business, management accounting, and financial accounting (Papers BT, MA, FA).
● Applied Skills: Builds practical skills in corporate and business law, performance management, taxation, financial reporting, and financial management (Papers LW, PM, TX, FR, FM).
● Strategic Professional: Develops advanced capabilities in strategic business leadership, strategic business reporting, and chosen optional areas (Essentials: SBL, SBR; Options: AFM, APM, ATX, AAA – choose 2).

Passing exams at key stages earns you formal recognition from ACCA, marking your progress and enhancing your profile:

● Passing the Applied Knowledge exams earns you the ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business.
● Passing the Applied Skills exams earns you the ACCA Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business.
● Completing all the Strategic Professional exams brings you to the final stage before membership.

This progressive structure ensures that as you pass more exams, you gain increasingly valuable qualifications and open doors to more advanced roles.

Successfully passing your Applied Knowledge exams is a fantastic start, demonstrating a solid grasp of foundational accounting principles. You have earned the ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business.

Next Steps in Your ACCA Journey:

● Apply formally for your ACCA Diploma.
● Begin preparing for the Applied Skills level exams.
● Consider starting the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM). While mandatory for membership, completing it early can be beneficial.
● Start thinking about how you will gain relevant experience for the Practical Experience Requirement (PER).

Career Opportunities & Companies:

Passing this level significantly boosts your profile for entry-level roles compared to someone with just a basic degree.
● Typical Roles:
○ Accounts Assistant
○ Junior Accountant
○ Accounts Payable/Receivable Clerk
○ Bookkeeper
○ Audit Trainee (often in smaller or mid-size accounting firms)

● Types of Companies:
○ Small to medium-sized accounting practices
○ Shared Service Centres (SSCs)
○ Companies across various industries are hiring for fundamental finance and accounting support functions.

Salary Insights (Estimated for India):

● Salaries at this stage are highly dependent on factors like your location (metro vs. non-metro city), prior experience (if any), the size and type of employer, and your performance during interviews.
● Estimated Range: ₹3 Lakhs to ₹5 Lakhs per annum.

Passing your Applied Skills exams is a major leap, proving you possess a strong set of practical, job-ready skills across crucial finance and accounting areas. You have earned the ACCA Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business.

Next Steps in Your ACCA Journey:

● Apply formally for your ACCA Advanced Diploma.
● You are now ready to tackle the challenging Strategic Professional level exams.
● It is highly recommended to have completed the EPSM by this stage, as it’s required for membership and crucial for ethical understanding in professional roles.
● Actively gain and document relevant work experience for your PER.

Career Opportunities & Companies:

This level opens doors to more specialized roles and larger, more prominent organizations. Your ability to apply knowledge practically is a significant asset.

• Typical Roles:
  • Accountant
  • Auditor
  • Tax Associate or Consultant
  • Financial Analyst
  • Management Accountant
  • Roles within specific finance functions like internal audit, financial reporting, or tax compliance.
• Types of Companies:
  • Larger national and multinational corporations (MNCs)
  • Major accounting firms, including the Big Four (PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG) who often recruit actively from this stage.
  • Banks and other financial institutions.
  • Consulting firms.

Salary Insights (Estimated for India):

• Salaries at this stage see a notable increase, reflecting your expanded skill set. Again, location, company size, type (especially Big Four vs. others), and existing experience play a big role.
• Estimated Range: ₹5 Lakhs to ₹9 Lakhs per annum (potentially higher in top-tier companies or with prior experience).

Successfully passing all of your ACCA exams, including the challenging Strategic Professional level, is a monumental achievement! You are now exam-qualified, having demonstrated mastery in strategic thinking and advanced technical areas.

Next Steps in Your ACCA Journey:

• Celebrate this incredible accomplishment!
• Ensure you have completed the EPSM if you haven’t already. This is mandatory for membership.
• Your absolute priority is now to complete your Practical Experience Requirement (PER). This is the final hurdle. Systematically record your relevant work experience, achieve the required performance objectives, and get them signed off by your workplace mentor.

Career Opportunities & Companies:

As an exam-qualified ACCA professional (on the path to membership), your market value is very high. You are equipped for leadership and strategic roles globally.

• Typical Roles:
  • Senior Accountant
  • Senior Auditor
  • Finance Manager
  • Financial Controller
  • Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) roles
  • Corporate Finance Analyst
  • Tax Manager or Senior Consultant
  • Consulting and Advisory roles
  • Head of Finance (in smaller or rapidly growing entities)
• Types of Companies:
  • You are highly sought after by virtually all types of organizations: the Big Four, large domestic and multinational corporations, investment banks, financial services firms, government bodies, and consulting practices. You are eligible for entry into more senior positions.

Salary Insights (Estimated for India):

• Salaries for exam-qualified ACCA professionals are competitive and vary based on your completion of PER, the specific role, company, location, and overall experience.
• Estimated Range: ₹8 Lakhs to ₹15+ Lakhs per annum (this range can increase significantly as you gain experience and achieve full ACCA Membership).

It’s crucial to remember that passing the exams alone makes you ‘exam-qualified’ but doesn’t grant you full ACCA Membership. The final steps, equally important for your professional standing and career progression, are completing the Practical Experience Requirement (PER) and the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM).

• Practical Experience Requirement (PER): This ensures you gain relevant, real-world experience applying your knowledge and developing professional skills. You need to demonstrate achieving specific performance objectives in the workplace, recorded and signed off by a qualified mentor over at least 36 months.
• Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM): This online module develops your ethical understanding and professional behaviour, essential for building public trust in the profession.

Completing these final requirements allows you to become a full ACCA Member, denoted by the designatory letters ACCA. This elevates your status, enhances your credibility, and unlocks access to even greater career opportunities and continuous professional development.

Passing your ACCA exams at any level is a tremendous achievement and a testament to your hard work and dedication. Each level passed significantly boosts your knowledge, skills, and attractiveness to employers, opening up new career possibilities from entry-level support to strategic leadership roles.

As you navigate these crucial next steps – completing PER, mastering ethics, and targeting your ideal role having the right guidance can make all the difference. Unique Global Education understands the ACCA journey intimately and can provide the support you need to successfully move from being exam-qualified to a full ACCA member and beyond.

Use the momentum of your exam success to plan your next steps and leverage the support available. The full ACCA qualification is a powerful asset in the global finance and accounting world, and each pass brings you closer to realizing its full potential. Keep up the great work!