ACA guide
How to revise for ACA
The ACA has 15 exams across three levels. Revision approaches differ sharply between the objective-test Certificate Level and the written Advanced Level papers. Below, a level-by-level plan.
Certificate Level
60–80 hours per paper. Multiple-choice, 1.5-hour exams. Volume of practice questions is the main pass predictor. Use ICAEW's own question bank.
Professional Level
120–160 hours per paper. Mix of computational and written. Sit past papers under timed conditions from week 6. Marker reports are more useful than model answers.
Advanced Level — Corporate Reporting and SBM
180–220 hours per paper. Open-book — organise your permitted materials before revising. Tabbed indexing of your Learning Materials saves 20+ minutes in the exam.
The Case Study
The hardest single paper in UK accountancy. 4-hour integrated exam with advance material 4 weeks before. Read the advance material 5+ times, model the numbers, and rehearse the three-requirement structure.
FAQs
- How long is ACA revision per paper?
- 60–80 hours at Certificate, 120–160 at Professional, 180–220 at Advanced.
- How do I prep for the ACA Case Study?
- 4 weeks intensive on the advance material, then rehearse the three-requirement structure under timed conditions.
- Do I need a tuition provider for ACA?
- Employers usually pay for one. The ICAEW learning materials plus question bank are also strong for self-study.
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