Certified Accounting Technician

Course details

The field of accounting offers a diverse range of career opportunities. The CAT programme leads to a vocational qualification based on national standards of competence, which allows graduates to competently support the work of professional accountants, as well as business managers in all aspects of the financial sector. The role can be broadened to include staff supervision, budgeting, debit control and audit assistance.

Overview

This course prepares students for the examinations of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). ACCA is one of the world’s leading accountancy bodies and the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) qualification is internationally recognised and highly regarded. Candidates who successfully gain the CAT qualification have demonstrated that they can work effectively in accounting support roles in all sectors of business. The CAT scheme comprises a combination of exams and practical experience. It is designed to equip you with all the necessary technical skills and knowledge required to fulfil an accounting role to technician level. It also provides a firm foundation of knowledge and the opportunity to fast track towards becoming a professional ACCA accountant.

Outline

Year 1

• Recording Financial Transactions (FA1)
• Information for Management Control (MA1)
• Maintaining Financial Records (FA2)
• Managing Costs and Finance (MA2)
• Accounting in Business (FAB)

Year 2

• Financial Accounting (FFA)
• Management Accounting (FMA)
• Foundations in Taxation (FTX)
• Foundations in Financial Management (FFM)

Information

Award

On successful completion of the CAT examinations, students will receive an invitation to become a Certified Accounting Technician. In order to obtain the qualification and use the designatory letters CAT after their name, students must also satisfy the appropriate practical financial work experience requirement (1 year).

Assessment

Participants will sit ACCA examinations in both June and December of each year of study. Students can sit either computer-based or paper based examinations for Papers 1 – 4 and paper based only from paper 5 onwards.

Academic Progression Opportunities

Successful completion of the CAT examinations offers an exemption from the three Knowledge Papers of the ACCA Qualification and students may automatically transfer to Skills Papers. By taking the examinations of the ACCA Qualification, students may qualify as accountants and may achieve a BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University.