ACCA Full Form - Eligibility, Exemptions, Syllabus, Salary
ACCA full form - The full form of ACCA is “Association of Chartered Certified Accountants." ACCA was established in 1904 and is currently the international professional accounting body that grants the Chartered Certified Accountant designation. ACCA professionals can work as management consultants, financial planner, accountant, corporate finance expert, etc. ACCA course covers aspects of Chartered Accountancy such as accounting, financial reporting, auditing, taxation, business finance, and financial management.

How to become ACCA professional?
Candidates in order to become ACCA professional should qualify ‘Certified Chartered Accountant’ certificate examination conducted by ACCA. The exam is conducted four times in a year - March, June, September and December. ACCA subjects are divided into 3 levels which are knowledge, skills, and professional. ACCA has a total of 13 exams; however, candidates can obtain ACCA exemptions based on their qualifications.
ACCA overview
ACCA full form | Association of Certified Chartered Accountants |
Course level | Professional |
ACCA course duration | 1-7 years |
ACCA course fees | Upto Rs. 2,00,000 |
ACCA exams | 13 exams |
ACCA eligibility criteria | Class 12 with minimum 65% aggregate in maths/accounts and English, and 50% in other subjects |
ACCA career opportunities | Accountants, auditors, finance manager, business analyst, taxation expert |
ACCA eligibility criteria
The basic eligibility criteria prescribed by the exam authorities to pursue ACCA is mentioned below.
To be eligible to register for ACCA qualification, students should have qualified their class 12 exam with an aggregate of 65% in mathematics/accounts and English, and a minimum of 50% in other subjects.
Students who have just cleared their class 10 exams, or do not qualify as per the aforementioned criteria, have to first pursue diploma course in ACCA Foundation to be eligible for ACCA certification examination.
ACCA exemptions
Candidates can get exemptions from various ACCA exams depending on their qualifications. The qualification-wise exemptions are mentioned below:
Passing Class 12 - Students who have passed class 12 will be exempted from the Foundational Diploma course of ACCA. This exam is for students who have no formal education.
Passing BCom or MCom - Students who have graduated with BCom or MCom will be exempted from ACCA Knowledge level exams like Business and Technology (BT), Management Accounting (MA), and Financial Accounting (FA). They will also be exempted from the corporate and business law exam of skill level exam.
Clearing Chartered Accountancy (CA) - Students who have cleared CA will have nine papers exempted from 13. The skill level and knowledge level exams will be completely exempted. Students will have to give only the four exams at the professional level.
Clearing CA Inter - Students who have cleared CA Inter exam will need to appear for only eight exams in ACCA. Four exams will be exempted which are business and technology, management accounting, financial accounting, taxation, audit and assurance.
ACCA syllabus
ACCA levels | Particulars |
Foundations in accountancy | ACCA Diploma in Financial and Management Accounting (RQF Level 2) |
ACCA Diploma in Financial and Management Accounting (RQF Level 3) | |
ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business (RQF Level 4) | |
Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) | |
Knowledge level | Business and Technology |
Management Accounting | |
Financial Accounting | |
Skill level | Corporate and Business Law (LW) |
Taxation (TX) | |
Performance Management (PM) | |
Financial Reporting (FR) | |
Audit and Assurance (AA) | |
Financial Management (FM) | |
Professional level | Strategic Business Leader (SBL) |
Strategic Business Reporting (SBR) | |
Optional subjects in professional level | Advanced Financial Management (AFM) |
Advanced Performance Management (APM) | |
Advanced Taxation (ATX) | |
Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA) |
ACCA career opportunities
ACCA course is one of the most prestigious certifications in accounting and is preferred by many students who want to build a successful career in abroad as well as in India Candidates who’ve successfully completed their ACCA and gained professional skills are hired by some of the top companies such as PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, EY, Grant Thornton, and BDO. They are hired in various profiles such as accounting advisory, risk advisory, statutory audit, internal audit, forensic auditing, mergers and acquisitions, valuations, and more.
Salary of ACCA professionals
The salary of ACCA professionals ranges between Rs. 3.6 lakh to 10 lakh depending on the duration of work experience. BDO, Grant Thornton, J. P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley are some of the top companies that hire ACCA in accounting to finance.
ACCA salary
Job Opportunities | Salary (Rs) |
3,50,000 | |
Chartered Accountant | 9,50,000 |
9,60,000 | |
6,25,000 | |
Associate Auditor | 3,70,000 |
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) - ACCA Full Form - Eligibility, Exemptions, Syllabus, Salary
Question: What is the course duration of ACCA?
Answer:
ACCA course duration ranges between 1-7 years.
Question: What is the salary of ACCA?
Answer:
The average salary of an ACCA ranges between 3 LPA to 10 LPA.
Question: Is ACCA higher than CA?
Answer:
ACCA is a globally recognized course, candidates with an ACCA qualification have great scope and job opportunities not only in India but around the world. On the other hand, CA is recognized only in India.
Question: Is there any age limit to apply for ACCA certification exam?
Answer:
There is no specific age limit prescribed by ACCA for appearing in ACCA certification exam.
Question: Is CA harder than ACCA?
Answer:
CA exam is considered to be one of the toughest exams in the country.
Question: What is the eligibility criteria for ACCA?
Answer:
Candidates must have secured a minimum of 65% marks in Accounts/Mathematics and English and 50% in all other subjects to be eligible for ACCA course.
Question: Do Indian companies hire ACCA professionals?
Answer:
ACCA qualified individuals get easily placed at big 4 companies like EY, PwC, Deloitte, and KPMG. MNCs including Tata Grant Thornton, Embassy Group, and Pepsico.