It all depends on your budget - aspirations and timescale ...... What is your end game ? What do you want to achieve ? How much time can you devote to dedicated studying ?
I know how you feel - I had the same problem deciding a few years ago. In the end I decided to go with the IAB and the Level 1 Award in Computerised Accounting for Business, so I can tell you a bit about my experience with that.
I decided to take the course as Total Home Study with the sage resources - this means you get two text books, a knowledge one and a skills one and also CD with a time limited version of Sage 50 to install onto your computer. You're then left to get on with it. If you feel you'd like/need some support then I would probably consider doing it through a distance learning provider.
The course itself is split into two parts - knowledge and skills. The knowledge part introduces you to basic theory, concepts and terminology you will come across as a bookkeeper. The skills part introduces you in a step by step way to basic sage functions. At Level 1 it really is an introductory course which is geared toward further study. If you have any bookkeeping experience at all I would probably suggest going straight to Level 2. As I had never worked as a bookkeeper I found it really useful and it did make me want to learn more.
Why I chose the IAB - I think I liked the fact you could learn and take the course directly from them, it didn't involve any other companies etc. However it does mean you really are left to your own devices. You have to be sure you can keep motivated and be confident you can learn and find answers out by yourself as you don't have a tutor to help you - or alternatively ask for help on here!
I probably wouldn't worry too much about the whole Ofqual/QCF thing. From what I understood (I could be wrong) all it means is that qualifications approved can be compared with each other. I think this makes them more transferable as they are recognised as being at a certain standard. But saying that and from what I've read both IAB & ICB are equally well respected in the industry so you wouldn't have much trouble with either one.
I'd also agree with what Trevor said, so look at other qualifications you might want to do in the future - if you want to be self employed studying payroll, pensions, tax etc might add more strings to your bow. It also depends on the size of company you want to work with/for. If it's a small organisation they might need you to do basic payroll, larger places would have their own payroll team.
There are one or two AAT tutors who contribute to this forum (as well as IAB and ICB tutors of course), who could give advice on the best approach to studying AAT and which level to start at. One is Nick Craggs, do a search and send him a personal message. I believe he works for First Intuition and he is an AAT Council member.
I understand that once you complete AAT Level 3 you can gain exemptions from both IAB and ICB and gain full membership of those organisations, get a practising certificate and go into business as a bookkeeper if that is what you wanted. The AAT are currently considering whether to give practising certificates for level 3 bookkeepers, currently they only do so for the level 4 accounting qualification.
Why bother doing this? If you are looking to get employment as a bookkeeper as opposed to self-employment, AAT is the qualification employers currently ask for the most. If you complete the level 4 AAT accounting qualification this will enhance your employment prospects further and give you the option to offer higher level accounting services if you wish to self employed.
Please measure your chances of employment if you're going to do aat.lot of l4 qualifieds are self pitying themselves for not getting work.some employers want 'good attitude and they can teach the skills'.others will expect you to deal with whatever they'll throw you.it's a catch22 situation where you want to work but cannot due relevant lack of experience. Good luck anyway whichever route you go
I think that the way to look at AAT is to consider it how accountants look at it.
You are right, having AAT does not guarantee employment but not having it closes off any hope with practices that specify AAT as a minimum requirement.
AAT is a know qualification by all accountants, even those who have not taken it so it gives a benchmark that the accountant knows.
This may be unfair in that MIAB and MICB covers much of the same territory but the one doing the employing gets to call the tune and accross the board on the Reed site in seems that the minimum requirement for any permanent role is fully qualified AAT or PQ with a CCAB body.
So, lest take it as red that if you want to be employed rather than self employed, one should look at AAT.
The next issue that you quite rightly point out is experience.
The route past that is self employment whilst training.
If you can amass a stable of clients large enough to make yourself of interest to a small practice then you can basically buy a job in exchange for your clients. Of course, once you reach the stage where you have sufficient good quality clients to be of interest to a practice the question is why would you want to be employed rather than self employed?
There are reasons over things like practice certificates with some professional bodies that make that a viable option.
In conclusion, we are in agreement that AAT alone is unlikely to open the doors that one thinks that it should be I believe that if employment is your intent then AAT should be the starter qualification of choice... It should just be understood by those taking it that there is generally more to getting to employment for mature students than merely passing the exams.
kindest regards,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I agree with you. Did you manage to pass your ACCA sometime ago? I read a lot of topics on this forum and your posts were informative and frequent and just got curious about whether you managed to complete acca's qualification. I consider taking ACCA in the future, but with its restrictions on members and students' self-employment options, it's really a tough choice. I wish to finish AAT and do ICB's Payroll certificate, get on with them as a member with practice licence doing some bookkeeping and self-assessments for starters. Then I would consider ATT's qualification to get deeper understanding of tax matters. I've read that ACCA pretty much covers taxation knowledge that ATT offers.
Since I haven't had luck with employers lately, that's why I want to get on with self-employment. Also, employment and part-time self-employment on ACCA's terms while qualifying with them is also an alternative option. But I need to realistically look at whether I can afford and/or are able to complete it.
I'm having a meeting at 5pm with a lady who is casually trading on the internet and wants to be self-employed. It's goint to be interesting!
yes, passed all of the exams, got three years experience requirement signed off and now have my letters.
I don't tend to use them on here as I figure that some newstart bookkeepers could be a little aprehensive about talking to an accountant where if they just think that they are talking with another bookkeeper they are happier to say what is worrying them without holding anything back.
Regulation 8 remains always the big issue with the ACCA qualification and working around it can be problematic.
Hope that the clients not been trading for too long. I've seen a few cases where a hobby turns into a business and trying to define where the transition happened is not always obvious... Although invariably it always strangely happened on the 6th of April? Coincidence or what!
For tax I always buy the Kaplan study text for ACCA paper P6 as, as you note, it covers the entirety of the ATT syllabus. The downside to the ACCA paper is that everything is tested in a single exam where ATT breaks it down into more managable segments.
Good luck with the meeting Richard,
Talk later,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I think others have done a good job on the ICB/IAB/AAT debate, and if you search the forum you will find loads on it. However, I would say that I don't normally recomend the level 1 AAT Access course, I dont feel student get as much value out of it as they should as most of it is common sense. I normally recomend that you start with level 2, and if you are just starting out and not 100% certain, the level 2 certificate in bookkkeeping. This contains the first two units for the full level 2 certificate in accounting, so you can just add the other units later if you want.
Kind regards
Nick
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Nick
Nick Craggs FMAAT ACA AAT Distance Learning Manager
