AAT is your route to a career in finance. But when you're at the start of your journey you've probably got a lot of questions. In this article, we hope to cover as many as them as possible.
Who are AAT?
The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) were established in 1980 and have over 124,000 members worldwide. It is the leading professional body for accounting technicians.
AAT champion the Accounting profession and work closely with the business world to ensure their syllabus focuses on developing real-world skills businesses need.
Are AAT qualifications widely recognised?
AAT qualifications are widely recognised by employers in both the United Kingdom (UK) and abroad.
Many job adverts will specifically request that the successful candidate holds an AAT qualification. This is no surprise given the length of time AAT has been established, the fact that OfQual regulates their qualifications and the active role that AAT takes in working with businesses when developing the syllabus. The current syllabus (Q2022), was developed with input from over 500 companies and employers and the qualifications are taught in colleges all over the UK.
What are the benefits of getting AAT qualified?
- You will gain the knowledge & skills to thrive in entry-level roles
- You will build your knowledge at each level which opens the door to more advanced roles
- AAT qualifications are widely recognised by employers in the UK and internationally
- You will gain sought-after practical skills: bookkeeping, budgeting, and financial analysis
- It's more cost-effective than a degree with a shorter study duration
- You can enter the workforce sooner and start earning
- You will gain a solid foundation to pursue advanced qualifications such as ACCA or CIMA
- Access to a vast network of accounting professionals, offering support and networking
- Engage with peers and experts through events, forums, and online communities
- Access to professional development resources which keeps members updated with the latest developments
Which AAT qualifications are available?
There are 7 AAT qualifications and the current syllabus is known as Q2022. Accountext offer self-study books and question banks for each AAT unit.
Short qualifications
- AAT Level 1 Award in Bookkeeping
- AAT Level 1 Award in Business Skills
- AAT Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping
- AAT Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping
Accounting qualifications
- AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting
- AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting
- AAT Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting
The units in the level 2 and 3 short bookkeeping qualifications are also covered in the syllabus for the Accounting qualifications.
What is covered in AAT?
We have a detailed breakdown of the syllabus for the AAT Accounting qualifications on the following pages:
How are AAT qualifications assessed?
When you're ready to take an AAT exam, you'll be tested by a Computer-based Assessment (CBA).
Some of these are wholly computer-marked and results are available within 24 hours. Others are marked by a computer and by a human - and some are 100% marked by a human. These results are available within 6 weeks.
How many AAT exams are there?
There are four exams for the Level 2 Accounting qualification; one for each unit, but the Business Environment exam is a synoptic assessment where you will be tested on knowledge gained in previous units as well.
For the Level 3 Accounting qualification, there are four exams (one for each unit).
At Level 4, there are five exams - three for the compulsory units, and the remaining two exams cover whichever optional units you have chosen to study.
What are the pass rates for AAT?
The following pass rates are for all AAT computer-based assessments sat in the United Kingdom between 1 January and 31 December 2023.
