ACCA full form is The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, is a globally recognised certification recognised in more than 200 countries. Now unless you came to read this article only to know the ACCA full form then the buck stops here. However, I would highly recommend you to read my full piece on the ACCA and its real use, reputation and jobs in India.
ACCA Full form & Are you eligible?
Now, ACCA Full form I have already discussed but you might wonder why is ACCA even there in India? The answer is that ACCA has gained popularity as a course in India for two reasons;
- High number of CA candidates not passing the CA exam
- No Alternative options in accounting education
- Rise of large number of accounting work that gets outsourced to India
There are about 60,000 students who start with their CA preparation every year, while only 2% actually become a CA. That means around 1200 CA’s every year. Also, the fact that CA preparations can start as early as during graduation after class XII.
When Can you start with ACCA?
- Hence, ACCA also can be started right after your class XII.
- Another requirement is; you must have atleast 65% in accounting, maths and English
- Finally you need minimum 50% in all the other subjects in class XII
ACCA Entrance Exams
ACCA doesn’t really have any entrance exams but has minimum elgibility requirements. In fact, for that matter even CA doesn’t have any entry requirements. Unless you are entering after class XII through CPT.
- 10+2 / India School Certificate / Intermediate Certificate / Higher School Certificate / Higher Secondary Certificate / Pre-University Course / Intermediate Public Examination
- (providing passes are held in 5 subjects (at least 3 in Year XII) including English and Mathematics / Accounts, mark of 65% in at least 2 subjects and over 50% on the others)
- (For the Higher Secondary Certificate the marks are out of 200, so over 130 meets the 65% requirement and over 100 meets the 50% requirement.)
- Below is a breakdown of the grades in terms of percentage and actual grade.
- 50%-60% = Satisfactory = C1
- 60%-70% = Good = B2
- 85%+, 80%-85%, 70%-80% = A1–A2, B1
- All India Senior School Certificate/ Senior School Certificate /Senior Secondary School Examination
- (providing passes are held in 5 subjects including English and Mathematics / Accounts, mark of 65% in at least 2 subjects and over 50% on the others)
ACCA Syllabus in Detail
| ACCA Syllabus | Subjects |
| Knowledge Level | Business and Technology (BT) • Management Accounting (MA) • Financial Accounting (FA) |
| Skill Level | Corporate and Business Law (LW) • Performance Management (PM) • Taxation (TX) • Financial Reporting (FR) • Audit and Assurance (AA) • Financial Management (FM) |
| Professional level | Essentials • Strategic Business Reporting (SBR – INT) • Strategic Business Leader (SBL) Optional (2 of 4) • Advanced Audit & Assurance (AAA – INT) • Advanced Performance Management (APM) • Advanced Taxation (ATX – UK) • Advanced Financial Management (AFM) |
ACCA Exams
So, firstly all of the ACCA exams are conducted online in CBE format.However you must note that not all exams are available all the time. Some of the exams are based on the set calender schedule.
| ACCA Exam | Exam name | Exam type |
| ACCA Qualification | BT, MA, FA | On-demand |
| LW (UK & GLO) | On-demand | |
| LW (other versions) | Session-based | |
| TX, FR, PM, FM, AA | Session-based | |
| SBR, SBL, AFM, APM, ATX, AAA | Session-based | |
| Foundations in Accountancy | MA1, FA1, MA2, FA2 | On-demand |
| FBT, FMA, FFA | On-demand | |
| FAU, FFM, FTX | Session-based |
Top Colleges- ACCA College Integrated Programs
So, ACCA many years back also integrated their regular degree based courses with the ACCA syllabus. Also the objective of doing that, was to increase the level of learning for students. Now, I will warn you certain things which you know about the top ACCA colleges program;
- ACCA intergrated programs, grants you exemption but the exemption is not free and is chargeable.
- Secondly the ACCA top college programs grant you exemption, also on clearing the exams of B.COM. Which by the way is nothing but the ACCA papers itself.
- Thirdly, if you opt for the ACCA college based programs and change your college or drop it then your application to ACCA drops too.
Comparison of ACCA with Other Qualifications
So, now its time to check the credibility of the ACCA course in comparison with other qualificaitons.
ACCA FULL FORM Vs CA
ACCA standards for Association of Certified Charterd Accounts versus CA means chartered accountancy. Which in Indian terms mean Chartered accountant from ICAI.
ACCA full form program versus CA, CS & CPA
So, now let me take you through the comparison between the three major qualfications apart from ACCA i.e CA, CS & CPA.
| Parameters | Association of Certified Charted Accountants | CA- ICAI | Company Secretary | CPA |
| Fees | 2,50,000 | 2,50,000 | 50,000 | 4,00,000 |
| Recognition | 200 Countries | India | India | 200 Countries |
| Entry level salary | 3.5 Lacs P.A | 6 Lacs P.A | 4 Lacs P.A | 5 Lacs P.A |
| Eligibility | Class XII | Class XII | Class XII | Post Grad |
| Examination Type | MCQ – 13 CBE Based | Relative | 3 Examinations | 4 Papers |
ACCA Salary
So, ACCA salary is misinformed in many websites. While I have covered an entire article on debunking the ACCA salary myth. However, for the sake of information you must know that the average entry level ACCA salary is around 3.5 Lacs P.A for freshers.
Conclusion
So, to conclude I would say that ACCA is a qualification that must be pursued by candidates who are not seeking a job in India. Yes! You heard that exactly right. The reason I say, is that until today nor in the future it is next to impossible for any other qualfications. Like ACCA to compete with ICAI’S CA Program.
However, in the middle east, U.K, to certain extent Australia also regard ACCA as a credible qualification.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding ACCA full form
What is the ACCA Full form?
ACCA full form stands for Association of Certified Chartered Accountants from U.K
Is the ACCA program very expensive?
The ACCA program cost is comparable to qualfications like CA or CFA. The total cost is around 2.5 Lacs
Is ACCA program difficult?
Generally comparing to qualifications like CA, the passing percentage is higher at around 6%.
Is ACCA accepted in India?
The short answer is no, in terms of signing authority. Only CA has the statutory provisions to avail that power.
What is the salary of ACCA course in India?
Entry level candidates can expect to start at a starting salary if around 4.5 Lacs P.A.
