Do You Know the Benefits (and Drawbacks) of Doing ACCA after the O Level? 

Many people look for ACCA after completing their intermediate or A-levels, but very few are aware that they can begin ACCA after completing their matriculation or O-levels, and even fewer are aware of the benefits and drawbacks. We will go in-depth about these topics in this post.

Advantages of Doing ACCA After the O Level

As everyone knows, Corona caused 20.71 million job losses, and numerous companies closed worldwide, making it nearly impossible for parents to pay for their children’s education. This turned into the main cause of many students’ school interruptions, wasting their valuable time in the process.

If an O-Level or Matric student was impacted by this and was unable to continue their education, they may start with ACCA after finishing their O-Level or Matric studies, which would have saved them two years of studying for A-levels or Intermediate.

If you just have a background in commerce, taking ACCA at the following A-levels can get you two exemptions (FA1 and FA2) and four exemptions (FA1, FA2, MA1, MA2). However, this seems like a drawback to doing ACCA following matriculation or O-levels. 

This is because, after intermediate, the maximum amount of time one could take to pass two FA1 and FA2 paper exemptions would be three months, and after A-levels, the maximum amount of time one could take to pass four paper exemptions would be six months. Would you rather complete two years of A-Levels or matriculation and avoid three to six months of ACCA? You will still save 1.6 years by forgoing A-Levels and intermediate coursework, even if you are not granted any exemptions from ACCA after matriculation or O-Levels. 

After completing their O- and Matric exams, students would generally pursue two years of intermediate/A-levels, followed by four years of BBA and two years of MBA study. Speaking of ACCA after O-Levels/matriculation, an average student will take one year to complete the FIA (Foundation Level), after which you can apply for an internship. It will then take an average student 1.5 years to complete his skill module, which consists of six papers, after which he can write an 8,000-word thesis and apply for a B.S.C. degree from Oxford Brookes University in London. Finally, it will take an average student 1.5 years to complete the professional level, which consists of four papers, after which he or she can submit an additional two papers to claim an M.S.C. degree from the University of London. 

Another benefit of taking ACCA after Matric/O-levels is that, unlike A-levels and Intermediate, which are exam-only programs, ACCA provides practical experience immediately following the completion of your FIA (foundation level). The requirement that you complete three years of practical experience before you can even become an ACCA member serves as evidence of the value placed on practical experience in the organization.

Disadvantages of Doing ACCA After the O Level

There are numerous disadvantages to doing ACCA after the O level, a few of them are listed below:

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  You Can’t do CPA.

It may cause issues if you want to pursue a CPA (Certified Public Accountancy) after ACCA, with ACCA serving as your primary education following matriculation or O levels because your required number of hours of study will not be fulfilled. You must earn the 150 hours of education required by the AICPA and National State Boards of Accountancy to participate in the CPA program; you must do it at a college. ACCA and USA, however, have partnered with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to enable their members to earn more credits at a fair price. Therefore, it is preferable to do A-levels or Intermediate following O-levels or Matric and then ACCA if you intend to pursue CPA after ACCA. 

However, you are not required to complete A-levels or Intermediate if you choose to pursue other professional degrees following ACCA, such as ICAEW, CFA, CMA, and CIMA. Do the basic O-levels or matriculation, followed by ACCA, and then any of these degrees.

• There is no Escape

Imagine if you took ACCA following your matriculation or O-levels, and after a year or so, you find the course to be difficult or dull. What happens next? If not a full year, then at least six to seven months (which may vary). You are now forced to decide between pursuing an ACCA or returning to take your intermediate or A-levels and then selecting a degree that interests you. Therefore, you should only take ACCA after matriculation or O-levels if you are psychologically and highly motivated; otherwise, your time would be wasted. 

Bottom Line

These were the benefits and drawbacks of pursuing ACCA following O Levels. Before making any decisions, take into account each of these elements to save valuable time and make better decisions based on the situation. Feel free to share if you think we missed any important points.