Finally, you have qualified for the ACCA Applied level exam. It is a significant achievement. However, you will realize that the more difficult level lies ahead of you as you move to the ACCA professional papers in Singapore.
At this point, you must be confused about the right order for the ACCA Professional Exams and how to decide. This is a common question that ACCA aspirants often get. Don’t worry. You’re well on your way to more ACCA victories with the foundation you’ve established and your strategic plan.
In this article, we will discuss ACCA professional papers, the correct order, and which one to take first. We will start with the overview of all four optional papers of the ACCA syllabus.
ACCA Optional Papers
The ACCA Professional Papers include a list of the optional papers. The four professional exam options available to students are as follows:
- Advanced Financial Management (AFM): This paper discusses investment appraisal, risk management, and corporate finance. The AFM paper gives questions with many solutions and assesses students’ financial management abilities. Students must be proficient in both discursive methods and computations for the P4 exam.
- Advanced Performance Management (APM): Business analysis, performance management, and management accounting are some of the topics covered in this paper. Therefore, it is recommended that you review the basics of ACCA papers, F2, F5, and P3, before taking this optional paper. The P4 paper combines computational and discursive components.
- Advanced Taxation (ATX): The Advanced Taxation paper emphasizes technical skills. The inheritance tax, corporate tax, VAT, national insurance, capital gains tax, and current income tax regulations must all be thoroughly understood by students. Students must utilize computational and discursive strategies to answer issues in this paper that present real-world multi-tax scenarios.
- P7 – Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA): Students aspiring to enroll in this elective course must be well-versed in ACCA papers F8 (Audit and Assurance) and P2 (Corporate Reporting). The sole purpose of this paper is to assess students’ discursive skills. This paper can be taken by students who want to work in an organization’s auditing department.
ACCA Professional Papers: Right Order
- Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
- Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
- Advanced Audit (AAA) or Advanced Performance Management (APM)
- Advanced Financial Management (AFM) or Advanced Tax (ATX)
How to Decide the Right Order:
- Because the SBL paper incorporates information from multiple Applied Skills exams and emphasizes real-world case studies, SBL is advised to take first. Your chances of passing SBL can go high when you finish the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM) beforehand.
- SBR is closely related to SBL and expands upon the knowledge from Financial Reporting (FR). Hence, it should be considered second.
- Because APM expands on performance management concepts, which can offer a strong basis for the more intricate financial methods in AFM, APM is advised before AFM.
- Due to its extensive examination of SBR financial reporting audits, AAA is strongly advised after SBR.
Additional Tips
Finish EPSM Early: You can increase your chances of success, particularly for SBL, by finishing the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM) prior to beginning your Strategic Professional examinations.
Consider Your Career Goals: You may prioritize the pertinent tests in accordance with your unique career goals, such as working in performance management or taxation.
Verify the preferences of the employer: Depending on your work role and duties, certain employers may have preferences regarding the order in which you take your ACCA exams.
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Last Verdicts
There is no ideal way to choose ACCA Professional Papers globally. Since everyone is different, what works for you might not work for someone else.
Rather, you need to make sure that the current paper is the only thing on your mind. One paper at a time is probably what you’ll be taking (four sittings can help here). As a result, as soon as you finish one paper, go on to the next and focus on its requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which ACCA professional paper to take first?
According to ACCA, doing this module now will increase your chances of passing your Strategic Professional tests by 25%. Prior to the optional tests, we advise completing Strategic Business Reporting (SBR), particularly if you plan to take Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA).
Which is the hardest ACCA professional exam?
The toughest papers of the ACCA Professional Level include:
- Strategic Business Leader (SBL): Because of its case study-based methodology, many students find the SBL to be especially difficult.
- Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA): For people who do not work in an auditing role, the AAA can be intimidating.
Which institute is best for ACCA professional papers in Singapore?
Mirchawala is one of the leading online institutions for the ACCA course in Singapore. With a proven track record for excellence, the institute has been delivering quality coaching as an ACCA Approved Learning Provider.


