Work experience counts toward ACCA PER when you work in accounting, finance, audit, and assurance, or related roles like tax, insolvency, and forensics, and a supervisor signs it off. Your job title does not make a major difference; your exact responsibilities play the major role here. If you are working in mixed roles, it is counted in proportion. If your job includes some finance work, it can help in your ACCA PER but is slow. AI is actively revolutionizing entry-level jobs that can affect what you can claim. Let’s understand in detail about the ACCA PER job checklist.
Key takeaways
- ACCA did not publish any list of qualifying job titles for PER; it checks duties
- Experience from before you registered counts, but the employer’s supervisor must sign it off.
- As per ACCA 2027 changes, simulated modules can cover up to 6 of the 36 months.
What makes a job count toward ACCA PER?
The ACCA PER Job Checklist includes three major points: relevant duties, supervision, and sign-off. You can work in any sector and any organization, no matter what the size is. Working under an approved employer does not make any difference; you still need 36 months in a relevant role. You can combine several roles and employers, and voluntary work for clubs, charities, or associations can count; just make sure it is relevant and supervised. The important thing is that the work is genuine accounting or finance.
List of Roles: Which Count and Which Do Not?
ACCA does not publish an official list. Here is a quick list based on ACCA’s duty test:
| Role | Counts | What to check |
| Accounts payable or receivable | Yes | Reconciliations and reporting, not only data entry |
| Audit associate | Yes | Supervised, documented work |
| Internal auditor | Yes | Controls testing and assurance duties |
| Tax associate | Yes | Computations, returns or advisory work |
| Management accountant / FP&A | Yes | Budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis |
| Treasury | Yes | Cash and funding decisions, not clerical payments |
| Credit analyst / bank credit role | Often | Share of time on financial analysis |
| Finance systems or data analyst | Often | Finance decision support, not generic IT |
| Payroll | Depends | Accounting duties versus processing |
| Admin with some bookkeeping | Partly | Only the bookkeeping share counts |
| Sales, HR, IT support | No time | Supervised work may earn Essentials objectives 2, 3 and 5 |
| Freelance bookkeeping | Depends | Basic bookkeeping sold to the public cannot count; supervised sub-contract work may |
| Lecturer | Yes, capped | Up to 12 months |
ACCA looks at the nature of the work and pays no attention to the employer’s badge.
How does ACCA count a part-time or mixed role?
When you log a job in MyExperience, you enter your hours and the percentage of your time spent on accounting or finance tasks, and the tool calculates the months. ACCA’s own example is a role with 50% finance work, so if you work in ACCA for 12 months, it helps you get six months of PER. Besides, ACCA treats 35 hours a week as full-time and converts part-time hours to 1,540 hours for 12 months. On average, if you’re doing a full-time job with 40% finance tasks involved, you will earn about 4.8 months a year. You will have to work for 90 months of calendar time to reach the 36 PER experience.
Pursuing ACCA is difficult on various levels; earning the experience is just a part of the journey. If you want to understand wider hurdles on the road to qualifying, read our guide to the key challenges of ACCA.
How is AI changing the entry-level jobs that count?
AI is affecting the most routine tasks and replacing professionals. As per the ICAEW survey of 35 mid-tier firm leaders found 68% expect AI to reduce demand for some early-career roles, especially routine compliance and reporting.
If your job involves AI-assisted work, document the duties that show judgment: reviewing AI output, handling exceptions, applying controls, analysing data and making ethical calls; clearly describe what you did.
ACCA PER Jobs after 2027 Changes
Some optional employability modules with simulated experience can count for up to 6 of the 36 months. Simulated work does not replace the real-work objectives. The audit qualification and practising certificates still require 36 months of workplace experience. For better understanding, check our 2027 ACCA changes post.
How to check work experience for PER?
- List your duties and weekly hours for the past 12 months.
- Estimate the finance share and convert it to months using the table above.
- Match your duties to four technical objectives.
- Confirm a qualified supervisor who can upload proof of IFAC membership.
- Record the role in MyExperience, which you reach through your MyACCA account. It prompts for sign-off when you leave a role or reach 36 months.
Bottom Line
This is all you should know about ACCA PER. If you are ready to start your ACCA journey, then enrol online at Mirchawala’s Hub of Accountancy. You get professional guidance and complete support throughout your leanring journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as PER for ACCA?
When you work in accounting, finance, audit and assurance, or related areas like tax and insolvency, or some of your work involves any of these fields, your experience counts towards PER. Your experience must be signed off by a supervisor.
How much work experience is required for ACCA?
After you qualify for all the ACCA papers, you need 36 months of relevant practical experience. You can build it across several roles and employers, in any sector or company size. You also need to complete nine performance objectives, five essential and four technical ones.
How do I record my ACCA PER?
Recording ACCA PER is simple; just log each role in MyExperience with your hours and the share of time spent on finance tasks. The tool calculates your months. Your supervisor signs off when you leave a role or reach 36 months.
Does part-time work count toward PER?
Yes. Time builds in proportion to the finance share of your hours. ACCA treats 35 hours a week as full time. There is no minimum percentage, so you just take longer to reach 36 months.
Can I do PER without a finance job?
Time in a non-relevant role does not count toward the 36 months. If a suitably qualified person supervises your work, you may still earn Essentials objectives 2, 3, and 5 there.
Can past jobs, internships, volunteering, or teaching count?
Your experience is counted whether you gain it before you register, while you study, or after your exams. Earlier roles still need sign-off from a supervisor at the employer where you worked, so get it before you lose contact. ACCA strongly recommends that experience used for PER is from the past five years. Lecturing counts for up to 12 months.
Who can sign off my ACCA PER?
A qualified accountant who works closely with you and knows your work, or directly by an ACCA-approved employer, can sign off your ACCA PER.
Does self-employment or freelance work count?
It can if the work is relevant and supervised. Basic bookkeeping sold directly to the public cannot count, but supervised sub-contract work may. Voluntary work for charities or clubs can count too.
