AAT Foundation Certificate and Advanced Diploma Call our expert AAT advisors on
flexible, Build lifetime accredited success courses with our flexible, accredited courses We re the UK leader in online learning, and our flexible courses are perfect if you ve got a busy life. They allow you to shape your study around your schedule: learn at your own pace, in your own time, wherever suits you best on whatever device you are on, whether that be mobile, tablet or laptop. That s why over 13,000 students a year trust us to help them take their career to the next level. Personal Tutor & Live Classrooms As well as online course materials, you ll benefit from unlimited academic support and live tutor-led AAT webinars. Years of Experience We ve been pioneers in flexible learning for 128 years, so you ll benefit from more than a century of educational expertise. Payment Plans You can spread the cost of your course with an interest-free monthly payment plan. AAT: the gold standard for vocational accounting training AAT, the Association of Accounting Technicians, are the UK s leading membership and awarding body for technical accountants, with over 133,000 members worldwide. They award more than 90% of all skills-based accounting and finance qualifications. Their qualifications are well-respected and sought-after by employers around the globe, as they give you practical, industry-focused knowledge that you can put to use from day one. An AAT qualification demonstrates that you have the most up-to-date accounting knowledge, the highest professional standards, and the drive to achieve your ambitions. Our flexible approach and extensive support system allow you to achieve your very best. That s why our AAT pass rate is an astonishing 95%. Our AAT pass rate has been based on 1,280 exam sittings and 1,215 passes by ICS Learn A AT students between July 2015 and June 2016.
Why this course is right for you Our flexible AAT Foundation Certificate and Advanced Diploma in Accounting combined course is the essential first step in building a successful accounting and finance career. You ll learn the basic principles of accountancy, including double entry bookkeeping, on the Foundation course, then move on to more complex financial processes in the Advanced Diploma. You ll learn about preparing final accounts, VAT issues, management costing techniques, and professional ethics, ensuring you re ready to take on well-paying and respected accounting roles - all without giving up your job, family time or social life. Your study can be completely shaped to suit you. If you want to continue learning, you ll only have one more course to complete before you re a fully qualified accounting technician who can hold senior accounting jobs, start your own practice, and get the professional recognition that comes with being a full member of AAT (MAAT). The combined course is the quickest way to rise to the top in the accountancy profession. This course is perfect for you if: You re just starting out in your accountancy career You want to quickly move to more senior accounting roles You want to progress to the highest level of AAT study, the Professional Diploma You want to save money and time by taking both courses in one Entry Requirements You don t need any prior experience or qualifications to enrol, though you should be confident with numbers. You must be over 19, and if English isn t your first language, you ll need an IELTS score of 5.5 or equivalent. If you have any disabilities which you believe may impact your studies or assessments, please inform your Course Advisor before enrolment so that we can advise you on whether reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate your needs. If you have a criminal record or have been made bankrupt, AAT may not accept you as a member. I chose to study AAT with ICS Learn because my friends who are also accountants recommended that this was the best route. I couldn t agree more with them myself. ICS Learn is great because it allows you to balance your work and studying time, and you can go at your own pace. I m constantly scanning over my books whenever I get a chance. My tutor is on hand for me to ask any questions, which is always handy, and it was very easy to sign up and enrol! Thomas Cruise
What s it like studying online? Get expert advice, & get started Whether you re set on a course or are still deciding which level is right for you, the first thing to do is call our specialist course advisors. There won t be any sales pressure - we know that taking a new qualification is a big decision. We ll take the time to learn about your experience, education and ambitions to make sure you pick the right course. Study when & where it suits you You can get started on your course whenever you choose, and complete it as quickly or slowly as you like within the support period - there are no cohorts or deadlines, so we won t chase you if you need to take some time off. Plus, all your study materials are online, so you can study from anywhere and on any device! Easily keep track of progress & take exams as you learn You ll do progress checks throughout your course, so you and your tutor know exactly how you re doing. You ll sit practice exams before your assessments to ensure you re fully prepared. When you re ready, you ll sit your exams at your local AAT centre. Get unlimited support from your AAT Tutor All our tutors are carefully selected AAT experts with years of experience in distance learning, so they re perfectly positioned to give you all the help you need. They ll be with you from enrolment to graduation, so there ll always be a real person on hand by phone, email or chat if you get stuck. Achieve your career goals with us Your course is the perfect foundation for building lifetime career success. With the benefit of our flexible approach, cutting edge course materials, and unbeatable tutor support, you ll be well on your way to a lucrative and rewarding Accountancy career.
Flexible, affordable payment options Our mission is to make learning affordable and accessible for all, no matter your circumstances. That s why we make spreading the cost of your course as simple and manageable as possible with our flexible, interest-free payment plans. You can get started right away with a deposit, then pay the rest through monthly direct debit. Our plans are flexible, so you can pay your balance off sooner if you d like. If you think your company will fully or partly fund your learning, we can help you put together a case, and invoice them for the cost of your course. Simply discuss this with your advisor when you enrol and they ll give you all the information you need. Employer-funded Accounting courses can be enrolled as an all-inclusive package which combines course, exam, centre and AAT Membership fees. You also have the option of paying the full amount up-front if you d prefer. AAT and Exam Centre Fees In order to sit your exams and receive your qualification, you ll need to pay a few external fees: AAT Registration Fees AAT Annual Student Membership Fees AAT Exam Fees Exam Centre Administration Fees I work Monday to Friday full-time, so studying for my AAT course during set hours after work just wasn t an option for me. With ICS Learn I am able to study on my lunch break or at weekends, and after work if I want to. I love having the flexibility to choose where and when I study I feel in control of my learning. Faheema Patel, AAT Advanced Diploma in Accounting You ll pay these directly to either the exam centre or AAT, although we can include a year s student membership on your payment plan. Our course advisors will fill you in on the latest AAT fee information so you re not hit with any nasty surprises, and they ll also advise you on how to pay them. Your exam centre fees will vary depending on the centre you choose. You can find out the cost of the course on our website, along with payment plan details and any discounts we re offering this month. Alternatively, you can call our course advisors to find out more.
Where your qualification will take you On the combined course: When you finish the Foundation Certificate, you ll be ready to take on entry-level roles - you don t need to wait util you re finished the whole course to apply. You could work in roles such as accounts administrator, purchase ledger clerk, or trainee finance assistant. Once you ve completed the Advanced Diploma, you ll be ready for more senior roles, including: Accounts payable supervisor Professional bookkeeper Corporate recovery analyst Finance officer Insolvency executive Indirect tax manager If you continue studying with AAT: The next step is the Professional Diploma, which is the highest level of AAT study. If you continue your education to this level, you ll be qualified for a wide variety of lucrative and desirable roles, including: Professional accounting technician Commercial analyst Payroll manager Senior bookkeeper Senior financial officer Senior fund accountant Senior insolvency administrator Once you ve completed the Professional Diploma, you can apply for professional MAAT status, start your own accounting practice, or study on a fast-track route to become a Chartered Accountant. Average Salaries with an AAT Qualification Foundation Certificate between 17,000 & 24,000 Advanced Diploma between 20,000 & 30,000 Professional Diploma up to 40,000
How we support you When you enrol, you ll be able to join a live induction webinar so that we can show you how to navigate the Student Community, answer any questions you have, and - most importantly - give you a warm and friendly welcome to studying with us! The Student Community is our easy-to-use online learning platform. It s a one stop shop that allows you to: Access your course materials Contact your tutor and Student Support team Submit your assignments Connect with your fellow students You ll also benefit from a huge range of resources, including: Kaplan Textbooks (both in print and as e-books) Mock Assessments Interactive Quizzes Progress Checks Online Activities Lively Group Forums Personal Journal AAT Resources Live Online Classrooms You ll have the option of joining live tutor-led online classrooms. These let you talk to the tutor, interact with other students, and get help with anything you re stuck with. The majority are scheduled during lunchtimes, evenings and weekends so they re as easy as possible to fit around work, and they re recorded too so you can replay them anytime. Your study materials have been specially designed for online learning by AAT and distance learning experts, and they re split into bite-sized sections so they re easy to follow from home. Learning online doesn t mean learning alone. In addition to your assigned AAT tutor, who ll answer all your questions about coursework and exams, you ll have our dedicated Student Support team waiting in the wings to help you with administrative tasks, using the Student Community, and any other non-academic queries you might have. That means that no matter what you need, there will always be someone here to help. We re with you every step of the way.
About your course In total, this combined course consists of 11 units, and is worth 56 UCAS credits. The Foundation course has 5 units, and the Advanced course has 6. The first half of the course, the Foundation Certificate, sits on the Qualifications and Credit Framework at Level 2, or Level 5 in the Scottish system. The final qualification you ll receive, the Advanced Diploma, sits at Level 3, or Level 6 in the Scottish system. Typically, students complete this course in 12 months (6 months each for the Foundation and Advanced levels), but some do it faster or slower than this depending on their circumstances. We give you a generous support period of 30 months so that you have the flexibility to go at your own pace - you won t be held back by inconvenient deadlines or the pace of other students, and you can always take time off if life gets hectic. To complete your course, you ll sit 5 individual computer-based assessments at an AAT approved exam centre. Prior to this, you ll complete mock assessments that ll be marked by your tutor to ensure you re fully prepared. There are two kinds of AAT assessment: Unit assessments test what you ve learned in that specific unit. They generally involve multiple choice questions, or sometimes written answers. You must complete all the unit assessments before you sit the synoptic exam The synoptic assessment will test what you ve learned across multiple units. It allows you to demonstrate your new knowledge and skills by applying them to a real-world situation. Foundation Certificate in Accounting Unit Advanced Diploma in Accounting Unit Hours of study Hours of study Unit Assessment Length Bookkeeping 60 2 hours Yes transactions Bookkeeping controls 45 2 hours Yes Elements of costing 45 1 hour 30mins Yes Using accounting software Work effectively in finance 45 2 hours No 45 None Yes Unit Assessment Length Advanced Bookkeeping 90 2 hours Yes Final Accounts 60 2 hours Yes Preparation Management 80 2 hours 30 mins Yes Accounting: Costing Indirect Tax 60 1 hour 30 mins Yes Ethics for Accountants 50 None Yes Tested in Synpotic? Tested in Synpotic? The synoptic test for the Advanced course will consist of two separate sessions of 1 hr 30 mins each. They take place six times a year, so you should plan your study around this. Spreadsheets for Accounting 50 None Yes
What you ll learn (Foundation) With our flexible AAT courses, you ll get the same exceptional learning experience as you d expect in a traditional classroom, but with no restrictions on when, where, and at what pace you learn. Our courses cover everything you need to know to achieve your accounting career goals and build lifetime success. Bookkeeping transactions In this module, you ll learn to: Understand financial transactions within a bookkeeping system Process customer transactions Process supplier transactions Process receipts and payments Process transactions through the ledgers to the trial balance Elements of costing In this module, you ll learn to: Understand the cost recording system within an organisation Use cost recording techniques Provide information on actual and budgeted costs and income Work effectively in finance In this module, you ll learn to: Understand the finance function within an organisation Use personal skills development in finance Produce work effectively Understand corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethics and sustainability within organisations Bookkeeping controls In this module, you ll learn to: Understand payment methods Understand controls in a bookkeeping system Use control accounts Use the journal Reconcile a bank statement with the cash book Usjng accounting software In this module, you ll learn to: Set up accounting software Process sales and purchases transactions Process bank and cash transactions Perform period end routine tasks Produce reports
What you ll learn (Advanced) Advanced Bookkeeping Apply the principles of advanced double-entry bookkeeping Implement procedures for the acquisition and disposal of non-current assets Prepare and record depreciation calculations Record period end adjustments Produce and extend the trial balance Management Accounting: Costing Understand the purpose and use of management accounting within an organisation Apply techniques required for dealing with costs Apportion costs according to organisational requirements Analyse and review deviations from budget and report these to management Apply management accounting techniques to support decision making Spreadsheets for Accounting Design and structure appropriate spreadsheets to meet customer needs Use spreadsheet software to record, format and organise data Use relevant tools to manipulate and analyse data Use software tools to verify accuracy and protect data Use tools and techniques to prepare and report accounting information Final Accounts Preparation Distinguish between the financial recording and reporting requirements of different types of organisation Explain the need for final accounts and the accounting and ethical principles underlying their preparation Prepare accounting records from incomplete information Produce accounts for sole traders Produce accounts for partnerships Recognise the key differences between preparing accounts for a limited company and a sole trader Indirect Tax Understand and apply VAT legislation requirements Accurately complete VAT returns and submit them in a timely manner Understand the implications for the business of errors, omissions and late filing and payment Report VAT-related information within the organisation in accordance with regulatory and organisational requirements Ethics for Accountants Understand the need to act ethically Understand the relevance to the accountant s work of the ethical code for professional accountants Recognise how to act ethically in an accounting role Identify action to take in relation to unethical behaviour or illegal acts
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