AAT Advanced and Professional Diploma in Accounting

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1 AAT Advanced and Professional Diploma in Accounting Call our expert AAT advisors on

2 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.

3 Why this course is right for you Our flexible AAT Advanced Diploma and Professional Diploma in Accounting combined course is the final step in achieving the highest AAT qualifications - all without giving up your job, family time or social life. Your study can be completely shaped to suit you. In this combined course, you ll master advanced accountancy skills, including bookkeeping, preparing final accounts, and management costing techniques. You ll be able to draft financial statements for limited companies, recommend strategy for accounting systems, and build and present complex management accounting reports. Everything you learn will be firmly grounded in the importance of professional ethics. Once you ve completed your course, you ll have completed all the AAT Accounting qualification levels and can apply for professional MAAT status. You can hold a variety of senior and well-paid accounting roles, start your own practice, or enter a fast track route with a Chartered Accountancy body. This course is perfect for you if: You are looking to achieve internationallyrecognised professional MAAT status You want the skills to excel as a fully qualified accounting technician You want to fast-track your path to becoming a Chartered Accountant You aspire to run your own accounting practice or hold a senior accounting role Entry Requirements To take this course, you ll need the Foundation Certificate in Accounting (Level 2), or some accounting experience in an entry-level or support role. 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. ICS Learn have been fantastic in every facet. The content is easy to access and follow, and as it s online I can study at a pace that is easy to fit in with work. The modules are such that every little thing can be linked to my everyday duties, it just marries beautifully. In fact, one of my colleagues who has already passed Advanced and Professional Level with another company has repeatedly stated that he wished he d done his own learning via ICS Learn. Terry Couzens, AAT Advanced and Professional Diploma Combined Course

4 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 complete 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, 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.

5 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.

6 Where your qualification will take you Once you ve completed the combined course: When you finish the AAT Advanced and Professional Diploma in Accounting, you ll have achieved the highest AAT qualifications and will be well-prepared to excel in a variety of senior accounting roles. Average Salaries with an AAT Qualification Jobs you ll be qualified for include: Professional accounting technician Commercial analyst Payroll manager Tax supervisor Senior bookkeeper Senior financial officer Senior fund accountant Senior insolvency administrator Foundation Certificate between 17,000 & 24,000 Next steps after AAT: After completing the professional Diploma, you can apply for full AAT membership (MAAT) or Fellow Membership (FMAAT) if you have the relevant experience. This will increase your professional credibility and allow you to put the designatory letters MAAT or FMAAT after your name. You ll also gain access to technical and ethical advice and continued professional development resources. You could choose to continue your education and become a Chartered Accountant. Your AAT qualification can fast-track your learning with all the major UK Chartered Accountancy bodies, allowing you to skip certain modules and let you quickly achieve chartered status. You can fast-track with: Advanced Diploma between 20,000 & 30,000 Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Professional Diploma up to 40,000

7 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.

8 About your course In total, this combined course consists of 12 units, 6 for each half of the combined qualification, and is worth 56 UCAS credits. Typically students complete the Advanced course in around 6 months, and the Professional course in 8-12 months. However, as you can work at your own pace, how quickly you complete the course is up to you. We give you a support period of 38 months to ensure you ve got maximum flexibility. To complete your course, you ll sit 11 assessments. Five of these assessments come from the Advanced Diploma while six are from the Professional Diploma. 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 realistic scenarios Advanced Diploma in Accounting Unit Advanced Bookkeeping Final Accounts Preparation Management Accounting: Costing Hours of study Unit Assessment Length 90 2 hours Yes 60 2 hours Yes 80 2 hours 30 mins Yes Indirect Tax 60 1hour 30mins Yes Ethics for Accountants Spreadsheets for Accounting 50 None Yes 50 None Yes Tested in Synpotic? The synoptic test for the Advanced course will consist of two separate sessions of 1 hr 30 mins each, and the synoptic test for the Professional Diploma will be one 3 hour test. Synoptic assessments take place throughout the year at times set by AAT, so you should plan your study around this. Professional Diploma in Accounting Unit Type Hours of study Unit Assessment Length Tested in Synpotic? Management Accounting: Budgeting Core 60 2 hours 30mins Yes Management Accounting: Decision and Control Core 90 2 hours 30mins Yes Financial Statements of Limited Companies Core 90 2 hours 30mins Yes Accounting Systems and Controls Core 60 None Yes Business Tax Elective 60 2 hours No Personal Tax Elective 60 2 hours 30mins No Cash and Treasury Management Elective 60 2 hours 30mins No Credit Management Elective 60 2 hours 30mins No

9 What you ll learn (Advanced) 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. 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

10 What you ll learn (Professional) Core modules Management Accounting: Decision and Control Analyse a range of costing techniques to support the management accounting function of an organisation Calculate and use standard costing to improve performance Master a range of statistical techniques to analyse business information Develop financial and non-financial performance techniques to aid decision making Evaluate a range of cost management techniques to enhance value and aid decision making Management Accounting: Budgeting Prepare income and expenditure forecasts Prepare budgets Improve organisational performance through budgeting Create budget reports to inform business decisions Accounting Systems and Controls Demonstrate an understanding of the role and responsibilities of the accounting function within an organisation Evaluate internal control systems Improve an organisation s accounting system and underpinning procedures Analyse recommendations made to improve an organisation s accounting system Financial Statements of Limited Companies 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

11 What you ll learn (Professional) Elective modules (Choose two) Personal Tax Analyse the theories, principles and rules that underpin taxation systems Calculate income tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions payable by a UK taxpayer Account for capital gains tax Discuss the basics of inheritance tax Business Tax Complete tax returns for limited companies, sole traders and partnerships and prepare supporting tax computations Provide advice on the UK s tax regime and its impact on sole traders, partnerships and limited companies Advise business clients on tax reliefs, and their responsibilities and their agent s responsibilities in reporting taxation to HMRC Prepare tax computations for the sale of capital assets Cash and Treasury Management Master statistical techniques and financial information to prepare forecasts of cash receipts and payments Prepare cash budgets and monitor cash flows within the organisation Evaluate the principles of cash management within the context of regulation and government monetary policies Credit Management Analyse relevant legislation and contract law that has an impact on the credit control environment Critically analyse information from a variety of sources to assess credit risk and grant credit in compliance with organisational policies and procedures Evaluate a range of techniques to collect debts Present advice and recommendations to management on the credit control system

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