Get t i n g st art ed

in Acco untancy

www.kaplan.co.uk
Contents
Why Study accountancy?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

What does an accountant do?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Can I study accountancy?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Changing career? You’re not alone!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Which qualification should I study?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

What will it cost me?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Which study method is right for me?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Why study with Kaplan?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Your study checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Contact us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2
Why study accountancy ?
Do you want to help produce the next
Hollywood blockbuster? Or control a $100 billion
balance sheet at a bank? Or maybe you want to
start your own business selling handmade
cupcakes? Whatever your passion, chances are
an accountancy qualification will help.

Often unfairly seen as a ‘boring’ job, accountancy is

in fact a diverse career with unlimited potential for
progression and change.

From fashion to football, accountancy is essential

in all industries, meaning a qualification can open
doors in almost any sector. After all, the success
of a business is dependent on sound
financial management.

So what makes accountancy so great?

Flexible
As one of the most flexible professions, accountancy
can help you achieve the perfect work-life balance.
Part-time roles and career breaks are possible, as
well as plenty of self-employment opportunities.
Dynamic
Accountancy isn’t just about numbers. It employs a
wide range of other skills such as communication,
teamwork, strategy, leadership and problem-solving.
Choose a global organisation and you could also
benefit from some incredible travel opportunities.

Rewarding Respected
Accountancy can be extremely rewarding. Senior You benefit from being part of a prestigious
roles often attract high value salaries and benefits profession that is respected and trusted by
packages, with huge scope for progression. organisations and communities..

3
 What does an accountant do ?
The term ‘accountant’ can apply to so many careers – no wonder it is often
misunderstood. Check out these common specialisms to find out more.

Management Accountant
Are you a strategic thinker who has a knack for looking at the bigger
picture? As a management accountant, you’ll provide financial and strategic
information to help organisations prosper.
Find out more 

Forensic Accounting
You don’t have to be a detective to solve crimes. As a forensic accountant,
you can use your skills and expertise to follow the paper trail of corruption.
You may even be asked to give expert evidence in court.
Find out more 

Bookkeeper
Being a bookkeeper is the best of both worlds; a secure, well-paid career,
with the added benefit of stable hours and a great work-life balance.
Find out more 

4
Tax Technician
Tax is intrinsic to the financial universe – affecting governments, businesses,
and individuals worldwide. As a tax technician, you’ll be on hand to advise
on big decisions such as investments, restructures or mergers.
Find out more 

Financial Accountant
As a financial accountant, you’ll be the go-to person for all things financial.
You’ll need strong organisational skills and attention to detail to summarise
and report on a company’s financial transactions.
Find out more 

Production Accountant
We did say you could work in Hollywood! Production accountants
are a vital part of film and television production management.
Find out more 

Which Profession suits you?

Our quick quiz suggests an area of accountancy you may find interesting
based on your traits, personality and motivations.
Take the Quiz 

5
Can I study accountancy?
In short – yes! You don’t need any previous
experience or qualifications to start studying AAT
or FIA, just a willingness to learn!
So whether you’ve just finished school, want to change
career, or already hold a financial qualification, there
are lots of ways to start get started.
Many believe that they don’t have the right
qualifications or skills to start studying accountancy.
However, most accountants today use
spreadsheets or accounting software to do a
lot of the calculations and processes. So you
certainly don’t need to be a maths or IT genius!

Find out which qualifications match your experience Find out more accountancy myths here 
in our in-depth article here 

Changing career? You're not alone!

Accountancy is one of the most popular choices for people who want a new career path,
with new accountants coming from all walks of life. Our research shows:

55% 80% 4 in 5
of accountants previously of career changers are either happy or would recommend a career
had a different career extremely happy in their new career in accountancy to a friend

Check out more facts on switching your job to accountancy here 

6
Which qualification should I study?
As you can see, there are plenty of routes into accountancy – but which one
is right for you?

Often it will depend on the career path you decide to take. Three of the most
popular qualification routes are highlighted below.

Find out more about how your career will progress depending on the
qualification you pick with our Career Timeline 

The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
is one of the most popular qualifications to
study if you’re new to accountancy and finance,
or simply looking to progress your career.
You’ll learn practical real-world skills,
such as: interpreting financial statements
and managing budgets.
Find out more 
CIMA is the world’s largest professional body
of management accountants. Having a CIMA
qualification tells everyone you’re a trusted
business strategist who can help bring success
to any organisation.
Find out more 

ACCA is a globally recognised qualification, ideal

for those who would like a rewarding career in
finance or wish to become a Chartered Certified
Accountant. The ACCA qualification also opens
up many career opportunities in external
auditing, banking and corporate finance.
Find out more 

7
What will it cost me?
The cost of studying can vary a lot, depending
on which course you choose and how you
decide to study.
However, all courses offer a cost effective route into
a ‘rewarding andstable profession. Being qualified
also offers a great return on investment – with higher
wages and new job opportunities becoming available
as you progress.
Financial Support
On top of this, there are lots of extra financial support
available for students. In our survey, 60% of people
said they received financial support from their
employer or training provider.***
Apprenticeships: You could study for free as an
Apprentice, earning money and getting real work
experience at the same time!
Learn More 

Interest free payment plans: Kaplan offer interest

free payment plans with courses. So you can pay for
£18,305 your course over 6–12 months in smaller, affordable
Average yearly spend of UK chunks. Plus, there’s no extra cost to do this!
undergraduates on living Learn More 
and tuition costs*

£1,419.20
Full cost of AAT Professional
Diploma in Accounting via
Kaplan Distance Learning

Learn more about how AAT compares

to University here 

CIMA students earn on average £35,909

a year, whereas CIMA members on
average earn a whopping £62,000.**

CIMA
Student
CIMA
Member

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Average annual salary in £K

*International university degrees three times cheaper than UK,The Telegraph, 11/01/17
**CIMA Salary survey
***Kaplan career changer survey
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Which study method is right for me?
One key question is frequently overlooked when starting your training – what’s the
best study method to use? Your unique learning style and situation can make all
the difference to your success.

Luckily, Kaplan has four different study methods to suit different needs. Not sure if
structured or flexible learning is right for you? Find out more in the articles below.

Structured Flexible
Is this right for me?  Is this right for me? 

Classroom
A traditional scheduled programme, with face
to face tutor led classes at one of 21 centrally
located Kaplan Training Centres.
Learn more 
OnDemand
An online course with resources specifically
designed for online learning, with the
flexibility to start studying anytime, anywhere.
Learn more 

Live Online Distance Learning

Live interactive online classes at a set time Study independently in your own time, at
with expert tutors. Every session is recorded your own pace, using a range of online and
so you can watch them back later. printed learning materials.
Learn more  Learn more 

Still unsure which of these study methods is best suited to you?

Answer 7 simple questions to find which one we recommend for your unique Take our Quiz 
learning style. You’ll then get a chance to try it for free with an in-depth demo.

9
 Why study with Kaplan ?
So you’ve decided which qualification is the best for you, and you’ve decided how
you should study. The final question is – why study with Kaplan?

Because we listen! We’ve recently redesigned all our courses based on student
feedback, to give you the best chance of completing your studies, whatever study
method you choose.

Extended opening hours Exceptional pass rates

Available until 8pm on weekdays and Our pass rates consistently exceed the national
9am–1pm on weekends. average, so you can be confident of success
when you choose us.

Guaranteed response in 4 hours or less UK’s largest accountancy training provider

Get instant tutor support via Live Chat or We train over 45,000 accountants each year so
within 4 hours by email or callback. you can be confident when studying with us.

Fully marked mock exams and 8 of the top 10 UK accountancy firms

a wealth of practice questions have employees studying with us*
You’ll get feedback highlighting what went well It’s not just about quantity. Top firms choose
and what was incorrect, so you can focus your Kaplan to give their employees the best
time on the areas you need to improve. learning experience.

*Top 10 UK accountancy firms taken from Accountancy Age 2018 Top 50+50 survey. All students have purchased a course within the last 6 months as of May 2019.

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Your study checklist
We know that starting a new qualification can be overwhelming, so we have
put together a handy checklist below to guide you through the process from
start to finish. Follow these steps and you’ll be qualified in no time!

1
Choose your qualification
Make sure you find the course that is right for you. Find out which level and
institute you should start with.

2
Register with your institute
Separate to your training provider, you also need to register as a student with
the institute itself. Otherwise you can’t take your exams!

3
Choose your training provider
That’s where we come in! Decide who you would like to study with based on
factors such as tutor support and course content.

4
Choose your study method
Flexible or structured, in class or at home? Pick the study method that will give
you the best chance of success.

5
Check your funding options
You might be surprised at what is available to you. And always ask your
employer if they are willing to help fund your studies.

6
Start Studying
You should now have everything in place to be able to start your training
– now hit those books and schedule your first exam when you feel ready!

Contact us
If you have any questions about starting your course with Kaplan,
please feel free to get in touch:
studentservices@kaplan.co.uk 0161 259 7400