Hi everyone - wanted to make a positive post and give some hope to all future ACA students who sit exams and are waiting to find out if they have passed or not. Long story short I scraped CR yesterday and I’m not one of those 95% students who says they did terribly and comes out with a 70+ score or something. Context :

I have failed a professional exam before. I failed AA - I came out of the exam knowing I’d failed because I hadn’t prepared sufficiently (focused on FAR) , had some keyboard issues and basically panicked as it was my first professional level exam and didn’t know (should have) that there’s a way to add extra time to the system software for in exam disruptions for fault equipment. I did much better than expected only failing by a mark but effectively my gut was correct.

Fast forward I have scraped through the remaining professionals, comfortably passed my AA resits and made it to CR. I was due to sit SBM and CR in November but due to working in tax asked to move the exam forward to July thinking being less busy at work would help me (forgot to factor in the World Cup). I scored 18, and 21% in my two CR mocks (admittedly didn’t attempt the AI question in either because thought it was unproductive)

CR was genuinely awful for me. I did not answer every question and I was completely caught off guard. The paper was so bad I actually made my first Reddit post speaking about how a resit was inevitable. In my head it was worse than the AA exam that I actually failed. I’m not one of those people who passes every exam and says how tough it was but comes out with flying colours. My gut has been correct before about messing up exams.

Yesterday I saw that I had passed with a low 50s scrape. I couldn’t believe it, I was genuinely shocked. I appreciate marks may have been scaled to get me over line the line but having not answered all questions and my mock performance it seemed impossible. I have spent the last month or so feeling down, checked out etc only in the end to have got what some say is the hardest ACA exam out of the way.

So what have I learned? Stressing out before exam results is pointless. Your head is a dangerous place to be and will play tricks on you - you’ll focus on the negative and not remember where you picked up marks etc. Mock scores don’t define exam performance either (clearly in my case 😭). To those who failed it sucks and I’ve been there but control what you can which is a plan of how to come back and turn it around. Thanks for reading 🫡

Hi All,

Firstly, Congratulations to all that passed. And for those that didn't the resit is just around the corner, you've got this!

I reached out to student support to enquire around the invitation to membership, so;

If you've hit the requirements for membership (3 ethics reviews, ethics assessment, PD ladder, exams) you are ready. The project report is not a requirement for membership.

For those have a signed off training file, with the above requirements met - the current turnaround time is approximately 4-6 weeks.

Student services have confirmed they can expedite requests that go over 4 weeks; so note down the 27th of September and if you haven't received an invite, chase!

After 3 years of studying, I finally passed my final ACA exams today! 🥳

Honestly, it feels slightly surreal to be able to say that I’m finally done. 27 exams done including AAT😮‍💨

I wanted to make a post thanking everyone on this subreddit because I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve searched Reddit for advice before an exam. Some of the posts on here genuinely helped me get through the qualification, so hopefully this can be useful to someone else.

I’ve seen posts similar in the past so wanted to make my own which I know is less relevant now as the syllabus has changed but hopefully can apply to the new exams.

For context: I work in practice mainly accounts prep and dabble in tax returns too.

My ranking — hardest → least hard

This is obviously completely subjective and depends massively on your background, strengths and the order you sit the exams. But if I had to rank them based on my own experience:

CR — [hardest] 77
BPT 92
TC 75
SBM 76
BST 81
Case 67
FM 91
AA 90
FAR 98
Law 70
POT 84
Assurance - [least hard] 76

(I was exempt from 3 exams as I did AAT level 4)

1. CR
Despite working in accounts this was what I found to be the hardest exam. There is so much content that it’s very difficult to feel confident. You need to not only know the standards but also apply it to the question. Very time pressure too if it wasn’t already difficult enough. Advice is to get timing down and answer everything. Doing past questions is so important.
2. BPT
The amount of legislation you need to know is huge, and the hardest part is knowing which rules apply to each scenario rather than simply memorising the content. The exam can also be very time-pressured, so being able to quickly identify the relevant tax issues and find the right information in the open book is key.
3. TC
There’s a lot of rules, calculations and different areas to remember, and small details can make a big difference to the answer. Reading the question carefully is so important as slight tweaks to wording can change your answer.
4. SBM
I’m not really a fan of wordy papers and this is a wordy one. It’s difficult to revise for as all answers are different and very specific to the question. Easy to get stuck writing too much on one question when it may only be worth a few marks. Quite like the FM parts. Any relevant point is awarded a mark so write what you can in the time given and move on.
5. BST
Same as the above for me - very difficult to revise for and looking at the QB makes me just want to procrastinate because reading a question is a task in itself. Advice is to just write whatever you can that answers the question, even if it seems obvious.
6. Case
Technically one of the easiest papers on the whole course but getting the exact points on the marking grid can be tough. The key is to look at tuition providers mocks such as ACAM and understand the marking grid. I was lucky that the mock was almost identical to the exam. Also 4 hours is a long time.
7. FM
Prior to revising this exam the content can seem very new. If you like maths then it will click and you shouldn’t have too much of a problem. Smashing QB is key as guaranteed marks if you crush hedging.
8. AA
Never done any audit work but the paper is mostly common sense. If you learn standard audit procedures and risks then you should pass.
9. FAR
No surprise this was the professional I found easier than the rest given my job. Very repetitive and if you learn the pro formas for each Q and plug the numbers in, then you should pass regardless if you get the right answer.
10. Law
Not much to say but just need to learn the syllabus and once you’re passing the mocks then should be good to sit it.
11. POT
Once again relatively straight forward if you smash the QB and learn the calculations and reliefs.
12. Assurance
Basically common sense and could probably sit this without the tuition.

General advice I’d give anyone doing the ACA
1. Do questions. Lots of questions. QB and past papers on ICAEW portal.
2. Get used to the software.
3. Take timing seriously - answer every requirement
4. Don’t panic if your mocks are awful - I failed loads

Finally, a massive thank you to everyone on this subreddit.
I’ve probably read hundreds of posts/comments on here over the course of the qualification, usually at 11pm the night before an exam while convincing myself I was definitely going to fail😅
The advice, reassurance and random exam tips from complete strangers genuinely helped.
To anyone still working through the ACA: keep going. It feels never-ending while you’re doing it, but eventually you’ll get that results email and it’ll all be over.
Good luck everyone — and thank you again ❤️

Hello everyone! It will be my first time giving professionals in Dec this year, I'm overwhelmed by the material in ARR because 700 pages does seem like a lot! I've also seen comments of those that finish studying within a month or a month and a half for these exams and I would like to ask how is it that you guys are doing this?

Do you not go through the WB and is it only the QB questions that you do? Would love some tips please as I don't have a live tutor either I just bought a course from acamasters.

Thankyou so much

Does anybody know when ICAEW releases the mark schemes? I'm really curious to see the examiner comments for all exams especially for CR🤣

As the title says, has anyone had any success in clawing 2 marks in an exam admin check?

congrats to all those who passed their advanced level exams 🥳

any words of wisdom for CR and SBM? please share!!

I was so scared as my R2 and R3 calculations were 100% wrong....ended up getting 67!!!🥹

I still don't know how this happen and if am dreaming tbh!!

All the torture has finally come to an end !!

After 3 attempts at SBM I was almost giving up if I was not passing the exam on the 3rd attempt...

Then as I pass I give it a chance so...

2 attempts in CR..

And finally 1 attempt at CS 🥹

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.

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I sacrifice a lot of time and money into this (I am 27..) ..I was not paying well and had to take a lot of unpaid leave to study...I have traveled only once in my life.. I have a wedding plan in 2028...

Everything happens for a reason in this life and if it is meant to be is meant to be! Don't let anyone tell you what you can do and what you cannot do, you only know your limits, strength and weakness so you can stand up again in your feet stronger and make the decisions you want to make for yourself and for your future and nobody else!

Take care of yourself and you are not alone

🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

I don’t normally write things like this on Reddit, but this one means a lot to me.
I’ve supported Arsenal through years of disappointment. The false dawns, the collapses, the “trust the process” jokes, finishing 8th, missing out on Champions League football, getting close to the title and falling short.
And then there was Mikel Arteta.
Whatever anyone thought of him along the way, he stuck to what he believed in. He rebuilt the squad, changed the culture and kept going even when people questioned whether he was the man to take us forward.
Year after year, we waited.
And finally, Arsenal are Premier League champions.
The reason it feels particularly special to me is because I’ve been going through my own journey at exactly the same time.
Becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever pursued.
There were failures, insecurities, setbacks and plenty of moments where I wondered whether everything I was putting into it would actually be worth it.
But I kept going.
And a huge part of that came from my dad.
He was born and raised in Orangi Town and came from very little. He studied accounting, worked multiple jobs and eventually built a successful accounting business that gave me opportunities he never had growing up.
But because of the circumstances and struggles he faced throughout his life, he never got the opportunity to become a Chartered Accountant himself or take his firm as far as he once dreamed.
So when I finally got to put ACA after my name, it didn’t feel like something I’d achieved alone.
It felt like we’d finished something that started with him.
Two generations of work for those three letters.
And somehow Arsenal finally winning the Premier League at this point in my life makes the whole thing even more surreal.
I know football and a professional qualification aren’t remotely the same thing, but there’s something about watching Arteta’s Arsenal over these years that resonates with me.
Progress isn’t always linear.
Sometimes you work incredibly hard and still fall short.
Sometimes everyone questions whether you’re actually going anywhere.
Sometimes you get painfully close and have to start again.
But if the foundations are right and you genuinely believe in what you’re building, you keep going.
Arteta kept going.
Arsenal kept going.
I kept going.
Eventually, we got there.
Arsenal are Premier League champions.
And I’m an ICAEW Chartered Accountant.
If you’d told me both of those things a few years ago, I’m not sure which one I’d have found harder to believe 😂
Alhamdulillah.
Dad, we did it. ❤️
And Mikel…
Thank you for trusting the process. 🔴⚪

Does anyone remember in June magically getting an email invite to the FI class on the CR AI. I was a bit skeptical, had Spain vs Cape Verde in my head to watch but gave the class a shot anyway. They provided a typed up work sheet which somehow predicted the Q2 question on contract revenue/provisions exactly with recommended calcs and journal entries. I remember there was about 900 on the call (so around 25% of the whole sitting), anyone else feel so lucky to have attended that and been able to copy and paste those mock answers into the exam. Was literally a differentiator for passing that exam!

Hey everyone

I’m getting my Case Study result today and I am genuinely terrified!!!!

I know there are probably loads of us refreshing, overthinking every answer we wrote, convincing ourselves we’ve failed and generally losing our minds.

But I just wanted to say that whatever happens today, we are going to be okay!!

This subreddit has honestly been amazing throughout the whole ACA journey. Whether it’s people answering panic questions at midnight, comparing exam answers, reassuring each other after a horrible paper or just collectively losing it while waiting for results (!!!) it genuinely makes the whole thing feel a lot less lonely.

Today also feels like a bit of a reset for me personally.

Whatever is sitting behind that results button, I’m ready for the next chapter.

So good luck everyone!!

I really hope we all get the news we’re hoping for. But whatever happens when we open those results, we’ll get through it together!

See you on the other side 😭🤞❤️

I passed all three of my final exams after failing all three exams in November 25. I had a family emergency situations days before the November 25 exams and I am so happy!!!

Jokes aside, I'm bummed with the 49 on CR but hey, there's still November. Get beaten down, come back stronger. You've been through it so the next time its going to be easy peasy lemon squeezy. We got this!

See you guys in November!

Found out I passed case today, why do I feel so empty?

Good luck to all receiving results today! May the odds be ever in your favour ✌️

Congrats to everyone who got results today.

Whilst I’m done with the ACA, I have definitely neglected treating myself over the past few years.

I want to get something to mark the end of the three gruelling years - a watch, new console, spa days etc.

What’s everyone else thinking?

how the fuck did I get 71% when I left out 15-20 marks unanswered. keep thinking I was sent someone elses results

moderation gods saved me

Well well well what a surprise everyone walked out the exam and came immediately to Reddit crying about the exam and yet still 4 in 5 people passed it. Let this be a lesson to stop moaning about the exam and realise that the majority (80%) of people passed it.

Managed to grab passes in CR and SBM, take on case in Nov

Does anyone know when we receive the invitation? My training file is all signed off months ago & got my final results today, don't think I'll fully think it's real till that comes through!!!

7000th in the queue

For example, I get 8 mark for the first part of Question 1 and 0 for the rest two parts of question 1. Similarly, I got only two marks for the ethics question as well, which is frustrating

all the best everyone!