Choosing a book-keeping qualification can be a bit of a minefield. Knowing which body to join and which qualification to pursue is not always straight forward, or indeed clear. Hopefully we can help you choose the correct path based on your experience and future career goals.

Below is an overview of the structure of the book-keeping and accounting profession in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom does not have a clearly defined qualification structure for accounting that is recognised in Law. The chart below is what we believe represents best practice in the UK.

ACCA     ICAEW     CIMA     CIPFA     ICAS

(Members of the above institutes often refer to themselves as 'Chartered Accountants')

IFA     AIA

(Members of the above institutes often refer to themselves as 'Qualified Accountants')

AAT     CAT     SIAT (AIA)    FAE (IFA)

(Members of the above institutes often refer to themselves as 'Accounting Technicians')

ICB     IAB     ABC (AAT)

(Members of the above institutes often refer to themselves as 'Certified or Registered Book-keepers')