Level 4 apprenticeship requirements

At the beginning of the apprenticeship, both you and your student will need to sign the following documents:

• an employment contract
• a commitment statement and apprenticeship agreement.

Your chosen tuition provider will then register your student as an apprentice with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Your student will then need to register as a Level 4 apprentice with us. They will need their unique learner number (ULN) and their tuition provider details on hand to register.

During the on-programme assessment, apprentices will attempt the first six exams of the ACA, undertake off-the-job training and record their professional development skills progress in their online training file. 

The ACA exams

Apprentices must pass the first six exams of the ACA:

1. Accounting
2. Management Information
3. Business, Technology and Finance
4. Assurance
5. Principles of Taxation
6. Law

Off-the-job training

Apprentices must spend at least six hours per week on off-the-job training.

• Find out more about off-the-job training

Online training file

Level 4 apprentices will use the online training file to keep a record of their professional development. This will help them to demonstrate their competence in the required knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) of the apprenticeship.  

The training provider will meet with your student on a quarterly basis to discuss their skills development progress, provide feedback on the steps they have achieved and support them with any further development they may need.  

ESFA mandates that an apprentice must have passed through Gateway before they can sit the end-point assessment. 

The Gateway is the point at which the employer and tuition provider review their apprentice’s KSBs to see if they have met the minimum requirements of the apprenticeship and are ready to attempt the end-point assessment.

At this point, you must confirm the apprentice has:

• achieved a Level 2 (GCSE pass) in Maths & English;
• completed a minimum of 12 months on their apprenticeship; and
• achieved the necessary KSBs set out in the apprenticeship standard.

• View guidance on conducting the Level 4 Gateway sign off

The end-point assessment consists of:

• a Portfolio and Reflective statement
• a Role Simulation exam.

Portfolio and reflective statement

The Portfolio and Reflective statement demonstrates the student’s competence in the necessary KSBs set out in the apprenticeship standard for the Level 4 Accounting Technician Apprenticeship.
 
The training file that apprentices maintain during the on-programme assessment will contribute to the Portfolio and Reflective statement. Apprentices should summarise relevant examples from their training file, and, once complete, the Portfolio and Reflective statement should be submitted to ICAEW.

Role Simulation exam

The Role Simulation exam is a two and a half hour, remotely invigilated exam which tests the KSBs that an apprentice develops during their apprenticeship.

There are three exam sessions each year for the end-point assessment held in March, June and December.  

Once all elements of the apprenticeship have been successfully completed, your student will need to notify ESFA to qualify as a Level 4 Accounting Technician.