It is the responsibility of your students to register with us, apply for any credit for prior learning / work experience, book and pass the ACA exams, and complete the professional development, practical work experience, and ethics and professional scepticism requirements. As their employer, you are responsible for creating an effective process to support them through each requirement.
Registering as a student
Your students will be responsible for registering with us. They should not register with us until you have carried out the necessary checks and instructed them to do so. When your students register with us, they will also be registering their training agreement with us and confirming that training has begun.Exams
Students are responsible for booking, studying for and passing all the ACA exams. You are required to provide encouragement and support as defined within the training agreement. We also provide exam support for your students to access.
Practical work experience
Students are required to complete at least 450 practical work experience days over the course of their training agreement. Students are required to keep a log or timesheet of their practical work experience to discuss this with you at each six-monthly review.
Students working in audit-registered firms who want to record their audit experience must maintain a record of their audit days.
Professional development
Made up of seven ladders and 52 steps overall, your students will work their way through the professional development ladders while training for the ACA.Your students are required to demonstrate their progress at each six-monthly review.
Ethics and professional scepticism
Your students will develop their ethical capabilities throughout their ACA training in several ways. They will need to complete an online Ethics Learning Programme and pass an associated assessment within the first 12 months of training. They will also need to discuss their ethical progress, including real ethical scenarios and example Ethics in Practice scenarios with you at each six-monthly review.Six-monthly reviews
All students must have a review meeting with you at least every six months throughout their training. These reviews are to discuss their progress and development and identify any further support they may require. Six-monthly reviews are not optional - they form part of ICAEW student regulations and the terms of the ACA training agreement.It is your student’s responsibility to arrange these reviews. However, you should do everything you can to facilitate these meetings. Failure to do so may affect your authorisation status.
Applying for credit for prior learning
Your student may be able to claim exemptions for up to 12 of the ACA exams. While it is your student's responsibility to apply for any credits, it is up to you whether you allow your student to apply for any exemptions they may be eligible for.Applying for credit for work experience
If your students have completed work experience before the start of their training agreement with you, they may be able to apply for credit for prior work experience. It is your student's responsibility to apply for any credit, but it is up to you whether you allow your student to apply for it.Have a question?
If you need any support or have a question on ACA training, please contact us.
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