To ask if AAT Level 2 is worth it?

[ducksgoquack222]

So, I'm due to go off in maternity in a couple of months and have been looking at potential courses I could do to retrain during this time. I enjoy my current job but want a career I can progress in and after doing my job for 5 years it's starting to feel a bit stale and at a stand still.

I have always had an interest and worked with budgets and been good with numbers, have an A Level in Maths and have a BArts 2:1 in English.

I suppose I'm looking for other people's experience, is a Level 2 AAT qualification worth investing in? Ive worked out my budget and can just about afford the course whilst on maternity but obviously dont want to invest if there is little chance of a return. Will it help me to get an entry level position in order to work up?

Logistria
The OP is self funding while not in work .....

I was on a training contract so I "get" that side of it.

But as was discussed with some colleagues this week
there are some FAB QBE folks out there
and some utterly dire CCAB

Logista, well I should have written unrelated degree. I'm studying psychology which is both useless and irrelevant to accountancy and finance. My head is just not in it for my degree, I actually prefer studying for accountancy than I do psychology.

THe trouble with the big qualifications (the CCAB ones) is that they are worthless till you qualify .... students are not allowed to sell their services

A number of grades in my field age considered appropriate for ‘part qualified’ staff. Not useless in the slightest.

Op I did city and guilds level two certificate in bookkeeping, it was a much cheaper and shorter course than AAT level 2, and I was able to progress to level 3 on the back of this. Once you have competed level three you can call yourself an AAT qualified bookkeeper. I would recommend the city and guilds as an easy, low risk option to see if it’s for you before committing more time and money.

Just done level 2 AAT and got a job in bookkeeping before i had even finished (great flexible hours and a very good hourly rate). I didn't have a finance background so knew I needed something to get through the door. I like how practical it is and once i have done my level 4, I will have exemptions in the accountancy qualification i take. I self studied for level 2. If you're having to pay for yourself, don't waste money on a provider - you don't need anything more than the Osbourne textbooks and a centre who take external candidates. DM me if you want to aak anything

I am AAT qualified. I would suggest ACCA or CIMA as this is what most companies are asking for. AAT is seen as a bit of a mickey mouse qualification unfortunately, so all of my hard years of work were wasted as none of my employers have really been that bothered that I was AAT qualified. I did get exemptions from the entry level ACCA exams but I wouldn't say it was worth taking a 3 year AAT course just to get a couple of exemptions.

Seconding everything @Logistria said
She sounds much more knowledgable than I am, but my personal experience is similar so far. IME any self-study shows commitment and determination, and is valued by employers, so whichever you choose will help your career.

Self study is definitely a good option. I did level 2 with a provider, online learning with tutor support. Did not really use the tutor or the online videos, found reading the text then doing lots of practise papers, which you can buy, was the best prep. So now doing level 3 self study at about a quarter of the price. I get the materials from First Intuition- they have an option to upgrade individual units to tutor support if you struggle, so that’s a good option. I haven’t needed to. May be other providers that have a similar deal, I don’t know. I don’t have a job yet and was surprised at how much experience even very entry-level jobs are requesting. But once my LO is at nursery more I hope to get serious about finding a job. And I have enjoyed the studying.

I think it must’ve changed as I’ve not encountered any issues working as PQ CIMA.

Totally agree with ups. Look at foundation level of ACCA as it is a far more marketable alternative. AAT IMO is very much a very young person's starting point.

But CIMA roles aren't generally about offering services to clients - they're the internal finance function of any firm - the M&S example from earlier in the thread (she says, having worked at M&S as a CIMA-qualified accountant!). So you don't need to be fully qualified as you're not being charged out.

So I think it depends what you want to do - plenty of value in being CIMA part-qualified if you want to work in industry. But if you're more interested in bookkeeping, then AAT is your best bet. There's no right answer.

Does ACCA offer a good base for double entry at its foundation level?

AAT is barely recognised amongst the accountancy profession. If you are looking for an accountancy career I would not bother with it.

If you are looking to add a new skill for some general office work, then it is fine.

What shite Alfie. I know accountants who prefer someone who started with AAT because their understanding of the books is far more detailed than someone who went straight to ACCA.

Does ACCA offer a good base for double entry at its foundation level?

The real thing (IME) that dictates whether someone has a firm grounding in double entry is actual work experience.

The reason many AAT qualified workers have excellent double entry is the experience on the job in a transactional role.

There are many ‘accountants’ out there who come through qualified without having actually posted journals, prepared a real-world set of financial statements or done an actual bank reconciliation, because they self study without relevant experience or they’re job isn’t sufficient technical.

I got my first Managemrnt Accountant role prior to any qualifications because I had a LOT of experience and was hired over more ‘qualified’ candidates as they couldn’t complete the test.

Such a valid point Merry. I am hoping to start AAT soon but since reading this post am worried I’m doing the wrong thing. However I am not confident at all, haven’t studied for a while etc so am hoping AAT will be less daunting than going straight into ACCA. I don’t really mind that it’s going to take me longer!

I started with AAT level 2 and worked through to complete level 4. For me it was definitely worth it and I now have a job I love. I may go on to be chartered, I am still deciding, and AAT means you get some exemptions.
I am working at a level that I feel comfortable with and think if I had started at ACCA or CIMA level I may have felt out of my depth in the workplace.

I started with a bookkeeping course at college, just a few weeks to check I liked it. Then did level 2 at college and levels 3 and 4 through distance learning with First Intuition.
It’s easily one of the best things I’ve done and my career is finally taking off, ages 40 ish

Can someone point me in the right direction to a good site for ACCA or CIMA which clearly explains the foundation and how many exam and fees etc. I've been looking but it's very confusing.

I'm just about to finish my AAT level 3 so I'm a bit gutted I've been wasting my time!
Thank you

@FlyingUnicorn1

You’ve not been wasting your time at all - it’s just there are different routes into accountancy and people can easily get confused.

I dont know about exemptions with AAT but even without them you’ll sail through the foundation levels of both ACCA and CIMA.

Look here for info on CIMA

www.cimaglobal.com/Our-locations/UK/

BPP and Kaplan do good distance learning courses and there are some excellent free resources in the form of lectures on YouTube for some of the trickier concepts.

Barnacharmer it is not shite. I have two decades of experience in accountancy, have risen to a senior level and employed /recruited hundreds of accountants. I have never come across a candidate with AAT, nor would there ever be a situation where I or anyone else I have met over my long career would look for one. It just isn't a thing, it is never even mentioned.

I accept that it might be useful for someone who wants to do a bit of book keeping, however I am referring to a serious accountancy career, this requires a proper accurate branch qualification.

*accountancy not "accurate branch" (auto correct)

All I was saying is if someone is JUST starting out, CIMA Certificate is quicker and cheaper than AAT and gives you a qualification at the same level.

The reality is you need to back it up with experience or you’ll get found out quickly in any case.

My Finance Assistant is AAT qualified, has had a long career and has taken a job she’s over qualified for as a lifestyle choice. She could easily do my job, would get employed anywhere and we’re exceptionally lucky to have her.

@Alfie190

It depends on what you mean by ‘serious accountancy career’ - I’ve worked in Finance for 20 years. AAT is common, respected and recognised in industry but less so in practice.

No, you won’t be working as an auditor in practice but you will easily get a job as an FM in a small business or entry level MA with AAT and experience.

Well hopefully I'll never work with you, Alfie. I changed careers and needed something to get me working in that area straight away, AAT did that for me. I also saw plenty of jobs ads asking for AAT, ACCA or ACA so other people obviously do see it as a serious qualification, not just for a bit of bookkeeping as you so patronisingly put it

Sorry, but actually @alfie190 has hit the nail on the head. AAT is a good admin based qualification, but any serious financial recruiter is going to look straight for ACCA or CIMA. It might not be what you want to hear, but it's how the industry works.