Level 2 and 3 AAT Coursein Accounting

You must have a reasonable standard of English and Maths (eg. GCSE Level 4 or equivalent). 

If English is your second language, we recommend you have an IELTS 6.5 or equivalent, but we’re happy to review your case on an individual basis.

If you have a criminal record or have been made bankrupt, AAT might not accept you as a member making you unable to sit your exams. Please contact AAT directly for more advice.

Students must have access to Microsoft Word and Excel to complete the course.

Your course is fully online. 

You'll study 4 units from the Level 2 Certificate:

• Introduction to Bookkeeping
• Principles of Bookkeeping Controls
• Principles of Costing
• The Business Environment

You'll then study 4 units from the Level 3 Diploma:

• Preparing Financial Statements
• Management Accounting Techniques
• Tax Processes for Businesses
• Business Awareness

For full details of what you’ll learn on each unit, download our AAT course guide.

You’ll sit 8 computer-based exams in total: 4 assessments for the Level 2 Certificate and 4 assessments for the Level 3 Diploma at an AAT exam centre.

They will be a mix of short-form questions (e.g. multiple-choice and drag and drop), calculations, and written responses.  Find an exam centre near you.

Certificate assessments:

• Introduction to Bookkeeping (90 minutes)
• Principles of Bookkeeping Controls (90 minutes)
• Principles of Costing (90 minutes)
• The Business Environment (2 hours)

Diploma assessments:

• Preparing Financial Statements (2.5 hours)
• Management Accounting Techniques (2.5 hours)
• Tax Processes for Businesses (1.5 hours)
• Business Awareness (2.5 hours)

You’ll also complete online mock tests throughout your course to ensure you’re well-prepared for your exams.

We think our students say it best. They've rated us 4.7/5 from more than 10,000 independent Trustpilot reviews, giving us a rating of Excellent. Plus, we're the most experienced online learning provider - we've been in education for 130 years.

We're committed to helping everyone build a career that they're proud of, and a huge part of that involves giving people the freedom to shape their qualification around their lives. 

Our courses are perfect for you if you have a full-time job, kids, an irregular working pattern, a busy schedule, or if you simply want to be in control of your learning.

From our self-paced course structure to our extended study periods to our unlimited tutor support, we give you the flexibility you need to achieve your qualification, no matter what life throws at you.

That’s why every year, we help thousands of AAT students like you get qualifications they need to succeed.

The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) is the UK’s leading professional body offering skills-based accountancy and finance training. 

It has over 135,000 members worldwide and their prestigious qualifications are internationally recognised and respected by employers. 

An AAT qualification is the perfect starting point for a lucrative career in finance and can set you on the path to starting your own accountancy practice or achieving Chartered Accountant status.

A financial accounting career has the potential to to take you anywhere you want to go. Whether you want to work in TV, sport, fashion, or for a charity, every business environment, every sector needs qualified accountants to manage financial processes. 

Finance professionals are in consistently high demand the world over, so when you choose to study an AAT diploma in accounting, you'll be opening the door to hugely rewarding and respected career opportunities.

Want to start your own accounting practice or go freelance? Once you complete your AAT Level 4 Diploma, you can. 

Is becoming a Chartered Accountant your goal? Your AAT training can be a stepping stone to ACCA, CIMA, and other Chartered Accountancy qualifications, and will even allow you to skip certain modules - potentially getting you to Chartered status faster than the university route.

And if you've got your eyes set on the boardroom, more than half of FTSE 100 CEOs began their career in finance. 

You don't need to wait til you've completed your AAT course to start reaping the benefits of studying AAT. Simply putting 'Studying towards AAT' on your CV can help you attract employers in any business environment. 

After completing the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting, you'll be ready to take on entry-level finance roles such as:

• Accounts Administrator
• Accounts Assistant
• Accounts Payable Clerk
• Purchase/Sales Ledger Clerk
• Trainee Accounting Technician
• Trainee Finance Assistant

Once you've completed the next qualification, the AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting, you can move into roles like:

• Accounts Assistant
• Accounts Payable and Expenses Supervisor
• Accounts Payable Clerk
• Assistant Accountant
• Audit Trainee
• Bookkeeper
• Credit Controller
• Finance Assistant
• Payroll Administrator
• Payroll Supervisor
• Practice Bookkeeper
• Tax Assistant

You'll be in a great place to apply for all of the above roles after completing your Level 2 & 3 Combined Course in Accounting and Level 3 & 4 Combined Course in Accounting too. 

Once you've achieved the most advanced AAT training, the AAT Level 4 Diploma, you have a huge number of career options.

If you'd like the freedom of working for yourself, you could start your own accountancy practice or work as a freelance accountant.

You could become a Chartered Accountant by joining an AAT fast-track with ACCA, CIMA, or one of the other UK Chartered Accountancy bodies.

And you could take on a huge number of prestigious finance roles:

• Senior Finance Officer
• Senior Fund Accountant
• Commercial Analyst
• Cost Accountant
• Fixed Asset Accountant
• Indirect Tax Manager
• Payments and Billing Manager
• Payroll Manager
• Accounts Payable and Expenses Supervisor
• Assistant Financial Accountant
• Senior Bookkeeper
• Senior Insolvency Administrator
• Tax Supervisor
• VAT Accountant

Here's the average salary of AAT students and graduates at each stage of their career.

• AAT Student: £19,000
• Trainee Accountant: £20,000
• Accounts Assistant: £23,000
• Bookkeeper: £25,000
• Semi-Senior Accountant: £26,000
• Qualified Senior/Executive: £37,000
• Assistant Manager: £41,000
• Manager: £48,000
• Senior Manager: £43,000
• Self-Employed AAT Accountant: £54,000

Plus, if you join the AAT fast-track with a Chartered Accountancy body like ACCA or CIMA, you could earn upwards of £70,000 a year as a Chartered Accountant. 

Average AAT salaries from the AAT Salary Survey 2022. Chartered Accountant salary from TotalJobs.