AAT Level 4Professional Diploma in Accounting

You should be over 19 and be competent in everything covered by the Foundation Certificate and Advanced Diploma, including double-entry bookkeeping.

Few students begin AAT at Professional level without doing Foundation/Advanced or a similar practical accounting qualification first.

If English is your second language, we recommend you have an IELTS 5.5 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.

Your course is fully online. You'll study all 4 core units, plus your choice of 2 optional units. 

Core units

• Management Accounting: Budgeting
• Management Accounting: Decision and Control
• Financial Statements of Limited Companies
• Accounting Systems and Controls

Optional units

• Business Tax
• Personal Tax
• Cash and Treasury Management
• Credit Management

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

You’ll sit 6 in-person exams at an AAT exam centre. Find an exam centre near you.

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

Yes! We’re an award-winning AAT centre, and we’ve been pioneers in flexible learning for 130 years.

We’re the UK’s most trusted online AAT provider, rated Excellent from more than 8,000 independent student reviews.

If you’re not sure which level to choose, we recommend the AAT Skillcheck. It’s a 30-minute multiple choice test that will suggest the right level for you based on your accounting knowledge.

The Foundation Certificate is perfect if you have no accounting experience or if you haven’t mastered essential skills like double-entry bookkeeping. Most students start at Foundation level, even if they have some accounting experience.

The Advanced Diploma is for you if you have significant practical accounting experience and a firm grasp of all the topics covered at Foundation level.

The Professional Diploma could be ideal if you understand everything covered at Foundation and Advanced level and are fully competent in double-entry bookkeeping. Students rarely enrol directly onto the Professional Diploma without completing Foundation/Advanced or a similar practical accounting qualification first.

If you plan on completing multiple levels, you can save money and transition smoothly by studying our Foundation & Advanced or Advanced & Professional combined courses.

Our AAT course guides include a detailed breakdown of the topics covered on each course.

As the most advanced AAT qualification, the Professional Diploma allows you to start your own accounting practice or join a fast-track route with all the major UK Chartered Accountancy bodies.

Your qualification can lead to a wide variety of senior roles, including:

• 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

Right away! When you enrol, you’ll be able to log in to your course and get started within an hour.

There are no set start dates or study schedules – everything is shaped around you.

As an ICS Learn student, you'll always have a real person on hand to help you when you need it. From the moment you enrol, you'll have:

• Unlimited support online or by phone
• Live online AAT classrooms, recorded to watch back anytime
• Interactive online learning designed by AAT experts
• 24/7 access to the Student Community, your all-in-one online learning platform
• AAT student forums so you can connect and share advice with other students
• In-house student services team, so you’re never more than a message or phone call away from a helping hand

You'll also have unlimited lifetime access to our Career Hub, giving you thousands of resources to help you impress employers, master critical business skills, and build your dream career. It includes:

• A CV and cover letter builder
• An interview simulator
• An elevator pitch builder
• Career and work psychology assessments
• In-depth industry and employer profiles
• 350+ employer films with practical advice from hiring managers
• 1000+ short courses, articles and videos on key career skills like negotiating a raise and leading a team

You can take a sneak peek at the Career Hub by signing up for free here.§

You’ll be assessed through 6 computer-based AAT exams sat at your local AAT centre.

Find an exam centre near you using the venue finder tool.

Please note that your AAT exam fees and other fees aren’t included in the course cost.

If your course is being funded by your employer, let us know and we can bundle your fees into one all-inclusive package.

If not, we can include AAT's Registration and Student Membership fees in your interest-free payment plan, but you'll pay your AAT exam and exam centre fees directly to AAT and your exam centre.

Yes, we can invoice your company directly for an all-inclusive bundle that streamlines your AAT fees into one simple cost.

Our all-inclusive AAT bundle includes:

• Course cost
• AAT exam fees
• AAT exam centre fees
• AAT membership for one year (available for new AAT members only)
• Exam booking service

If you’re funding the course yourself, our flexible 0% payment plans allow you to spread the cost with interest-free monthly instalments. We manage all our payment plans in-house, so there are no third parties or credit checks.

Plus, with our price match guarantee, we’ll match any provider’s price for a like-for-like AAT course, so you’ll always get the best deal with us.

If your employer is funding all or part of your course, we can invoice them directly for an all-inclusive bundle including your course fees, exam fees, and AAT membership fees. Just let your course advisor know and we’ll arrange everything.

We also accept funding through ELCAS for this course. If you’re an Armed Forces member looking to use the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme, speak to our course advisors for more details.

Get in touch with our AAT Advisors on 0333 355 9514.

They’ll talk through your experience and skills to make sure you’re choosing the right course, then get you enrolled with an interest-free payment plan.

If you have any disabilities which you think might affect your studies or assessments, please tell your Course Advisor before you enrol so we can advise you on whether reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate your needs.