AAT Level 3Diploma in Accounting

To qualify for AAT Level 3 courses you must have a reasonable standard of English and Maths (e.g. GCSE Level 4 or equivalent), an AAT Level 2 related qualification and/or at least 6 months of professional experience in a related role. 

Alternatively, if English is your second language then it is recommended that you have successfully gained an IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. 

Yes! You can enrol on an AAT Level 3 course in Accounting without a Level 2 qualification, as long as you have at least 6 months of experience in the profession. 

However, along with that you should also be able to demonstrate a reasonable standard of English and Math (eg. GCSE Leve 4 or equivalent), and if English is not your first language then we recommend having an IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. 

Yes! If the qualification you hold is a Level 2 in accounting from a different awarding body then you can qualify for the AAT Level 3 course.

However, if your qualification is a more general finance or economics qualification we recommend that you take the AAT Skillcheck to help you identify which AAT level you should be enrolling onto based on your existing knowledge and experience.

With an AAT Level 3 qualification, you can then move onto the AAT Level 4 course, which takes you a step closer into gaining your chartered certified accountant status.

Also, as the AAT Level 3 course is an equivalent to an A-level, some universities may accept an AAT Level 3 qualification in the place of one of the A-levels required to enrol on the course.

While AAT qualifications are at a lower lever than ACCA and CIMA qualifications, they provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to gain your first junior role in accounting firms and organisations.

Gaining the AAT Level 3 qualification means you can progress to the AAT Level 4. Once having completed the AAT Level 4 qualification you can go on to do and ACCA or CIMA qualification, putting you on the right track to becoming a chartered certified accountant.

An accountancy 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 organisation in every sector needs qualified accountants. 

Finance professionals are in consistently high demand the world over, so when you choose to study an AAT accounting qualification, 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 until 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 and stand out from the crowd.

After completing the AAT Level 2 Certificate, 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, 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
• Managerial Accountant

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 2021. Chartered Accountant salary from TotalJobs.

Since AAT Level 2 is considered the starting point for anyone interested in an accounting career, it focuses on providing you with the basic knowledge needed to move to higher level qualifications. Alternatively, the AAT Level 3 expands on the knowledge gained at Level 2 and usually targets more experienced individuals.

For that, employers tend to perceive individuals with an AAT Level 3 as more experienced to those with an AAT Level 2, as well as viewing them as more committed to the industry, by taking on a higher level qualification.