Can I give ACCA exams in any order?
Exams must be taken in modular order for the ACCA Qualification, however you can attempt the papers within each module in any order. If you wish to enter to sit exams in the next module, you must also enter for all outstanding exams in your current module.
Subjects can be sat in any order, but as mentioned earlier, you should sit Audit and Assurance (AA) with or after Financial Reporting (FR). You can overlap with the lower level exams as long as you are on the last exam(s) of Applied Knowledge level.
This put students under tonnes of pressure and didn't allow much flexibility in how they studied, so a few years ago, the ACCA changed this to allow 4 sittings per year. More exam sittings make it easier to take one exam per sitting.
For most students, Audit Assurance is generally considered to be the toughest paper, especially at this level.
From our personal experience, we suggest you take up the Corporate Business Law exam first. It doesn't actually fit into any of the other exams, and it is best to get it done before tackling different subjects. Moreover, it also has a high pass rate. While at it, you can also give a go at Financial Reporting.
On average, it can take you two to three years to complete studying for all the 13 papers of the exam, but you could complete the qualification in 18 months if you focus on the major eight papers.
ACCA December 2021 pass rates have been announced. APM is the paper with the lowest pass rate among the Options – just 32%, and AFM has the highest pass rate at 41%. The two Essential paper pass rates are holding 'nice and steady' at 51% for SBL and 48% for SBR.
There seem to be twice as many people who don't pass the ACCA the first time as the handful who do – a bit like a driving test. A first-time pass can set you apart from employers in a challenging job market.
These are a testament to students' dedication and hard work.” Here are the ACCA March 2022 exam pass rates: BT 83%; FA 71%; MA 67%; LW 85%; TX 51%; FR 50%; PM 40%; FM 50%; AA 44%; SBL 50%; SBR 46%; AAA 33%; AFM 43%; APM 34%; ATX 38%.
Failing is really common. In fact, it's more common than a pass if you look at the pass rates. Some students keep failing ACCA exams over and over again. Unfortunately, if you fail once, you're likely to fail twice when it comes to the ACCA.
How many hours a day should I study ACCA?
How many hours should I study for ACCA? When you're studying ACCA we recommend you plan to do a minimum of 8 hours per week. Study time varies in terms of how long it will take you to cover the syllabus, but you can expect to spend about 11 weeks on each paper.
ACCA exams are all closed book exams, not a mixture of open book and closed book exams. If you fail your final level exams, no requirement to wait a full year before retaking the exams.

An average of 20 hours study would be expected with a single online multiple choice assessment.
First, the CPA US course has fewer sections (4 exam sections vs 13 papers for the ACCA Qualification), but they are all hard. In fact, the US CPA pass rate hovers around 45-55%. Likewise, the ACCA estimates their mean pass rate is about 55%. However, CPA candidates can benefit from studying with a review course.
There is no restriction to the number of exams you may attempt, allowing you to choose to sit as many or as few papers as you like at each exam session. You are, however, recommended to attempt a maximum of four exams in a six-month period.
CFA Charter is much more difficult to attain as compared to ACCA Qualification, but it can be worth it. However, CFA is more suited for experienced finance professionals looking to specialize in a certain area.
Difficulty level of each paper
As such, from the below table, it can be inferred that F1 (Accountant in Business) is the easiest paper, with the highest pass rate of 85% in June 2019, while P7 (Advanced Audit and Assurance) is the most challenging paper, with the lowest pass rate of 30% in March 2019.
Are questions repeated in ACCA exams? ACCA does not repeat questions, but you can understand the examiner's approach to writing queries by reviewing previous papers.
To Become ACCA you must pass exams in 13 ACCA papers in 3 levels, complete an ethics module, and gain 3 years of relevant work experience. All professional exams are difficult to crack, and so is ACCA. However, with the right guidance, you can clear ACCA.
According to the ACCA:launch completion of Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills could take you around 12-18 months. Our Academic Support team says: You could complete this in as little as 12-18 months.
Why are ACCA exams so hard?
The reason some students find the ACCA difficult is that they're not putting enough time, effort, and energy into studying. If you put in the time and are dedicated to passing, you will be able to pass exams and keep going until you are ACCA qualified!
But is it even possible to study for the ACCA papers on your own? Yes! It certainly can be done (it's what I did, and I'm now ACCA qualified). But there are certain key things you should do and others you should definitely avoid if you're going to go this route successfully.
In 6–12 months a CA can Become an ACCA. CA students can do ACCA as this would allow them to acquire two qualifications, in the same duration. Completing CA Inter will ease the effort for the Fundamental level of ACCA, and the Professional level of ACCA will ease the effort for a few subjects for CA Final.
For your next attempt, develop a study plan that includes time for revising concepts but also time for practising under exam conditions, mark your questions, evaluate your progress, do take mock exam. You may have many other priorities but for the next few months make ACCA your priority.
How quickly can I complete the ACCA qualification? We run four exam sessions per year. Students can sit a maximum of four exams at each session, and a maximum of eight distinct exams each calendar year. You could therefore complete all of the exams in two years.