Which study text do you think is best for ACCA? Seemingly popular one is BPP but what about IFP, Kaplan, Getthroughguide?

Don't understand what you mean internal and external papers?

Perhaps, the question could be rephrased as

" Should I go for ACCA by way of the degree route?"

This depends on a lot of factors - money, affinity towards economics and accounting based subjects, standard of English etc. Let's face it. ACCA is a difficult course to pass. Many students are frankly, too young to decide which route to take. Often they follow the CAT route which means after form 5. Perhaps, parents decide for them especially when the CAT/ACCA route is relatively cheap as compared to an overseas degree. The problem for many ACCA students is when they hit the Professional stage. They have 5 papers to sit, some of the subjects like P3 are MBA level and almost all of the P papers requires you to have a good command of English to understand the syllabus, questions and provide answers like a professional accountant.

Therefore, many students do not pass ACCA. To avoid the possibility of failing at the final hurdle, pursue a degree route first as a backup. The pass rates for the June'08 sitting should give you an indication how difficult it is to pass ACCA.

I do not know if my contribution answers the question of internal/external papers.

A good university degree course hopefully teaches you how to think, analyse a problem and approach it in a rational way. This will serve you well should you decide to tackle ACC later on. However, getting a degree also helps in terms of your personal esteem and confidence, think of the poor ACCA student stuck at the final stage, what the pressure and our society's way of looking at "failures" does to your personal confidence.

So if you can afford it, get a degree first. There are more options for you once you get a degree. You can treat the ACCA as a form of Masters or even get a job while doing the final stages.

You need work experience of 3 years, not necessarily restricted to the Big 4.

There is certainly no evidence that ACCA operates a quota scheme to restrict the number of members so I wouldn't want to state that publicly. What I do know is that the finals are tough. Some of the questions border towards being unfair as they definitely don't give you enough time to finish it properly. Are they testing you on the basis of how well you can provide an answer or how fast you can respond? Come on we are never faced with this time pressure in the real world! Get real! These things students never know about bf they enroll for ACCA. Neither do their parents and they get advice from who? Tuition providers who depend on them to do enrol via CAT route!

In my opinion, if you have no particular aptitude for any of the optional subjects, take tax and audit. This will be more relevant to your work experience especially when you are training as a chartered accountant. Advanced financial and performance management are meant for more senior roles which you may take on later in your career. In addition, tax is one area which is always useful because it affects almost every working person and business organisation. You won't regret learning tax in your career.

What about doing ACCA in Ipoh - can anyone advise on which is the best place to do it - Sunway College or TARC Kampar?

It is an issue of commercial target (get as high a pass rate as possible) versus infringement of the rights of an individual. Sunway, if it is true that it does such things, is operating in the middle ages, it is like a BN institution. Why students still enroll there for their ACCA? Protest in the right manner - where it hits their pockets - if you feel so strongly about it. Otherwise don't waste time debating on this issue.

Sunway, by its inefficiency and indifference to its main customers is killing itself. It is well known for not practising what its lecturers teach! This forum will also do its work. Am I being unfair in my statements? No, because they are poorly managed organisation. Its a pity but blame their senior management for this - typical mature organisation which has lost its ability to care.