Huge difference :
1) Entry requirement:
ACA requires a minimum degree holder / professional qualification. ACCA only requires SPM leaver via CAT route. You can followed the sunway route but those are reserved for special few with nothing to live or die for. This enhance the prestige like CFA (US paper).

2) Reputation:
ACA is a must in Europe if you wish to become an executive officer. ACA grads are 5 times more likely to become a CEO/CFO than all other qualifications or degrees combined. Malaysia will not except to have one so ACCA will do but like in some audit firms, ICAEW is a must to enter partner level.

3) Study:
Technically there is no lecturer but for those who are willing to teach, one can enroll on such classes. One must STUDY & WORK together for ACA. They believe more in learning through doing which Is really practical especially regarding accounting or audit.

4) Fees:
Of course its more expensive than acca. Annual fees almost double (and in pound).

5) Difficulty:
This is rather a subjective issue cos I met some doing both but ACA is slightly harder on lower level difficulties compared to acca but comes to advance level is roughly the same. But the final few papers are case study.

Technically this paper is meant more for those foreigners since their working time is quite consistent (can leave at evening) so they can balance their study life with working. Plus their boss is more understanding too. In Malaysia this is quite the opposite unless you enter a MNC especially with Caucasian bosses. If not how on earth can you study and work with loads of projects deadline all over.

I don’t like acca, why ? It gave me a passport straight to hell faster than anyone else.

I dont think you can apply either book cos examiner doesnt even use either of that both. Stated clearly during examiner approach interview. Which is why more & more people avoiding it cos dont know what to expect. You can only predict the future using the past technique here. Meaning you must apply key principles in past year to apply in next exam. If you have done past year, you will realise each and every question is different from the prior period. Great right I also dont know what I was doing back then but I love it nonetheless

CPA is also different case,
1) Entry requirement:
Also minimum a degree holder / other professional qualification which is why some say its more prestigious.

2) Difficulty:
Have asked quite a lot of people doin g it and most admit acca is tougher cos CPA don’t need study much but needs common sense and reasoning skills. Cos got MCQ. Not those easy ABCD though, got ED and sometimes 2 or 3 answers. My firm incorporate this idea in my firm training for accounting and audit standards. Quite difficult on its own way.

3) Reputation:
You want to work in US or Aust or for US / Aust MNC then CPA will be a good choice as they don’t recognized other papers that much or none at all. But Aust CPA is not US CPA both are different like MICPA and HKICPA. Malaysia have CPA too but since less common and not as prestigious so they just called MICPA.
ACCA reputation is worldwide but CPA recognition is only restricted to where you took it. So if you took Aust CPA but you want to worked in MYS, ACCA has higher preference. But let say you took US CPA and work in US you will have higher preferential treatment compared to normal acca graduates.

4) Fees:
Annual fees is cheaper (in Aussie) but since can only start after degree, its no longer practical for asian student (cos most are highly calculative) Sounds funny but that’s how we survived the the financial crisis. Still bleeding from it though.

If somebody have degree + CPA, its better than acca holder alone. But the main argument is tax & law . CPA follows the origin country. So if took aussie CPA, you will be learning Aussie tax & law not MYS one. ACCA follows the local guidelines.

Nothing happens to P6 apart that the examiner loves to test old, strange and funny part of the tax act. So if you know what is tested, full marks, if not zero. Tax is not complicated apart that its very hard to know every single thing but that is what the examiner expect. Which is why the lowest prize winner mark is always tax.

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Added on February 25, 2010, 5:13 pmIf you are good you can work everywhere irregardless of acca or degree. ACCA just gives you easier transition. Btw what is CFAB ?

This post has been edited by Topace111: Feb 25 2010, 05:13 PM

I believe you only read the beginning or the end of the blog. You should read roughly the date after the exam to gauge his reply to mainstream students. He did mentioned he did not use mainstream books like Kaplan or BPP or any other book. To counter that, in my seating they released 6 techincal articles of P4 and 2 by him, none being tested at all though he said it is very relevant for exam. Examiners like to said contradicting things. You can follow his words if you wish but comes to this level, you should know better right ? Besides he does not claim any liability on his statement.

Anyway ACCA never said they will test materials from BPP or Kaplan for that matter like degree or SPM. If they utter such clause, I will be the first one to buy all the books. Not to mention if you can observe the trend, they have change the format of question which favors creativity and flexibility of mind rather than hardwork or memory power especially at the last level cos they need to pass those graduates out to real world. Since most ACCA examiners are UK people, they like the statement of "form is temporary, class is permanent". Since western graduates excelled at such education mode compared to asian students they shift their style to suit their students. Don't you notice all the prize winners slowly flow back to western graduates compared to Pakistan or Malaysia last time.

Anyway I am more than happy to be wrong, thats how I learn anyway

You can check with ICAEW website for exemptions. They put a list of all the top universities in the world so you can check whether that degree is gains a lot of exemption. for degree normall only 3 to 4 papers exemption. For acca affiliate can get up to 11 or 12 papers exemption unless you chose perfomance management as optional since ICAEW doesnt recognise that paper. Only tax, finance or audit from 4 optional.

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Added on February 26, 2010, 11:15 amWorking in Malaysia at least especially in assurance line.
Yesterday came back home aound 3.30am (but from partying)
Cos malaysia have poor trade union and consumerism hence staff got peanuts but bosses get huge remunerations.

Overseas degree are more recognised to gain entry for aca but check first through website for which uni. Most of the local ones only 3 or 4 paper exemption. aca is very strict unlike acca which wants market share so got its pros & cons. Aca difficulty is consistent throughtout whole level. ACCA is a leap from part 2 to core then to optional. Thats why you dont see many will get through especially on last level. At least thats what most my sunway colleagues told me.


This post has been edited by Topace111: Feb 26 2010, 11:15 AM

In UK its very common.
At Malaysia its rarer cos people are very pragmatic, realistic and practical. It seems that acca will just do fine. Adding another icaew seems a bit less synergy no to mention high cost. Most go / wish for MBA or CFA. but there are some individual that goes acca-icaew route like Tony fernandes. I dont know how yiu find exams are but to me no matter how easy or hard its is, its damn stressful. Since I laready fulfilled my firm requirement I Dont have to add another one. Make no mistake, we are talking about something which is far above degree level. ICAEW is considered a a last level qualification. However, if you want to succeed in commercial world, paper qualification is nothing compared to work experience and network connection (something no lecturer can teach you).

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Added on February 26, 2010, 3:52 pmUnemployment is hitting every part of the world. US unemployment rate is 10%, Aus/NZ = 4.5%. Europe no need to cerita lah. SG also cutting job until govt need to introduce a grant to employers not to fire their staff. Anyway in order to enjoy heaven, one must endure hell first. Anyway I learn more than most fresh graduates out there under such severe circumstances (got give and take). So its kinda like the firm use me, I use them back. No love lost between us.

Besides going oversea as a junior staff is a nightmare for everyone. But if you are going as a manager or senior staffs then your life is much easier. Everyone needs to endure few years of hardship if they want a successful future, doctors, engineers, lawyers, auditors, accountants,....all are the same.

This post has been edited by Topace111: Feb 26 2010, 03:52 PM