AAT Advanced Diploma in Accounting (Level 3)

If you work in accounts or have studied accountancy before (such as AAT Foundation Certificate Level 2), you may be able to start at this level.

If you don’t have any previous accountancy experience, we recommend starting at Level 2. You’ll also need a good grasp of maths and English skills to complete the course. We recommend that you register with AAT before starting this course. You’ll be given your AAT student number, which enables you to enter for assessments.

By the end of the AAT Level 3 course in accounting, you’ll be able to apply accounting concepts, principles and rules to confidently work in a financial accounting or management accounting role at intermediate level.

Advanced Bookkeeping

• Advanced double-entry bookkeeping skills
• Capital expenditure and managing non-current assets
• Period end adjustments: inventory, depreciation, irrecoverable debts, doubtful debts, accruals and prepayments
• The extended trial balance

Final Accounts Preparation

• Preparing accounting records from incomplete information
• Producing accounts for sole traders and partnerships
• Applying rules and regulations

Management Accounting: Costing

• Costing techniques: marginal and absorption
• Accounting for materials, labour and overheads
• Inventory control
• Service and product costing techniques
• Budgets and variances (fixed and flexed)
• Techniques to support decision making: break-even, limiting factor, payback, net present value and internal rate of return

Indirect Tax (VAT)

• Understanding and applying legislation
• Preparing VAT returns

Ethics for Accountants

• How to act ethically in an accounting role and use ethical codes

Spreadsheets for Accountants

• Use tools and techniques to prepare spreadsheets at an advanced level

This Level 3 course is assessed with a combination of unit assessments and a synoptic assessment.

Unit assessment

A unit assessment only tests knowledge and skills taught in that unit. At Level 3 they are:

• Available on demand, mostly all year round
• Scheduled by and sat at AAT approved assessment venues
• Marked by the computer providing instant assessment results

Synoptic assessment

The synoptic assessment is an end of course assessment which tests a variety of knowledge and skills from several units. At Level 3 synoptic assessments are:

• Attempted once the unit assessments have been attempted
• Available during periods communicated by the AAT throughout the year
• Scheduled by and sat at AAT approved assessment venues

Getting your results

Assessment results are available in your MYAAT account within 24 hours for computer marked assessments. For assessments marked by AAT assessors, you can expect to receive your results at a later date (timescales may vary and will be published on the AAT website).

Grading

To be awarded the AAT Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Accounting qualification you must achieve at least a 70% competency level in each unit assessment and in the synoptic assessment.

Resits

You can resit an assessment to improve your grade. Results from the assessment with the highest marks will be used to calculate your final grade. There are no resit restrictions or employer engagement requirements for any fee paying student on any of our AAT courses.

AAT approved venues

You can search for your nearest venue via the AAT website launch.

• We’re always on hand when you need us.
• You’re fully supported with access to expert tutors, 7 days a week responding via email within 4 working hours.
• You’ll also be assigned a mentor to help and guide you through the order of subjects to study in and check that the level you’re starting at is right for you. You can also contact them wherever you need to throughout your course and get a response within 24 hours Monday to Friday

For full details on Academic and Mentor support opening hours, please visit the contact us page.

After completing this level, you could go onto job roles such as a finance officer, assistant accountant and an advanced bookkeeper, earning salaries of up to £25,000. If you want to continue studying, you can move onto AAT Level 4 Professional Diploma in Accounting.

You are required to become a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) launch to fulfill your qualification. Fees associated with admission and exam fees are in addition to the cost of the course and payable direct to the AAT.

• AAT Admission Fee and AAT Annual Student Membership Fee (UK): 147
• AAT Annual Student Membership Fee (International): £137
• AAT Assessment Fees: £70 to £80 per unit (6 modules)