Pollyana

Threads merged, to save people retyping their previous info !

Gavilon18

If you are currently auditing for Deloitte then I'm surprised that they recommended CIMA - this is a route for accountants within industry, not practice and is very much a management accountant route.

Auditors will typically follow ACCA or ACA, those from 'big 4' typically ACA.

As to which is best, depends on who you ask - I'm ACA so will say ACA is best, those with ACCA/CIMA qualifications will say theirs is best. Snobbery possibly puts ACA in more demand (due to the 'big 4' connection) but thats really a load of nonsense and they are all better in some ways and weaker in others - I don't think there is one that is better overall. This only really goes for the UK though as they are UK qualifications.

I'll echo the earlier advise - get the qualification from your own country and build a strong portfolio of experience. This will be 100% more valuable than a piece of paper from another country.

C.Accountant

Sorry, I miss understood them. They told me CIMA is good but the told me to choose between ACCA and ACA only. So what I should take. What is the deference between these two?

and my country doesn't have its own qualifications they only accept American CPA and British qualifications

Bermudashorts

Just pick one! Toss a coin, it doesn't matter!

Gavilon18

So if you are an auditor now, what are you studying if your country does not have its own qualification?

I'd suggest Googling ACCA and ACA to see which you prefer, it is personal preference which to do. Just check that you meet the entry requirements. Bear in mind that it will take 3-5 years to fully qualify in either.

And remember - build up the experience

C.Accountant

if they are almost the same at least which one is easier?
Thanks all, I really appreciate your help.

Gavilon18

Bit of an impossible one to answer - I can't see why anyone would have sat both to be able to say which is easier.

Either way, they are both professional qualifications and therefore neither are going to be easy. As suggested before, Google them and see which one takes your interest more - go with your gut feeling.

If you want my recommendation - I'd go ACA. Thats only because its the one I have so am more familiar with it. If you ask someone who has the ACCA qualification they will recommend that for the same reason. Got to be your decision from now on.

Good luck

quiltman

I may be being thick here, but if I was in your position I'd email the professional association in each country you are interested in. Ask them the question as to whether they will accept either qualification or alternatively, what qualification is needed to be recognised in that country.

Many countries do NOT recognise qualifications from another country as many threads on BE will confirm.

Anyway, that's my two penny worth!

Wombat7

look at other people in your firm who are in the positions to which yiu aspire, what qualifications do they have? In my opinion, if you want to get a qualification that will stand you in best stead worldwide, I would go with the chartered qualification, ie ICAEW.

Bermudashorts

ACCA and CIMA are also chartered qualifications. Hence the "C" in CIMA and one of the Cs in ACCA.

I would have thought the ability to apply for ICAEW whilst not living in EW would be limited.

Wombat7

did not realize OP was not in UK. changes things but I agree with G18. If you are looking to career with big 4 ACCA is not the way to go.

Again, look people in the position to which you aspire and ask what qualifications they hold.

On the road again

Until I started working in the UK recently I had never heard of ACCA in either the US, Canada or Australia, where as CPA is found in most if not all western nations. ACCA also appears easier to get, With my degree alone I immediately qualified for 9 of the 14 modules in ACCA. Where as CPA doesn't credit you for any of their modules regardless of your degree. From my experience, making the accreditation easy to obtain lessens it's respect with employers in the industry. Ultimately it will be the amount of experience you bring to the job that will count the most. Take that for what it's worth.

Bermudashorts

It isn't the same CPA you know! It is just a common acronym, it doesn't mean the qualification is the same or that you can make sweeping generalisations about exemptions or quality. In Australia, CPA means open book, multiple choice papers and is very much the poor cousin. I generally think the not very bright ones did CPA (here)!

And considering you have never heard of ACCA until recently you are probably not best placed to comment on how easy or difficult it is. In fact it is deemed to be just as difficult /easy as the other English qualifications by official standard setters. I suspect you have misunderstood your exemptions. But another thing to bear in mind is that not a lot of Brits that go into accountancy will have an accounting degree, unlike in other countries. Perhaps you have, which would mean an above average number of exemptions. Most people I know, did not get any exemptions.

On the road again

I can't speak for what you know only for what CPA Australia told me. I was told I didn't need to complete all 6 modules in Australia. I could go to the UK, Canada or the US (and most likely many other countries) and finish off any outstanding ones overseas and receive my CPA.

How could I get ACCA wrong. You go to their site, enter your uni, year and degree and it tells you what you are exempt from. I even phoned them and they confirmed that I was exempt from needing to take all but the 5 professional modules. All I had to do was pay for the other 9 so I could then put on my resume that I was a member partially through ACCA.

For myself I don't know if the tests are easier or harder, but I do know that if I don't have to complete more than half the required modules it's easier to obtain that particular credential. YMMV

Wombat7

To confuse things more, in Canada three accounting professions have Merged and are now all CPA, though each designation for the new several years will be "CPA CA" , "CPA CGA" or "CPA CMA" - to distinguish - without question the CA qualification was significantly more difficult to get than the CGA