AAT Level: 2 & 3 in Accounting

Obtain an outstanding professional accountancy qualification to gain employment or promotion within the finance and accounting industry. Most students start at this level with no or only limited accounts knowledge.

Why study Distance Learning Plus - Live Online with McArthur Morgan?

• Qualify within 12 months (fast-track) or 18 months (standard) compared to traditional distance learning courses
  
  
• Completion rates are better than traditional distance learning courses - we regularly achieve 100% pass rates
  
  
• Obtain better grades (merits and distinctions) compared to traditional distance learning courses
  
  
• Total wrap around care from start to finish from our team of tutors and customer support staff alike
  
  
• We are a dedicated AAT Training provider - this makes us specialists at delivering the AAT qualification.
  
  
• Enjoy the benefits of a structured classroom course to ensure focus on your studies to keep on track
  
  
• Includes all the pre-recorded materials from our 'On Demand' Online distance learning course together with full access to the live recordings as well
  
  
• Networking opportunities with your peer group and with McArthurMorgan clients
  
  
• Full range of study materials delivered to your home or office
  
  
• Full tutor support up to 10pm, 7 days a week.
  
  
• All our tutorials are delivered by highly experienced, fully qualified tutors ensuring you gain a thorough understanding of how accountancy and taxation works in the real world, not just to pass the AAT exam.
  
  
• Zero travel time and zero travel costs getting to and from a physical classroom

The Foundation Certificate in Accounting can lead to employment as:

• Accounts administrator
• Accounts assistant
• Accounts payable clerk
• Purchase ledger clerk
• Sales ledger clerk
• Trainee accounting technician
• Trainee finance assistant

The Advanced Diploma in Accounting can lead to employment as:

• Accounts Assistant
• Accounts Payable and Expenses Supervisor
• Accounts Payable Clerk
• Assistant Accountant
• Audit Trainee
• Bookkeeper
• Credit Controller
• Finance Assistant
• Payroll Administrator
• Payroll Supervisor
• Practice Bookkeeper
• Tax Assistant

The units are:

• Bookkeeping Transactions
• Bookkeeping Controls
• Elements of Costing
• Using Accounting Software
• Working Effectively in Accounting and Finance / Synoptic Assessment
• Advanced Bookkeeping
• Final Accounts Preparation
• Management Accounting: Costing
• Indirect Tax
• Ethics for Accountants
• Spreadsheets for Accounting
• Advanced Diploma Synoptic Assessment

Bookkeeping Transactions

• This unit introduces students to the double-entry bookkeeping system & the associated documents & processes.
• This unit provides students with the skills necessary to operate a manual
  double-entry bookkeeping system and provides a strong foundation for progression to more advanced manual and computerised activities.
• Cash book and petty cash book are also covered in this unit

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand financial transactions within a bookkeeping system
2. Process customer transactions
3. Process supplier transactions
4. Process receipts and payments
5. Process transactions through the ledgers to the trial balance

Bookkeeping Controls

• This unit is about control accounts, journals and methods of payment.
• This unit covers more complex Foundation level bookkeeping procedures.
• Students will develop the ability to prepare the value added tax (VAT) control account as well as the sales and purchases ledger control accounts, including reconciliation with the sales and purchases ledgers.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand payment methods
2. Understand controls in a bookkeeping system
3. Use control accounts
4. Use the journal
5. Reconcile a bank statement with the cash book

Elements of Costing

• The purpose of this unit is to give students a basic introduction to costing.
• A student successfully completing this unit will be an effective member of the costing function within the accounting team.
• This unit covers the nature of cost and how it is used in a costing system.

Learning Outcome

1. Understand the cost recording system within an organisation
2. Use cost recording techniques
3. Provide information on actual and budgeted costs and income

Using Accounting Software

• This unit provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to carry out typical bookkeeping transactions and tasks using accounting software.
• On completion of this unit, students will have the practical ability to enter accounting transactions into accounting software and to perform bank reconciliations accurately.

Learning Outcomes

1. Set up accounting software
2. Process sales & purchases transactions
3. Process bank & cash transactions
4. Perform period end routine tasks
5. Produce reports

Work Effectively in Finance

• This unit will help students to develop the professional skills and behaviours needed in the workplace.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the finance function within an organisation
2. Use personal skills development in finance
3. Produce work effectively
4. Understand corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethics and sustainability within organisations

Advanced Bookkeeping

• This unit is the first of two Advanced level financial accounting units.
• The purpose of this unit is to build on skills and knowledge learned in the Foundation level accounting units and to develop bookkeeping skills, taken to an initial trial balance.
• Students will study non-current asset accounting in some depth, including the accurate recording and control of the valuable resource of non-current assets which is vital to all organisations

Learning Outcomes

1. Apply the principles of advanced double-entry bookkeeping
2. Implement procedures for the acquisition and disposal of non-current assets
3. Prepare and record depreciation calculations
4. Record period end adjustments
5. Produce and extend the trial balance

Final Accounts Preparation

• This Advanced level unit is about preparing final accounts for sole traders and partnerships, and helping students to become aware of alternative business organisation structures.
• This purpose of this unit is to provide the background knowledge and skills that a student needs in order to be capable of drafting accounts for sole traders and partnerships.
• Students will recognise special accounting requirements for partnerships.

Learning Outcomes

1. Distinguish between the financial recording and reporting requirements of different types of organisation.
2. Explain the need for final accounts and the accounting and ethical principles underlying their preparation.
3. Prepare accounting records from incomplete information
4. Produce accounts for sole traders
5. Produce accounts for partnerships
6. Recognise the key differences between preparing accounts for a limited company and a sole trader

Management Accounting: Costing

• Management Accounting: Costing provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the role of cost and management accounting in an organisation.
• On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to carry out costing procedures in an organisation’s accounting department with minimal supervision.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the purpose and use of management accounting within an organisation.
2. Apply techniques required for dealing with costs
3. Apportion costs according to organisational requirements
4. Analyse and review deviations from budget and report these to management
5. Apply management accounting techniques to support decision making

Indirect Tax

• This Advanced level unit is about indirect tax.
• This unit provides students with the knowledge and skills that they need to keep their employers and clients compliant with the laws and practices that apply to the indirect taxation of sales and purchases.
• Students will learn about VAT legislation and the importance of maintaining their technical knowledge through monitoring updates.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand and apply VAT legislation requirements
2. Accurately complete VAT returns and submit them in a timely manner
3. Understand the implications for the business of errors, omissions and late filing and payment
4. Report VAT-related information within the organisation in accordance with regulatory and organisational requirement

Ethics for Accountants

• This unit is about professional ethics in an accounting environment.
• Students will learn the core aspects of the ethical code for accountants as it relates to their work as accounting technicians and as exemplified in the AAT Code of Professional Ethics.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the need to act ethically
2. Understand the relevance to the accountant’s work of the ethical code for professional accountants
3. Recognise how to act ethically in an accounting role
4. Identify action to take in relation to unethical behaviour or illegal acts

Spreadsheets for Accounting

• This Advanced level unit is about using spreadsheets to accurately enter, analyse and present information so that informed accountancy judgements can be made.
• Accounting technicians need to use spreadsheets as it is important that financial information is accurately analysed and presented in an unambiguous way.

Learning Outcomes

1. Design and structure appropriate spreadsheets to meet customer needs
2. Use spreadsheet software to record, format and organise data
3. Use relevant tools to manipulate and analyse data
4. Use software tools to verify accuracy and protect data
5. Use tools and techniques to prepare & report accounting information

Advanced Diploma Synoptic Assessment

• The synoptic assessment will ask students to apply knowledge and skills gained across the qualification in an integrated way, within a workplace context. Scenarios will change over time to ensure the validity of the assessment.

• This course is aimed at anybody wanting an accounting qualification or aspiring to become an accountant.
• The AAT qualification is designed to give you a solid base of accounting principles and skills to build on throughout your career.
  
  
• The qualification is right up-to-date and a great way to stand out in your company or the job market.
  
  
• You may see it as a way of entering the world of accountancy and finance, in the whole range of professions from bookkeeper to financial or management accountant or auditor.
  
  
• You may want to learn more about the theories underpinning your current job role.
  
  
• You may see it as an invaluable aid to career progression.
  
  
• You may have many years’ financial experience and now want a formal qualification.

Be able to speak English and comfortable with basic maths.

The Level 2 can lead to roles as:

• Accounts administrator
• Accounts Assistant
• Accounts payable clerk
• Purchase ledger clerk
• Sales ledger clerk
• Trainee accounting technician

The Level 3 can lead to roles as:

• Accounts Payable & Expenses Supervisor
• Assistant Accountant
• Audit Trainee
• Bookkeeper
• Credit Controller
• Finance Assistant
• Payroll Administrator
• Payroll Supervisor
• Tax Assistant