AAT Level 4 Professional Diploma in Accounting
Course Codes
AAT036 / AAT038
Our AAT Level 4 Professional Diploma in Accounting is your ideal route into a higher-level accountancy job.
- Fully recognised AAT Level 4 Professional Diploma in Accounting.
- Maximise employment opportunities with fundamental accountancy skills.
- Learn about accounting systems, auditing, budgeting and tax.
- Opens up jobs in auditing, tax, finance and accounting.
- Qualification recognised by all chartered and certified accountancy bodies.
- Choose to add on exams.
- Successful students can apply for full AAT membership and achieve professional MAAT Status.
Perfect for working professionals or those who have completed their Level 3 Diploma in Accounting, this course allows you to learn higher level skills needed in the workplace. Step up into a more senior role or run your own accountancy practice.
Successful students can apply for full AAT membership and achieve professional MAAT Status. This is a recognised professional status for accountants.
Add on your exams and become fully qualified.
If you are not a working professional or haven’t any previous qualifications, try either our AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting or Level 3 Diploma in Accounting.
Course Duration
Up to one year.
Study Hours
Approximately 560 hours.
Course Outcome
Upon successful completion of the exams you will receive your AAT Level Professional Diploma in Accounting.
Entry Requirements
You must have completed the AAT Advanced Diploma in Accounting Level 3 or equivalent.
Assessment
Six tutor marked assessments, five unit exams and one synoptic assessment.
- Prepare forecasts of income and expenditure
- Prepare budgets
- Demonstrate how budgeting can improve organisational performance
- Report budgetary information to management in a clear and appropriate format
- Prepare forecasts of income and expenditure
- Prepare budgets
- Demonstrate how budgeting can improve organisational performance
- Report budgetary information to management in a clear and appropriate format
- The reporting frameworks and ethical principles that underpin financial reporting
- Key features of a published set of financial statements
- Statutory financial statements for a limited company
- Consolidated financial statements
- Interpret financial statements using ratio analysis
- The role and responsibilities of the accounting function within an organisation
- Internal control systems
- Evaluate an organisation’s accounting system and underpinning procedures
- Recommendations made to improve an organisation’s accounting system
- Complete tax returns for sole traders and partnerships and prepare supporting tax computations
- Complete tax returns for limited companies and prepare supporting tax computations
- Provide advice on the UK’s tax regime and its impact on sole traders, partnerships and limited companies
- Advise business clients on tax reliefs, and their responsibilities and their agent’s responsibilities in reporting taxation to HMRC
- Prepare tax computations for the sale of capital assets
- Analyse the theories, principles and rules that underpin taxation systems
- Calculate a UK taxpayer’s total income
- Calculate income tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions payable by a UK taxpayer
- Account for capital gains tax
- Discuss the basics of inheritance tax
- Understanding the principles of auditing
- Importance of professional ethics
- The audited entity's system of internal control
- Audit procedures for obtaining audit evidence
- The planning process
- Audit procedures
- Use statistical techniques and financial information to prepare forecasts of cash receipts and payments
- Prepare cash budgets and monitor cash flows within the organisation
- The principles of cash management within the context of regulation and government monetary policies
- Ways of raising finance in accordance with organisational requirements
- Ways of investing surplus funds within organisational policies
- Analyse relevant legislation and contract law that has an impact on the credit control environment
- Critically analyse information from a variety of sources to assess credit risk and grant credit in compliance with organisational policies and procedures
- Evaluate a range of techniques to collect debts
- Critically evaluate credit control in line with organisational policies and procedures
- Present advice and recommendations to management on the credit control system
Assessment
There are six tutor-marked assessments, five unit exams (three of which are mandatory units), and one synoptic assessment.
Students will need to complete three unit exams from the mandatory units and a synoptic assessment in order to gain the full qualification. Students must then take exams for each of the two optional units they have chosen to complete.
The assessments are to be taken on a computer and include multiple choice, numeric gap fill and written answers. There will also be question tools that will replicate practical activities in the workplace, for example making entries in a journal.
Each exam has a time restriction and will take place at an AAT-approved assessment centre under controlled conditions.
Unit and synoptic assessments are not awarded grades individually, but the marks achieved in all assessments contribute to the student’s overall grade for the qualification.
Exams can be included in the cost of this course. If you choose to add your assessments and book through us, they will take place at a centre in either Birmingham or Irthlingborough, near Northampton. When choosing to add your assessments to your booking, it is important to note that we are only able to book your assessments at the specified centres in either Birmingham or Irthlingborough, therefore, you must be prepared to travel to the centre to complete your assessment.
Alternatively, if you don’t add your assessments to your course, you will have to book and pay for these separately.
Study Method
Once you enrol, you will receive all course materials by post and receive full tutor support for a year by email. Once you have registered with AAT you will also have access to online resources and additional support materials, including sample assessments.
Students need to take six units in order to complete the course
The mandatory units are:
- Management Accounting: Budgeting
- Management Accounting: Decision and Control
- Financial Statements of Limited Companies
- Accounting Systems and Controls
Students may then choose from:
- Business Tax
- Personal Tax
- External Auditing
- Cash and Treasury Management
- Credit Management
Course Outcome
Successful students will receive their Level 4 Professional Diploma in Accounting awarded by The Association of Accounting Technicians. This also means becoming AAT affiliate members.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to go on to a variety of well-paid jobs in accountancy and finance such as:
- Professional Accounting Technician
- Assistant Auditor
- Assistant Management Accountant
- Commercial Analyst
- Payroll Manager
- Cost Accountant
- Indirect Tax Manager
- Payments and Billing Manager
- Tax Supervisor
- VAT accountant
…and much more!
Course Requirements
It is recommended you have either completed Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Accounting or are already working within an accounting role. We also recommend you have basic levels of Maths and English in order to complete the course.
You must be 16 years old in order to enrol onto this course, as well as have basic mathematical skills and IT literacy. It is also strongly advised that you have studied accounting at level 3, or you are already within an accounting role.
- Comprehensive study guide.
- Dedicated personal tutor support by email.
- Dedicated student support.
- Assignment marking and feedback.
- Open Study College pen and highlighter.
- Student study planner.
- Student notebook.
- Document wallet.
- FREE CV critique service.
- FREE employability guide to help you impress future employers.
- FREE XO Student Discounts membership.
To sit your exams, you must join AAT as a student member, which will then give you access to their resources.
It is your own responsibility to pay for your student membership fees, payable to AAT.
It's not a problem. We offer a course replacement service, so if you get into trouble and your course pack is lost or damaged, our Student Support Team can provide you with a new set of materials for a one-time additional fee.
That's not a problem. We want to make sure you're 100% confident about enrolling on the course and starting your study. So, just give our Student Adviser Team a call on 03300 563 100 and they'll do their best to help.