Accounting Level 4 Diploma (AAT)

The final level covers higher level accounting tasks including drafting financial statements managing budgets and evaluating financial performance.

You’ll also have the opportunity to specialise in areas from tax to auditing and credit control. A perfect progression if you’ve already completed Levels 2 and 3 or you’re at a more advanced stage in your career and want a qualification to give you the confidence and proof that you have the skills to do the job.

The programme usually takes 32 weeks to complete and learners attend 32 three hour workshops and two tutorials.

Units at Level 3 include:

- Financial statements (The external reporting environment for limited companies and groups which need to publish accounts/Principles of consolidated accounts and analysis and interpretation of financial statements/Preparing a range of financial statements and identifying an organisation’s financial position)
- Budgeting (How and why budgets are prepared helping you prepare revenue forecasts and a range of budgets for different circumstances/Understanding budgetary procedure to aid organisational planning and control/Preparing budgets analysing variances and making recommendations for improving organisational performance)
- Financial performance (Managing and measuring financial performance the range of techniques for analysing information on expenditure and making judgements to support decision making planning and control by managers/Collecting and analysing information monitoring performance and presenting reports to management)

- Internal control and accounting systems (Identifying the role of internal control within an organisation and recognising different approaches to making informed recommendations on how to implement or improve systems.Communicating this to management and identifying the impact that changes would have on the system and its users).

Choose two options from the following four:
- Credit management and control (Principles of credit management in an organisation advising on the granting of credit setting credit limits collection of monies owed and the likelihood of receipt of payment/Advising on debt management and ways to minimise risk to the organisation)
- Personal tax (How Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax is applied to income Calculating Income Tax liabilities and income from all sources Applying relevant allowances deductions and reliefs to prepare accurate Income Tax computations)
- Business tax (Preparing tax returns for sole traders partnerships and incorporated businesses. You’ll recognise trading profits make adjustments and apply current relevant legislation)
- External auditing (Legislative and professional requirements and how to act as part of an audit team in planning and conducting an external audit Drafting working papers and a final audit report)

Your learning will take place via some of the following methods:

Teaching: lectures, presentations, Moodle, Google Drive, podcasts, workshops, homework, tutorials

Assessment methods: At the end of every unit you will be assessed to ensure that you can demonstrate the necessary skills knowledge and understanding required to meet the learning outcomes and objectives for each unit. Assessments will take the form of a formal computer based exam for each unit except for Internal Control and Accounting Systems and Credit Management and Control. These two units will be assessed by means of an on-line written project.

Learning: individual work, research, pair and group working, flipped learning.

Once you’ve achieved this level you’ll be the proud owner of the AAT Accounting Qualification. With evidence of one year’s past relevant work experience attained while you were training you’ll be able to apply to become a full member of AAT and use the letters MAAT after your name.

College policy is to recruit with integrity and therefore all applicants undertake an initial assessment and interview before being accepted onto the qualification. Learners with AAT Level 3 will be able to have direct entry subject to approval from the Course Leader.

Many students progress on to professional accountancy courses such as CIMA or ACCA. The Level 4 Diploma qualification grants exemptions from the majority of the foundation units on the professional courses. Alternatively you could choose to go on and study for a degree in an accounting or finance related subject. To qualify as a Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (MAAT) it is necessary to complete AAT Levels 3 and 4 and to have completed 3 years accounting or financial work experience.