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International A Level Accounting Course

This International A Level Accounting Course helps students to develop knowledge and understanding of the purposes of accounting and apply this to a variety of accounting problems. This specification has no coursework or controlled assessment.  The outcome will be based solely on exams.

UK Learners please note: The Cambridge specification is available to UK learners and international learners. You will be able to sit exams for this awarding body within the UK and outside the UK.  Edexcel International Accounting is mainly for learners outside the UK, however if you are a UK learner wanting to sit Edexcel International Accounting, please speak to an adviser and we can advise on centres who may be able to assist with exams.

General Certificate of Education in Accounting

Enrolment Fee:

£595.00

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  • Cambridge & Edexcel Available
  • Full recognised qualification
  • IAS and/or IA2 Available
  • Enrol & start studying anytime.
  • Up to 24 months support
  • 360 Study Hours
  • Fast Track Available
  • Access to the online portal 24/7
  • eBooks provided
  • Practice Exam Papers
  • Predicted Grades & Reference
  • Same qualification as college

Description

The International A Level Accounting course highlights both financial accounting and the recording of past events. You will also cover management accounting as a means of planning and decision making.

You will also develop an understanding of the principles of ethical behaviour which inform the actions of all those working within an accounting environment.

By the end of the course, you should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the double entry model and accounting principles and concepts as these form the foundation of all financial accounting techniques.

Exams for Cambridge CIE specification fall in June and November time each year.  Exams are also held in the March series for India.

Exams for Pearson Edexcel specification fall in January, June and October time each year.

Offering these two specifications will give learners great choices when considering the syllabus and exam series available to them.

It is not necessary for students to have studied IGCSE Accounting before commencing work, however we would recommend that learners have a pass in Maths.

Progression

The International A Level Accounting course gives learners the necessary skills to support progression to higher education or further study in Accounting, as well as to a wide range of other subjects.

Other A Level subjects that would compliment this subject well include Business, Economics and Law.

Cambridge Specification

Awarding Body: Cambridge

Course Code: 9706

Study Hours:  Recommended 300 – 360 hrs

Exams Available: June & November (also March in India only)

Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)

Cambridge International AS & A Level Accounting engages learners with the relevance and applicability of accounting in real-world contexts.  It also encourages interest in the role and responsibilities of the accountant.

Studying this subject helps learners to understand, apply, analyse and evaluate accounting information to aid decision-making in business and communicate information to stakeholders.

These transferable skills are an ideal foundation for further study and for a future career within accounting or related professions.

How will I benefit from the International A Level Accounting Cambridge course?

Cambridge International AS & A Level Accounting encourages learners to:

  • use accounting terminology and formats, preparing and analysing financial statements and learning to communicate accounting information to stakeholders
  • be responsible, considering how the ethical behaviour of accountants and auditors impacts the business and other stakeholders
  • be reflective, considering how the concepts and accounting standards underpin the preparation of accounts and impact on the actions of the accountant
  • be innovative, approaching learning and application with flexible and substantiated thinking engaged, developing an interest in broader and evolving accounting issues, and exploring the range of types of business for which a robust accounting system is required.

Key concepts

Key concepts are essential ideas that help students develop a deep understanding of their subject and make links between different aspects. Key concepts may open up new ways of thinking about, understanding or interpreting the important things to be learned.

The key concepts for Cambridge International AS & A Level Accounting are:

A true and fair view
Financial statements are designed to give a true and fair view of the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of the business to internal and external stakeholders.

Duality
Duality in accounting recognises that every financial transaction has a double (or dual) effect on the position of a business as recorded in the accounts.

Consistency
Consistency in the treatment of financial transactions enables the performance of a business to be compared meaningfully over different time periods.

Business entity
A business is a separate legal entity from the owner of a business. The accounting records must relate only to the business and not to the personal assets and spending of the owner.

Money measurement
Financial accounts only include items and transactions that can be expressed in terms of money. For example, the purchase of raw material is recorded in the accounts whereas staff creativity is not.

Planning and control
Management accounting provides a framework for a business to plan and control its finances and enables informed decision-making.

Cambridge Accounting Content Overview

IAS Level Topics (Year 1)

  • 1.1 Types of business entity
  • 1.2 The accounting system
  • 1.3 Accounting for non-current assets
  • 1.4 Reconciliation and verification
  • 1.5 Preparation of financial statements
  • 1.6 Analysis and communication of accounting information
  • 2.1 Costs and cost behaviour
  • 2.2 Traditional costing methods

IA2 Topics (Year 2)

  • 3.1 Preparation of financial statements
  • 3.2 Regulatory and ethical considerations
  • 3.3 Business acquisition and merger
  • 3.4 Computerised accounting systems
  • 3.5 Analysis and communication of accounting information
  • 4.1 Activity based costing (ABC)
  • 4.2 Standard costing
  • 4.3 Budgeting and budgetary control
  • 4.4 Investment appraisal

Cambridge Assessment

There are three routes learners can take when completing exams for the Accounting course with Cambridge

  1. AS Level Qualification only – Learners take all AS exam papers (Paper 1 & Paper 2) in one exam sitting.
  2. Full A Level over 2 years – At the end of year 1, learners take all AS exam papers (Paper 1 & Paper 2) in one exam sitting.  In a separate exam sitting at the end of year 2, learners then take all A2 papers (Paper 3 & Paper 4).  If learners achieve a pass in all four papers, they will be awarded their Full A Level in Accounting.
  3. Full A Level – Learners take all papers for AS and A2 in one sitting (Papers 1, Paper 2, Paper 3 & Paper 4).

Cambridge Accounting A Level Exams

Exam papers are structured as follows:

  • Paper 1: Questions are based on sections 1 and 2 of the subject content

1 hour, Multiple Choice, 30 Marks

  • Paper 2: Fundamentals of Accounting

1 hour 45 minutes, Four structured questions, 90 marks

  • Paper 3: Financial Accounting

1 hour 30 minutes, Three structured questions, 75 marks

  • Paper 4: Cost and Management Accounting

1 hour, Two structured questions, 50 marks

Edexcel Specification

Awarding Body: Pearson Edexcel

Course Code: YAC11

Study Hours:  Recommended 300 – 360 hrs

Exams Available: January, June and October

Edexcel

The Edexcel International A Level Accounting specification has been developed to be engaging for international learners and to give them the necessary skills to support progression to higher education or further study in Accounting, as well as to a wide range of other subjects. The IAL qualification is designed to be studied over two years, with the option of a one-year IAS level course. Results of the IAS qualification can contribute to the overall IAL grade

How will I benefit from the International A Level Accounting Edexcel course?

The aims and objectives of this qualification are to enable students to develop:

  • an understanding of the importance of effective accounting information systems and an awareness of their limitations through a critical consideration of current financial issues and modern business practices.
  • an understanding of the purposes, principles, concepts and techniques of accounting.
  • transferable skills of numeracy, communication, ICT, application, presentation, interpretation, analysis and evaluation in an accounting context.
  • an appreciation of the effects of economic, legal, ethical, social, environmental and technological influences on accounting decisions.
  • methodical and critical thought which would serve as an end in itself, as well as a basis for further study of accounting and other subjects.

Key concepts

Decision-making students must have been able to carry out problem solving, analysis and interpretation.

Ethics the whole of accounting involves presenting a true and fair representation of information.

Inter-personal skills required to obtain data, work within a team, discuss
outcomes and make recommendations.

Develops knowledge and understanding learners will understand the principles, concepts and techniques of accounting. The content lays a secure foundation for the future study of accounting or related subjects.

Cambridge Accounting Content Overview

IAS Level Topics (Year 1)

  • Principles of accounting and double entry bookkeeping
  • Control procedures
  • Financial statements of organisations
  • Introduction to costing
  • Analysis of accounting statements
  • Social and ethical accounting.

IA2 Topics (Year 2)

  • Limited companies
  • Investment ratios
  • Statement of cash flows
  • Budgeting
  • Standard costing
  • Project appraisal
  • Break-even analysis
  • Marginal costing and absorption costing
  • Information and communication technology (ICT) in accounting.

Edexcel Assessment

Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary in Accounting

This qualification consists of one externally-examined unit. The International Advanced Subsidiary is the first half of the International Advanced Level qualification and consists of one IAS unit, Unit 1. This qualification may be awarded as a qualification on it’s own or may contribute 50 per cent towards the International Advanced Level qualification.

Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level in Accounting

This qualification consists of two externally-examined units. The International Advanced Level consists of the one IAS unit (Unit 1) plus one IA2 unit (Unit 2). Students wishing to take the International Advanced Level must, therefore, complete all two units.

Cambridge Accounting A Level Exams

There are two exam papers in total for the Full A Level and they are structured as follows:

Paper 1: The paper is split into two sections.  Students must complete:

  • Section A – Two compulsory 55-mark, multi-part questions based on given data.
  • Section B – Three optional 30-mark, multi-part questions from a choice of four.

There will be a resource booklet that accompanies the examination paper.

Paper 2: The paper is split into two sections. Students must complete:

  • Section A – Two compulsory 55-mark, multi-part questions based on given data.
  • Section B – Three optional 30-mark, multi-part questions from a choice of four.

There will be a resource booklet that accompanies the examination paper.

Q & A

You do not need any prior learning knowledge or experience to take this course. This course is openly available to anyone who wishes to take part in a highly rewarding home study course, although you would be expected to have a reasonable standard of literacy.

You have the freedom to start the course at any time and continue your studies at your own pace for a period of up to 2 years from initial registration with the full support of your Tutor. You do not have to wait until September, when a traditional school starts. 

Once you enrol, you will have access to our online portal 24/7. Here you will find study materials that have been specially prepared by your tutor, there will be assessments, study notes, eBooks and assignments all relating to your course. Everything in this course is structured to follow the course specification, so all topics and units cover everything you need to learn. Your tutor will mark your work and give you written feedback on areas you need to improve or explain what you have done well. You can also ask your tutor questions if you get stuck on a topic or need something explaining a little more. 

When you approach the exams, your tutor will set you a series of practise exam papers so that you can know what to expect in your exam, and you can go into them feeling confident.

You will be provided with eBooks for this course. If you want to purchase physical books in addition, then we can provide you with the book ISBN numbers.

Students will be required to arrange and pay for their examinations (including any practicals they wish to take) at an approved centre. We can provide an extensive list of these centres for you.

Most of our A Levels are available internationally. We offer A Levels with three different awarding bodies, AQA, Cambridge and Edexcel. If the course is only available via the AQA awarding body then of course you can still take our course, however the exams must be taken in the UK.

Cambridge, and Edexcel both have international exam centres, so you may be able to take the exams locally to you. Should you need any help, then please do get in touch and we can assist you on this. 

We recommend that you are able to dedicate between 300 and 360 hours’ study time, plus additional time for completing assignments.

Yes, you can work at your own pace to complete this course. Despite having 24 months Tutor Support, once you enrol you will be asked when you wish to complete, and your tutor can work along side you to achieve this.

For example, any A-Level course undertaken has a recommended 360 guided learning hours. Breaking down a 360 hour course into 12 weeks, you would need to be able to commit to 30 hours per week of studying. It is entirely up to you the amount of time you can commit to studying. But with online learning, having the flexibility is a real advantage. This allows you to set the pace. Take your time or Fast-track, get the qualification when you need it.

Yes you will gain UCAS points and these depend on your final grade once you have completed your exams. 

For more information about UCAS points, please click here

All of our A Level awarding bodies will give you a full A Level qualification. There will be slight differences between the specifications and what you will actually learn. 

For the Science courses (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), there would be a difference in how you sit practical elements. 

AQA offers practicals but they are optional.

With the Cambridge exam board, you will be expected to perform the practical elements, they are compulsory. Which means finding an exam centre that has a lab for you to complete this. 

With Edexcel, the practical elements are all taught in theory and are assessed via a written exam, therefore you can sit your full exam at a typical Edexcel approved exam centre. 

More information about science practicals can be found here. 

In most cases yes, what we would ask is for the course codes that you have taken in sixth form/college and we will see if we can match them up. 

In most cases you can, If you go to the individual course page you should be able to see if this option is available for you. 

It is recommended that you aim to book your examinations 4/6 month prior to sitting them to avoid late entry fee charges.  Additionally, we would advise that you contact a few exam centres and find out the best price, as they can fluctuate greatly. 

You will sit the same exam as thousands of students across the country in an exam centre, and achieve the same qualification as everyone else. A-Level qualifications are recognised by the world’s best universities and employers, giving students a wide range of options in their education and career.

Just like sitting your A Levels in a school, your tutor will be able to provide you with predicted grades, and references for university applications. 

Of course, all of our courses are tailored to cover the entire specification and are split into topics. You will have assignments to complete on every topic where your tutor will give you feedback. If you are struggling with an aspect then you can message your tutor and they can provide more information for you.

As your exams approach, your tutor will set a series of exam papers for you to take, so you can get a feel for the real thing.

If you complete all of your assignments, and your practise exam papers then there is no reason why you shouldn’t achieve a top grade. 

What support will I receive?

The course will be delivered online and it will include Tutor Support for two years. All assignments are marked by one of our professional tutors who will offer regular feedback and guide you through your course. Postal assignments cannot be accepted without prior permission from the tutor and you must have access to email in order to contact your Tutor.

Throughout your course, you’ll have the support of a Tutor to guide you. Additionally, you can reach out to your Student Liaison Team for help with any other questions you may have. You can be assured that you will receive unlimited support for your home study course, so there is no need to struggle or feel isolated during your studies.

How do International Online A Levels work?

If you are a learner based outside the UK wishing to complete A Levels, you would need to opt for our International A Levels with either Cambridge or Edexcel. These awarding bodies allow you to sit exams worldwide.

For International A Levels, you will receive two years access to the learner portal along with tutor support. Marked and graded assignments are included with the course along with practise mock exam papers.

Learners applying to university can receive help with references and predicted grades. We provide support for UCAS, the Common App or direct applications.

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