ACCA is a long journey - up to 13 exams across three levels - so understanding the exam cycle is part of planning it well. Here is how the sessions and registration work. Always confirm the current dates and deadlines on the ACCA website, since they change each year.
Four sessions a year
Most ACCA exams - the Applied Skills and Strategic Professional levels - are offered in four sessions a year: March, June, September and December. The earliest Applied Knowledge exams are on-demand, meaning you can book them year-round rather than waiting for a session.
That cadence shapes your plan: you choose which exams to attempt in each window and work backwards from the session date.
Registration and entry deadlines
Each session has entry deadlines, and the fee depends on how early you register - early, standard and late entry, with the cost rising as the deadline approaches. The practical advice is simple: enter early. It is cheaper, and committing to a date is one of the best ways to keep a long qualification on track. Confirm the current deadlines and fees with ACCA before you book.
How many exams per session
ACCA lets you enter up to four exams in a session and a maximum of eight in a calendar year. That ceiling is not a target. Most people studying alongside a job sit one or two papers per session and pass them, rather than spreading themselves thin across four. The Strategic Professional papers in particular reward focus.
Plan around exemptions first
Before you register for anything, check your exemptions - prior qualifications or a relevant degree can excuse you from some Applied Knowledge exams. There is no point paying to sit a paper you could skip. Our ACCA study guide and exam plan walk through the level-by-level order, and the cost calculator helps you budget the full journey.