A realistic ACCA study plan works through the three levels in order - Applied Knowledge, then Applied Skills, then Strategic Professional - checking your exemptions first and sitting one to three exams per session. Most people finish in three to four years alongside work.
This is a free, plain-English ACCA study plan - your exam plan from the first paper to qualification - that you can adapt to your own start date and exam sessions. It covers the order to take the 13 exams, how many to sit per session, how long each level takes, and how to fit in the Ethics module and your practical experience. ACCA’s official materials are the authoritative source for current rules and sittings.
Step 0 - Check your exemptions first
Before you plan anything, confirm which papers your prior study exempts you from. A relevant degree or an AAT qualification can exempt you from some or all of Applied Knowledge, and sometimes part of Applied Skills. Start your plan at the first paper you are not exempt from, so you never pay for or re-study an exam you could have skipped. Ignoring exemptions is the most common and most expensive ACCA planning mistake.
The 13 exams, in a sensible order
| Level | Exams (in a sensible order) | Sittings |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Knowledge | BT, then FA and MA | On demand, year-round |
| Applied Skills | LW and PM early; then TX, FR, AA; FM where it fits | March, June, September, December |
| Strategic Professional | SBL and SBR (Essentials) + two Options | March, June, September, December |
Applied Knowledge papers are on-demand, so you can sit them whenever you are ready. From Applied Skills onward the exams are session-based, sat in the March, June, September and December windows, which is what your calendar plans around.
How many exams per session
Sit one to three exams per session. One or two is realistic alongside a full-time job; three is ambitious and usually only sensible for the easier or on-demand papers. At Strategic Professional the papers are markedly harder and reward focus, so many candidates take just one or two per session there.
A realistic timeline
- Applied Knowledge - about 3 to 6 months for the three on-demand papers.
- Applied Skills - about 12 to 18 months across several sessions, sitting one or two papers each.
- Strategic Professional - about 12 months, since these papers are harder and benefit from focus.
That adds up to roughly three to four years for most people studying alongside work - faster with exemptions or full-time study.
How much to study each week
At a working pace, budget around 8 hours a week per paper: a chapter or two a week, weekly question practice, and a full timed past paper in the final fortnight before the exam. If you study closer to full time, around 12 to 15 hours a week per paper lets you cover the syllabus in four to five weeks and spend the last two to three weeks on past papers and timed practice.
Fit in ethics and experience alongside
Two requirements run alongside the exams, not after them:
- Ethics and Professional Skills module - an online programme of a few weeks’ part-time effort. Slot it into a quieter session, often around the end of Applied Skills, because its content also builds the professional-skills behaviours that Strategic Business Leader rewards.
- Practical Experience Requirement (PER) - 36 months of relevant, supervised work experience, logged as you go through your job. Start counting it from day one rather than treating it as a final step.
Common planning mistakes
- Ignoring exemptions and re-sitting papers you could have skipped.
- Front-loading too many exams per session and burning out.
- Treating Strategic Professional like harder Skills papers, when it rewards judgement and structured writing.
- Leaving the Ethics module and PER to the end instead of doing them alongside.
Turn this into your own schedule
For a week-by-week schedule built around your exact exam date, use the study plan generator. To see what each paper covers, read the ACCA subjects and structure page, and for how to study each level, the full ACCA study guide.