AAT Level 4 Apprenticeship Professional Accounting Technician

This apprenticeship consists of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to develop the finance skills needed to enhance your professional status.

As part of this apprenticeship you will undertake the AAT Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting and undertake the following units:

Drafting and Interpreting Financial Statements
This unit provides the skills and knowledge for drafting the financial statements of single limited companies and consolidated financial statements for groups of companies. You will have a proficient level of knowledge and understanding of international accounting standards, which will then be applied when drafting the financial statements. You will also gain a sound appreciation of the regulatory and conceptual frameworks that underpin the preparation of limited company 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.

Applied Management Accounting
This unit focusses on the three fundamental areas of management accounting: planning, control and decision making.  This unit will allow understanding of how the budgetary process is undertaken. You will be able to construct budgets and then identify and report both on areas of success and on areas that should be of concern to key stakeholders. You will also gain the skills required to critically evaluate organisational performance, and have an understanding of the methods used to deal with the issues surrounding both short-term and long-term decision making.

• 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.
• 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 Accounting Systems and Controls
The unit covers the role and responsibilities of the accounting function, including the needs of key stakeholders who use financial reports to make decisions. Students will review accounting systems to identify weaknesses and will make recommendations to mitigate identified weaknesses in future operations. You will apply several analytical methods to evaluate the implications of any changes to operating procedures. Technology is changing the way that accountancy information is processed, and this unit requires knowledge of the fundamental principles of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), which may be used as an alternative way to gather and analyse information. Cloud accounting is changing the way accountants work and visualisation, including dashboards, is increasingly used to present information in a way that is easier for stakeholders to understand. Data security and breaches are regularly reported in the press, and therefore it is imperative that you are aware of the importance of keeping all data secure and consider the confidential nature of the data that they will be processing as part of their everyday role.

• 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.

Personal Tax
This unit provides the fundamental knowledge of the three most common taxes that affect taxpayers in the United Kingdom (UK): income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax. With this knowledge, you will be equipped to prepare not only the computational aspects where appropriate of these taxes, but also appreciate how taxpayers can legally minimise their overall taxation liability. You will also study capital gains tax and inheritance tax. The fundamental principles of these taxes will be covered so that you can appreciate how they may affect UK taxpayers.

• 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
This unit introduces UK taxation relevant to businesses. You will understand how to compute business taxes for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. You will also be able to identify tax planning opportunities while understanding the importance of maintaining ethical standards.  You will gain the skills required to apply the tax treatment of capital expenditure and the adjustment of accounting profits for tax purposes. You will allocate profits to tax years for ongoing businesses as well as in opening and closing years. In addition, you will allocate profits between partners in a partnership and will calculate National Insurance (NI) contributions for the self-employed, advising clients on the tax implications of making losses.

• Preparing tax returns for sole traders, partnerships and incorporated businesses.
• Recognise trading profits, make adjustments and apply current relevant legislation.

Functional Skills
Apprentices under 19 years of age will be required to undertake Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Maths unless exempt.

Off-The-Job Training Hours
You will undertake a minimum of six hours a week of off-the-job training hours, this is learning that takes place during your normal working hours. These could comprise of college lessons, working through online course materials, time spent revising for exams etc.

Classroom Attendance
Classroom lessons are held at our training centre in Godmanchester, just outside of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, and can be started throughout the year. You can choose between the following two options:

• Tuesdays from 9:15am-1pm.
• Mondays from 5:30-8:30pm

Apprentices are also able to stay for the afternoon for tutor supported study time to contribute towards their off-the-job training hours.

Online learning
Our online, distance learning courses can be started at any time. You will work through your online course materials at a time that is convenient to you and be supported by a personal tutor.

You must be competent in complex double-entry bookkeeping and have achieved the AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting. You should also be living and working in England in a suitable finance role.

To complete this apprenticeship within 18-24 months you will need to be working for a minimum of 30 hours per week, if you are working less than 30 hours a week the length of your apprenticeship will be extended depending on your working hours.

International qualifications
Students with foreign qualifications are required to have their certificates translated using a UK ENIC Statement to confirm if they have previously achieved Level 2 English and Level 2 maths for their apprenticeship. If a student has not previously achieved this, they will need to complete Functional Skills English and/or maths as part of their apprenticeship. More information about how to apply, how it works and prices can be found on the UK ENIC’s website here.

Additional Information
As our courses include online learning components, students are required to have access to a PC or laptop with a reliable internet connection.

Your End Point Assessment will consist of:

• Role Scenario Assessment/Exam- Questions based on a scenario in a controlled and invigilated examination environment.
• Portfolio and Reflective Statement - A portfolio of evidence to demonstrate learned knowledge, skills and behaviours, along with a reflective statement.

You will also undertake computer-based AAT exams. As we are an AAT accredited exam centre, these exams can be taken at college without the need to travel to an external exam centre.

Apprenticeship course fees are payable by the employer. Fees are dependent upon the size of the organisation you are employed in.

Course fees for Growth and Skills (Apprenticeship) Levy Paying Employers
(organisations with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million)

These employers will pay the full apprenticeship amount of £12,000 using their digital account.

Course fees for Non-Levy Paying Employers
(organisations with an annual pay bill of less than £3 million)

These employers will pay 5% (£600 in one payment) towards the cost of the apprenticeship using their digital account.

Please note that fees may be free for those aged 16-21 years, working in a non-levy paying organisation with less than 50 employees.

Awarding Body Fees
The End Point Assessment (EPA) fee is included, however, if a student needs to re-sit an exam, re-sit fees will be payable. In addition, payment for AAT membership, exam fees (approximately £564) and textbooks will also be required.

General Advice

These are current figures and may be subject to change. The differences in course fees reflect the level of funding that is available as a result of government policies and priorities. These may be as a result of age, employment status, previous education achievements, or location for example, and are outside the control of CAW Business School (The College of Animal Welfare).

After completing the AAT Level 4 Accounting Apprenticeship, you will be able to apply to become an AAT full member and use the letters MAAT after your name. You’ll enjoy elevated professional credibility and status, increasing your opportunities for career progression.

The Level 4 AAT qualification will allow you to work in a variety of roles, such as Assistant Auditor, Assistant Management Accountant, Assistant Financial Accountant, Accounts Payable and Expenses Supervisor, Commercial Analyst, Payroll Manager, Senior Financial Officer, Tax Investigations Officer, Personal Tax Assistant and Business Tax Assistant.

Become self-employed

You may choose to start up your own business. As an AAT member in practice (MIP) you can offer accountancy, taxation or related consultancy services to the public in the UK or Channel Islands. More information on this can be found on the AAT website.

Become a chartered accountant

You may decide to continue your studies by becoming a chartered accountant. All the UK chartered and certified accountancy bodies recognise the AAT Accounting qualification and will give you exemptions from certain modules. Read more.

Yes, you must be employed in a finance role, and be living and working in England, to undertake this apprenticeship. If you are not, then you may wish to look at undertaking the AAT Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting course.

There’s no need to wait, you can start at any time.

Once you are enrolled and ready to start you will work through the online course materials in your own time. You will be allocated a tutor as a point of contact to support you through the course.

Unfortunately not, apprenticeships must be paid for by the employer. It is also important that your employer is supportive of you undertaking the apprenticeship as they would have to allow you a minimum of six hours a week of off-the-job training. You could consider undertaking the AAT Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting in your own time if you wish.

Off-the-job (OTJ) training hours are mandatory, paid learning hours for apprentices that take place during normal working hours to help them to gain new skills and knowledge outside of their normal daily work duties. This could be undertaking college lessons, working through online course materials, webinars, time spent on assignments or revising etc. Each apprentice has to undertake a minimum of six OTJ hours per week (this may be pro rata for part time employees).

At the current time, you would need to find your own employment in a finance role to begin this apprenticeship. We are sometimes asked by employers to help them to recruit an apprentice; any apprenticeship vacancies we know about will be advertised on our Apprenticeship Vacancies webpage – you can also sign up to receive new apprenticeship job alerts via this page.