AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting

You will undertake the following four units:

Introduction to Bookkeeping
This unit will provide you with an understanding of manual and digital bookkeeping systems, including the associated documents and processes. You will learn the basic principles that underpin the double-entry bookkeeping system and discover how digital accounting systems are automating some of the stages in the process

• Principles and procedures related to processing business transactions, financial documents and payments for customers and suppliers.
• Developing skills in processing ledger transactions and preparing an initial trial balance.

Principles of Bookkeeping Controls
This unit builds on the knowledge and skills acquired from the Introduction to Bookkeeping unit and explores control accounts, journals and reconciliations. It will take you through a number of processes used in bookkeeping that help verify and validate the entries made. These processes enable you to understand the purpose of control accounts and associated reconciliations. You will also look at the use of the journal to the stage of redrafting the trial balance, following initial adjustments.

• Maintenance and reconciliation of a cash book by accurately entering receipts and payments, balancing and reconciling with bank statements.
• Knowledge and understanding of the UK banking system and related organisational activities.
• Petty cash transactions and the importance of the Journal as a primary accounting record.
• Maintaining control over debtors and creditors, aided by preparation and use of debtor and creditor control accounts.
• Non-standard bookkeeping transactions and double-entry bookkeeping records.

The Business Environment
The business environment is dynamic and is changing considerably as the digital age progresses to facilitate the global nature of business. It is essential that you are aware of the impact that this environment has on organisations, from sole traders to large companies operating in local, national and global markets.

This unit provides knowledge and understanding of key business concepts and their practical application in the external and internal environment in which you will work. You will gain an understanding of the legal system and principles of contract law and an appreciation of the legal implications of setting up a business and the consequences this may have. Wider issues impacting businesses will be considered, including the global economic environment in which it operates, how governments impact upon it and the competitive nature of the global economy.

• Developing transferable skills and effective working in an accounting environment.
• Teamwork skills and the ability to work independently.
• Demonstrating workplace-ready standards of literacy and numeracy.

Principles of Costing
This unit introduces the principles of basic costing and builds a solid foundation in the knowledge and skills required for more complex costing and management accounting. You will learn the importance of the costing system as a source of information that allows management to plan, make decisions and control costs. You will be able to recognise the key differences from a business perspective between costing and financial accounting.  You will learn a range of techniques to cost materials, labour and overheads to establish the unit cost of a product or service, and this will include understanding and applying codes. You will learn how to classify costs and understand how different classifications of cost can be used for internal management decision making.

• Cost recording systems within an organisation and how best to respond to requests for information relating to costs and expenditure.
• Recording and extracting information, and using a costing system to provide information for management.

In addition to your classroom/online learning, you should aim to study for approximately eight hours per week.

You will undertake four computer-based 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.

Classroom Attendance
Classroom lessons are held at our training centre in Godmanchester, just outside of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, and can be started in September each year. You will attend college each week during term time on a Wednesday from 9:15am-12:30pm.

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.

There are no formal academic entry requirements, however you should have a good basic level of maths and English.

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

Course Fees
£1,190

Awarding Body Fees
All students or employers are required to pay the following awarding body fees in addition to the course fees. Please note that these are recharged at cost and may be subject to change.

• AAT membership
• AAT Exam fees (approximately £424)
• Textbooks (approximately £33 per unit)

CAW Loans2Learn
Course fees must be paid in full before the course begins. If you are unable to do so, we offer a personal loan scheme (Loans2Learn) that can help you to spread the cost into manageable monthly payments over a period of up to five years, subject to eligibility. It can be used to fully, or partially, cover your course fee (but does not cover any awarding body fees, such as enrolment and examination fees which are payable on top). More information can be found here.

The current rate of interest for a CAW Loans2Learn is 9%. Click on the calculator icon to calculate your monthly repayment options based on different repayment term lengths.

Example repayment - a Loans2Learn loan for the full course fee of £1,190 over 24 months would equate to monthly repayments of approximately £55 per month (please note this is an indicative price based on current fees and interest rates).

General Advice
Sources of financial help can be found on our student finance page. Before making any financial decision it is recommended that you seek advice from an independent source, for example the Money Advice Service.

If you have not achieved your qualification by the planned end date detailed in your individual learning plan, continued support and course access is available by paying monthly direct debit payments, or applying for a supplementary or increased loan, until certification is achieved.

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).

On completion of the level 2 AAT qualification, you can apply for the AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting.

No, there is no requirement to already be working in a finance role. In fact, many students begin this course to change career, or enhance their CV ahead of applying for job in finance/accounting.

If you are planning on attending college for classroom-based lessons our intakes are September each year. If you are looking to study our online 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.

No, as a private further education college fees are applicable to all students. We do, however, have a Loans2Learn scheme that can help you to spread the costs of study into manageable monthly payments.

Yes, many of our students who are employed in a finance job choose to undertake this qualification as part of the AAT Level 2 Accounts/Finance Assistant Apprenticeship.