AAT Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping

You will undertake the following two units:

Financial Accounting: Preparing Financial Statements
This unit provides you with the skills required to produce statements of profit or loss and statements of financial position for sole traders and partnerships using a trial balance. In employment, you may be required to prepare a portion of, or all, the final accounts and this unit will give you the theoretical knowledge needed to complete that task. It will also allow you to understand how final accounts have been produced, either manually or automatically through use of accounting software.

• Understand the legal requirements and preparation of partnership accounts, showing division of profits after adjusting for interest on capital, interest on drawings and any salaries due to each partner.
• Preparation of final accounts for partnerships and developing skills in restructuring accounting information.
• Preparing final accounts for sole traders, including the accounting treatment required to incorporate accruals and prepayments, provision for depreciation, irrecoverable debts and allowance for doubtful debts.

Tax Processes for Businesses
This unit explores tax processes that influence the daily operations of businesses and is designed to develop your skills in understanding, preparing, and submitting Value Added Tax (VAT) returns to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The unit provides the knowledge and skills that are needed to keep businesses, employers and clients compliant with laws and practices that apply to VAT and payroll. You will learn about legislation and the importance of maintaining your technical knowledge through monitoring updates. For VAT, you will understand the registration and deregistration rules, including signing up for Making Tax Digital (MTD), and the rules relating to specialist VAT schemes. You will be able to recognise different types of supplies and calculate VAT correctly, understanding the importance of the rules relating to the recovery of input VAT and the sanctions and penalties for inaccuracies, omissions and failure to make submissions and payments within the correct timescales.

• Understand current VAT regulations and building your knowledge of VAT registration requirements, different VAT schemes available, penalties for non-compliance and the different types of classification of supplies.
• Perform the calculations needed to complete a VAT return.
• Submit completed documentation in a timely manner while maintaining an effective working relationship with the relevant tax authority.

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

You will undertake 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 be started in September each year. You will attend college each week during term time on a Thursday from 9:15am-1pm.

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.

Whilst there are no formal academic entry requirements, you must be competent in manual double-entry bookkeeping as well as having 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
£1,265

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 £213)
• 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 £1,265 over 12 months would equate to monthly repayments of approximately £110 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).

This course is eligible for the Ministry of Defence Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) Funding. Read more here.

On completion of the level 3 AAT qualification, you may wish to look at undertaking the AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting; your level 3 bookkeeping qualification will give you exemptions from certain modules within this.

As a level 3 qualified AAT Bookkeeper you may apply for professional status and use the designatory letters AATQB after your name. This indicates the high standards of professional conduct and up to date technical knowledge.

A formal qualification in bookkeeping produces fantastic career prospects, as the ability to record and manage financial activity is relevant across a wide range of industries. For example, there are opportunities to work as an assistant accountant, accounts payable clerk, or credit controller; or pursue more specialist roles within the larger finance departments of bigger organisations. You could even use your new found skills to set up your own business.

No, there is no requirement to already be working in a finance role. In fact, many students undertake AAT courses 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 provider fees are applicable to all students. We do have a Loans2Learn scheme that can help you to spread the costs of study into manageable monthly payments.