Becoming an AAT centre

Centres wishing to offer AAT qualifications must gain accreditation before enroling students or offering courses. Only approved assessment centres are permitted to offer AAT qualifications.

Centres must not run courses prior to approval. Making an application for centre approval in itself does not confer the right to offer the qualification. An approvals visit by an AAT External Verifier must take place while the submission is still under consideration by the AAT. During this interim period centres are asked not to enrol students for our qualifications. Any attempt to run courses on a non-approved basis will compromise a centre's application for accreditation.

One condition of ongoing centre approval is that all centres must allow AAT or QCA/SQA to enter their premises and provide access to staff and students and all relevant documents in order to facilitate an investigation, inspection or external verification.

How do we become an approved assessment centre?

More detailed information is contained within the Approval Guidance and Application Form:

Approval Guidance and Application Form (NVQ)

Approval Guidance and Application Form (SVQ)

Approval Guidance and Application Form (Diploma)

Centre staff details (NVQ/SVQ) - Centres will also need to complete this form for each member of their proposed course team who will be involved in their AAT courses (completion of this form is a mandatory requirement).

Centre staff details (Diploma)

Centre business plan - As part of your centre application you will need to submit a business plan detailing your preparations to run the qualification and your strategies for marketing and growth.

If you have any questions about the approval process for the NVQ/SVQ or Diploma pathways to the AAT Accounting Qualification, or about the AAT Payroll Administration qualification, please contact the AAT's Centre Development team by email at

The approval process

Still got questions? Contact us.

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