Home MembershipProfessional membership Become a professional member without AAT qualifications

Become a professional member without AAT qualifications

Even if you haven't studied with AAT, there are a number of ways you can gain your AAT professional membership status.

Becoming an AAT full member (MAAT) or bookkeeping member (AATQB) is a great way to stand out to clients and employers, enhance your skills and even start your own practice – and there are a number of other benefits of professional membership too.

Join as a full member (MAAT)

We recognise a number of qualifications and memberships to support your eligibility for MAAT status. Do you belong to one of these groups? Find out below how you can apply.

Professional member of another body

If you're a professional member of ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, IATI, ICAEW, ICAS, AIA, CAI, IFA, NIAT, or NZICA, you may be eligible for MAAT status. Please note, only IFA members who’ve achieved full membership via the qualification are eligible to apply. 

You may also be eligible if you're:

  • a member of SCAAK and you've completed CPD in anti-money laundering
  • a member of ATSA (formerly AATSA) and you've completed the AAT(SA) Revised Accounting Qualification.

In order to apply you'll need to:

  • complete the online application
  • attach a copy of your membership certificate. It must be up to date and clearly show that you hold an accepted alternative membership. We're not able to refund the admission fee if the documents you provide do not meet our criteria
  • pay a one-off admission fee and annual membership fee.

If you’re a professional member of an accountancy body which isn’t listed we may still accept your application. Check if you’re eligible for full membership (MAAT): make sure the criteria met for your professional membership meet or are equivalent to our full membership criteria. View the AAT membership policy (PDF).

You’ll need to submit your membership certificate and a transcript of your qualification so we can map this against our standards. If you don't meet the criteria you’ll receive a full refund of your membership fee, but not of your admission fee. 

Fully qualified accounting professional

If you've been awarded a professional qualification by ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, IATI, ICAEW, ICAS, AIA, CAI, IFA, NIAT, ATSA (formerly AATSA) or NZICA, or you've completed the IKAF Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) or the IKAF Certified Accountant Professional (CAP) qualification, you may be eligible for MAAT status.

Unless stated otherwise, we will only consider qualifications that you completed on or after 1 January 2010.

In order to apply you'll need to:

  • complete the online application
  • provide evidence of your relevant qualification. Your evidence must be up to date and clearly show that you have completed the required units or qualification. We're not able to refund the admission fee if the documents you provide do not meet our criteria
  • pay a one-off admission fee and annual membership fee.

Part-qualified accounting professional

If you're part-way through a professional qualification with ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW or ICAS, you may be eligible for MAAT status if you've completed the required units shown below.

Unless stated otherwise, we will only consider units that you completed on or after 1 January 2010.

ACCA Qualification (2018 syllabus)

  • Fundamentals
    • Business and Technology (BT/FBT)
    • Management Accounting (MA)/FMA
    • Financial Accounting (FA)/FFA
  • And at least two of the following:
    • Taxation (TX)
    • Audit and Assurance (AA)
    • Financial Management (FM)

CIMA Certificate and Professional Qualification

  • CIMA Certificate (or evidence of exemption from level)
    • Operational level
      • P1 Management Accounting
      • F1 Financial Reporting
    • Management level
      • F2 Advanced Financial Reporting

CIPFA Professional Qualification

  • Professional Certificate (or evidence of exemption from level)
    • Financial Accounting
    • Management Accounting
    • Financial Reporting
    • Audit and Assurance
  • Professional Diploma
  • Public Service Financial Reporting
  • Business and Change Management

ICAEW ACA Qualification

You may be eligible if you've completed:

  • Certificate level (CFAB)
  • Accounting
  • Assurance
  • Business, Technology and Finance
  • Management Information
  • Principles of Taxation

and:

  • ICAEW Professional Level
  • Financial Accounting and Reporting.

Or you may be eligible if you've completed the AAT Level 4 module: Financial Statements of Limited Companies.

ICAS CA Qualification

  • Test of competence:
    • Financial Accounting
    • Finance
    • Business Acumen
    • Assurance and reporting
    • Principles of tax
    • Management information and technology
  • Test of professional skills:
    • Financial Reporting
    • Strategic Finance and Modelling
    • Risk and Technology
    • Assurance and Data
    • Business Tax

How to apply

You'll need to:

  • complete the online application
  • provide evidence of your relevant qualification. Your evidence must be up to date and clearly show that you have completed the required units or qualification. We're not able to refund the admission fee if the documents you provide do not meet our criteria
  • pay a one-off admission fee and annual membership fee.

Graduate of an AAT partner university

You can also apply for MAAT status if you have an accounting or finance degree from one of our partner universities.

Unless stated otherwise, we will only consider degrees that you completed on or after 1 January 2010.

Birmingham City University

  • BA Accounting (must include a Tax or Audit unit) 
  • BA Accounting and Finance 
  • BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance  
  • MAcc Accounting and Finance 
  • BSc (Hons) Business Accounting 

University of Bedfordshire  

  • BA (Hons) Accounting 
  • BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance 

University of Chester

  • BA (Hons) Accounting-Finance 

CU Coventry

  • BA (Hons) Professional Accounting degree 
  • BA Accountancy (must include both modules: Principles of Taxation and Audit & Internal Controls) 
  • BA Accounting and Finance 
  • BSc Accountancy (must include one of the modules: Principles of Financial Investment or Financial Management for Accountants) 
  • BSc Accounting and Finance (must include both modules: Principles of Taxation and Audit & Assurance) 

Edge Hill University

  • BSc (Hons) Accounting 

University of Hull

  • BSc Accounting 
  • BSc Financial Management 

Liverpool John Moores University

  • BSc Accounting and Finance 

The London Institute of Banking & Finance

  • BSc (Hons) in Finance and Accounting for Financial Services (Sept 2011 syllabus) 

London South Bank University

  • BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance 
  • Foundation Degree in Accounting (with placement) 

Middlesex University

  • BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance 

Northumbria University

  • BA (Hons) Accounting 

University of Northampton

  • BSc in Finance and Accounting 

University of Portsmouth

  • BA (Hons) Accounting with Finance 

University of South Wales

  • BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance 

University of Wolverhampton

  • BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance

In order to apply you'll need to:

  • complete the online application
  • provide evidence of your degree. Your evidence must be up to date and clearly show that you have completed the required degree. We're not able to refund the admission fee if the documents you provide do not meet our criteria
  • pay a one-off admission fee and annual membership fee.

If your degree isn't listed

If you hold an accountancy or finance qualification or degree that isn't listed above, we might still accept your application.

Make sure that your qualification or degree meets or is equivalent to the AAT Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting. You’ll need to submit your qualification or membership certificate and a transcript of your qualification so we can map this against our standards. If you don't meet the criteria you’ll receive a full refund of your membership fee, but not of your admission fee. 

Start your MAAT application

You can apply online to become an AAT full member. You'll need to pay your MAAT annual membership fee when you apply and share copies of your relevant qualification or membership certificates if they weren't issued by AAT. If you haven't got an account already, create a Guest account, then begin your application.

Create a Guest account Start your application

Join as a bookkeeping member (AATQB)

You can apply to become a bookkeeping member if at least one of the below applies.

  • You achieved any of these qualifications from 1 January 2010 onwards:
    • ICB Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping and Accounts
    • IAB Level 3 Diploma in Bookkeeping
    • IAB Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping
    • IAB Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping and Accounting
    • IAB Level 3 Diploma in Accounting or Advanced Bookkeeping
    • ICB Level 3 Diploma in Manual Bookkeeping
    • The Career Academy Certificate in Bookkeeping (Ireland)
    • The Career Academy Certificate in Bookkeeping (United Kingdom)
    • The Career Academy Certificate in Bookkeeping (NZBAI)
    • The Career Academy Certificate in Bookkeeping (Australia)
    • IKAF Advanced Bookkeeping Level IV
    • ATI Certificate for Accounting Technicians (Year 1).
  • You are a member of ICB or IAB (please note, we do not accept associate membership).

If your qualification or membership isn't listed

If you’re a professional member of another accountancy body, or hold an accountancy or finance qualification or degree that isn’t listed above, we might still accept your application.

Please review the information below and then contact us to discuss your options.

If you’re a member of a professional body

Make sure the criteria met for your professional membership meet or are equivalent to our bookkeeping membership criteria. View the Associate (bookkeeping) Membership policy (PDF).

You’ll need to submit your membership certificate so we can map this against our standards. If you don't meet the criteria you’ll receive a full refund of your membership fee, but not of your admission fee. 

Your evidence must be up to date and clearly show that you hold an accepted alternative membership. We're not able to refund the admission fee if the documents you provide do not meet our criteria.

If you hold a finance or accountancy qualification or degree

Make sure your qualification or degree meets or is equivalent to the AAT Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping or the AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting.

You’ll need to submit your qualification or membership certificate and a transcript of your qualification so we can map this against our standards. If you don't meet the criteria you’ll receive a full refund of your membership fee, but not of your admission fee. 

Your evidence must be up to date and clearly show that you have completed the required units or qualification. We're not able to refund the admission fee if the documents you provide do not meet our criteria.

Start your AATQB application

You can apply online to become an AAT bookkeeping member. You'll need to pay your AATQB annual membership fee when you apply and share copies of your relevant qualification or membership certificates if they weren't issued by AAT. If you haven't got an account already, please use the Register button above to create a Guest account, then begin your application.

Read the AATQB page for more details Apply now