Become a full member in 3 steps

AAT full membership will provide you with the status and recognition you deserve. As a full member of the AAT you will be able to use the letters MAAT after your name, providing instant recognition of your skills and knowledge in the workplace and across the wider profession.

Step 1: the AAT Accounting Qualification

You must have completed both the Intermediate (NVQ/SVQ level 3) and Technician (NVQ/SVQ level 4) levels of the AAT Accounting Qualification. If you hold a UK degree in Accounting or are part-qualified with one of the UK's chartered or certified bodies you need only to have completed the Technician level.

Studying for the AAT Accounting Qualification will also mean that you'll have been registered as a student member for at least 12 months, which is a requirement for full membership.

Step 2: a year's work experience

Relevant work experience will demonstrate that you have used the knowledge and skills you've developed during your AAT training in a work environment. We need to see evidence of a minimum of one year's full-time experience (or the equivalent part-time) gained since you registered as an AAT student member. Part-time work experience is calculated on a pro rata basis and is based on a 35-hour week.

To confirm the range of accounting or financial tasks that you perform on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis, you and your employer should complete Part 1 of the Experience and Reference form (in addition we will accept a detailed job description verified by your employer).

At least 50% of your time should be spent on relevant accounting or financial tasks. If you spend between 33-49% of your time on accounting or financial tasks you must provide evidence of two years' work experience or the equivalent part-time since you registered as a student member. If you spend less than 33% of your time on accounting or financial tasks it is unlikely that you currently have sufficient experience for full membership. Please contact our Membership Support team for advice on the options available to you.

Other types of work experience we accept are:

Teaching work

• We accept evidence of teaching accounting or financial subjects at NVQ/SVQ level 3 or above (or equivalent)
• Your employer will need to confirm your dates of employment, type and level of course taught and number of hours involved on the Experience and Reference form.

Temporary/voluntary work

• We will accept relevant temporary and voluntary work assignments (minimum of one month per assignment)
• You must provide a verified Experience and Reference form for each position held.

Self-employed work

• We will accept self-employed work experience if you have your own business offering accounting, taxation or related consultancy services to the public in the UK
• You need to have your work independently verified by a qualified accountant (an AAT-licensed member in practice or a member of one of the chartered or certified accountancy bodies). They will need to confirm your experience on the Experience and Reference form
• Once you are elected to full membership you will need to join our scheme for members in practice. For further information please visit: www.aat.org.uk/mip

Step 3: a professional reference

In addition to evidence of your work experience we require a professional reference to confirm your suitability for full membership and commitment to the AAT.
Your referee will need to sign Part 2 of the Experience and Reference form. They can also verify your work experience.

Your referee should:

• have knowledge of your work within your current or most recent job
• work in a position senior to you
• have worked with you for at least six months.

If you work for yourself your referee should be a qualified accountant who knows your work in a professional capacity. We can only accept a reference from a friend or relative if they are a qualified accountant (an AAT-licensed member in practice or a member of one of the chartered or certified accountancy bodies). Alternatively, we can accept a reference from your course tutor if they have had direct knowledge of your work in an office environment.

What next?

Download a full membership application form to fill in yourself and an Experience and Reference form to fill in with your professional referee.

Further information

Download our full membership application guide for a summary of the benefits of full AAT membership. Download information about our fees here.

If you want to know more or you have a specific question about your progression to full membership please contact the Membership Support team via e-mail at membershipsupport@aat.org.uk

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