Qualifications 2022 (Q2022) has now replaced our previous Accounting Qualifications 2016 (AQ2016) suite, including the Access Award qualifications.
We understand the importance of ensuring your staff are trained and qualified to reflect current practices in accounting, and that’s why we periodically review and update our qualifications. This page, and the supporting resources page, will provide you with the latest information about Q2022 and the details you and your employees need.
Key dates
- 31 August 2022: last chance to register on:
- an AQ2016 Foundation, Advanced or Professional accounting or bookkeeping qualification
- the Access Award in Accounting Software
- the Access Award in Bookkeeping
- the Access Award in Business Skills.
- 1 September 2022: registration opened for all new AAT qualifications, at Level 1, 2, 3 and 4.
- 30 September 2023: last chance to sit an assessment on the Access level qualifications and the AQ2016 accounting and bookkeeping qualifications, at Foundation, Advanced and Professional levels.
Qualification names
| AQ2016 or Access qualifications | Q2022 qualifications |
| Foundation Award in Accounting Software | Withdrawn and not replaced |
| Foundation Certificate in Bookkeeping | Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping |
| Foundation Certificate in Accounting | Level 2 Certificate in Accounting |
| Foundation Diploma in Accounting and Business | Withdrawn and not replaced |
| Advanced Certificate in Bookkeeping | Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping |
| Advanced Diploma in Accounting | Level 3 Diploma in Accounting |
| Professional Diploma in Accounting | Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting |
| Access Award in Accounting Software | Withdrawn and not replaced |
| Access Award in Bookkeeping | Level 1 Award in Bookkeeping |
| Access Award in Business Skills | Level 1 Award in Business Skills |
Qualification assessment details
Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping
Introduction to Bookkeeping: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 65
- Results release: by the end of the next working day following submission
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Principles of Bookkeeping Controls: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 50
- Results release: by the end of the next working day following submission
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Level 2 Certificate in Accounting
Introduction to Bookkeeping: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 65
- Results release: by the end of the next working day following submission
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Principles of Bookkeeping Controls: unit and synoptic assessment
- Guided learning hours: 50
- Results release: by the end of the next working day following submission
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Principles of Costing: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 50
- Results release: within 10 working days of assessment submission. This is a temporary measure to help with the transition and quality assurance of the Q2022 assessments. We'll resume the normal release timeframe once a statistically reliable volume of students have completed each assessment.
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
The Business Environment: synoptic assessment
- Guided learning hours: 90
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours
Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping
Financial Accounting: Preparing Financial Statements: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 150
- Results release: by the end of the next working day following submission
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Tax Processes for Businesses: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 60
- Results release: by the end of the next working day following submission
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Level 3 Diploma in Accounting
Business Awareness: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 70
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Financial Accounting: Preparing Financial Statements: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 150
- Results release: by the end of the next working day following submission
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Management Accounting Techniques: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 120
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Tax Processes for Businesses: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 60
- Results release: by the end of the next working day following submission
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting: mandatory units
Applied Management Accounting: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 120
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 3 hours
Drafting and Interpreting Financial Statements: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 90
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Internal Accounting Systems and Controls: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 60
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting: optional units
Business Tax: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 60
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours
Personal Tax: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 60
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours
Audit and Assurance: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 60
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cash and Financial Management: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 60
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours
Credit and Debt Management: unit assessment
- Guided learning hours: 60
- Results release: six weeks
- Duration: 2 hours
Transitional arrangements
If you have staff members who were studying on the AQ2016 syllabus but didn't complete their qualification they may be eligible to register for the Q2022 equivalent at a reduced fee, instead of the one-off registration fee.
To be eligible, they need to have achieved at least one assessment on the qualification they were studying.
The reduced fees apply to the accounting qualifications and are as follows:
- AQ2016 Foundation to Q2022 Level 2: £50
- AQ2016 Advanced to Q2022 Level 3: £75
- AQ2016 Professional to Q2022 Level 4: £100
The payment of this reduced fee will give students access to the qualification for its lifetime, typically four to five years, the ability to sit assessments and access to all the associated study support resources.
Tax assessments
Following consultation with our training providers, Q2022 assessments will be assessed against Finance Act 2021, until January 2024, when we will update all tax assessments to be assessed against Finance Act 2023.
We will not be assessing the application of knowledge, understanding and/or skills for any of our assessments against Finance Act 2022.
Exemptions and recognition of prior learning
Students might be able to gain exemptions for our qualifications based on previous qualifications they've studied.
Find out what exemptions have been applied for the new qualifications.