What grades do I need to apply?

The minimum grade requirements for our graduate scheme are:

• Grade B in GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)

• ABB at A Level (or equivalent)

• Predicted or achieved degree classification of 2:1 or above, in any discipline

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We do not generally make exceptions to our academic requirements as these are good predictors of professional examination performance.

What kind of work will I do?

The work you do will depend on the department you are based in. We offer ACA training programmes within audit, private client tax, business tax, trust accounting and wealth reporting disciplines. Whatever role you take, it will be hands on right from the beginning and you will be given the opportunity to work on technically challenging pieces of work.

How much time will be spent at college?

Over the course of three years, you will spend approximately a third of your time at college undertaking workshops, tuition, revision and exams. This will be in the form of 'chunks' of time; so you may, for example, be in college for a consecutive three week period. You will usually know your college programme at least three months in advance so that you can plan other time around it.

Do I need to have relevant work experience?

You do not need to have work experience that is directly related to the role, however, as we receive a large number of applications for our graduate positions, any relevant or interesting work experience will make your application stand out.

Will my employment be terminated if I fail an exam?

We recognise that sometimes things do not go according to plan and as a general rule we do not terminate the employment of our students after one failed attempt. So long as we feel you have made adequate effort to prepare for the exam and so long as you have shown attributes we believe you need for a successful career with us, we will work with you to try to understand what went wrong and support you in retaking the exam. You will be assigned an ACA mentor within the Firm and they would work closely with you to support you through your retake to ensure the next attempt is successful.

Do I need to have a finance degree to be considered?

No, we welcome applicants from any degree discipline, but you will need to demonstrate an understanding of the role that you are applying for and a clear interest in it.

What is the length of the graduate scheme?

We follow the industry standard, in that our ACA graduate training roles are three year fixed term contracts; this is the predicted time it takes a trainee to complete all elements of the ACA training programme and can, in certain circumstances, be extended (but generally never shortened). Once you are qualified, your employment with us will continue beyond this if you have applied for, been offered and have accepted an alternative, which we very much hope will be the case.

How long will it take to complete the ACA qualification?

Most trainees complete the examinations in about 2.5 years and then spend a further six months consolidating their practical experience and completing the final elements required under the apprenticeship programme.

How does the Covid-19 situation impact the student recruitment and training programme?

In the current climate we are conducting 'virtual' interviews using Zoom and Teams technology. We are unlikely to be able to run our usual assessment centres and so will be looking at how we can conduct them differently using the available technology.

We have been successfully on-boarding staff during the whole of the lockdown period and will continue to do so, although we all recognise that the acquisition of skills can be a little slower in the virtual world.

We have been working closely with the colleges to ensure that our trainees can continue to advance their studies and the colleges are now delivering classroom based training virtually and they have set up processes for students to be able to take exams remotely.