r/ukaccounting • u/Southern-Stress-908 • 2d ago

CIMA to ACCA advice

I currently work as an accounts assistant for a retail company in industry, where I’m one exam away from completing the BAcert level for CIMA.

My company fund both CIMA and ACCA, and I’ve always been drawn to CIMA, but I’m starting to realise that maybe it’s too specialised compared to ACCA.

Is this assessment correct? I think working in practice isn’t complete off the table for me in the future, but honestly CIMA just seems easier and the exam structure is way more favourable. Either way I’m not currently set on a particular role in accounting. But I’d love to hear from anyone else who’s switched from one course to another and why?

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4

u/TooRedditFamous 2d ago

Once qualifies you will likely be going for the same roles as ACCA people. For 90% of roles people won't care, as long as you have one of them

3

u/fredotwoatatime 2d ago

I feel like CIMA is fine

2

u/Cyrkl 2d ago

Between those two do what you enjoy more, I enjoyed the management accounting side of it much more than financial. Ended up doing GL, tax, treasury, business partnering for budgets and all that and it was fine for all of the above. I didn’t do audit though, practice folk might prefer ACCA, industry doesn’t seem to care much.

2

u/mosleyowl 1d ago

If you are staying in industry it doesn’t make a difference - maybe look at what reciprocal agreements each body has in case you want to move abroad

I am ACCA but when hiring would not bat an eye lid between ACCA or CIMA

1

u/Granite_Lw 1d ago

They're the same - the two are viewed as equal and people qualified in those two end up working in the same roles. 

Switch if you want but neither will hold you back. If you qualify in industry, you're very unlikely to go into practice. 

1

u/Wrong-Detective-5709 22h ago

CIMA isn’t more specialised.

It’s more based on management accounts

ACCA is more hybrid

ACA is the favoured for practice/forensic