Five years in the making – getting qualified

A whopping 175,000 accountancy trainees are still trying to get qualified five years after they sign up, according to figures put together by the Financial Reporting Council.

The accountancy bodies based in the UK and Ireland have just over 600,000 PQs studying with them worldwide, and 29% still planning exams half a decade after they began their accountancy journey.

ACCA has 134,000 students who are still part qualified after five years of paying their subs. That is 30%. The good news is that is two percentage points lower than last year’s figure.

CIMA 33,781 five year plus PQs account for 31% of student numbers. That is up on last year’s 30%.

However, it is the AIA with 50% of its students base now in the five years plus bracket that has the highest figures. This is even more than CIPFA who now have 40% of its student members ‘with them’ for over five years.

Meanwhile the ICAEW has just 4% of its students still studying after five years. CAI, the Irish Institute, has 9% and ICAS just 8.6%.

  • Check out the latest issue for all the numbers…