Our Flexible Route pathway involves the same education, exams and work experience requirements and ultimately ends with gaining the same ACA qualification. But with the Flexible Route, the education and experience elements do not have to run concurrently.

This pathway allows students to study on their own terms, students don't have to be working in a relevant role when they begin their studies, they can start their exams first and generate the relevant work experience further down the line.

Students have 8 years in which to gather the relevant work experience and complete their studies. Both elements don’t need to run concurrently and students can also break down the levels and do the course on a piecemeal basis over an extended timeframe. 

If you are working in business, a graduate, a postgraduate, a school leaver or an Accounting Technicians Ireland graduate, this pathway is open to you. The only stipulation is if you’ve been working for less than four years, you will need to generate at least one year of relevant accountancy experience before sitting your final exams (FAE).

Many employers operate the Flexible Route with the same scruture as the Training Contract but this pathway is also perfect for independent students who wish to self-fund their own journeys or negotiate full or partial sponsorship directly between themselves and their employer. 

Hear directly from members about what the Flexible Route has meant for them and their careers.