AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting

• How to set up bookkeeping systems.
• Customer transactions.
• Supplier transactions.
• Processing of receipts and payments.
• Processing transactions into ledger accounts.

• Use control accounts.
• Reconcile bank statements with the cash book.
• Use the journal.
• Produce trial balances.

• The cost recording system within an organisation.
• Use cost recording techniques.
• Provide information on actual and budgeted costs and income.
• Use tools and techniques to support cost calculations.

• Principles of contract law.
• External business environment.
• Principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethics, and sustainability.
• Impact of selling up different types of business entity.
• Finance functions within an organisation.
• Work in appropriate formats and communicate effectively.
• Importance of information to business operations.

Once enrolled, you have up to one year to complete your studies. The course will take approximately 340 hours to complete in total, of which 255 hours are proposed guided learning hours.

This course will be studied entirely via distance learning, meaning you will complete your learning either from home or a place that suits you. Full tutor support will be available via email, so if you have any questions or need some guidance, your tutor will be here to help. Your course materials will include a series of self-assessment exercises and tutor-marked questions to allow both yourself and your tutor to monitor your progress.

You will pay a one-off registration fee of £175 which will give you access to the qualification for its lifetime, which is typically four to five years. Once you have registered with AAT for your student membership, you will have access to their library of online resources and additional support materials, including sample assessments to help you prepare for your exams.

We will send an email with a link to download the free Sage software.

340 hours.

The qualification is assessed through eight tutor-marked assessments, three external exams, and one synoptic assessment, which you will complete at the end of your course. This computer-based exam must be sat under controlled conditions at an external examination centre. The three exams will be available on-demand throughout the year, while the synoptic assessments are available on set dates throughout the year. Your tutor will be able to help you decide when you are ready to take the assessments.

Booking your assessments

You can choose to add your exams to your enrolment. If you choose this option, we will book and pay for your exams for you. Our partner exam centre for students choosing to book their exams through us is based in Northamptonshire. When choosing to add your exams to your enrolment, it is important to note that we are only able to book your exams at the specified centre in Northamptonshire, and therefore, you must be prepared to travel to one of those centres to complete your exam.

Alternatively, if you choose not to add your assessments to your enrolment, you will need to book and pay for these separately.

Once you have successfully completed your tutor-marked assignments and exams, you will receive your AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting from The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

The skills developed during this course will enable you to apply for the following roles:

• Accounts administrator
• Accounts assistant
• Accounts payable clerk
• Purchase/sales ledger clerk
• Trainee accounting technician
• Trainee finance assistant

Alternatively, you could progress to the next level of study by enrolling on the AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting or the AAT Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping.

Read our ‘How to Become an Accountant‘ career guide.