Accounting & finance
Respected, can be self-employed
AAT (Accounting Technician)
The best entry point and stepping stone into accounting. The most English-friendly of the finance routes.
- Time
- 2–3 years
- Cost
- £1500–2500
- English
- Basic everyday
ACCA (Chartered Certified Accountant)
Self-study friendly and globally portable. Open access via the FIA route.
- Time
- 3–4 years
- Cost
- £3000–8000
- English
- Fluent
CeMAP (Mortgage Adviser)
Best value-for-money: no entry requirements, multiple-choice, fully self-study.
- Time
- 2–6 months
- Cost
- £690
- English
- Conversational
CISI (Investment Operations)
A low-cost, open-access way into City back-office and operations roles.
- Time
- Months
- Cost
- £160–1200
- English
- Basic everyday
ICAEW ACA (Chartered Accountant)
The UK's top chartered accountant qualification. High pay and status, but you need an employer first.
- Time
- 3–5 years
- Cost
- £1000–20000
- English
- Native-level
CIMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant)
Chartered accountancy for business and industry. Open entry, study while you work, no employer needed to start.
- Time
- 3–4 years
- Cost
- £2500–5000
- English
- Fluent
CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
The gold-standard qualification for investment analysts and portfolio managers. Hard, costly and English-heavy.
- Time
- 2–4 years
- Cost
- £2800–6000
- English
- Native-level
CII Insurance Qualifications (Cert CII to ACII)
Open-entry, low-cost professional qualifications for the insurance and financial advice industry.
- Time
- 1–4 years
- Cost
- £450–3500
- English
- Conversational