Become a chartered accountant, online. Diploma, degree, then ACCA.
The route we recommend in Malta and Ireland, all of it online: the Level 5 accounting diploma, then a UK degree, both assessed by assignment. The degree exempts you from four ACCA papers, five with the right module, so exams come only at the end. Pass them and you are an ACCA chartered certified accountant.
Ask about the pathway5.0 on GoogleA qualification at every stepUp to 70% back in Malta
No A-levels? Start with the Level 4 foundation diploma, about 10 months, then join at Level 5.
Awarded by OTHM · Arden University · ACCA Global
Three steps. You hold a qualification after each one.
Most people start at the Level 5. If you don’t have A-levels or an equivalent Level 4, the foundation diploma comes first. Stop after any step and you leave with a recognised certificate.
Admission to each step is subject to the entry requirements and approval of the awarding school: Online Business School for the diplomas, Arden University for the degree, ACCA Global for ACCA registration.
- Only if you need it · Level 4
Online Foundation Diploma in Accounting
About 10 months · €220 a monthFor anyone without A-levels or another Level 4. Entry is a Level 3, such as O-levels or an MCAST Level 3. Three assignments, no exams. Skip it if you already qualify for the Level 5.
You hold OTHM Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Accounting - Year 1 · Level 5
Online Diploma in Accounting and Finance
10 to 15 months · €220 a monthWhere most people start. Entry is A-levels, MCAST or another Level 4. Twelve modules, one assignment each. Meets the entry for both the BA top-up and ACCA.
You hold OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Accounting and Finance - Year 2 · Level 6
BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance top-up
12 months · Arden UniversityThe final year of a UK degree, online, by assignment. This is the step that earns your ACCA exemptions.
You hold BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance - Then · Level 7
ACCA, the remaining papers
Live online evening classes · LSBFFour of the thirteen exams are exempted by your degree, five if you take the Financial Management module. You sit the rest one paper at a time, at an ACCA centre in Malta or Ireland.
You become an ACCA chartered certified accountant
Why we suggest this order.
ACCA from day one is thirteen exams with nothing in your hand until you pass them. This route gets you working in accounting sooner, and ends in the same place: chartered certified accountant.
- 1 / 3Something to show after every step
A Level 5 diploma after year one, a UK degree after year two. Each one is a line on your CV and a pay conversation.
- 0No exams until you are ready for them
Two years of assignments, recorded lectures and a tutor on demand. By the time you sit an ACCA paper, you have a degree in the subject.
- 4+1Four ACCA papers exempted, five with the right module
Your Arden degree exempts you from Business and Technology, Management Accounting, Financial Accounting and Corporate and Business Law. Complete the Financial Management module and that paper goes too.
- 70%Most of the cost back, on each course
In Malta, the diplomas and the degree each qualify for the Get Qualified Scheme on their own. Finish one, claim it, start the next. ACCA tuition is not covered.
Thirteen ACCA exams. Your degree removes four, or five.
Graduates of the Arden BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance are exempt from four papers: Business and Technology, Management Accounting, Financial Accounting, and Corporate and Business Law. Complete the degree’s Financial Management module and Financial Management is exempted as well.
Exempted by your degreeExempted with the Financial Management moduleSat as an exam
The remaining papers are sat one at a time, in ACCA’s order.
Exemptions are assessed and granted by ACCA Global on application, based on the qualification you hold and ACCA’s policy at the time. Elephant & Cross does not grant exemptions and cannot guarantee them.
Paid monthly, interest free, at every step.
In Malta, up to 70% of each diploma and the degree comes back through the Get Qualified Scheme when you finish it. ACCA tuition and fees are not covered by the scheme.
Year 1 · Level 5 diploma
€220 a month18 payments · €3,960 in total
Up to 70% backYear 2 · BA (Hons) top-up
£2,475Paid to Arden University over 12 months
Up to 70% backIf needed first · Foundation diploma
€220 a month12 payments · €2,640 in total
Up to 70% back
Get Qualified Scheme applies to the OTHM diplomas and the Arden degree only, subject to Malta Enterprise Terms and Conditions. ACCA tuition is not eligible. ACCA exam, registration and exemption fees are paid to ACCA Global. The BA (Hons) payment plan is at the discretion of Arden University and is set out in its offer letter.
Where do you start?
What you already hold decides where you start. Pick what describes you.
Still wondering?
Anything else, ask us. We reply within one working day.
Can I become a chartered accountant in Malta without sitting exams first?
Not entirely, but you can leave the exams until last. The Level 4 and Level 5 accounting diplomas and the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance are all assessed by assignment. The first exam you sit is an ACCA paper, after your degree, and the degree exempts you from four of them, five with the Financial Management module. You become a chartered certified accountant when you complete ACCA: the remaining exams, the ethics module and 36 months of experience.
How long does the whole pathway take?
About three years to the degree: roughly ten months for the foundation, ten to fifteen for the Level 5, and twelve for the BA top-up. ACCA after that depends on how many papers remain and how many you sit per session.
Which ACCA exemptions does the Arden degree give?
Four papers outright: Business and Technology (BT), Management Accounting (MA), Financial Accounting (FA) and Corporate and Business Law (LW). Financial Management (FM) is exempted as well if you complete the Financial Management module in the degree. ACCA Global grants exemptions on registration, based on their policy at the time, and each one carries an ACCA fee. We cannot grant or guarantee exemptions.
Do I have to do every step?
No. Each step is a qualification on its own. Start wherever your current qualification puts you, and stop whenever you have what you need. Admission to each step is decided by the school that awards it.
Does the Get Qualified Scheme apply to every step?
In Malta, the foundation diploma, the Level 5 diploma and the BA top-up each qualify on their own: up to 70% of the fee back when you finish, subject to Malta Enterprise terms. ACCA tuition with LSBF is not eligible for the scheme.
Is the pathway available from Ireland?
The three courses are fully online and open to students in Ireland. ACCA classes run online in the evening on Irish time, with exams at an ACCA centre in Ireland. The Get Qualified refund is a Malta scheme.
Who awards each qualification?
OTHM awards the Level 4 and Level 5 diplomas, regulated by Ofqual and recognised by MQRIC. Arden University awards the BA (Hons). ACCA Global awards the ACCA qualification. Elephant & Cross enrols and supports you throughout.
Can I skip the diplomas and go straight to ACCA?
If you hold A-levels in Accounts or a Level 5, yes; ACCA sets that entry. Most people who ask us that end up preferring to build the degree first, but it is your call and we will tell you straight which suits you.
Ask about the pathway.
Fifteen minutes with a course advisor: your starting step, the next intake and what it costs after the refund. Nothing to pay before the call.
5.0 on Google15-minute callNo obligation