For students planning their ACCA route: every level and paper code, what each paper covers, the rules on order and exam limits, and what each stage costs in rupees.
People call ACCA a "course," but it is really a set of 13 exams plus two things that are not exams. Once you see how the pieces fit, planning your next two years gets much easier. If you are new to the qualification, start with what ACCA actually is. Here is the whole map.
| Level | Papers | What you sit |
| Applied Knowledge | 3 | BT, MA, FA |
| Applied Skills | 6 | LW, PM, TX, FR, AA, FM |
| Strategic Professional — Essentials | 2 | SBL, SBR (both compulsory) |
| Strategic Professional — Options | 2 | Pick 2 from AFM, APM, ATX, AAA |
That is 13 exams. Nobody sits all 15 papers on the list — the Options level has four papers on offer and you choose two.
This is the foundation. Basic accounting, basic costing, how a business works.
| Code | Full name | What it covers |
| BT | Business and Technology | How organisations work, leadership, ethics, tech in business |
| MA | Management Accounting | Costing, budgeting, variances, performance measurement |
| FA | Financial Accounting | Double entry, trial balance, final accounts, basic consolidation |
The useful bit: these three are computer-based and available on demand, all year. You do not wait for an exam window. Book when you are ready. Each exam runs 2 hours. Most students clear this level in 3 to 6 months.
This is the longest stretch. It is where ACCA stops being a school subject and starts being a professional exam.
| Code | Full name | What it covers |
| LW | Corporate and Business Law | Contract, employment, company law, corporate fraud |
| PM | Performance Management | Advanced costing, decision-making, performance analysis |
| TX | Taxation | Income tax, corporation tax, VAT (UK variant is the common choice) |
| FR | Financial Reporting | IFRS standards, consolidated accounts, ratio analysis |
| AA | Audit and Assurance | Audit planning, evidence, internal control, reporting |
| FM | Financial Management | Working capital, investment appraisal, cost of capital, risk |
These are sat in exam windows — March, June, September and December. Each paper is 3 hours. Budget 12 to 18 months for the level.
Two compulsory, two chosen.
| Code | Full name | Who usually picks it |
| AFM | Advanced Financial Management | Corporate finance, treasury, investment banking targets |
| APM | Advanced Performance Management | FP&A, business partnering, management consulting targets |
| ATX | Advanced Taxation | Tax practice roles — note this follows a country variant |
| AAA | Advanced Audit and Assurance | Audit and assurance careers, Big 4 audit tracks |
In India, AFM and APM are the most common pair. AAA suits you if you are heading into audit. ATX only makes sense if you plan to work in the tax jurisdiction you sit it in.
Students forget these, then get stuck at the finish line.
You are not an ACCA member until all three are done: 13 exams, EPSM, and 36 months of PER.
ACCA fees are set in pounds. Figures below are ACCA's standard-entry rates for students in India, converted at £1 = ₹127.15 (29 September 2026). The pound moves, so always check the date on any rupee figure.
| Item | GBP | ≈ INR |
| One-time registration | £89 | ₹11,300 |
| Annual subscription (each year) | £140 | ₹17,800 |
| Applied Skills exam (per paper) | £151 | ₹19,200 |
| SBL exam | £268 | ₹34,100 |
| SBR / each Option exam | £191 | ₹24,300 |
| EPSM | £83 | ₹10,600 |
With no exemptions, ACCA's own fees for the whole qualification come to about ₹3 lakh, before coaching.
Two things to watch. Applied Knowledge exam fees are set by the computer-based exam centre, not by the central price list — ask your centre for the exact figure. And book on time: late entry costs considerably more than standard entry. For December 2026, standard entry closes 2 November 2026 and late entry closes 9 November 2026.
If you start after 12th with no exemptions and never miss a window, the exams take about 2.5 to 3 years — 3 to 6 months for Applied Knowledge, 12 to 18 months for Applied Skills, and 8 to 12 months for Strategic Professional. In practice most students finish in 3 to 4 years, because skipped sessions add up. Nothing moves the timeline as much as simply not missing a window. If you are not sure which two Option papers suit your career plan, book a free counselling session with Vidhyoday Global and we will map your papers session by session.
ACCA has 13 papers across three levels: 3 Applied Knowledge papers (BT, MA, FA), 6 Applied Skills papers (LW, PM, TX, FR, AA, FM), and 4 Strategic Professional papers. The Strategic Professional level has two compulsory papers, SBL and SBR, plus two chosen from AFM, APM, ATX and AAA. You also complete the Ethics and Professional Skills Module and 36 months of practical experience.
You must complete the levels in order — Applied Knowledge, then Applied Skills, then Strategic Professional. Within a level you can sit papers in any order. You can sit a maximum of 4 exams in one session and 8 in a calendar year.
AFM and APM are the most common pair for Indian students. Pick AAA if you are targeting audit roles, and ATX only if you plan to work in the tax jurisdiction you sit it in.
Enter your details and we'll start the download. One of our counsellors may reach out to help.