ACCA Exemption Calculator: How to Check Your Exemptions Online

ACCA provides a free online exemption calculator that tells you exactly which of its 13 papers your prior qualification — whether a degree, professional qualification, or both — may exempt you from. Before you register, running this check takes less than two minutes and could save you months of study time and significant exam fees.

What Is the ACCA Exemption Calculator?

The exemption calculator (sometimes called the exemption checker) is a tool on the official ACCA website at accaglobal.com. You select your qualification type, your specific institution and programme, and ACCA shows you which papers you are entitled to claim as exempt. The results are based on ACCA's central database of recognised qualifications and syllabi — they are not estimates, but the actual exemptions ACCA will apply when you register.

How to Use the ACCA Exemption Calculator

Follow these steps:

• Step 1: Go to accaglobal.com and search for "exemptions" or navigate to the Exemptions page under "Qualifications".
• Step 2: Click "Check your exemptions" to open the calculator.
• Step 3: Select your qualification type from the dropdown — for example, "Degree", "Professional qualification", or "ACCA-approved programme".
• Step 4: Select your country, then your institution, then your specific programme from the dropdowns provided. If your university or programme is not listed, see the section below.
• Step 5: The calculator displays the papers you are exempt from, broken down by level (Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills). Note: no exemptions are available at Strategic Professional level.

What If My University Is Not in the Calculator?

Not every institution worldwide is in ACCA's database. If your university or programme does not appear, you have two options. First, try searching under variant spellings or older names of your institution — databases do not always update quickly when universities rebrand. Second, if your institution is genuinely not listed, you can submit a manual exemption application directly to ACCA. This requires uploading your transcript and programme syllabus, and ACCA will review and assess your entitlement manually. This takes longer (typically several weeks) but the result is the same — a confirmed exemption entitlement.

ACCA Exemptions by Common Indian Qualifications

For reference, here are typical results you would see in the calculator for common Indian qualifications:

• B.Com (most Indian universities): 3–4 Applied Knowledge exemptions (BT, MA, FA, sometimes LW)
• BBA: 1–3 Applied Knowledge exemptions (typically BT, sometimes MA)
• CA (ICAI qualified): Up to 9 exemptions — all 3 Applied Knowledge + all 6 Applied Skills papers
• MBA Finance: 6–9 exemptions depending on programme content

For a full breakdown by qualification, see our guide on ACCA exemptions for B.Com, BBA, CA and MBA graduates. If you are a CA wanting to understand what you still need to complete, our post on ACCA exemptions after CA covers the Strategic Professional papers remaining. For everything about the ACCA qualification, visit the Learnsignal ACCA page.

What Happens After You Use the Calculator?

The calculator result is informational — it does not automatically register your exemptions. To claim them, you need to formally register with ACCA, select the exemptions during the registration process, upload supporting documents (your degree certificate and transcript), and pay the relevant exemption fees. ACCA will verify your documents and confirm your exemptions in writing before you can proceed to sit the remaining papers.

Are Exemption Calculator Results Guaranteed?

The calculator results are based on ACCA's official assessment of recognised programmes, so they are reliable for listed qualifications. However, ACCA reserves the right to verify your actual documents against the expected syllabus, and exemptions are only confirmed after your documents are reviewed and approved. Discrepancies can occur if your actual programme content differed significantly from the standard syllabus — for example, if you did not study certain modules. In practice, for standard Indian B.Com and CA qualifications, the calculator results are accurate.