What Is ACCA Affiliate Status? A Simple Explanation

What Is ACCA Affiliate Status?

ACCA affiliate status is the stage you reach after passing all 13 ACCA examinations and the Ethics and Professional Skills module, but before you have completed the three-year Practical Experience Requirement (PER). You are officially an ACCA affiliate — recognised as having passed the academic component of the qualification — but you are not yet a full ACCA member.

What Can Affiliates Do?

ACCA affiliates can use the title 'ACCA Affiliate' after their name. They have access to ACCA member resources and can attend ACCA events. However, they cannot describe themselves as 'ACCA members' or use the letters 'ACCA' after their name until the PER is complete and ACCA has approved their membership application.

How Long Can You Stay as an Affiliate?

There is no formal time limit on affiliate status, but ACCA expects candidates to complete the PER and apply for membership. If you passed your last exam while working in a qualifying role, you may already have accumulated sufficient experience — ACCA requires three years of supervised, relevant work experience alongside the exams.

Completing the PER

The Practical Experience Requirement involves recording your experience against ACCA performance objectives in your online ACCA experience record. You need to demonstrate competence across a set of business ethics, financial accounting, and performance management objectives. A practical experience supervisor must sign off your experience.

Applying for Full Membership

Once your PER is complete and approved, you submit a membership application. On approval you become an ACCA member and can use the letters ACCA after your name. Learn more about the full ACCA qualification and the path to membership.

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