Professional institutes

AAT - Association of Accounting Technicians
Established in 1980 to provide a recognised professional qualification and membership body for accounting technicians; the AAT now has over 100,000 student, affiliate, full and fellow members worldwide.

ACCA - Association of Certified Chartered Accountants
The ACCA is the largest global professional accountancy body, with nearly 300,000 members and students in 160 countries. ACCA's headquarters are in London and it has an extensive network of around 70 staffed offices and other centres around the world.

CIMA - Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants is the leading body for management accountancy.

ICAEW - Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales has over 118,000 members. Members are entitled to call themselves "Chartered Accountants" and use the designatory letters ACA or FCA. Chartered Accountants work in all areas of business, all around the world. Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant requires individuals to pass rigorous professional exams while also completing a demanding training contract.

CIPFA - Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
CIPFA trains accountants for the public services. Its unique final test of professional competence makes CIPFA accountants the natural choice for the highest level jobs in the public services. Their quality also makes them very attractive to private sector employers.

The Institute of Payroll and Pensions Management
The Institute of Payroll and Pensions Management is the UK's leading provider of Payroll and Pension qualifications and short courses. It has 5,000 members many of whom hold the IPPM Diploma in Payroll Management - the benchmark qualification for the industry.

ICM Link
The ICM is the largest professional credit management organisation in Europe. Its 8,700 members hold appointments throughout industry and commerce - in trade, consumer and export credit as well as in related activities such as collections, credit reporting, credit insurance and insolvency practice. The Institute's aim is to raise professional standards in credit management, and to increase awareness of its importance as a crucial management function with a vital role in improving marketing, profitability and cash flow.

ICSA
As the qualifying body for company secretaries and senior administrators, ICSA offers a professional qualification covering business, company law, corporate governance, management, finance/accounting, administration and company secretarial practice. No other professional body in the business area offers the breadth of knowledge which the ICSA Qualifying Scheme provides.