ACA Professional Level: the exams, format and how to revise

The Professional Level is the middle stage of the ACA. It takes the knowledge built at Certificate Level and tests whether you can apply it — working through realistic business and financial scenarios rather than answering short, isolated questions. On the Next Generation ACA the Professional Level rolled out from March 2026.

The exams

Under the Next Generation ACA there are six Professional Level exams:

• Fundamental Case Study (FCS) — a case-study exam that applies your technical knowledge to an integrated business scenario.
• Assurance, Risk and Reporting (ARR) — assurance engagements, risk, and reporting to stakeholders.
• Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP) — computations and planning across the main taxes.
• Corporate Reporting, Data and Assurance (CRDA) — preparing and analysing financial statements, with data and assurance.
• Business and Digital Strategy (BDS) — strategic analysis and the role of technology and data in business.
• Corporate Financial Strategy (CFS) — financing decisions, investment appraisal and managing financial risk.

How the exams work

• A 55% pass mark, the same as Certificate Level.
• Mostly 2.5 hours, with the assurance and tax exams running to 3 hours.
• Sat in fixed quarterly windows (March, June, September and December) — a change from the on-demand Certificate exams, so plan your sittings ahead.

How to approach it

The step up from Certificate Level is from knowing a rule to applying it to a messy scenario under time pressure. Passive reading stops being enough here.

Practise full, scenario-based questions to exam timing, and review model answers for technique as much as for content — how marks are earned from structure, justification and clear recommendations. Keep your underlying Certificate knowledge sharp, because the Professional exams assume it.

Solid on the fundamentals first? See the Certificate Level guide. Looking further ahead, the Advanced Level guide covers the final stage.