Which ACA syllabus am I on? Next Generation vs the pre-2025 ACA

ICAEW began rolling out the Next Generation ACA from September 2025 — the biggest overhaul of the qualification in years. But the switch isn’t instant: many students who started earlier are still completing the pre-2025 ACA syllabus(the 2021 syllabus) under ICAEW’s transitional arrangements. So before you buy revision materials, it’s worth knowing which one you’re actually sitting.

How to tell which syllabus you’re on

• When you started.If you began the ACA from September 2025 onwards, you’re on the Next Generation syllabus. If you were partway through before then, you’re most likely finishing on the pre-2025 syllabus.
• Your module names. The Next Generation modules were renamed and rebuilt — for example a dedicated Sustainability and Ethicsmodule at Certificate Level. If your materials use the older module names, they’re for the pre-2025 syllabus.
• Your training agreement / ICAEW account.Your student record and your employer’s training file show which syllabus you’re registered against — check there if you’re unsure, and confirm against icaew.com.

What changed in the Next Generation ACA

The headline change is that three themes — ethics, sustainability and technology — now run through the whole qualification rather than sitting in separate papers. Several modules were renamed, Certificate exams became on-demand, and the Advanced Level is streamlining from three exams to two from 2027. The full breakdown is in our Next Generation ACA guide.

Why it matters for revision

Practising against the wrong syllabus wastes time: question banks built for one can test retired content or use the wrong module names and emphasis. The fix is simple — match your materials to the syllabus you’re actually sitting.

What acaunty offers for each

acaunty covers bothsyllabuses, and you choose which one you’re studying when you sign up:

• Next Generation ACA (2025). Multiple-choice questions across Certificate, Professional and Advanced, plus written case studies with AI-assisted marking.
• Pre-2025 ACA syllabus (2021). Professional revision questions, written tasks with model answers, and full timed mock papers — so students finishing the older syllabus can still practise against the right material.

Pick your syllabus at sign-up and acaunty shows you the right questions — or start with a few free practice questions first.