Best Courses for ACCA Exemptions: Maximize your Exemptions

By IIC Lakshya

13 Oct 2025

ACCA

Several degrees are considered significant for pursuing the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) certification. A candidate will get respite from giving exams for some papers based on their significance in the ACCA professional qualification. If you want to pursue the ACCA course but want to know about the benefits of your prior qualifications, this article is for you.

What are ACCA Exemptions?

Exemption is a term that means exception from a specific thing or process, or test. In ACCA certification exams, students and professionals are allowed to skip certain exam papers based on their prior degree or certification, such as an MBA, CA, B.Com, and others. It is also a significant part of the ACCA course eligibility for students and professionals.

Degrees and Qualifications for Maximum ACCA Exemptions

Some certifications are relevant and educate candidates about knowledge and skills that are common to the ACCA qualification. They are basically “credit” that the students and working professionals get when they pursue ACCA.

Furthermore, the ACCA paper exemptions also put the candidates on an advanced level with prior knowledge of various papers. Overall, the ACCA qualification helps in a candidate’s career growth. Learn about the following courses with the ACCA exemptions.

Chartered Accountancy (CA-India, ICAI)

For CA India professionals passed the exams conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, get up to 9 ACCA calculator exemptions. The 9 papers in the ACCA exemptions for CA, in which students will get exemptions, are in two levels: Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills. It is important for the candidates to clear certain papers with specific marks to satisfy the requirements.

Certified Management Accountant (CMA- India)

ACCA exemptions for CMA are calculated somewhere between 6 to 9 papers, completely based on the candidates’ prior degree, experience, and knowledge. Here, work experience is a qualifying factor in the calculation of ACCA exemptions. With ACCA exemptions, professionals can balance work and ACCA preparations. On both levels, applied knowledge and most of the applied skills are covered in this qualification.

Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) with ACCA Integrated

For students qualified with a Bachelor of Commerce degree with ACCA integrated, get somewhere between 6 to 9 papers. It depends on the overlapping papers, thus building into the degree. The curricula of the two degrees are aligned or embedded accordingly, leading to the calculation of exemptions.

Furthermore, you can also pursue ACCA after engineering; however, an engineering degree will not get many ACCA exemptions. There is not much overlapping of subjects except Business & Technology (BT); hence, candidates with an engineering degree might get 1 paper exempted.

Master of Business Administration (MBA - Finance/ Accounting)

When pursuing ACCA certification, candidates with an MBA degree in accounting or finance will have fewer exemptions compared to the CA, integrated B.Com, or CMA. The ACCA exemptions for MBA are calculated, and commonly, there are at least 3 to 4 papers that can be skipped for exams. The exemptions are heavily dependent on the content overlay between the ACCA syllabus and the MBA program.

BBA/ BMS (Accounting & Finance Majors)

Students who are certified in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) and are looking to pursue ACCA certification will receive at least 1 to 4 papers exempted while taking exams.

How to Claim the ACCA Exemptions

Students should check their qualifications by determining their previous degree or professional qualification. They must make sure that these qualifications are all recognized by ACCA to avail exemptions. It is also important for students to use the ACCA exemptions calculator by visiting the official global website of ACCA.

They have to use the calculator to check the exemptions for which they are eligible based on specific university and degree requirements. All ACCA candidates must submit documentation, like academic records, transcripts, and certificates, based on the guidelines for exemptions.

Ready to Prepare for ACCA?

In conclusion, if you have completed any one of the qualifications like CA, CMA, MBA, or others, you are eligible for ACCA exemptions. In this article, you have been guided into developing an understanding of the ACCA exemption calculation and how it works. For further information, you can visit the official website to know more about ACCA exemptions.

Frequently Asked Questions on Top Degrees Offering the Highest ACCA Exemptions

Is the ACCA exemption worth it?

ACCA exemptions are worth it, especially if you have prior qualifications and experience from CMA, CA, MBA, or B.Com. You can save money and time with them.

Does Big 4 hire ACCA in India?

Yes, Big 4, PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, and EY actively hire ACCA-qualified professionals in India. They basically look for Excel knowledge, real-world accounting experience, and communications skills in their future employees.

Which city is best for ACCA in India?

The top cities which is best for the ACCA certified in India are Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Pune. To pursue good ACCA coaching and training, find test centers, and look for job exposure, these cities will be perfect for students.

Does CIMA give ACCA Exemptions?

ACCA grants exemptions to candidates who are CIMA qualified; however, it depends on your certification status. There are overlapping subjects like performance management and financial reporting in both CIMA and ACCA; hence, candidates get exemptions.

Which is the toughest subject in ACCA?

There is not a single tough subject, according to the students. Based on their experience, some of the tough subjects they consider in the ACCA certification are Advanced Audit & Assurance (AAA), Strategic Business Leader (SBL), Performance Management (PM), and Taxation.