ACCA or CIMA

[sjmcd03]

I am starting as a trainee accountant and I am having difficulty in deciding whether to study ACCA or CIMA, which is best? If the aim was to eventually become qualified in both in what order is it best to complete the(i.e does one give more exemptions from the other than the other?)

[DOB]

Hi there. I am ACCA and my sister-in-law is CIMA. If you want to work in practice (as an auditor) you need to do ACCA whereas if you intend to work in industry in a manufacturing company CIMA may be better. ACCA is also suitable to work in industry in anon-manufacturing company. CIMA is mainly management accounting which involves budgeting and forecasting and variances between budgets and actuals on a daily basis. Personally, unless you intend to go into the budgeting side of thing with a manufacturing company, I would recommend ACCA as I would be of the opinion that CIMA will leave you with limited options.

[Colinsin29]

Very true 'DOB' or you could simply sit your CIMA exams until qualified in that & then that will give you exemptions all the way through to your ACCA Finals. You can have both qualifications for just 1 further years study after CIMA