Glossary
ACCA exemptions
Also called: ACCA exam exemptions
By Naveen J D, Founder · Reviewed 23 Sept 2026
Definition
ACCA exemptions are ACCA awards that let eligible students skip specific Foundation, Applied Knowledge or Applied Skills exams because prior learning matches the required knowledge and skills. An exemption changes the exams a student must sit. It does not mean the student passed that ACCA exam.
In practice
- ACCA can award no more than nine exemptions across Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills, and none for Strategic Professional exams.
- The official calculator checks potential eligibility using the awarding institution, graduation year or last year of study, and exact course.
- A calculator result is not an ACCA decision, so wait for an exemption award before selecting tuition or booking exams.
- For 2026 India pricing, an awarded Applied Knowledge exemption costs £84 and an Applied Skills exemption costs £111.
A degree title is not an exemption decision
ACCA does not assign one universal exemption count to every BCom, BBA or other degree holder. ACCA’s exemption FAQ says the assessment can depend on the institution or campus, qualification, programme, subject major, modules studied, study dates and the date of registration or claim.
That is why a fixed exemption table is useful only as a prompt to check, not as a promise. A BCom graduate should search for the university that awards the degree, enter the correct graduation year and select the exact qualification before making a study plan.
The process moves from possible eligibility to an award
The official ACCA Exemptions Calculator asks for an institution, graduation year or last year of study, and course. It then shows exemptions a student may be eligible to claim. If the institution or qualification is not listed, ACCA provides a contact route and may check recognition once it receives educational documents.
To apply, upload copies of official certificates and transcripts. ACCA requires an official stamped and signed translation and the original-language copy when documents are not in English. After ACCA awards exemptions, the student receives a notification and invoice, and the status appears in MyACCA.
An exemption has a fee and a study trade-off
As of September 2026, ACCA’s India fee page lists £84 for each Applied Knowledge exemption and £111 for each Applied Skills exemption. ACCA charges the fee per exemption awarded.
Accepting an exemption can remove an exam sitting, but it is not always right for a student whose earlier learning is outdated. ACCA says students may choose whether to claim awarded exemptions and recommends reviewing the relevant syllabus and study guide before accepting one.
Worked example: accept five awards or keep one paper
Suppose ACCA awards a graduate three Applied Knowledge exemptions and two Applied Skills exemptions. The 2026 exemption invoice would be £474, calculated as 3 × £84 plus 2 × £111.
The decision is not only about the five removed exam sittings. If one of the awarded papers covers an area the graduate no longer understands, the graduate can consider forfeiting that exemption and sitting the ACCA paper instead. ACCA allows a refund-eligible forfeiture request within 14 days of award, subject to its conditions.
Use the official result before choosing tuition
The calculator outcome is a starting point, not an exemption decision. ACCA advises students to wait until exemptions are confirmed before committing to tuition, study materials or an exam plan.
From record to exemption award
Related terms
Keep reading
Frequently asked
No. An ACCA exemption means ACCA has accepted relevant prior learning in place of sitting a particular exam. If a student later forfeits an exemption, the student must sit and pass the corresponding ACCA exam, so an exemption is not an ACCA paper pass.
ACCA can award a maximum of nine exemptions across the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills exams. ACCA does not award exemptions for Strategic Professional exams, so every student must complete the Strategic Professional requirements through ACCA.
A BCom graduate may be eligible for ACCA exemptions, but a BCom title does not produce one fixed result. ACCA considers the awarding institution, course, graduation year, modules and other qualification details, so the official calculator is the correct place to check.
ACCA requires copies of official qualification evidence, including certificates and transcripts, for full or part-completed qualifications. Documents that are not in English require an official stamped and signed translation together with copies in the original language.
No. ACCA says students can choose whether to claim awarded exemptions. A student whose earlier study is no longer current may decide to take an exam instead, especially before moving into a higher-level paper that relies on the same knowledge.
Turn a confirmed exemption result into a study plan
Discuss ACCA coaching only after you know the papers ACCA has confirmed you need to take.
Book an ACCA call