How to Put a Part-Qualified ACCA, ACA or CIMA on Your CV

To put a part-qualified ACCA, ACA or CIMA on your CV, write the qualification name, the body, the exams you've passed out of the total, any exemptions listed separately, and an expected completion date. Keep it in your education and qualifications section, with a short version in your profile line. Never use the designatory letters (ACCA, ACA, ACMA, CGMA) after your name until you're actually admitted as a member.

Here's how to build that entry step by step, with example lines for each qualification.

Key takeaways

• List a part-qualified ACCA, ACA or CIMA as: body, status, exams passed out of the total, exemptions on a separate line, and an expected completion date.
• Never put ACCA, ACA, ACMA or CGMA after your name before you're admitted: ACCA and ICAEW rules both forbid students and affiliates from using the letters.
• Keep exemptions separate from passes so your CV matches what you'd say in an interview.
• Name the awards you've already received along the way, such as the ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business or the CIMA Diploma in Management Accounting.
• Reorder the papers you name so the ones most relevant to the job description come first.

What you need before you start

Have these open before you edit anything:

• Your official record. That's MyACCA for ACCA, your ICAEW exam results and training file for the ACA, or your CIMA account.
• A list of passes, exemptions and booked exams, kept as three separate columns.
• The job description you're applying for, so you can choose which papers to name first.

Step 1: Confirm exactly where you are

Count your passes against the full structure, not against the level you're on.

For ACCA, the qualification structure has three Applied Knowledge exams, six Applied Skills exams, and a Strategic Professional level where you "must complete both Essentials exams and choose two of the Options." That's 13 exams in all. Membership also needs the Ethics and Professional Skills module and at least 36 months' relevant work experience with 9 performance objectives.

For CIMA, the CGMA Professional Qualification has nine Objective Tests and three Case Study Exams across the Operational, Management and Strategic levels.

For the ACA, list your modules by level and note where you are in your training agreement.

How to tell it worked: you can write one sentence such as "9 of 13 ACCA exams passed, 2 by exemption" and back up every number from your record.

Step 2: Use the right label, never the letters

This is the mistake that costs offers. ACCA's own FAQ says affiliates may not use the designatory letters after their name or call themselves members "in any context," and those who do may face disciplinary action. ICAEW's ACA Student Regulations say the same for students (whom it calls provisional members): no "ACA", "FCA" or "Chartered Accountant" until ICAEW confirms your membership. Do the same for CIMA: leave ACMA and CGMA off until you're admitted.

Labels you can use instead:

• ACCA student / ACCA Affiliate (once you've finished the exams)
• ACA student, ICAEW
• CIMA student, or "CIMA Management Level"

Step 3: Write the qualification entry

Put this under "Qualifications", above your degree for accounting roles. One line for status, one for detail.

ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), part-qualified, expected completion June 2027 9 of 13 exams passed, including Audit and Assurance (AA) and Financial Reporting (FR). Exempt: BT, MA, FA. Booked: SBR, December 2026.

ACA, ICAEW, ACA student, Professional Level in progress Certificate Level complete. Professional Level passed: Audit and Assurance, Financial Accounting and Reporting. Training agreement with [firm], started September 2024.

CIMA, CGMA Professional Qualification, Management Level in progress Operational Level complete (CIMA Diploma in Management Accounting). Passed: E2, P2. Next: F2, booked November 2026.

These are hypothetical examples. Swap in your own papers, dates and employer.

How to tell it worked: a recruiter reading only the first line knows the body, your status and when you'll finish.

Step 4: Separate exemptions from passes

Exemptions are legitimate, so list them. Just don't blend them into your pass count. ICAEW calls them credit for prior learning (CPL), and ACCA notes that students who get full exemptions at a level aren't awarded that level's certificate.

Write "Exempt: BT, MA, FA (accounting degree)" on its own line.

Step 5: Add the awards you've already earned

Part-way through, you may already hold a named award. These read better than a bare exam count:

• ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business (RQF Level 4): awarded after BT, MA and FA (at least one sat and passed) plus Foundations in Professionalism.
• ACCA Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business: awarded after the Applied Skills exams plus the Ethics and Professional Skills module.
• CIMA Diploma in Management Accounting: awarded for passing CIMA's Operational Level.
• ICAEW CFAB: ICAEW describes it as the first step towards the ACA and also a stand-alone qualification.

Only list an award once you've actually received it.

Step 6: Give an expected completion date you can defend

Base the date on exams you've booked, not on hope. "Expected completion June 2027" should mean you can explain which sittings get you there.

ACCA candidates should check the seven-year rule: once you pass your first Strategic Professional exam, you have seven years to finish that level or you lose the earlier passes. If your timeline is tight, prepare that answer alongside your STAR interview examples for finance.

Step 7: Echo it in your profile and tailor it to the advert

Repeat a short version in your profile line: "ACCA part-qualified (9/13) audit semi-senior, finishing June 2027." Then reorder the papers you name so the most relevant ones come first. Lead with AA and AAA for an audit job, and with PM, APM or CIMA P2 for FP&A.

Pull the requirements out of the advert first, then match papers to them, as in our walkthrough on tailoring your CV to a job description. Your study progress backs up your experience, so pair it with bullet points from our finance CV achievements examples. If you haven't chosen a body yet, start with ACCA vs CIMA vs ACA.

An honest, specific qualification line (body, passes out of total, exemptions, date) does more for you than any letters you're not yet allowed to use. Open your official exam record today and write your one-sentence status before you touch the rest of your CV.

Frequently asked questions

Can I write 'ACCA' after my name if I've passed all the exams?

No. ACCA says affiliates may refer to their affiliate status but may not use the designatory letters or call themselves members. Write 'ACCA Affiliate' in your qualifications section instead.

Should I list exam scores on my CV?

Only if they're strong and relevant, and only scores you can show on your official record. A clear pass count and named papers matter more to most recruiters.

Where does a part-qualified status go on a CV?

Give the full entry in your qualifications section, and a short version (body, passes out of total, finish date) in your profile line at the top.

How do I show exemptions on my CV?

On their own line, for example 'Exempt: BT, MA, FA (accounting degree)', kept apart from the exams you actually sat. ICAEW calls exemptions credit for prior learning (CPL).