FA - FFA Syllabus and Study Guide
FA - FFA Syllabus and Study Guide
Syllabus and
study guide
SEPTEMBER 2025 TO AUGUST 2026
Designed to help with planning study and to
provide detailed information on what could be
assessed in any examination session
Contents
1. Overall aim of the syllabus ................................................................................................ 3
2. Introduction to the syllabus ............................................................................................... 3
3. Main capabilities ............................................................................................................... 4
4. Intellectual levels............................................................................................................... 4
5. The syllabus ...................................................................................................................... 5
6. Detailed study guide.......................................................................................................... 6
7. Summary of changes to Financial Accounting (FA/ FFA) ................................................ 14
8. Approach to examining the syllabus ................................................................................ 15
9. Relational diagram linking Financial Accounting (FA/FFA) with other exams................... 15
10. Guide to ACCA examination structure and delivery mode ............................................. 16
11. Guide to ACCA examination assessment ...................................................................... 16
12. Qualification structure ................................................................................................... 17
13. Learning hours and education recognition ..................................................................... 17
The overall aim of the syllabus is to develop knowledge and understanding of the underlying
principles and concepts relating to financial accounting and technical proficiency in the use
of double-entry bookkeeping, including the preparation of basic financial statements.
The syllabus for Financial Accounting (FA/FFA) introduces the candidate to the
fundamentals of the regulatory framework relating to accounts preparation and to the
qualitative characteristics of useful financial information. The syllabus then covers the
principles of accounts preparation, including an in-depth look at recording, processing, and
reporting business transactions and events. The syllabus also covers reconciliations,
preparation of a trial balance, error correction and suspense accounts, all of which will lead
to the preparation of financial statements for incorporated and unincorporated entities. The
syllabus then moves in two directions, firstly requiring the preparation of basic consolidated
financial statements from the individual financial statements of entities within a group; and
secondly requiring candidates to be able to conduct a basic interpretation of financial
statements.
3. Main capabilities
4. Intellectual levels
ACCA qualifications are designed to progressively broaden and deepen the knowledge and
skills demonstrated by the student at a range of levels on their way through each
qualification.
Throughout, the study guides assess both knowledge and skills. Therefore, a clear
distinction is drawn, within each subject area, between assessing knowledge and skills and
in assessing their application within an accounting or business context. The assessment of
knowledge is denoted by a superscript K and the assessment of skills is denoted by the
superscript S.
3. Inventories 1. Subsidiaries
2. Ratios
e) Calculate and update the general ledger b) Calculate the adjustments needed for
accounts to record the depreciation on a accruals, prepayments, accrued income
revalued tangible non-current asset, and deferred income when preparing
including the transfer of excess financial statements.[S]
depreciation between the revaluation
surplus and retained earnings.[S] c) Illustrate the process of adjusting for
accruals, prepayments, accrued income
f) Calculate the adjustments to and deferred income when preparing
depreciation necessary if changes are financial statements.[S]
made in the estimated useful life and/ or
residual value of a tangible non-current d) Prepare manual journal entries and
asset.[S] update the general ledger accounts for
the creation and reversal of accruals,
g) Record depreciation in the statement of prepayments, accrued income and
profit or loss and statement of financial deferred income.[S]
position.[S]
e) Identify the impact of accruals,
6. Intangible non-current assets and prepayments, accrued income and
amortisation deferred income on profit and net
assets.[S]
a) Compare the difference between
tangible and intangible non-current f) Report accruals, prepayments, accrued
assets.[K] income and deferred income in the
financial statements.[S]
b) Identify types of intangible assets.[K]
8. Receivables and payables
c) Identify the definition and treatment of
“research” and “development” in a) Identify and explain examples of
accordance with IFRS Accounting receivables and payables.[K]
Standards.[K]
b) Identify the benefits and costs of offering
d) Calculate and account for amounts to be credit facilities to customers.[K]
capitalised as development expenditure
or to be recognised as an expense from c) Describe the purpose of an aged
given information.[S] receivables analysis.[K]
h) Prepare manual journal entries to create c) Identify and record the other
and adjust an allowance for components of equity which may appear
irrecoverable debts.[S] in the statement of financial position.[S]
b) Explain the purpose of reconciling the b) Identify errors leading to the creation of
payables general ledger account to a suspense account.[K]
external documents.[K]
c) Record entries in a suspense account.[S]
c) Prepare a reconciliation of the payables
general ledger account to supplier d) Prepare journal entries to clear a
statements.[S] suspense account.[S]
c) Record the income tax expense in the d) Classify the effect of transactions on
statement of profit or loss, including the cash flows.[S]
under-/ over-provision of tax in the prior
year.[S] e) Calculate the figures needed for the
statement of cash flows in accordance
d) Identify items requiring separate with IFRS Accounting Standards,
disclosure on the face of the statement including:[S]
of profit or loss.[K] i) Cash flows from operating activities
(direct and indirect methods for
e) Explain the interrelationship between calculating cash from operating
the statement of financial position and activities before income taxes)
the statement of profit or loss and other ii) Cash flows from investing activities
comprehensive income.[K] iii) Cash flows from financing activities
ACCA periodically reviews its qualification syllabuses so that they fully meet the needs of
stakeholders such as employers, students, regulatory and advisory bodies and learning
providers.
There have been minor changes to the study guide for September 2025 to June 2026 which
are shown below:
IFRS 18
IFRS 18 Presentation and Disclosure in Financial Statements was issued on 9 April
2024 and supersedes IAS® 1 Presentation of Financial Statements as well as impacting
(but not superseding) IAS 7 Statement of Cash Flows.
The formats for all financial statements (including the statement of cash flows) under
IFRS 18 are now examinable. IAS 1 is no longer examinable.
Other
There have been minor wording changes made to some syllabus learning outcomes
(SLO) but these do not change the context of any SLO.
SLO Change(s)
C1 b) “Sales (customer) invoice” changed to “Customer (sales) invoice”
D3 c) “IAS 2 Inventories” changed to “IFRS Accounting Standards”
D8 j) “trade receivables” changed to “receivables” and “trade payables” to
“payables”
D9 a) “Define” changed to “Define a”
D10 a) “Ordinary shares” to “Ordinary (equity) shares”
D10 e) “a bonus (capitalisation) issue” changed to “an issue of bonus shares”
D10 g) “a bonus (capitalisation) issue” changed to “an issue of bonus shares”
D10 j) “finance costs” changed to “interest expenses”
E2 “Trade payables” changed to “Payables”
E2 a) “trade payables” changed to “payables”
E2 b) “trade payables” changed to “payables”
E2 c) “trade payables” changed to “payables”
E2 d) “trade payables” changed to “payables”
E2 e) “trade payables” changed to “payables”
G2 a) Added “profit before financing and income taxes”
“profit before tax” changed to “profit before income taxes”
“profit for the year” changed to “profit (for the year)”
“total comprehensive income for the year” changed to “total comprehensive
income (for the year)”
G5 e) “cash generated from operations” changed to “calculating cash from
operating activities before income taxes”
The consolidation question could include a small amount of interpretation and the accounts
preparation question could be set in the context of a sole trader or a limited company.
The FIA examinations contain 100% compulsory questions to encourage candidates to study
across the breadth of each syllabus.
ACCA reserves the right to examine anything contained within the study guide at any
examination session. This includes knowledge, techniques, principles, theories, and
concepts as specified. For specified financial accounting, audit and tax examinations, except
where indicated otherwise, ACCA will publish examinable documents once a year to indicate
exactly what regulations and legislation could potentially be assessed within identified
examination sessions.
Regulation issued or legislation passed in accordance with the above dates may be
examinable even if the effective date is in the future. The terms ‘issued’ or ‘passed’ relate to
when regulation or legislation has been formally approved.
The term ‘effective’ relates to when regulation or legislation must be applied to entity
transactions and business practices.
The study guide offers more detailed guidance on the depth and level at which the
examinable documents will be examined. The study guide should therefore be read in
conjunction with the examinable documents list.
The qualification structure requires candidates who wish to be awarded the ACCA Diploma
in Accounting and Business (RQF Level 4) to pass the Business and Technology (BT)/FBT,
Management Accounting (MA)/FMA and the Financial Accounting (FA)/FFA examinations
and successfully complete the Foundations in Professionalism (FiP) module.
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