There are two ways to become a chartered accountant (CA) - The first way is to complete a relevant degree and then complete the professional qualifications. The second way is through an apprenticeship which can help you become a taxation professional. Both way, becoming an accountant is a great career choice, and even in the near future, it seems that there will be enough demand for accountancy services. You might begin your educational path by doing a A Level Accounting course.

A lot of people think that they need to be expert level in all areas of math if they want to be an accountant. Well, that's not true, but it sure helps a lot if you have a thing for numbers and maths in general. Another misconception among many people is that they will need a degree to become an accountant - Once again, getting a degree to become an accountant is just one of the ways to join this lucrative field.

How Do I Become An Accountant?
So you are wondering how you can become an accountant. Let's have a look together:

Required Qualifications to become an Accountant.

Let's start by looking at the academic route, which is also taken by most of the candidates. The required qualifications to apply for an accountancy program are given below:

o GCSEs - You will need GCSEs or an equivalent qualification, including the mandatory subjects such as Mathematics and English. Your grades must be at least 4/C or better as well.

o A Levels - Once again, it would be better if you could gain good grades in your A-level subjects. Back in the day, it was a requirement to achieve A or B grades, but these requirements have been relaxed to ensure maximum recruitment. If you haven't completed the A levels, then an equivalent qualification will be required.

When you are looking for different accountancy degrees, ensure that the degree program you have chosen is legit and accredited by the relevant authorities or departments. And there is also a possibility that you might be able to claim credit for some prior learning which will help you get an exemption from professional exams as well.

Some of the other alternative degrees which are also closely related to this field include finance, business, maths, management, and economics.

Qualifications for Professional Accountancy
Which professional exams do you need to take? Well, it depends on where you intend to work as well as what type of specialization you want...

For public practice, you will need to get the ACA qualifications from the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales). Just like that, different countries will have their own institutes and departments which regulate the professional exams and professional qualifications for the Accounting degrees.
Through this route, you can join accounting firms whose responsibilities range from wealth management, audit, taxes, and so on. Furthermore, one can also specialize in different fields of accounting such as corporate finance, auditing, tax, and so on.

Final Words
As you can see, you can become an accountant as long as you are okay with dealing with a lot of numbers and mathematics in general. And this continued to remain a highly paid and lucrative field with good and sustained growth which means you can't go wrong by becoming an accountant!