AAT Level 2 Foundation Certificate in Accounting (Day)

The AAT Level 2 certificate in Accounting delivers a solid foundation in finance administration and core accounting skills. You will build the knowledge and transferable business skills required to progress into employment or further study in accountancy.

All course is taught at our Ashford Campus.

Students can start with any qualification depending on existing skills and experience. For the best chance of success, we recommend that students begin their studies with a good standard of English and maths.

Do you already have some accounting experience? Test your knowledge with AAT Skillcheck to find out the best qualification to start with.

Your first exam attempt for each unit will be included in your course fee, but any retakes are charged at £75 per exam.

Students will need to purchase the appropriate textbooks and register for an AAT membership. Costs will vary depending on your course, course level (Level 2 or Level 3) and the type of AAT membership required.

You will receive guidance on the appropriate AAT membership and any required equipment once you’ve enrolled.

The level 2 certificate focuses on 4 key units that will provide you with the foundational knowledge required for this sector and serves as the perfect introduction into accountancy. After completing each unit, you will be required to complete an assessment at our Ashford Campus. You’ll learn the basic principles of bookkeeping, business accounting, formulas and costing codes, differences between business entities, tax regulations and the core principles of ethical accounting.

Within these units, you will:

• Learn how to set up bookkeeping systems
• Process customer and supplier transactions
• Understand the purpose of business documents such as invoices, credit notes, remittance advice and bank statements
• Learn how to record bookkeeping transactions and the role of petty cash
• Explore how to create and use financial coding systems
• Calculate invoice accounts, discounts, credit notes and VAT
• Identify discrepancies between payments, from missing transactions, underpayments, incorrect amounts or timing differences
• Learn how to reconcile accounts
• Process journal entries to general ledger accounts
• Calculate inventory issues and overhead absorption rates
• Discover basic formula to support cost calculations
• Understand the principles of contract law
• Learn the key principles of an effective tax system and the impact of the government on interest rates, employment and consumer spending
• Understand the legal administration required of a business and how to set up different types of business entities

This certificate is hosted online, however all end-of-unit assessments are held at our Ashford Campus. Students will be expected to purchase the relevant textbooks and an AAT membership, see the ‘costs’ tab for more information.

Once you have successfully completed all units under this qualification, students can progress onto the AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting, or you can enter the industry and apply to entry or junior level accounting roles.