ACCA Papers and Roadmap: All 13 Exams and What Order to Take Them

ACCA › ACCA Papers & Roadmap

Thirteen papers, three levels, and one question nobody answers properly: what order should you actually take them in? This page maps the whole route. 

All 13 ACCA papers

You work upwards through three levels. ACCA's progression rules require you to complete them in order — Applied Knowledge, then Applied Skills, then Strategic Professional — though within a level you choose your own order.

Level 1 · Applied Knowledge 3 papers · all on-demand
BTBusiness and Technology
MAManagement Accounting
FAFinancial Accounting
Level 2 · Applied Skills 6 papers · LW on-demand, rest session-based
LWCorporate and Business Law
PMPerformance Management
TXTaxation
FRFinancial Reporting
AAAudit and Assurance
FMFinancial Management
Level 3 · Strategic Professional 4 papers · session-based · no exemptions

Both compulsory

SBLStrategic Business Leader
SBRStrategic Business Reporting

Choose any two

AFMAdvanced Financial Management
APMAdvanced Performance Management
ATXAdvanced Taxation
AAAAdvanced Audit and Assurance

Which papers feed into which

This is the part that changes how you plan — and almost nobody shows it.

The 13 papers are not 13 separate subjects. They run in chains, where each paper builds directly on an earlier one. Understanding the chains tells you what order to study in, and which papers you should think twice about exempting.

Financial reporting
FA → FR → SBR

The longest and most demanding chain. SBR assumes fluency in FR.

Management accounting
MA → PM → APM

Costing and variance work in MA reappears throughout PM and APM.

Audit
FA → AA → AAA

You cannot audit financial statements you do not understand.

Financial management
MA → FM → AFM

Valuation and risk in AFM rest on the FM foundations.

Taxation
TX → ATX

ATX extends TX into advisory work in the same jurisdiction.

Business and leadership
BT → LW → SBL

SBL draws on organisational and governance thinking from both.

What to do with this

Your option choice at Strategic Professional should follow a chain you have already built. If you enjoyed and did well in FM, AFM is a natural continuation. If AA was a struggle, AAA will be harder still.

It also explains why exempting a middle link is risky. A student exempt from FR who meets SBR without ever having studied ACCA-style financial reporting is starting the hardest chain from the middle. More on that →

The order most students should take them

Within each level you can sit papers in any order. This is a sensible default, not a rule — it front-loads the on-demand papers and keeps each chain in sequence.

  1. MA  ·  FA

    Start with the two accounting foundations

    Both on-demand, so no waiting. They open the most chains — MA feeds PM and FM, FA feeds FR and AA.

  2. BT

    Then the business paper

    Broad and conceptual rather than technical. Many students find it the easiest confidence-builder of the three.

  3. LW

    Clear LW before your first session

    It is on-demand, so it does not need to occupy a sitting. Getting it done early frees your sessions for the technical papers.

  4. PM  ·  FR

    First session-based sitting

    One from each chain you have already started. Both are heavy, so most students should not add a third here.

  5. TX  ·  AA

    Second sitting

    AA sits naturally after FR. TX is largely self-contained, which makes it a good pairing.

  6. FM

    Close out Applied Skills

    Finishing this level earns you the Advanced Diploma and unlocks Strategic Professional.

  7. SBR  ·  SBL

    The two compulsory papers

    Take these before your options. SBR follows straight on from FR while it is fresh; SBL is a different kind of exam and deserves its own focus.

  8. Options × 2

    Finish on your strengths

    Pick the two that continue chains you have done well in, and that point toward the career you want.

Use the on-demand papers properly

Four papers — BT, MA, FA and LW — are on-demand computer-based exams. You book them at an approved centre on almost any working day, with no March/June/September/December deadline.

What this lets you do

  • Clear four papers without ever using a session slot
  • Sit an exam the week you are ready, not months later
  • Fit study around college terms and exam periods
  • Retake quickly if it goes wrong

The mistake students make

  • Treating them as "session" papers and waiting unnecessarily
  • Leaving LW until an Applied Skills sitting, wasting a slot
  • Rushing all four with no preparation because booking is easy
  • Assuming everything after them is equally flexible

A well-planned student can arrive at their first session-based sitting with four papers already cleared.

How many papers per session?

ACCA permits a maximum of four exams per session and eight distinct exams per calendar year. That is a ceiling, not a recommendation.

1

One paper

Sensible if you are working full-time, resitting, or tackling SBL or SBR.

2

Two papers

The sustainable answer for most students studying alongside college or a job. Recommended default.

3

Three papers

Realistic only with substantial free time and a track record of passing first time.

4

Four papers

Permitted. Rarely the fastest route in practice — see below.

The arithmetic that catches people out

Attempt four and pass two, and you have used a session, paid four exam fees, and still carry two papers forward. Attempt two and pass both, and you are cleanly ahead.

Over a full qualification, students who pass consistently at two per session usually finish sooner than students who attempt four and resit. More on timelines →

What you earn along the way

You do not wait until the end to have something to show. ACCA awards qualifications at each stage.

After Applied Knowledge

Diploma in Accounting and Business

Awarded on completing BT, MA and FA, alongside the Foundations in Professionalism module.

After Applied Skills

Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business

Awarded on completing the Applied Skills exams, whether passed or exempt, with a minimum number sat and passed.

After Strategic Professional

Strategic Professional Certificate

Awarded on completing both compulsory exams and both options.

Exams + ethics + experience

ACCA Membership

The destination — all exams, the ethics module, and 36 months of practical experience.

Exact award conditions are set by ACCA and change with the qualification. Confirm the current requirements on accaglobal.com before relying on an award for a job application or further study.

Sample routes by starting point

Class 12 student

13 papers
  1. MA, FA, BT — on-demand, at your own pace
  2. LW — on-demand, before your first session
  3. PM + FR
  4. TX + AA
  5. FM
  6. SBR + SBL
  7. Two options

Roughly 3–4 years alongside a degree.

B.Com graduate

9–10 papers
  1. Confirm exemptions before planning anything
  2. LW, if not exempt — on-demand
  3. PM + FR
  4. TX + AA
  5. FM
  6. SBR + SBL
  7. Two options

Roughly 2–3 years.

Qualified CA

4 papers
  1. SBR — closest to familiar ground, but IFRS not Ind AS
  2. SBL — different exam format, give it its own sitting
  3. Two options aligned to your career

Roughly 1–1.5 years. Read the CA guide →

2027 redesign

How the paper map changes in 2027

The structure on this page runs to the June 2027 session. From July 2027 the qualification is redesigned and the exam count drops from 13 to 11.

  • BT is removed as a standalone exam
  • LW moves down to the Knowledge level
  • Applied Skills becomes Expertise, with five exams
  • One option instead of two at Strategic Professional, from a wider set of five specialisms

Every paper you pass now carries forward automatically, so the sequencing advice above still holds. The chains do not disappear — the papers are renamed and reorganised, not replaced.

If your plan extends past mid-2027, read the full transition detail before finalising your paper order. ACCA 2027 Changes →

Where do you go from here?

How many of these will you actually sit?

Exemptions decide your starting point on this map.

ACCA Exemptions →

How long will your route take?

Papers per session, and the rules that cap your pace.

ACCA Duration →

When can you sit each one?

On-demand versus session-based, and the entry deadlines.

ACCA Exam Dates — coming soon

Guides for individual papers

Syllabus, exam format and preparation, paper by paper.

See the paper index →

Common questions

How many papers are there in ACCA?

Thirteen under the current structure — three at Applied Knowledge, six at Applied Skills, and four at Strategic Professional, being two compulsory papers and two options. Exemptions can reduce the number you actually sit to as few as four. From 2027 the total reduces to eleven.

Can I take ACCA papers in any order?

Within a level, yes. Across levels, no — ACCA's progression rules require you to work through Applied Knowledge, then Applied Skills, then Strategic Professional in order.

What is the best order to take ACCA papers?

A sensible default is MA and FA first, then BT, then LW while it is still on-demand. At Applied Skills, pair PM with FR, then TX with AA, then FM. At Strategic Professional take SBR and SBL before your two options. This keeps each subject chain in sequence.

Which ACCA papers connect to each other?

The papers run in chains. FA feeds FR which feeds SBR. MA feeds PM which feeds APM, and also feeds FM which feeds AFM. FA feeds AA which feeds AAA. TX feeds ATX. BT and LW both underpin SBL. Choosing options that continue a chain you have done well in is usually easier than starting fresh.

How many ACCA papers should I attempt at once?

Two per session is the sustainable answer for most students studying alongside college or work. ACCA permits up to four per session and eight per calendar year, but attempting four and passing two costs more in fees and rarely finishes faster.

Which ACCA papers are on demand?

BT, MA, FA and LW. These can be booked at an approved computer-based exam centre on almost any working day, with no session deadline. All other Applied Skills and Strategic Professional papers run in the March, June, September and December sessions.

Which two ACCA option papers should I choose?

Choose options that continue a chain you have already done well in, and that match your career direction. AFM follows FM and suits corporate finance. AAA follows AA and suits audit. APM follows PM. ATX follows TX, though it is examined against a specific jurisdiction's tax system.

Next steps

Paper structure, progression rules and award conditions are set by ACCA and can change. For anything that affects a decision, confirm against accaglobal.com before you act.

Last updated: August 2026

Your ACCA reading path

These guides are written to be read in order. Each one answers the question that comes before the next. You are on Step 10 of 12.

# Guide The question it answers Status
Stage 1 — Is ACCA right for me?
1 What Is ACCA? What is this course, actually? Read
2 ACCA vs CA Which one suits my goals? Coming soon
3 ACCA After Class 12 Can I start straight after school? Coming soon
4 ACCA After B.Com Can I do this with my degree? Coming soon
Stage 2 — Can I do it, and what will it take?
5 ACCA Eligibility Am I allowed to register? Read
6 ACCA Exemptions How many papers can I skip? Read
7 ACCA Exemptions for CA Students What do my CA papers earn me? Read
8 ACCA Fees What will this cost me? Read
9 ACCA Duration How long will it take? Read
Stage 3 — Planning my route
10 ACCA Papers & Roadmap What is the full journey? You are here
11 ACCA Exam Dates When can I sit my exams? Coming soon
12 ACCA 2027 Changes Should I start now or wait? Read

More guides are being added. If something you need isn't here yet, tell us what to write next.