Accounting and Finance Professional Exams

Study with exam-style practice for four high-impact accounting and finance pathways. Use this hub to understand each track, then open a dedicated practice page in a new tab when you are ready to start.

ICAN (Nigeria) - Chartered accounting pathway ACA (ICAEW) - Training and exams structure ACCA - International chartered accounting qualification CFA Program - Investments, valuation, portfolio management

Exams covered

Each card below summarises the pathway and the core skills you will practise. Click Explore coverage to open the dedicated exam page in a new tab.

ICAN (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria)

Chartered Accounting (Nigeria)
Credential: ICAN ACA
Provider: ICAN Pathway: Chartered Accounting (Nigeria)
To earn: Pass the required ICAN professional examinations and satisfy membership and practical experience requirements as applicable.

A leading professional accounting pathway in Nigeria covering financial reporting, audit, taxation, and corporate finance, with strong local regulatory alignment.

Exams and structure

  • Progression stages (sequential): Foundation → Skills → Professional
  • Foundation: basic accounting, business law, economics, and quantitative techniques
  • Skills: core financial reporting, audit and assurance, taxation, and management accounting
  • Professional: advanced reporting, assurance, corporate finance, public sector, and integrated case-style application (aligned to the current ICAN syllabus)

Core skills you will practise

  • IFRS-based reporting and consolidation problem solving
  • Audit planning, internal controls, and evidence evaluation
  • Nigerian tax fundamentals and compliance reasoning
  • Business law and corporate governance concepts
  • Professional judgement through scenario-based cases
Recommended path: align your study plan to the current ICAN syllabus and timetable, and practise with timed questions early.
Explore ICAN coverage ↗

ACA (Associate Chartered Accountant - ICAEW)

Chartered Accounting (UK-origin)
Credential: ICAEW ACA
Provider: ICAEW Pathway: Chartered Accounting (UK-origin)
To earn: Complete the ACA training pathway, pass all exams, and meet ICAEW professional development and practical work requirements.

A globally recognised chartered accountancy qualification typically delivered through an authorised training agreement, with deep coverage of audit, financial reporting, and business strategy.

Exams and structure

  • Progression stages (sequential): Certificate Level → Professional Level → Advanced Level
  • Certificate Level: foundational accounting, assurance, and business topics
  • Professional Level: audit and assurance, financial management, taxation, financial reporting, and business strategy
  • Advanced Level: corporate reporting, strategic business management, and a case study

Core skills you will practise

  • Financial reporting and corporate reporting analysis
  • Audit and assurance methodology and documentation logic
  • Business strategy and decision-making under constraints
  • Taxation concepts and structured computation practice
  • Case study writing and professional judgement
Recommended path: prioritise core reporting and assurance skills, then build speed using mixed-topic timed sets.
Explore ACA coverage ↗

ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)

Chartered Accounting (Global)
Credential: ACCA Qualification
Provider: ACCA Pathway: Chartered Accounting (Global)
To earn: Complete the required ACCA exams and meet the ethics and practical experience requirements.

A widely recognised international accounting qualification spanning financial reporting, audit, taxation, performance management, and strategic leadership.

Exams and structure

  • Progression stages: Applied Knowledge → Applied Skills → Strategic Professional
  • Applied Knowledge: Business and Technology (BT), Management Accounting (MA), Financial Accounting (FA)
  • Applied Skills: Law (LW), Performance Management (PM), Taxation (TX), Financial Reporting (FR), Audit and Assurance (AA), Financial Management (FM) (paper variants depend on jurisdiction)
  • Strategic Professional Essentials (must complete): Strategic Business Leader (SBL), Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)
  • Strategic Professional Options (choose 2): Advanced Financial Management (AFM), Advanced Performance Management (APM), Advanced Taxation (ATX), Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)

Core skills you will practise

  • IFRS reporting, group accounts, and interpretation of financial statements
  • Audit risk, controls testing, and assurance reporting
  • Performance management, budgeting, and decision analytics
  • Tax reasoning based on your selected jurisdiction variant
  • Strategic case analysis and governance judgement
Recommended path: choose your jurisdiction variants early (tax and law), then practise integrated past-style questions.
Explore ACCA coverage ↗

CFA Program (Chartered Financial Analyst)

Investments and Portfolio
Levels: I, II, III
Provider: CFA Institute Pathway: Investments and Portfolio
To earn: Pass Levels I to III and satisfy CFA Institute work experience and ethics requirements.

A rigorous global credential in investment analysis, asset valuation, and portfolio management, with a strong focus on ethics and professional standards.

Exams and structure

  • Progression stages (strictly sequential): Level I → Level II → Level III
  • Level I: investment tools, ethics, and foundational analysis
  • Level II: valuation and application across asset classes
  • Level III: portfolio management, wealth planning, and performance evaluation

Core skills you will practise

  • Quant methods, economics, and financial statement analysis
  • Equity, fixed income, derivatives, and alternative investments
  • Portfolio construction, risk management, and attribution
  • Ethics and professional standards in decision making
  • Scenario-based item sets and structured reasoning
Recommended path: build mastery with concept drills, then switch to item sets and mixed mocks under timed conditions.
Explore CFA coverage ↗

Quick guidance

Choose the right pathway

Pick based on recognition where you work, your career direction, and employer requirements. ICAN is Nigeria-focused, ACCA is widely international, and ACA is often tied to an authorised training route.

Practise like the exam

Start with concept drills, then move to timed sets. For reporting and valuation topics, practise interpretation and justification, not only calculations.

Build a revision loop

After each set, fix mistakes immediately, write short error notes, and redo similar questions after 48 to 72 hours to lock in learning.

Keep eligibility current

Entry requirements and exam structures can change. Always confirm the latest rules, syllabi, and exam windows from the issuing body.