ACCA VS ACA any ideas??

[UKChartered]

I am ACCA qualified (Chartered Certified) and as I work for a top 30 US corporation can confirm that as far as my employers are concerned, ICAEW/ ICAS/ ICAI etc are just as good as ACCA or CPA. CPA is the (much more sensible) US qualification. ACCA was less than ACA about 100 years ago and some very silly accountants still like to pretend ACA is better although they cannot present any valid arguments to support their prejudice. ACCA has since obtained its 'Royal Charter' just like ACA did before and I feel in a lot of ways it is a more modern and certainly more internationallly recognised qualification. I earn really well with ACCA (by UK standards), got a Singapore P1 visa twice straight away with it, and have had no snobbery from anyone about this anywhere I have worked. I would say ACA is good for being an external auditor as long as your current and future bosses are old ACA dogs. But ACCA is just as good, if not better, and I think everyone who has worked with an ACCA accountant would acknowledge that. I am very proud of getting my ACCA and some of my brother's Cambridge grad friends can't even pass their accounting exams so that shows me how tough the exams are and how dedicated and smart you need to be to be fully qualified. Actually ACCA requires an undergraduate degree to even begin studying the first of three years. Other than ACCA and ACA do consider CPA, which more employers have heard of and can relate to from US and Aussie backgrounds. CPA also has an excellent reputation. ACA may even have a bit of a dusty, stuffy reputation compared to ACCA and CPA but ultimately it's your choice and I hope you make the right decision!