How the ACA CTA
Joint Programme works


The Joint Programme is one study programme to gain two highly valued professional qualifications – the ACA and CTA. This programme is ideal for those who want to specialise in tax. The three routes are:

  • Larger Companies and Groups – specialising in the tax affairs of large corporates (FTSE 350 companies)
  • Owner-Managed Businesses – specialising in the tax affairs of private businesses
  • Indirect Tax – specialising in VAT and other indirect tax

Under the Joint Programme, you need to study 14 out of the 15 ACA modules and choose one specialist CTA Advanced Technical Paper to gain the ACA qualification. The ACA Professional Level Business Planning: Taxation module is NOT sat under the Joint Programme.

The CTA Specialist Paper at this stage is a choice of one from these three CTA Advanced Technical papers depending on your area of specialisation:

  • Taxation of Larger Companies & Groups
  • Taxation of Owner-Managed Businesses
  • Domestic Indirect Taxation

You cannot sit your ACA Advanced Level Case Study module unless you have attempted your CTA Specialism paper.

To complete the Joint Programme, an additional CIOT paper must be sat along with the Professional Responsibilities and Ethics Computer Based Examination.

The additional CTA paper you can take can be:

  • One further CTA Advanced Technical paper; or
  • The CTA Application and Professional Skills Case Study; or
  • An Advanced Diploma in International Taxation (ADIT) paper;
    • either Paper 2.09 - United Kingdom option
    • or, Paper 2.10 – United States option.

All of the CTA papers are available to sit in May and November each year, and the ADIT papers are sat in June and December

Further details on the CTA papers and the ADIT papers

We also run Joint Programme bridging and booster courses. These are aimed at Joint Programme students doing their first CTA paper to assist in the transition from ACA to CTA exams

  • Bridging – covers topics that ACA students might not have seen but are assumed knowledge at CTA
  • Booster – as revision gets closer as well as revising key topics it also shows the sort of exam questions that can be expected at CTA

How the Joint Programme works


The Joint Programme is one study programme to gain two highly valued professional qualifications. This programme is ideal for those who want to specialise in tax. The three routes are:

  • Major Corporates – specialising in the tax affairs of large corporates (FTSE 350 companies)
  • Owner-Managed Businesses – specialising in the tax affairs of private businesses
  • Indirect Tax – specialising in VAT and other indirect tax

Under the Joint Programme, you need to study 14 out of the 15 ACA modules and choose one specialist CTA Advanced Technical Paper to gain the ACA qualification. The ACA Professional Level Business Planning: Taxation module is NOT sat under the Joint Programme.

The CTA Specialist Paper at this stage is a choice of one from these three CTA Advanced Technical papers depending on your area of specialisation. The papers are:

  • Taxation of Major Corporates
  • Taxation of Owner-Managed Businesses
  • Domestic Indirect Taxation

You must sit the CTA Specialist Paper before you move onto the Advanced level ACA papers

To complete the joint qualification, an additional CIOT paper must be sat along with the Professional Responsibility and Ethics Computer Based examinations.

The additional CTA paper you can take can be:

  • One further CTA Advanced Technical paper; or
  • The CTA Application and Professional Skills Case Study; or
  • An Advanced Diploma in International Taxation (ADIT) Paper;
    • either Paper 2.09 - United Kingdom option
    • or, Paper 2.10 – United States option.

All of the CTA papers are available to sit in May and November each year, and the ADIT papers are sat in June and December

For further information on the CTA examination papers

We also run Joint Programme bridging and booster courses. These are aimed at Joint Programme students doing their first CTA paper to assist in the transition from ACA to CTA exams

  • Bridging – covers topics that ACA students might not have seen but are assumed knowledge at CTA
  • Booster –  as revision gets closer as well as revising key topics it also shows the sort of exam questions that can be expected at CTA