ATT/CTA Tax Pathway

Gain both ATT and CTA qualifications faster and specialise in an area of tax from an early stage. Our leading training programme, delivered by expert lecturers, will help you prepare and pass the joint Tax Pathway exams.

Your route to two specialist tax qualifications in less time
Taught by some of the most well-known and experienced tutors in the UK
Guaranteed Pass Scheme with outstanding pass rates

Book an ATT/CTA Tax Pathway training course

Download Exam Training brochure

Exam registration

Exam entry for the May 2018 exam session is now open. Sittings take place twice a year. Register by end of February for the May sitting and by the end of August for the November sitting.

Understand the Tax Pathway

Key dates and deadlines

Our upcoming key dates and deadlines will help you to plan ahead and organise your schedule.

See dates and deadlines

How it works

The Pathway consists of five elements – Core Knowledge Acquisition 1, Core Knowledge Acquisition 2, Law and Ethics examinations, Advisory Knowledge, and Application and Interaction.

How Tax Pathway works

Joining the Tax Pathway

If you are a current ATT or CTA student, you can join the Tax Pathway, provided you meet certain criteria.

Transferring to the Pathway

Suggested Routes

There are many combinations of papers and routes that you can take as part of the Tax Pathway. The key is to identify which areas of taxation you are both interested in and keen to understand further, as well as which would most benefit your career in taxation.

There is an important decision to be made at Core Knowledge Acquisition (2) between taking a third ATT paper and CTA Awareness. The step up from an ATT to a CTA paper is a significant one that many students historically struggle with. Taking CTA Awareness at this point will be demanding, as it will require you to attempt a CTA paper earlier on in your studies than would have previously been the case.

Choosing a third ATT paper instead may seem a more straightforward option, as it also exempts students from CTA Awareness. However, this exemption may adversely impact you once you reach CTA Application and Interaction as Awareness is assumed knowledge at the Application stage.

Whichever route you choose, we will ensure that you have all the necessary syllabus knowledge and are fully prepared for each examination.

If you have any queries about any aspect of your studies, please give us a call.

Telephone: 020 3364 4500

Download our Exam Training brochure for more information about studying with Tolley.

Download Exam Training brochure

Study options

One of the reasons for our students’ excellent exam results is the wide range of study options that we offer.

Guaranteed Pass Scheme

Ensuring you have the ability and confidence to pass first time with Tolley.
The scheme combines our tuition and revision courses. All eligible students enrolled on this programme will be given one free distance learning and revision course, if, in the unlikely event, they fail their examinations.

One FREE

Distance learning and revision course

Distance learning

Study in your own time, at your own pace. When you sign up for a distance learning course, you will receive a wealth of targeted material written by our own tutors.

Taught classes

Kick start your studies by attending our taught classroom courses. Presented by experienced tutors, these classes explain technical topics in a straightforward way, focusing on the key areas for the examination.

Online distance learning

Want to study exclusively online? We offer an online option at a reduced price. This gives you everything from the traditional distance learning course, apart from the hard copy manual and question banks.

Revision courses

Fine tune your technical knowledge and practice your exam technique with our question-based revision. Maximise your knowledge with a course that focuses on question practice and best approach.

More about our study options

Meet Tolley’s ATT and CTA training tutors

Our training tutors are made up of the most respected tax industry experts in the country.

Claire Oglesby

Given her love of tax and teaching, after qualifying for CTA Claire has trained students in ATT, CTA, ICAEW,ACCA and AAT qualifications. She was also involved in producing materials for the ATT and CTA courses.

Victoria Cavell

Victoria is responsible for the management of all the Tolley Exam Training written and online material. She has also developed the Online Academy and recently has been involved in the launch of the new Online Tuition for Law and Ethics e-Assessments for ATT and CTA.

Jonathan Coletta

Jonathan joined the Exam Training team at Tolley in July 2015 and teaches on courses across all of the tax qualifications.

Karen Bullen

Karen is a senior tutor teaching on all Association of Taxation Technicians and the Chartered Taxation Advisor (CTA) qualification the exams. She is also responsible for the VAT Compliance Diploma as lead tutor / writer / examiner.

Liz Halford

Liz is head of the Bristol Centre and provides an unrivalled level of service to local clients and students, and manages the teaching resource nationally. She also teaches on all of the ATT papers, and CTA papers for Tolley.

Pass rates

We are confident our pass rates will continue to significantly surpass the national average and our wide range of study options help to achieve this.

Our ATT November 2017 pass rates

	Paper 1	Paper 2	Paper 3	Paper 4	Paper 5	Paper 6
Tolley Exam Training*	83%	90%	87%	83%	93%	82%
National Average	65%	78%	81%	71%	86%	57%

*Pass rates for those enrolled on the Guaranteed Pass Scheme

Our CTA November 2017 pass rates

	Awareness	Advisory	Application
Tolley Exam Training*	89%	71%	60%
National Average	71%	51%	47%

*Pass rates for those enrolled on the Guaranteed Pass Scheme

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Tax Pathway different from the traditional route of the ATT exam followed by the CTA exam?

You register with both the ATT and the CIOT at the same time and complete the two qualifications in an efficient way. Most importantly, it allows you to follow a specialist route from the beginning, due to the free choice of ATT papers.

Which exams are compulsory under the Tax Pathway?

The Law and Professional Responsibilities and Ethics are the only compulsory exams under the Tax Pathway. These must be passed before sitting the last written paper. The tax exam choices for the other elements of the Pathway are at your discretion.

How do I register as a student and apply to sit the ATT/CTA exams?

You must register as a student with the ATT and be at least 16 years old, four months before your examination. You must also apply separately to sit the written exams direct with the ATT and/or CTA.

How do I register if I’m a current ATT student and want to join the Tax Pathway?

Current ATT students can join the Tax Pathway, provided they have passed no more than two of the ATT written papers (and passed one or both of the Computer Based Examinations). CTA students can also transfer onto the Tax Pathway.

Find out more

Find out more about the Tax Pathway qualification and examinations. Visit the Institute’s website at hub.tax.org.uk/pathway.

For more details on the ATT papers and the exemptions available, visit att.org.uk/our-qualifications/tax-pathway or call them on 0844 251 0830

Student registration

Register as a student with the ATT and begin your ATT/CTA exam qualification. Don’t forget – you can also join the Tax pathway if you are a current ATT student or a current CTA student.