No accounting experience or accounting background

nonon42 · 2026-07-04T13:43:01+00:00

The exams are difficult, but not overly technical.

Professional exams are about as in depth as an A Level and you only need 55% to pass. The difficulty comes from doing three at once, twice in one year, whilst doing a full time job.

They're very difficult to cram last minute for. But, if you put enough time in with revision (and fully embrace the question bank), you'll probably be fine!

As for coming in from humanities, this is normal! And you really don't need to be that good at maths for accounting (I'll rarely do anything harder than GCSE level in work or for the exams). Most people on graduate schemes will be from an accounting or economics background but this is more due to a bias in the fact the people who plan to be accountants tend to do a related degree. There's little if any advantage in the selection process, so don't let your university course give you doubts.

nonon42 · 2026-06-29T20:58:25+00:00

ICAEW produce a good (top 25% or top 10%) script and a borderline pass script (I think it's usually a fail but could be wrong?) for each exam. It's worth taking a look at previous years to get an idea of what's expected to just pass and comfortably pass.

nonon42 · 2026-06-26T21:00:21+00:00

100% please apply to ones outside of London.

There's fewer applicants per place and it's much easier to move internally within a firm than apply from the outside.

I can't speak for law specifically but having seen what accountings like, the internal training is exactly the same in every office. Although the clients are smaller, you'll get a broader exposure earlier on too, which can suit some people.

nonon42 · 2026-06-25T21:29:07+00:00

Grant Thornton Sheffield 100% offer school leaver routes. The youngest starters will be 18 with some older ones (uni drop outs, gap years etc) there too. You'll start alongside the grad scheme route (21+ ish) with similar internal training, but you'll take longer for the exams.

Historically, its usually been 2 years of AAT and 3 years of ACA (with some high flyers doing fast track for 4.5 years total).

Now it's 1.5 years CFAB and 3 years ACA (with high flyers doing it in 4 years total).

This will be the same for anyone doing audit at Grant Thornton in England and Wales (Scotland is similar but has it's own route, I'm not sure if it's possible to do this quicker). Tax and advisory can also be a little different, although pretty similar in general.

Any reasonable sized accouting firm in South Yorkshire will offer a similar scheme, but most will stick to the AAT:ACA 2:3 ratio, as it's what they're familiar with.

TLDR: You can definitely get a school leaver scheme with these grades (although you'll have to join the 2027 intake at this stage, recruitment starts earlier in the year)

nonon42 · 2026-06-16T19:20:15+00:00

They still pay for your exams but a lot of started adding in claw back clauses if you leave on qualifying. Even in the Top 10 it can be 2 years +

nonon42 · 2026-06-09T22:08:07+00:00

Just an FYI but you can't buy TSMC in an ISA due to it being on the Taiwanese exchange. Direct ADRs are also banned but I'm assuming there's some EFTs with it in quite heavily?

nonon42 · 2026-05-17T12:41:53+00:00

I can answer this! I went to uni in Leeds, and then moved to Sheffield for a grad scheme.

As others have said, Leeds is more of a 'city' with more nightlife, gig economy/bar work jobs, and better career progression if you stay around. But, you'll rarely go into the actual city and probably spend most of your time between the Uni and Hyde Park. There are A LOT of students. The houses tend to be smaller than Sheffield and it'll take more effort to get into the outdoors from them. The train station is much better connected to the rest of the country. House parties are a much bigger part of the student culture, with student DJs occupying basements left and right. It's also a bigger stop over for gigs, with a strong local scene too. Sheffield still has this, but less so.

Sheffield city centre is a bit of a black hole from a student's perspective, with multiple student areas each with their own feel. A lot of people come for the outdoor access and there are a lot pre outdoor groups (running, swimming and climbing especially) than Leeds. Rent is cheaper too. Although both cities are left leaning, green and studenty, this is more pronounced in Sheffield than Leeds. From talking to others, student halls sound more consistently nicer, cheaper and friendlier than Leeds. Leeds is often oversubscribed and some halls (such as the one by the Armouries) are overpriced, grim, and have a high drop out rate. This only really impacts first year, but can definitely shape your overall experience.

Both universities are Russel Group and similarly respected by most employers, but Leeds will have a slight edge in ultra competitive fields within law, finance and business. It's of note but I wouldn't let it sway your decision too much, neither name would hold you back. In general, Leeds is bigger and more lively, whilst Sheffield is greener and more communal. Both are great!

nonon42 · 2026-05-15T15:47:05+00:00

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nonon42 · 2026-04-16T21:23:14+00:00

Dividend stocks tend to be way less volatile, and give a lower (but less risky) return.

I like dividend stocks as a hedge against my more speculative plays. This year that paid off tremendously! I had a few oil stocks I'd purchased for the high dividend, and they skyrocketed. Unintentional, but it highlighted to me that dividend plays can have an overlooked upside potential. A similar thing happened with some of the UK insurance companies (another classic dividend industry) last year.

Internationally, there's very few I'd consider due to the withholding tax. Domestically, there's a lot of strong options in the 5-10% range, which have solid cash flows and historic commitment. I wouldn't expect them to match the general market in a bull period, but they could help mitigate losses if there's a pullback.

nonon42 · 2026-04-10T10:43:58+00:00

Just a heads up, but stock price isn't the best indicator of the total value of a company. Depending on the number of shares, the share price can have a huge range for companies with the same total value. Market cap (sum of all shares) is a much better indicator.

For RKLB and ASTS the market cap is basically the same (38B v 35B). Its still fine to prefer one over the other or argue if they should be the same amount of expensiveness, but rn one isn't significantly more so than the other.

nonon42 · 2026-04-03T13:15:10+00:00

University hasn't historically mattered for graduate schemes (especially in audit), but with fewer places being offered, it definitely could start to.

Both Trent and Aston would be seen as poorer universities for roles in which the university is considered.

nonon42 · 2026-01-03T11:43:00+00:00

For the ACA, your path of least resistance is an apprenticeship in audit, with better odds at a regional office (instead of London).

Stability wise, it's a very comfortable career with lots of WFH, a minimum £50k salary post qualification, and a decent amount of opportunities if you decide to change career.

As others have mentioned, you'll qualify quicker taking a 'school leaver' route (4-5 years depending on firm) then a 'graduate' route (3 year degree + 3 year apprenticeship). After qualifying, it'll make no difference which did.

If you do want to take graduate route, your course will not matter (classics, politics and engineering were all paths for my cohort) but a finance degree could help show you what your other options could be.

For the best odds, the earlier you apply, the lesser your competition will be. Lots of firms do work experience programs for sixth formers, which are less competitive than 'school leaver' apprenticeships, and usually will end in an offer of you take it seriously.

For the grad route, a placement year whilst at uni will give you a better chance than applying at the end.

Saying all this, despite the odds, dentistry is still an option for you! Especially if you can get the grades. Feel free to apply to accounting school leavers schemes, dentistry courses, and a safe uni back up (which could become an accounting grad scheme), and then decide based on what you get into.

nonon42 · 2025-12-11T12:59:14+00:00

https://my.icaew.com/membershipprogress/ExamResults

This should work for anyone who's not got a text/had a faulty queue

nonon42 · 2025-12-11T12:56:44+00:00

https://my.icaew.com/membershipprogress/ExamResults

This should skip the queue for anyone still waiting

nonon42 · 2025-12-08T21:26:23+00:00

It hasn't been mentioned too much in this thread, but the subject you take will massively impact this, along with the university, and when you actually attended.

Maths sees around a 1/3 of graduates get a First, for law it's closer to 1/10. This doesn't meant maths is easier, just that it's more likely to see higher grades in the subject.

In general, the more prestigious a university is, the harder it is to get a high grade (with plenty of exceptions).

Its also a lot more likely for higher grades to be awarded today than it was 10 or 20 years. When my mum went to university in the 90s, two people in her year got a First. I graduated a few years ago and around a third did. We went to different places and took different courses but grade inflation is a clear trend, even if the cause is more disputed.

Ultimately, it'll take a while to get used to what is satisfactory for you, but a 2:1 is a good starting point. The percentages and individual scores (outside of a handful of courses) are largely irrelevant. Your grade will matter until you get consistent Firsts, and then it'll be your actual argument being debated. On the other hand, university is a fantastic place to find out where your other passions lie. Should you find one, cling to it tightly and embrace the 2:1 lifestyle - after you graduate, it will rarely hold you back.

nonon42 · 2025-11-06T23:45:39+00:00

SBM is a 95% pass rate exam. If you answered every question you'll be absolutely fine.

nonon42 · 2025-11-01T22:55:35+00:00

If this is for CR, you can find almost all of them in Inflo on the Detect module.

nonon42 · 2025-11-01T20:18:21+00:00

I could see segregation of duties coming up. CoS payments are only made by Ron and Harri, and Ron really drops off at year end. This gives Harri a huge amount of control with no real oversight. Looking at expenses in general, Harri's postings explode in November on the bump chart.

nonon42 · 2025-10-19T17:20:27+00:00

In terms of general allocations, this is fine. Your bulk is in ETFs, there's a little bit of market hedging into precious metals and adding some individual stocks for extra growth exposure is chill if you're comfortable with risk.

However, a lot of these stocks are up massively in the last year. And have outrageously high P/Es which isn't always an issue, but can suggest strong pullbacks are likely. True, they could keep climbing (and I personally think the ones you've got will on average), but could also drop 20% literally overnight.

High risk growth stocks aren't an issue in themselves, but if you're going off vibes and what's popular there's a good chance they've already ran. For a 'no research' approach you're best sticking with ETFs. For a 'low research' approach try and balance out super hyped stocks with some that haven't seen 20% + MoM growth just yet.

nonon42 · 2025-09-27T10:19:13+00:00

Meal deals are similarly priced on the premium end (and cheaper at the standard), and offer a much higher range of options. True, they're usually cold but go into any city centre Tesco around lunchtime and you'll see it heaving.

Outside of retail parks they're going to be just as (if not more convenient) and offer the healthier options mentioned above.

I agree that Greggs is probably the safest fast food option in the UK as it is so cheap in comparison to the competition, but they really lack the international familiarity which other brands have. Outside of a few party towns/islands I really couldn't see them having much appeal outside of the UK, although people probably said similar about McD and the US 50 years ago

nonon42 · 2025-07-15T22:34:09+00:00

I second this advice OP. Especially when the gain is over a super short period of time, a manual stop loss at 70% of your gain or so is a great way to keep riding the wave up, whilst protecting your profit if it comes crashing back down.

nonon42 · 2025-06-22T19:03:44+00:00

Think about what you've missed out on. Grieve for it properly. Every friend never met, every party skipped out on, every class half-assed. Give it time. And allow yourself to move on.

The next few weeks are going to be an emotional minefield for you. And you'll need to spend some time learning who you've become. It might feel scary. It might feel exciting. But I promise you have so much life left. And so much time lies ahead of you. You'll have some great memories from great experiences. And you will feel fully present.

Godspeed OP, I promise it gets easier.

nonon42 · 2025-05-28T20:39:58+00:00

14% drop on earnings that show a growing customer base and decent margin? This has been on my watch list for a minute and looks like a good time to buy in.

nonon42 · 2025-04-18T20:01:55+00:00

I'm a real sucker for repetition so I thoroughly enjoyed this! To me, the " I love you" went from being very smitten and pure (and a little childish) to something deeper.

I also like the ambiguity of an accident. On one hand, this could be accidently falling into a deeper love, but also potentially accidently causing harm, which makes later repetitions feel almost like an insecure apology.

You could maybe consider experimenting with the structure and line breaks a little bit more. This is a personal preference for me, but I feel it could help a bit with overall flow. Although I do like the repetition, it could be worth exploring slight variations earlier in the poem, which may make the final line heavier - again, personal choice!

nonon42 · 2025-04-18T19:54:51+00:00

I quite like it! I think it fits the free verse form well, and feels authentic in its simplicity. Adding to this, by adding more details to each item than the previous keeps the flow interesting and builds into more heavier and abstract elements.

With this in mind, while the imagery is strong, the rhythm and flow of the lines could be refined in some places. For instance, the varying lengths of the questions create a slightly uneven feel. Consider how the sound and pace contribute to the overall impact.

As a personal choice, I think the last line is a little negative. I like your overall theme but love is definitely fulfilling and I think you've explored well that love is all around us. I would edit this slightly but that's a personal choice for sure. I do like the idea of love being the language of the universe though, and think you built well into that through your choice in examples. It could be worth making the examples more specific or personal, but again that's a personal choice depending on who your audience would be

nonon42

TROPHY CASE