Incorporating NQ magazine
November 2025
www.pqmagazine.com/www.pqjobs.co.uk
ACCA RESULTS ARE HERE A wobble in the financial management pass rates, a record Advanced Taxation success rate and steady SBR exam results, despite the tears, are the main headlines from the latest set of ACCA exams. September saw a record pass rate for Advanced Taxation, at 53%, and Strategic Professional optional pass rates in the other papers also held up. APM stayed at 40%, the same rate as June – but before that you would need to go back to June 2010 to see another 40%-plus pass rate. AAA stayed at 40% too, with AFM (44%) dipping two percentage points on June’s results. Despite all the tears following the SBR exam (see last month’s issue), the actual pass rate wasn’t too bad – 49%. When it comes to the Applied Skills papers the audit paper pass rate is certainly moving in the right direction, with a 46% success rate. At 43%, PM now has the lowest pass rate by some distance. FM also seems to be going the wrong way, with a pass rate of 46%. You have to go back to December 2020 to find a lower pass rate for this paper. However, the Tax paper had the highest pass rate with a healthy 55% this time around. It has had the top Applied Skills pass rate for 16 sittings. Commenting on the latest exam results, Alan Hatfield, executive director – content, quality and innovation (pictured), said: “Many congratulations to the students who have
achieved success in this session. It’s always pleasing to see so many students focus on their journey towards ACCA membership as demonstrated by this robust set of results. “The lead up to the September session saw continued strong engagement with key learning resources, which were complemented by a number of live sessions to reinforce effective exam preparation. We also continued to support Approved Learning Providers in incorporating ACCA resources into their own offerings, including mock exams.” Interestingly, some students aren’t happy with
the time ACCA releases the exam results. One asked: “Daft question, but does anyone know if it is possible to change the time we receive results – to say 9am? The Monday morning release time usually means no sleep pre-midnight and then struggling to sleep post-midnight due to being overjoyed or too frustrated This then has a knock-on effect for at least the first couple of days of the working week.” Another PQ said they had actually called the ACCA about this and asked if they could opt out of the results email and just log in online on Monday morning instead. But the ACCA said this was not possible. The PQ explained: “I really struggle with the midnight thing as well! Saturday at midnight would be so much better probably for everyone, extremely frustrating.” However, a fellow student stressed: “The results come out the same day, at the same time for everyone, so it cannot be changed. You can put your phone on mute and look at the message when you want, I never managed it, so I understand the disruption. It will end before you know it, just bear it. Exams are not forever.” Others have opted just to receive them by email, while some put their phones on ‘airplane’ mode. As one trainee said: “You can switch off your phone and have it in a separate room until you wake up.” ACCA SEPTEMBER 2025 PASS RATES: TX 55%; FR 48%; PM 43%; FM 46%; AA 46%; SBL 51%; SBR 48%; AAA 40%; AFM 44%; APM 40%; ATX 53%
CATERING FOR THE WEALTHY? The profession has a real perception problem, and accountants need to start demonstrating their value to wider society, according to the findings of the ‘Society First’ report from ICAS. The ground-breaking study found half of the general public (exactly 50%) admit they do not clearly understand what the accountancy profession does. Worryingly, some 55% believe accountants “cater to the wealthy”. Many outside the accountancy profession still associate it mainly with tax and bookkeeping services. Reputational damage from sector scandals isn’t helping, either. Just 62% of the general public associate accountants with ethical behaviour.
The research discovered overall trust in the profession sits at 66%. However, this drops to 58% among those less familiar with accountants’ work. Even accountants themselves highlighted the fact that a key challenge is the fact that profession is seen as too complex (41%). It means accountants themselves see staying relevant as the profession’s main challenge (57%), partly because of technological changes and disruption. James Baird, Chair of ICAS’ Shaping the Profession steering group, said: “Our research shows that public perception of the profession is generally positive, particularly around trust, but there is limited understanding
about what accountants do, and outdated stereotypes persist. “What’s clear, and exciting,
about our findings is that there is significant opportunity for the profession to take on a broader role in areas such as strategic advice and the adoption of AI. The profession can also do more to demonstrate to stakeholders and the public the full range of capabilities that it offers beyond the numbers, and how it positively contributes to society. “ICAS is committed to making these opportunities a reality by shaping a profession that feels more accessible, understandable, and supports society’s evolving needs.” • The ‘Society First’ report is the first publication of ICAS’ ambitious Shaping the Profession programme.