The ACCA exam fees structure has more components than most students expect when they first register. Beyond the per-paper cost, there is a one-time registration charge, an annual subscription that renews every January, exemption fees if you skip papers, and the EPSM fee before you can enter the Strategic Professional level. Getting all of this wrong by even one deadline can double what you pay for a single paper.
This blog puts every cost in one place, with verified figures from ACCA Global for 2026, so you can build an accurate budget before you start.
ACCA Exam Fees: Brief Summary
- Full Form: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
- Type: Professional Accounting and Finance Qualification
- Governing Body: ACCA Global (UK-based, founded in 1904)
- Eligibility: Grade 12 and above (10+2 with Mathematics or Accounts)
- Structure: 3 Levels across 13 papers: Applied Knowledge, Applied Skills, and Strategic Professional
- Duration: 2 to 4 years depending on exemptions and exam attempts
- Initial Registration Fee: £89 (one-time, paid when you first sign up with ACCA Global)
- Annual Subscription Fee: £140 per year, due every 1 January to keep student status active
- Exam Fees Range: Centre-set rates at Knowledge level up to £282 for SBL at standard entry
- Total Estimated Cost: Approximately £2,752 for a full clean run across all 13 papers over three years
- Fee Currency: All ACCA exam fees are charged in GBP and paid via the MyACCA portal
Indian commerce graduates and working professionals who want to move into Big 4 firms, MNCs, or international finance roles tend to gravitate toward the ACCA certification. The qualification is recognised in 180 countries and pairs well with a B.Com, CA Foundation, or MBA background.
Key Takeaways
- ACCA exam fees in 2026 range from centre-set rates at Knowledge level to £282 for SBL at standard entry
- Late entry for Applied Skills papers can reach £409, more than double the standard entry rate
- The annual subscription of £140 keeps billing every January whether you write an exam that year or not
- Exemption fees apply per paper skipped and are not waived for any qualification
- Total ACCA Global certification cost for a student clearing all 13 papers in 3 years is roughly £2,750 before tuition
What is ACCA?
ACCA full form stands for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. It is a professional accounting body based in the UK, founded in 1904, and currently has over 252,000 members and 526,000 students across 180 countries.
The ACCA certification covers financial reporting, audit, taxation, performance management, and strategic finance across three exam levels and 13 papers. Students also complete the Ethics and Professional Skills Module before the ACCA Global certification is awarded. The timeline runs between two and four years, depending on exemptions claimed and how many papers a student clears per session.
How ACCA Exam Fees Are Charged
ACCA Global publishes and charges all fees in British Pounds (GBP). Students outside the UK, including those in India, pay the equivalent in their local currency at the exchange rate applied by their bank on the day of payment. The figures in this blog use an approximate rate of £1 = ₹129, reflecting July 2026 rates. Always check the live rate before paying.
The total ACCA exam fees structure is made up of:
- One-time initial registration fee
- Annual subscription fee (due every 1 January)
- Exam entry fees per paper per session
- Exemption fees for any papers skipped
- EPSM fee before entering Strategic Professional
- Re-registration fee if student status lapses
ACCA Registration and Subscription Fees (2026)
The initial registration fee is paid once when you first create your ACCA student account. From that point, the annual subscription renews on 1 January every year. Missing the renewal deadline removes your name from the ACCA register and you cannot book exams until you pay both the re-registration fee and all unpaid subscription amounts.
| Fee Type | GBP | Approx. INR (at ₹129/£) |
| Initial Registration Fee | £89 | ₹11,481 |
| Annual Subscription Fee | £140 | ₹18,060 |
| Re-registration Fee | £89 | ₹11,481 |
For a student completing the ACCA certification in three years, three annual subscriptions alone add up to £420 or roughly ₹54,180.
Source: ACCA Global
ACCA Exam Fees Per Paper by Level (2026)
ACCA runs four exam sessions per year: March, June, September, and December. Applied Knowledge papers are available on-demand at CBE centres year-round. Applied Skills and Strategic Professional papers are session-based, with full variants in June and December. March and September offer limited variants.
For each session, there are two booking windows: standard entry and late entry. There is no early entry window currently in the standard fee structure. Standard entry is the cheaper option and should always be the target.
Applied Knowledge Level (3 Papers: BT, MA, FA)
These are on-demand computer-based exams. Students book them at a local CBE or Pearson VUE test centre and appear at a time that suits them. ACCA does not set a fixed global fee for these papers. Pricing is determined by the local test centre.
| Entry Type | GBP Per Paper | Approx. INR |
| Centre-set fee | ~£98 to £123 | ₹12,642 to ₹15,867 |
Confirm the exact fee with your local test centre before booking.
Applied Skills Level (6 Papers: LW, PM, TX, FR, AA, FM)
These six papers are session-based. This is the level where late entry fees rise sharply. For the September 2026 session, standard entry closed on 27 July 2026 and late entry closed on 3 August 2026. Missing standard entry at this level is one of the most costly mistakes a student can make.
| Entry Type | GBP Per Paper | Approx. INR |
| Standard Entry | £160 | ₹20,640 |
| Late Entry | £409 | ₹52,761 |
Note: There is no late entry for the June 2026 session. Students who missed the standard June deadline had to plan for September.
Strategic Professional Level (4 Papers: SBL, SBR + 2 Options)
These four papers are the final stage of the ACCA Global certification. SBL and SBR are compulsory. Students pick two from AFM, APM, ATX, and AAA as optional papers. The content moves into senior finance territory and the fees reflect the length and complexity of assessment.
| Paper | Standard Entry GBP | Standard Entry INR | Late Entry GBP | Late Entry INR |
| SBL | £282 | ₹36,378 | £467 | ₹60,243 |
| SBR | £208 | ₹26,832 | £430 | ₹55,470 |
| Options (AFM, APM, ATX, AAA) | £208 each | ₹26,832 each | £430 each | ₹55,470 each |
At late entry, a single SBL paper costs more than three Applied Skills papers at standard entry.
EPSM Fee (Ethics and Professional Skills Module)
Before a student can enter for any Strategic Professional exam, they must complete the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM). This is a mandatory online learning module and carries a separate one-time fee.
| Fee Type | GBP | Approx. INR |
| EPSM Fee | £83 | ₹10,707 |
The EPSM takes around 40 hours to complete and is accessed online. It is not an exam but a structured learning module. You pay this fee once and it covers full access to the module.
ACCA Exemption Fees (2026)
Students with a relevant prior qualification, such as a B.Com degree or CA Foundation/Intermediate clearance, may qualify for exemptions from certain ACCA papers. Exemptions reduce the number of papers to clear but each exempted paper still carries a fee. No exemptions are granted free of charge.
| Level | GBP Per Exemption | Approx. INR |
| Applied Knowledge Level | £86 | ₹11,094 |
| Applied Skills Level | £114 | ₹14,706 |
A student claiming all three Knowledge paper exemptions pays around £258 or roughly ₹33,282 in exemption fees alone. Only claim exemptions for papers where you are genuinely strong. Paying to skip a paper you could clear in one attempt rarely saves money overall.
Total ACCA Exam Fees (2026): What a Full Run Actually Costs
This table shows the full ACCA exam fees for a student with no exemptions, booking all papers at standard entry, clearing every paper on the first attempt, and completing the qualification in three years.
| Cost Component | GBP | Approx. INR |
| Initial Registration | £89 | ₹11,481 |
| Annual Subscription (3 years) | £420 | ₹54,180 |
| Applied Knowledge (3 papers, centre-set ~£98 each) | £294 | ₹37,926 |
| Applied Skills (6 papers at £160 each) | £960 | ₹1,23,840 |
| Strategic Professional (SBL + SBR + 2 Options) | £906 | ₹1,16,874 |
| EPSM | £83 | ₹10,707 |
| Total (Approx.) | ~£2,752 | ~₹3,55,008 |
This is the floor cost. Most students do not clear every paper on the first attempt. Two to three re-attempts across the journey can push the total ACCA exam fees to £3,500 or above, roughly ₹4.5 lakhs, before adding tuition costs.
Tuition and study materials from an ACCA-approved learning provider add another ₹80,000 to ₹1.5 lakhs depending on the format.
What is ACCA’s Fee Calendar for 2026
Knowing the deadlines matters as much as knowing the fees. A missed standard entry deadline does not just cost more, at the June session it means missing that window entirely.
| Session | Standard Entry Closes | Late Entry Closes | Exam Dates | Results |
| March 2026 | Passed | Passed | 2 to 6 March 2026 | Released |
| June 2026 | Passed | No late entry | 1 to 5 June 2026 | Released |
| September 2026 | 27 July 2026 | 3 August 2026 | 7 to 11 September 2026 | 19 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | 2 November 2026 | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | To be confirmed |
Source: ACCA Global
Ways to Keep ACCA Exam Fees Under Control
- Book in the standard entry window — The difference between standard and late entry at the Applied Skills level is £249 per paper. Across six papers, that is a potential extra £1,494 if you consistently book late.
- Clear each paper on the first attempt — A re-attempt costs the full standard or late entry fee again. Two attempts on one Skills paper cost more than two separate papers booked on time.
- Renew your subscription on 1 January — Missing the renewal removes your student status. You then pay re-registration plus the unpaid subscription to get back in, adding unnecessary cost.
- Pick exemptions only where you are genuinely strong — An exemption fee of £114 for a Skills paper only makes financial sense if you are confident enough to skip the study and sitting cost.
- Complete the EPSM early — You cannot enter for any Strategic Professional paper without finishing the EPSM. Delaying it can push your Strategic Professional timeline back by a full session.
Getting the Numbers Right Before You Register
The ACCA Global certification is a multi-year journey and the fees add up across levels, sessions, and annual renewals. A student who books late, claims unnecessary exemptions, and re-attempts two or three papers can end up spending significantly more than the £2,752 floor figure well before they reach the Strategic Professional level.
Map your exam sessions from the start, book within the standard entry window, pay your January subscription on time, and set aside the EPSM fee before you get to the final level. The ACCA certification is recognised in 180 countries. The fees are manageable when you plan around the deadlines rather than reacting to them.
FAQs
What are the total ACCA exam fees for 2026?
Aacross all 13 ACCA papers costs approximately £2,752, or around ₹3.5 lakhs. Re-attempts and late entry push this higher.
What is ACCA’s annual subscription fee for 2026?
£140 per year, due on 1 January. Missing the deadline removes your student status until you pay re-registration and any outstanding amount.
Are ACCA exemption fees refundable?
No. Exemption fees, registration fees, and subscription fees are all non-refundable once paid.
Does ACCA charge different fees for different countries?
Yes. ACCA Global publishes fees by location. The figures in this blog reflect UK rates as a reference point. Always check the fee selector on the official ACCA website for your region before paying.
What happens if I miss the standard entry deadline?
For most sessions, you can still book under late entry at a significantly higher fee. For the June session, there is no late entry at all. Missing the June standard deadline means waiting for September.