The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has released the results of the September 2025 ACA Professional Level examinations.
A cohort of 4,916 candidates participated in the tests.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
In the examination series, Audit and Assurance saw a pass rate of 79.7%, while Business Strategy and Technology had an 83.9% success rate.
Tax Compliance stood out with an 84.8% pass rate. Conversely, Financial Accounting and Reporting (UK GAAP) achieved 42.9%.
However, the results also pointed to more challenging areas. Business Planning: Banking recorded a pass rate of 53.5%, with Business Planning: Insurance achieving a slightly higher rate of 60.0%.
Business Planning: Taxation candidates fared better, with a pass rate of 80.8%. Financial Management also saw a healthy pass rate of 77.9%.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataOliver Coto Clarke from London (Saffery) secured the top spot in Audit and Assurance, along with the Watts prize.
Janki Patel from Guernsey (Deloitte) excelled in Business Planning: Banking, and Samuel Gibbs from Northampton (Deloitte) was recognised with the Little prize for his performance in Business Planning: Taxation.
The Business Strategy and Technology category had two candidates sharing the first place and the Railton prize: Jack North from London (BDO) and an anonymous candidate from London (Forvis Mazars).
Financial Accounting and Reporting also had joint candidates, with Theenesh Sivaram from Malaysia and Callum Smith from London (Millennium Capital Management) both receiving the Spicer and Pegler prize.
For Financial Management, Ellie Nguyen from London (Legal & General Group), Jemma Phillips from Christchurch (PricewaterhouseCoopers), and Lauren Smith from Wymondham (Lovewell Blake) achieved joint first place and the Howitt prize.
Joseph Tams from Derby (Inni Accounts) earned the Knox prize for Tax Compliance.
ICAEW Education and Training managing director Will Holt said: “Well done to all ICAEW students who have passed their Professional Level exams this session, and additional congratulations to those recognised with a Subject Order of Merit award.”
“We wish all our students the very best as they continue with their studies and move forward in their careers.”
Recently, Suren Thiru, Economics Director at ICAEW, commented on the UK labour market figures released by the Office for National Statistics. Thiru pointed to the uncertain employment landscape in the UK, influenced by diminishing business morale and escalating cost burdens, which could potentially result in a marginal rise in joblessness.
