Changing career with AAT levels 2, 3, and 4

Her next step was obvious.

She enrolled on our AAT Complete Package, and in less than a year eased through level 2 with a mark of 100%, and level 3 with 97%.

And the notoriously tough level 4 still proved little challenge as she achieved another Distinction. Last year, only 3% of AAT level 4 students achieved that.*

To achieve a Distinction for all three levels puts Hannah in an elite bracket; achieved by only 1% of AAT students. It’s no wonder PQ Magazine shortlisted her for PQ of the Year in 2020.

But what does she think are the reasons for this fine achievement? Her answer, a little later on, was surprising.

* – Based on AAT’s graded qualification summary between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021.

How Hannah joined the top 1%

The college conveyor belt moves slowly.

Studying at a local college means you can only study one level per year; this wasn’t good enough. And Hannah had another important reason to opt for studying online instead:

“I don’t drive and it would have been tricky to get to college; we were living outside of the city at the time. And studying online meant I could also quite easily fit it around work and other commitments.”

By studying with us, Hannah could study as fast or as slowly as she wanted. She could study at weekends or evenings, and of course, she still enjoyed support from our team of award-winning tutors.

Help and support all the way from award-winning tutors

Now, some people think that studying online means you’re left on your own. That you’re just given course material and are left to sink or swim. But with Training Link, nothing could be further from the truth…

In fact, as I’m writing this I’ve learned that another of our Tutors is on the shortlist for Private Sector Lecturer of the Year at the PQ Magazine Awards. And that’s on top of the three Tutor of the Year wins we’ve enjoyed at the ICB Luca Awards.

So what did Hannah think of our Tutor support?

“It was nice to know that there was someone there who could answer my questions. And I always felt like the tutors came back quite quickly and gave clear and useful answers.”

Some students sail through the course barely needing to talk to their tutor. Others need more active support. There’s a lot to be said for our course material, study resources, videos, and extra tests. But even when you’re armed with the most detailed and effective course material, isn’t it reassuring to know you can pick up a phone and speak to your tutor?

The single biggest reason…

Fancy footwork and careful choreography may not be the first thing to come to mind when thinking about how to study accounting. But Hannah’s experience as a dancer proved far more valuable than you might think.

“I had ballet and contemporary dance classes every day for three years and in that you have to be watching really carefully to learn the dance phase and then reproduce it. So, it’s a similar thing of looking carefully at what the numbers are saying and how they’re structured.”

This attention to detail, honed through long hours at the dance studio, gave her an edge when studying.

But when asked for the most important factor in helping to propel her into the top 1% of AAT students in the country, Hannah quickly praised Training Link’s course material:

“The really clear textbooks, to be honest. Just the fact that it was clearly explained and I could work my way through at my own pace…

I did really appreciate that there were multiple exercises and questions.

It wouldn’t have been as good if it was just explaining the concept and then moving on to the next concept and explaining that; I wouldn’t have gotten it as quickly. I certainly learn by doing and so the questions and exercises were very useful.”

High praise indeed. And this gets to the core of the Training Link difference…

Because Training Link textbooks and course material are bespoke. Unique. It is written by our own team of experienced and award-winning writers and tutors.

Most training providers buy textbooks from other publishers. Some use a mixture of material from several companies and just provide tutor support to go along with it.

But this begs the question: how can you improve the educational experience if you have no control over your textbooks?

Training Link is different.

We have complete control over our study materials and your learning experience. And as Hannah shows, that’s why our students are perfectly placed to achieve the results to put them on the fast track to an Accounting career.

What next for Hannah…

“I’m currently working as a finance officer in local government and I’m hoping to start the ACA qualification. I’m not quite sure exactly when, but hopefully that’ll start soon and then work my way up into an accountant position.”