ACCA Exam Sittings and Planning: A Singapore Timeline for 2027

Passing ACCA is as much about planning as studying. This guide explains how ACCA exam sessions work, how to build a realistic timetable from Singapore, and what the 2027 changes mean for the papers you have left. For the exact dates and deadlines of upcoming sessions, see our ACCA exam dates page.

Two kinds of ACCA exam

• On-demand exams: the Applied Knowledge papers, BT, MA and FA, and Corporate and Business Law (LW) can be booked at an exam centre whenever you are ready.
• Session exams: the other Applied Skills papers and all Strategic Professional papers are sat in four sessions a year, in March, June, September and December.

Entry deadlines

Each session has an early, standard and late entry deadline, and entering late costs more. ACCA sets deadlines at 23:59 UK time, which is the next morning in Singapore, so do not leave entry to the last evening. Results are released several weeks after each session.

How many papers per session?

Most working students do well with one or two papers per session. A sensible rule is around 3 to 4 months of steady study for each Applied Skills paper and more for the Strategic Professional papers. If you work in audit, avoid planning heavy study for your peak season.

A sample route

1. Applied Knowledge: sit BT, MA and FA on demand, one at a time, as soon as each is ready.
2. Applied Skills: pair a lighter paper with a heavier one, for example LW with FR, or PM with TX.
3. Strategic Professional: many students sit SBR and SBL in separate sessions, then their Options.

The 2027 changes and your plan

ACCA is moving to a new qualification structure, and the timing affects your plan:

• June 2027 is the final sitting of the current Applied Skills and Strategic Professional exams.
• July 2027 is when the new Knowledge level exams become available on demand.
• September 2027 is the first sitting of the new Expertise and Strategic Professional exams.
• December 2027 is the first sitting of the new Singapore variant exams, which replace the current Singapore law and tax papers.

Passes you already hold carry across under ACCA's transition arrangements, and the ACCA Transition Tool shows how your papers map to the new structure. If you are close to finishing a level, it may be worth aiming to complete it by June 2027. If you sit Singapore tax or law papers, note that the new Singapore variants start in December 2027, so a September 2027 plan may need adjusting.

Get a personal plan

Every student's position is different, especially around the 2027 transition. Paul William, founder of TutorPOD, holds ACCA, CIMA and CA Singapore qualifications and can help you plan your remaining papers. Contact us or see our ACCA course page.