How Does the ACCA Practical Experience Requirement (PER) Work?
You need 36 months of relevant experience to become ACCA-qualified, not just exam passes. Here is how the PER works and how to record it.
Passing the exams isn't the whole of ACCA. To become a fully qualified member, you also need to complete the Practical Experience Requirement (PER) — real, relevant work experience. Students often overlook it until late, so it's worth understanding early how it works and how to record it as you go.
What is the PER?
The PER requires 36 months of relevant employment in an accounting or finance role, during which you achieve a set of defined performance objectives. It can be completed before, during or after your exams, and experience from multiple roles or employers can count.
How do the performance objectives work?
- You must achieve a required number of performance objectives, covering essentials and technical areas.
- Each is demonstrated through real tasks in your job, not exams.
- A workplace mentor (a qualified accountant) signs off your objectives and time.
- You record it all in ACCA's online My Experience tool.
How do you keep on top of it?
- Start recording experience as soon as you're in a relevant role — don't leave it to the end.
- Map your day-to-day tasks to the performance objectives regularly.
- Line up a suitable workplace mentor early.
- Keep short notes of examples so writing up each objective is easy.
How does this fit with the exams?
The PER runs in parallel with your exams, so the qualification comes down to two tracks: banking real experience and passing papers. Keeping the exam track moving efficiently — without losing sessions to resits — means you qualify as soon as both are done. The 50% Club marks your practice answers instantly the way an examiner would, so the exam side never becomes the thing holding your qualification back.