Association of Tax Technicians (ATT)
Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) training offers a thorough understanding of the basic UK tax system. This entry-level qualification equips you to provide tax advice and services to the self-employed (sole traders), as well as work in other rewarding areas such as industry, commerce and the public sector. ATT is also a useful stepping stone to the next level and Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) status.
ATT students regularly achieve high pass rates well above average in every paper – many becoming prize winners. Like them, you'll benefit from our choice and flexibility, the expert support on offer from our full-time tutors and our exclusive, market-leading study materials. Free ATT Pass Assurance means that we even include a free revision course in the event you need to retake.
Kick-start your tax career
The ATT is a practical and widely respected qualification – it both expands your career opportunities and improves prospects for your salary and benefits.
We offer a range of study options so you can complete the ATT course programme at a time and pace that suits you. Choose from a flexible mix of classroom, distance learning and revision options.
Leaders in technical education
The ATT qualification is accredited by the Association of Taxation Technicians – the UK’s leader in technical education and qualification for taxation technicians with a membership of over 7,000.
Once you’ve passed the two compulsory papers, an optional paper and the Law and Ethics computer based exams – and you have also fulfilled the practical experience requirement – you can apply for Association membership. You can then use the letters ATT to promote your career.
Why study ATT with BPP?
Simply put, no-one gives you a better chance of passing your ATT exam. No other provider has a better combination of full time tutors, national locations, online options and supporting materials than BPP.
Students qualifying for our Pass Assurance Scheme achieve exceptional pass rates and, unlike other providers who charge for materials separately, our Pass Assurance Scheme also includes all of the study materials for that course – so you don’t need to buy a new set of materials, even if there has been a change of Finance Act.
Fully flexible study
No other provider offers the ATT qualification in more centres in the UK and no other provider has more study options than BPP. Our flexible study options mean you can fit the ATT course around your business and personal life.
BPP are the only tuition provider to offer integrated online ATT taught and revision courses in addition to weekday courses and distance learning options and the only provider that gives all of its students access to the online “enhanced classroom” which contains online lectures and exam debriefs. See the Ways to study tab for more detail.
Tutors
No other provider has more full time ATT tutors in more locations than BPP. Our tutors are experts in their field and some have been teaching ATT for longer than some other providers have been in business. They are dedicated to helping you pass your exams and will be there at every stage for progress updates, phone and email support. Our tutors are employees based in local offices so the face-to-face support offered by BPP is unmatched by other providers.
Materials
Only by studying with BPP will you gain access to the following market leading range of resources – all specifically targeted to the ATT qualification. We are the only tuition provider to include all of our materials in the price of the course you buy – so you don’t need to buy any of these separately:
- Course Notes
- Online lectures covering ALL chapters of the course notes
- Study Texts (Including question banks)
- Course exams
- Online debriefs of each course exam
- Revision Notes
- Passcards
- I-Pass CD
- Practice and revision kit (contains at least 10 exams worth of question practice – more than any other revision kit available)
- Online debrief of selected revision kit questions
- Mock exams
- Online debrief of mock exams
After ATT
The entry level ATT offers ideal pre-preparation for studying for the more advanced CTA qualification. This is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) – an organisation of international standing and part of the 150,000-member pan-European Confédération Fiscale Européenne.
Structure
The ATT qualification is modular – featuring six standalone Certificates of Competency and two computer based assessments in Law and Ethics. Two of the modular papers are core and four are non-core:ATT core papers
Core papers cover:
- Personal taxation
- Business taxation and accounting principles
ATT non-core papers
Non-core papers cover:
- Business Compliance
- Corporate Taxation
- IHT, Trusts and Estates
- VAT
The advantage of this modular structure is that you can focus only on those papers that are relevant to your job – or you can gain full ATT membership by passing all of the core modules, the computer based assessments and one non-core paper.
Exemptions
If you’re an AAT full member and have passed the AAT Business Taxation unit, you’re entitled to a credit for ATT Paper 2 – Business taxation and accounting principles. Full details are available from the Association of Taxation Technicians.
ATT exam format and pass marks
Each of the core and non-core papers lasts 3¼ hours and is split as follows:
- Short form questions worth 40% of the marks (Between 10 and 20 – each carrying two to four marks)
- Longer questions worth 60% of the marks (Between three and five long questions – each carrying 10 to 20 marks)
All questions are compulsory and you’ll need an overall pass mark of 50% to gain a Certificate of Competency for each paper.
Sittings
Exams are held in May and November each year – spread over two days so that if you’re aiming to gain the full ATT qualification in one sitting, you can do so.See more on Ways to study.
Dates and prices
The links and brochures above will open as a PDF in a new window. To save directly to your computer, right-click the link and select 'Save Link As'. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it.
Award-winning study materials
We include our BPP exam-focused core materials in our distance learning package.
If you're a taught course student we also recommend purchasing them to use with our classroom material.
Core study materials include:
- Course exam programme
- Pass cards for easy on-the-move revision
- i-Pass CD ROMS
- Revision kit and mock exam
Classroom notes and revision material are available. We also recommend a number of study texts – now available as eTexts for use on digital devices, as well as hard copy.
Free pass assurance scheme
Should you fail an ATT exam, you can choose any equivalent taught or revision course for that unit for the next sitting free of charge – subject to availability. This includes the full cost of the course, including all course materials, from November 2012.
You must, though, meet the following criteria:
- Full and punctual attendance on all taught and revision courses in any BPP UK training centre
- Submission of all course and mock exams on or before the date specified on the submission table
- A score of at least 35% in each course exam and 40% in each mock exam
Flexible learning
We understand that it can be difficult juggling work and home life with studying. So we offer a flexible range of ATT course options to fit around your business and personal life. Our courses are highly flexible, enabling you to study in the way that's most convenient and effective for you.
You can study at one of our UK centres, in your own time via our Online Classroom, or via distance learning. Whichever study option you choose, we'll keep you focused on what you need to know to pass your exam.
Online Classroom
A dynamic study experience that combines the flexibility of distance learning with the support of a traditional classroom. Available for all papers from May 2013, it's ideal if you can't, or don't want to commit to fixed study sessions. Free Pass Assurance is included. Learn more about BPP Online Classroom.
Face-to-face
This is an ideal solution if you:
- want to study at a steady pace
- can commit to specific study times
- enjoy the dynamics of a classroom
- want the best chance of exam success.
Our expert tutors bring their passion and enthusiasm to the classroom making sessions highly engaging and motivational. No other provider offers more weekday courses in more locations than BPP. You may also be able to mix and match your sessions, subject to availability.
We run face to face courses for Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 4. For each paper we run:
- Taught course (includes course exams)
- Revision course (includes mock exam)
Each face to face course comes with free access to the “Enhanced Classroom”. The taught course gives you access to online lectures covering all of the chapters in the course notes and course exam debriefs, and the revision course gives you access to debriefs of practice and revision kits questions and mock exam debriefs. At BPP, we use our experience to focus on the core areas of the syllabus in class and supplement this with guided self-study using the online lectures.
All CTA face to face courses are eligible for Free Pass Assurance*.
Distance learning
Our Basics package reflects BPP’s uncompromising quality and expertise whilst offering you a very cost-effective ways to study. You can start whenever you want and work at your own pace. You need to be confident about studying on your own with limited support.
With our 'Basics' package you can:
- start whenever you want
- plan and organise your study time with a Study Programme
- work at your own pace towards your target exam date
- access exam-focused learning materials and study tools
- test your syllabus knowledge with our renowned Practice and Revision kit
- contact BPP tutors with any technical queries
*Subject to terms and conditions.
How to apply
You don't need any specific experience or formal qualifications to sit the ATT exams. This means it's equally suitable if you left school at 16 or are otherwise unqualified and wish to enhance your skills and CV.
You must be a registered Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) student member to take the examinations – contact the ATT directly to register.
Key dates
ATT exams take place in either May or November.
Key dates for May sitting
- End of February for receipt of entry forms
- Exams held in May
- Results out in July
ATT May 2012 exams – Important information (PDF - 68KB)
Key dates for November sitting
- End of August for receipt of entry forms
- Exams held in November
- Results out in January
Study locations
You can train for the ATT face-to-face at one of our nine tax centres around the country – see the list below. Each centre offers state-of-the-art facilities and comfortable, high-quality classroom environments. Or, if you need to study from home or overseas, you can also train for the ATT via our online classroom.
- BPP Birmingham
- BPP Bristol
- BPP Cambridge
- BPP Glasgow
- BPP Leeds
- BPP London
- BPP Maidstone
- BPP Manchester
- BPP Reading
- BPP Southampton
Book by phone on 0845 075 1100.
