Change your world: Chartered Accountancy Training Scheme FAQs

• 120 UCAS points in your top 3 x A-Levels (or equivalent)
• 2:1 undergraduate degree in any discipline (achieved or expected)
• Right to live and work in the UK without any restrictions.

• 120 UCAS points remains our minimum threshold but, in some circumstances, we will be able to consider applications from candidates with between 104-119 UCAS points, based on the context of one’s academic results.
• To help us confirm this we will be using Rare’s contextual recruitment system (CRS), which allows us to assess a candidate’s academic achievements in the context of their personal circumstances. Please apply stating that you have 104 UCAS (based on your top 3 x A-Levels) points and we will review your application and aim to respond to you within 1 week of submitting your application.

We are not able to sponsor work visas so candidates must be:

• UK Nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

No, you don’t. We accept applications from all degree disciplines. Our graduate trainees come from a range of backgrounds and have studied the full spectrum of subjects including arts, social sciences, engineering – not just maths! Our work benefits from different perspectives that people from different backgrounds bring, and we are looking for people that are passionate about a career in their chosen field.

We typically recruit 70 graduates and 12-14 apprentices on an annual basis.

Please email us at HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk with the subjects you completed at school (equivalent to UK GCSE and A-Level) including the grades and years obtained. We can use NARIC to map these across to UK equivalents.

Yes. We do not have a set time frame after you have graduated from university or left school/college. You can apply during your final year of university/school/college or several years later. There is no upper age limit.

Please visit our trainee website NAO Accountancy Training Scheme to research the scheme and for the link to the online application form.

We are committed to being open and inclusive and ensuring we have a balanced assessment process. Please send any documentation regarding your extenuating circumstances to us at HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk and we will review and provide an outcome BEFORE you apply online.

• Online Application Form
• Online Numerical Reasoning Test
• Telephone Interview
• Assessment Centre
• For full details on the process, please review our ‘Recruitment – Hints & Tips’ document that can be found on our website.

You can apply to the Graduate Scheme or Apprenticeship once per campus/school calendar year (1st September – 31st August). For example, if you applied on the 16th September 2024, you would have to wait until 1st September 2025 to reapply).

If you require adjustments for any stage of the process, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application form. Our team will then discuss the support you need at the individual assessment stages. You can also email us at HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk when you are invited to a specific assessment stage to discuss the adjustments you need.

We receive a high number of applications and while we make every effort to respond to each candidate as soon as possible, the time period may depend on when you applied/completed the assessment stage. Towards the final stage of the process there may be a short wait while we consider your application alongside others.

You can log into your candidate portal using the email address you registered with and the password you created. Please check your junk/spam folder as well so you don’t miss any emails from our team.

• Below is an overview of what your first 2-3 months will look like (subject to change). It will be a mix of group and local inductions, along with college, study leave and internal training before sitting your first exams.
• No holidays are to be booked between September and November as you will be taking part in your induction programme, attending college and sitting your first set of exams.
• We can be flexible for events e.g. attending graduation.

• College is attended in-person either in London or Newcastle (depending on your office location).
• There will be some weeks where trainees will be in college 5 days a week. Please take this into account before accepting any offer extended to you as you will need to decide if you will relocate and live near your chosen office base, or commute.
• Certificate Exams – will be sat at BPP London or BPP Newcastle.
• Professional and Advanced Exams – can choose an exam centre dependent on your location.

Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications we receive we regret to advise that we are not able to provide feedback at the earlier stages of the assessment process. We can provide feedback following assessment centre stage.

We only accept one application per campus/school/college calendar year. If you were unsuccessful on this occasion, you would have to wait for the following recruitment year to reapply (1st September – 31st August). Information from previous applications will not be available to assessors so you will start afresh.

Unfortunately, you cannot apply if you are already on a training contract or have partly completed a training contract with another accountancy firm. If you are currently on a training contract, we encourage you to complete your training with your current firm and once qualified check our careers page for opportunities to join as a Senior Auditor.

We do not defer entry so please only apply if you can start on the date confirmed in the job listing.

• Graduate – London (£33,733), Newcastle (£27,253)
• Apprentice – London (£27,513), Newcastle (£21,501)

We offer an extremely attractive pay and benefits package. Further details can be found on our trainee website.

Yes. When you are completing the application form, please select either ‘London’ or ‘Newcastle’. If you cannot decide, select ‘Both’ and if you are made an offer, we will check your preference then.

The role is based at either the main office in London (Victoria) or our regional office in Newcastle city centre. If you accept an offer from us, you will need to relocate to your chosen location or be able to commute to that office. During your initial 3-month induction you will spend most of your week in the office and college. Once you have completed induction, you will be working alongside your colleagues in the office, onsite at client site or working from home.

Our employment offers are subject to an applicant providing the necessary ‘right to work’ documents that demonstrate the right to work and reside legally in the UK. Further information can be found on our website NAO accountancy scheme - training and qualifications or by emailing our team at HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk.

• The Apprenticeship Scheme is for candidates who do not hold an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. There is no upper age limit, you just cannot have a degree.
• The Graduate Scheme requires candidates to have completed an undergraduate degree.

• We offer an 8-week internship (June – August) in either our London office or Newcastle office. Interns need to be able to travel to and work at their chosen location for the duration of the internship.
• The summer internship provides graduates with an insight into the work of the National Audit Office (Financial Audit and Value for Money), they will develop core skills and get the opportunity to get involved in projects.

We do have some minimum requirements you must meet to be eligible:

• You must be in your penultimate year of university. • You must have achieved 120 UCAS points at A-Level or equivalent.
• On track to achieve a minimum of 2:1.
• You must be a UK National, National of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK, or National from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).
• Applications tend to open in January. Please email HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk and ask to go on the mailing list and you will receive an email when applications open.

• Yes - If you are successful at being offered a place on the ACA Training Scheme you can apply for your exemptions once you register with ICAEW. We will pay for successful exemptions.
• However, please note that while you may have exemptions you will still need to attend college for the Accounting and Assurance modules. All trainees must take these modules regardless of exemptions

1-year Data Science Internship aimed at students in their second year if studying a sandwich degree.

• Ideally suited to students studying subjects such as Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, Economics.
• Salary – London (£27,133), Newcastle (£24,477)

Analysts (Value for Money)

• Aimed at students who have a degree in a relevant discipline e.g. social science research methods, management science/operations research, economics, statistics, mathematics, data analytics.

For further information, please visit our main careers website to check for current opportunities.

Or email HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk and ask to go on our mailing list so you will be updated when specific opportunities are live.