Become a Member by Exemption

Apply for membership based on qualifications or work experience

You may be able to join ICB as a member if you have recent relevant qualifications from a recognised body (AAT, ACCA, IAB, CIMA, City & Guilds, Open University) or if you have recent relevant work experience. This means you wouldn't need to take ICB exams to become a member. You can find out what we recognise as 'recent' and 'relevant' below.

If you are middway through your exams with another body and wish to transfer to ICB exams, we may be able to fast track you. Please call us on 0203 405 4000 so we can find the best solution for you.

Your pathway into membership

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ICB Qualification Conversion Chart

This chart shows which accountancy qualifications are considered relevant for ICB membership purposes. Please be aware that this chart should be used as a guide only, and is subject to change. Applications for membership by exemption based on existing qualifications are assessed individually on a case by case basis taking into consideration the full extent of your relevant work experience and qualifications. You may also be required to sit ICB exams or an online skills test (MEP) at ICB's discretion.

If you are middway through your exams with another body and wish to transfer to ICB exams, we may be able to fast track you. Please call us on 0203 405 4000 so we can find the best solution for you.

If your qualification is not listed in the table below, please take a look at our current qualifications and download the syllabuses for a comparison. If you think we should consider your qualifications, please get in touch with us on 0203 405 4000. 

How long will my application take?

Applying for membership by exemption can take one to three months from the day your application is accepted. ICB is an AML Supervisor; please let us know immediately if you are already running a bookkeeping business and if you need AML supervision or are already covered. If you have been working without AML supervision, as legally required of external bookkeepers and accountants, you will be charged a late registration penalty.

What does it cost?

Application Fee
There is a one-off application fee payable upon application. This fee covers your application only and will not be refunded in the event you withdraw your application, or if your qualifications are out of date, or your reference does not match our requirements, or you fail the Membership Entrance Paper.

If your application meets our criteria, and you pass any required MEP, your application will be passed through to the final stage of processing; assessment by the Admissions Panel.  In the unlikely event that the Admissions Panel rejects your application, 50% of your application fee will be refunded. 

*Please see the application criteria

Membership Annual Subscription Fee

If your application is successful you will be offered membership at the grade of Affiliate, Associate or Member dependent upon the ICB qualifications you are exempt from. If accepted, the annual membership fee for the appropriate grade will be payable in addition to any licence fees for your bookkeeping business.

For details of the current year's fees please refer to Table 1: Annual Subscription fees and Table 3: Membership by Exemption fees on the following page:

> Fees & Subscriptions

Making your application

Waiting for a decision

Your application will be passed to the Admissions Panel for a decision once all necessary documentation has been gathered, including your MEP and responses to reference requests if applicable.

When an application will not be accepted

An application for membership based on qualifications from other bodies or based on experience does not guarantee an offer of membership. ICB cannot offer exemptions from any ICB assessment that you have previously attempted and failed, even if you have subsequently achieved an equivalent qualification from another awarding body.

You will be required to make a formal application for exemption, and the decision will be made by the Admissions Panel based on your application as a whole.

Application Criteria

*Using your qualifications

You can apply for exemptions from ICB if you have recent relevant qualifications. This means your qualifications should have been completed within the last five years and appear on our ICB Qualification Conversion Chart higher up on this page. If you have recent relevant work experience as well, please tell us about that as it could help your application and affect whether or not you are asked to complete an MEP.

The qualifications we accept correspond to the ICB syllabus and we may insist on a minimum grade or percentage. We do not offer exemptions based on exemptions granted by other bodies, or offer exemptions from ICB exams that you have reviously attempted and failed.

Non-UK qualifications: Qualifications awarded in countries outside the UK will be taken into consideration if they correspond to our syllabus. Please contact ICB before submitting your application.

Supporting Evidence Requirement:

As part of your application please provide copies (not originals) of qualification certificates, results sheets and, for AAT, your statement of achievement from your online account. 

**Using your work experience

You can apply for exemptions from ICB if you have recent relevant work experience. This means you've been doing bookkeeping work for at least two consecutive years during the last five years (so, for example, a maternity leave break shouldn't adversely affect your eligibility for exemptions).

Please tell us if you have recent relevant qualifications as well, as it could help your application and affect whether or not you are asked to complete an MEP.

So that we may verify your work experience, you'll need to nominate one person whom we can contact for a reference. Your nominated referee needs to have worked with you in a professional capacity and cannot be a relative, or be in a personal relationship with you. Your application should state their qualifications and relationship to you. ICB will send a detailed specification to the referee asking for confirmation on the areas of the syllabus in which they have working knowledge of your competence.

Referees are required to sign the specification and confirm their own qualifications which will be verified with the relevant professional body before the reference is processed.

Non-UK work experience: Experience gained in countries outside the UK will be taken into consideration. Please contact ICB before submitting your application.

Supporting Evidence Requirement:

As part of your application please provide the name and full contact details of the one person whom ICB can contact for a reference. The referee should be either a Chartered Accountant or Certified Bookkeeper in current valid membership of either AAT, ACCA, ATT, CIMA, CAI, CIOT & CT (SAT only), IAB, ICAEW, ICAS, ICB and IFA. If a member of a non UK body the body must be a current member of  IFAC. 

If your online application form asks for two referees, please ignore it and if necessary add your one referee twice.

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