Mastering the ACCA Calendar: Four Windows, Fixed Days

Navigating your ACCA exam dates requires far more than picking a month off the calendar. For UK finance trainees balancing audit busy seasons, month-end closes, or dual-qualification studies alongside the CFA charter, booking tactical exam sittings is fundamental to maintaining exam momentum. ACCA conducts paper-based and session computer-based exams (CBT) across four dedicated quarterly sittings every year: March, June, September, and December. Each session takes place during the first full working week of the month, running from Monday through Friday.

Crucially, the Association does not randomise module dates. Each paper occupies a non-negotiable, fixed day of the week across all four sittings. Standard registration closes roughly five weeks prior to exam week, after which entry fees more than double under the punitive late-entry window. Below is your comprehensive guide to the complete 2026 calendar, weekday paper allocations, pairing feasibility, fee-avoidance cutoffs, and myACCA result release timings.

The 2026 Quarterly Exam Week Calendar

Session-based Applied Skills and Strategic Professional exams adhere to a strict quarterly cycle. The 2026 sitting windows run across these primary dates:

March 2026 Sitting: Monday 2 March – Friday 6 March 2026
June 2026 Sitting: Monday 1 June – Friday 5 June 2026
September 2026 Sitting: Monday 7 September – Friday 11 September 2026
December 2026 Sitting: Monday 7 December – Friday 11 December 2026

Note: On-demand Applied Knowledge exams (Business and Technology, Management Accounting, Financial Accounting) and Corporate and Business Law (LW) do not follow this quarterly schedule; they can be booked throughout the year via approved UK testing centres or remote invigilation.

Permanent Day-of-the-Week Paper Allocations

Because ACCA schedules papers by functional pillar, modules within the same stream share an identical weekday. This makes it impossible to sit certain combinations in the same week, while making others ideal for back-to-back sittings:

Monday: Audit & Assurance
• Applied Skills: Audit and Assurance (AA)
• Strategic Professional: Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)

Tuesday: Taxation & Business Leadership
• Applied Skills: Taxation (TX - UK)
• Strategic Professional: Strategic Business Leader (SBL)
• Advanced Taxation (ATX - UK)

Wednesday: Performance Management
• Applied Skills: Performance Management (PM)
• Strategic Professional: Advanced Performance Management (APM)

Thursday: Financial Reporting
• Applied Skills: Financial Reporting (FR)
• Strategic Professional: Strategic Business Reporting (SBR)

Friday: Financial Management
• Applied Skills: Financial Management (FM)
• Strategic Professional: Advanced Financial Management (AFM)

Paper Pairing Strategy: Feasibility Matrix

Sitting two papers in a single window is common across UK accountancy training contracts, but poor timetable combinations can derail your preparation. When mapping your sittings, consider both the spacing between exam days and cognitive overlap:

1. High-Feasibility Pairings (Spaced Schedule)

Audit and Assurance (Monday) + Financial Management (Friday): Offers four clear revision days between papers. This avoids cognitive fatigue while keeping quantitative calculations separate from narrative audit procedures.

Strategic Business Reporting (Thursday) + Advanced Audit and Assurance (Monday of following sitting, or paired with AAA on Monday): When sitting SBR and AAA simultaneously, AAA takes place on Monday and SBR on Thursday. The significant accounting standard overlap makes this pairing intellectually efficient, giving you two rest days in between.

2. High-Risk Pairings (Consecutive Days)

Performance Management (Wednesday) + Financial Reporting (Thursday): Two notoriously time-pressured Applied Skills modules on consecutive mornings. Squeezing final revision into Wednesday evening is a recipe for mental exhaustion.

Strategic Business Leader (Tuesday) + Advanced Performance Management (Wednesday): SBL is a 3-hour-and-15-minute case study requiring intense contextual synthesis. Backing this up immediately with APM's demanding performance metrics risks burnout.

If you are exploring cross-credential pathways alongside your accounting exams, explore our breakdown of professional exam preparation strategies to align multi-credential timelines effectively.

Registration Windows & The Financial Cost of Missing Cutoffs

ACCA operates two distinct entry tiers: Standard Entry and Late Entry. The standard entry deadline typically closes approximately five weeks before the Monday of exam week (in late January or early February for the March sitting, late April or early May for June, late July or early August for September, and late October or early November for December).

Missing the standard entry cutoff is an expensive mistake. Late entry fees more than double the base examination cost per paper. For self-funded students or trainees operating under rigid corporate training budgets, incurring a late fee can mean an unnecessary surcharge of over £150 to £200 per paper. Always secure your slot at least two weeks before the standard closing date; doing so also guarantees your preferred UK exam centre (such as central London, Birmingham, Manchester, or Leeds) before physical desks fill up.

Backwards-Planning Your Study Timeline

Success in Applied Skills and Strategic Professional modules demands an 11- to 12-week study lifecycle. Working backwards from the official exam dates ensures structured coverage and eliminates panic cramming:

Weeks 1 to 5 (Knowledge Acquisition): Work systematically through the technical syllabus. Complete foundational chapter quizzes, consolidate standard rules (such as IFRS 15, 16, and IAS 37 for FR/SBR, or capital allowances and relief claims for TX), and build structured summary mindmaps.

Weeks 6 to 9 (Question Practice by Topic): Transition entirely into past exam questions from the ACCA Practice Platform. Tackle full 20- and 25-mark scenario questions under untimed conditions first, evaluating your workings against official model answers and examiner reports.

Weeks 10 to 12 (Timed Diagnostic Mock Sprint): The final fortnight before your scheduled sitting must simulate real test conditions. Complete at least two full, timed mock papers within the CBE interface without notes. Many candidates discover that their core weakness is not technical understanding, but typing speed, spreadsheet formula syntax, and strict time discipline.

To accelerate your diagnostic phase, you can start practicing on an AI-powered revision platform to pinpoint syllabus blind spots, test scenario recall, and get instant feedback on your written logic before sitting your full mocks.

Results Release Calendar & Hourly Drop Mechanics

Following exam week, marking teams undergo a meticulous moderation process. ACCA results drop via your online myACCA portal approximately five to six weeks post-exam, specifically on the third Monday of the following month (or the second Monday, depending on sitting distribution). For instance, results for December sittings drop on or around 18 January, while June sittings release in mid-July.

Results formally publish at 00:00 GMT (midnight UK time). Candidates who have pre-registered for SMS notifications often receive their percentage score within the first 15 to 30 minutes of the drop, whereas portal logins can experience high server latency during peak traffic between 00:00 and 02:00 GMT. If you miss out by a narrow margin (scoring 47–49%), review your detailed candidate feedback breakdown before deciding whether to enter the immediate next sitting before the approaching standard cutoff.

Synthesising Your Multi-Sitting Roadmap

Whether you have two modules left in Applied Skills or are tackling your final Strategic Professional options, consistency beats intensity. Synchronise your revision schedule with verified ACCA exam dates, respect the day-of-the-week pairings, and book within standard entry windows. Using customised AI study planning tools can streamline this journey, helping you calibrate your weekly question quota, balance corporate demands, and cross the 50% pass boundary with confidence.