Business and finance
Can you be a bookkeeper without qualifications?
Yes. There is no legal requirement to hold a qualification to work as a bookkeeper in the UK; each employer decides what a post needs, and some ask for up to 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 including maths and English. If you offer bookkeeping services yourself, you must register for money laundering supervision before you trade.
Do you need qualifications to be a bookkeeper?
No law says you must hold a bookkeeping qualification to work as a bookkeeper. Each employer decides what a post needs, and the National Careers Service notes that some employers recruiting bookkeepers directly ask for up to 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4, including maths and English. If a post, funded place or apprenticeship names a specific regulated qualification, check that before you enrol.
Working for yourself without a qualification
GOV.UK says a business offering bookkeeping services must not trade without being registered for money laundering supervision, either with a professional body or with HMRC. The National Careers Service names AAT, IAB and ICB as professional bodies for bookkeepers, and GOV.UK lists all three as anti-money laundering supervisory authorities. Our guide on how to start a bookkeeping business covers the set-up.
What you need to start the Level 2 Bookkeeping Course
| Requirement | Level 2 Bookkeeping Course |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 16 or over |
| Previous qualifications | None required |
| Bookkeeping experience | None; the course starts from first principles |
| Maths | Level 2 maths helps but is not required |
| Employer, placement or business | Not needed; every assignment uses the course's own business records |
| DBS check | Not needed; there is no placement or workplace |
| Equipment | A computer, spreadsheet software and an internet connection |
| Bookkeeping software | Access included for the software unit |
How much maths you need
Bookkeeping is arithmetic rather than advanced maths: adding, subtracting, and working out percentages for VAT and discounts, while keeping two sides of a ledger equal. The course teaches every calculation step by step, and in the final unit bookkeeping software does the arithmetic for you.
If you want to strengthen your maths first, or an employer asks for it, Functional Skills Maths Level 2 is a regulated maths qualification you can study online. The National Careers Service notes that some employers recruiting bookkeepers directly ask for up to 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4, including maths and English, so check the adverts for the roles you want.
Studying around work
There is no fixed timetable and no exam date. Most learners study 4 to 6 hours a week and finish in 3 to 6 months, moving on as soon as each assignment is marked. Assignments are marked by your named UK tutor in 5 to 7 working days.
How entry compares with other bookkeeping courses
AAT says it sets no entry requirements for its Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping, and recommends a good standard of English and maths. Training providers may set their own minimum age. The Choose your pathway tab on this hub compares the routes.
Not sure you are ready?
Start the Level 2 Bookkeeping Course with a 7-day free trial: you pay nothing today and nothing is charged until day 8, so you can see the first unit before you commit. If you only need the basics for your own business, Bookkeeping Basics is open to anyone aged 16 or over and takes about 6 hours. Get Bookkeeping Basics, an accredited CPD course.
Questions
What qualifications do you need to be a bookkeeper?
Do you need a licence to be a bookkeeper UK?
Is bookkeeping easy to learn?
Do I need bookkeeping software?
Related pages
- Start the Level 2 Bookkeeping Course with a 7-day free trial
- Get Bookkeeping Basics, an accredited CPD course
- Study Functional Skills Maths Level 2 online
- How to become a bookkeeper in the UK
- How to start a bookkeeping business
- Business and finance courses