Banking, Finance & Insurance

Dear aspirant, Glad to meet you. Since it is not possible to take advantage of the ACCA membership to get exemptions from the US CPA exam, I suggest that you target one not both. Regarding which qualification is better, it is like a question on Coca Cola vs. Pepsi: it really depends on where you plan to work. For ACCA, the application process is much simpler, and the entry barrier is lower than the CPA. However, it takes years to complete the studies and obtain membership. While ACCA is globally recognised, it is not as highly regarded outside the UK and Commonwealth countries. The US CPA is arguably the most prestigious accounting qualification. The entry barrier is high with an equivalent of a Masters degree together with strict working experience requirements. Because of these stricter requirements, the CPA Exam itself has fewer parts than the ACCA only 4 sections compared to 14 papers for the ACCA. Hope it helps.

If we looked at the overall rankings of these institutes, Welingkar &get; SIES &get; Dalmia &get; Chetana. So, Welingkar would be your first preference. It is better to join a GDPI training programme as it will give some structure to your preparation and you'll know how to frame your answers to commonly asked interview questions, how to generate points and tackle GDs, and how to face What (writing ability test) and work on your CV/Resume and application. You can start working on these things immediately:
1. If you haven't been following the news, start reading the newspapers right away and go through Current Affairs so far. That will take care of the content in GDs and will also help during interviews if you're asked your opinion on a topic
2. Do institute research. Why do you want to join that particular institute? What kind of activities happens on campus? Talk to people who are currently studying there or have completed courses from that institute
3. Write answers to commonly asked questions. Why MBA, why at this point of time, about your work experience, extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility, long-term and short-term goals, passion, hobbies and interests, strengths and areas of improvement, etc.
4. Attend a mock interview/GD. It will definitely highlight gaps in your preparation. Hope this helps! All the best :). .