International Accounting Day: why 10 November matters

Today, Tuesday 10 November, is International Accounting Day: the one day of the year set aside to recognise the people who keep the world’s finances in order.

Accountants rarely get the spotlight. Yet every payslip, tax return, audit and annual report depends on them. International Accounting Day is a chance to thank the professionals who already do this work, and to encourage the students and trainees who will do it next. Here at MTS, we see those future bookkeepers and accountants every week, sitting their AAT assessments and ACCA exams at our test centres across the UK.

To celebrate, MTS is offering 5% off all AAT and ACCA On-Demand exam bookings for the whole of November 2026. Details of how to claim your discount are given below.

Why 10 November?

The date marks the publication of a book in Venice on 10 November 1494: the Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni et Proportionalita by Luca Pacioli. The title translates roughly as “everything about arithmetic, geometry and proportion”.

Pacioli was a Franciscan friar and mathematician, born in Italy around 1447. His Summa was a vast textbook covering the mathematics of the day, including a short article on bookkeeping that described the “method of Venice”, the system local merchants used to track their trade. We know it today as double-entry bookkeeping.

Pacioli did not invent double-entry. Venetian merchants were already using it, but Pacioli was the first to set the method out clearly in print. Thanks to the newly invented printing press, his book spread across Europe, and its accounting section was used as an accountancy textbook well into the 16th century. That is why Luca Pacioli is known as the ‘father of accounting’.

The date has since been adopted by accountants around the world, with support from professional bodies and, by some accounts, a recommendation from UNESCO.

More than 500 years later

The remarkable thing about Pacioli’s method is how little it has changed. Every transaction is recorded twice, as a debit in one account and a credit in another, so the books always balance and errors stand out. The essentials are the same today, and every business and government in the world relies on them.

What has changed is the profession built on top of them. Today’s accountants work across audit, tax, payroll, advisory, sustainability reporting and financial technology. Qualifications such as ACCA and AAT give people a recognised route into that world, whether they are school leavers starting out in bookkeeping or graduates working towards chartered status.

Sit your ACCA and AAT exams with MTS

Every qualified accountant starts with an exam, and MTS is here to make that step as smooth as possible. We deliver ACCA sessional exams, ACCA On-Demand exams and AAT assessments at most of our UK exam centres.

•            ACCA sessional exams: sit your Applied Skills and Strategic Professional exams on the fixed dates of ACCA’s four exam sessions in March, June, September and December. ACCA sessional exams can only be booked via the ACCA global portal.

•            ACCA On-Demand exams: as an ACCA On-Demand exam centre, we offer flexible dates for the Applied Knowledge exams and other On-Demand papers, so you can sit when you are ready rather than waiting for the next session. ACCA On-Demand exams can be booked with us directly at our ACCA On-Demand booking engine.

•            AAT assessments: take your AAT computer-based assessments, from Level 2 through to Level 4, at an approved venue near you. AAT exams can be booked with us directly at our AAT booking engine.

You can take AAT and ACCA On-Demand exams at 12 of our UK venues: AAT is available in London (Chiswick), Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Milton Keynes and Nottingham. ACCA On-Demand is available in the same cities, and also in Manchester and London (King’s Cross). Every exam is run by our trained team of more than 600 invigilators across the UK and Ireland, so you can focus on the paper in front of you.

5% off AAT and ACCA On-Demand bookings this November

To mark International Accounting Day, MTS is offering 5% off all AAT and ACCA On-Demand exam bookings made throughout November 2026. Simply enter the right code in our booking system:

The offer runs until 30 November 2026, so now is the perfect time to book the exam you have been putting off.

Which ACCA exams are On-Demand, and which are sessional?

ACCA runs two kinds of computer-based exam. On-Demand exams can be booked directly with an independent test centre such as MTS at almost any time of year, and your result appears on screen as soon as you finish. Sessional exams are sat on fixed dates during ACCA’s four exam sessions, and are entered through ACCA.

In short, the first steps of the ACCA Qualification are flexible, while the more advanced papers follow the session timetable. That makes ACCA On-Demand exams a great way to keep momentum between sessions.

What is AAT, and why choose it?

AAT is the Association of Accounting Technicians, the UK’s leading professional body for accounting technicians. Its qualifications teach the practical, hands-on skills that keep a finance team running: bookkeeping, costing, preparing financial statements, tax processes and business awareness.

The AAT accounting route has three levels:

1.         Level 2 Certificate in Accounting: the starting point, covering bookkeeping, costing and the business environment. No previous experience is needed.

2.         Level 3 Diploma in Accounting: financial and management accounting, tax processes and business awareness, preparing you for roles such as assistant accountant, bookkeeper or payroll administrator.

3.         Level 4 Diploma for Professional Accounting Technicians: the top level, introduced in September 2026, with five units including financial accounting, management accounting, audit and internal controls, and taxation.

There are plenty of reasons to choose AAT:

•            No degree required: you can start at Level 2 with no previous accounting knowledge, making AAT ideal for school leavers, apprentices and career changers.

•            Job-ready skills: the focus is on the practical tasks employers need done from day one.

•            Earn while you learn: most students study part-time alongside work, often with employer support.

•            Professional recognition: after Level 4 you can apply for full AAT membership and use the letters MAAT, subject to AAT’s experience requirements.

•            A route to chartered status: completing the full Level 4 qualification makes you eligible for exemptions from ACCA’s three Applied Knowledge exams (BT, MA and FA).

AAT or ACCA?

AAT and ACCA don’t really compete with each other, but can be seen as different stages of the same professional journey. AAT builds strong technical foundations; ACCA takes you all the way to chartered certified accountant, with the strategic and leadership skills needed for senior finance roles.

Many students do both. Starting with AAT lets you earn a recognised qualification quickly, then move on to ACCA with three exams already behind you. Whichever path you choose, MTS is here to host your exams.

Celebrate the day by taking your next step

Luca Pacioli helped turn bookkeeping into a discipline that could be taught, learnt and examined. More than five centuries later, that tradition continues every time a student sits an ACCA or AAT exam.

If you are ready to take your next step, book your ACCA or AAT exam with MTS today.

Remember to use code AATIAD5OFF for AAT bookings and ACCAIAD5OFF for ACCA On-Demand bookings to save 5% off all bookings made throughout November.

Happy International Accounting Day from all of us at MTS!