Level 4 · CLC Regulated
Conveyancing & Probate
8 credits · 38 GLH
2-hour exam
Understanding Accounting Procedures Module — CLC Level 4 Diploma in Conveyancing and Probate
Learn the CLC Accounts Code, double-entry bookkeeping for conveyancing and probate transactions, and how to prepare invoices, conveyancing statements, and estate accounts — the module that turns legal knowledge into regulated financial competence.
Price
£555
VAT inc.
or 3
Instalments
3 x £185
Pass Rate Period
Mar 25 - Mar 26
Approved & Regulated by
92% of Accounting Procedures
students pass first time
Mar 2025 – Mar 2026
Source: Access Law Online student data.
Key facts at a glance
Last verified 18 May 2026 · All figures are inclusive of VAT
MODULE
Understanding Accounting Procedures for Conveyancing / Probate Transactions
LEVEL
4 (RQF)
SCQF Level 7 equivalent
CREDITS
8
GUIDED LEARNING HOURS
38 hours
PRICE
£555
VAT inc. or 3 x £185
ASSESSMENT
2-hour supervised exam (plus 15 minutes reading time)
Free first reassessment included
FIRST-TIME PASS RATE
92%
Mar 2025 - Mar 2026
ROUTES
Conveyancing & Probate
Counts toward both Level 4 Diplomas
AWARDING BODY
CLC &
Qualifications Scotland
Unit code HG17 53
REGULATOR
CLC
Council for Licensed Conveyancers
TUTOR
Mark Smith
Academic · unlimited support
PROVIDER
Access Law Online
Online, self-paced
All facts on this page are verified against the current CLC and Qualifications Scotland records. View accreditation evidence
What is the Level 4 Understanding Accounting Procedures module?
Short answer
Understanding Accounting Procedures is the fifth and final module in both the Level 4 Diploma in Conveyancing Law and Practice and the Level 4 Diploma in Probate Law and Practice. It's the module that bridges law and money — where you learn the CLC Accounts Code and Guidance, the double-entry bookkeeping system used to record conveyancing and probate transactions, and how to prepare the financial documents clients actually receive: invoices, conveyancing statements, and estate accounts. 8 credits, 38 guided learning hours, assessed by a 2-hour supervised exam. £555 VAT inc.
This is the only Level 4 module assessed by exam rather than assignment — and it's the module students most often describe as the one they expected to find hardest. The reality is different from the expectation: Accounting Procedures isn't mathematically complex (you won't need anything beyond basic arithmetic), and it's not conceptually dense in the way Contract Law or Land Law can be. What it requires is accuracy, attention to detail, and the ability to apply a set of rules — the CLC Accounts Code — to practical scenarios under timed conditions. The 92% first-time pass rate (Mar 2025 – Mar 2026) suggests that with the right preparation, the exam format is manageable.
You can study Accounting Procedures on its own as a standalone module (£555), or as part of either the Level 4 Diploma in Conveyancing Law & Practice or the Level 4 Diploma in Probate Law & Practice. It's a shared module — completing it counts toward either Diploma, and you won't need to re-sit it if you later add the second specialism.
What does the Understanding Accounting Procedures module cover?
Short answer
Nine topic areas covering the CLC Accounts Code, double-entry bookkeeping for conveyancing and probate transactions, VAT, and the financial documents that clients receive at the end of a transaction — invoices, conveyancing statements, and estate accounts. The module builds progressively: you start with the regulatory rules, learn the bookkeeping system, then apply both to complete conveyancing and probate transaction scenarios.
The Accounts Code and Guidance
Where the module starts — and where it differs from a generic bookkeeping course. You'll study the CLC Accounts Code and its accompanying Guidance, which set out the rules governing how client money and office money must be handled in a CLC-regulated practice. This includes the distinction between client money and office money (the single most important concept in the module), the rules for paying money into and out of client bank accounts, the circumstances in which client money may be withheld from client bank account, when money may be withdrawn or transferred from client bank account, and the requirements for keeping and retaining accounting records. Every bookkeeping entry you make in this module — and every bookkeeping entry you make in practice — exists to comply with these rules. Understanding the Code isn't background reading; it's the operating system.
Recording basic transactions
The foundations of double-entry bookkeeping as applied to a CLC-regulated practice. You'll study how the double-entry system works — debits, credits, running balances — and learn to record straightforward receipts and payments in both the client and office ledgers. This is where the practical mechanics of the module begin: you're not studying theory about bookkeeping, you're making entries in ledger templates. If you've never encountered double-entry before, this topic will feel unfamiliar at first — but the system is logical, and once the pattern clicks, it applies consistently to every transaction type that follows.
Bookkeeping entries relating to clients
Building on the basic transaction entries, you'll study how to record the specific types of transaction you'll encounter in practice: receipts of money from clients on account of costs, payments of disbursements on behalf of clients, transfers between clients, and transfers between client bank account and office bank account.
Designated deposit accounts
How client money is held in interest-bearing accounts and the accounting entries required when money is placed in, and withdrawn from, a designated deposit account. You'll also study the obligation to account to the client for deposit interest — when it arises, how it's calculated, and how the interest payment is recorded. In practice, designated deposit accounts are most relevant for probate matters (where client money may be held for extended periods during estate administration) and for conveyancing transactions involving large deposits held between exchange and completion.
Bookkeeping relating to mortgages
The entries required when a mortgage advance is received and when a mortgage is redeemed — two of the largest single transactions in any residential conveyancing file. You'll study how to record the receipt of a mortgage advance on a purchase, the redemption of an existing mortgage on a sale, and the movement of funds between the various accounts involved.
The conveyancing transaction
A full worked example pulling together everything you've studied: a standard residential sale and purchase, recorded from start to finish in the double-entry system. You'll track the transaction through its chronological stages — disbursements, deposits, exchange, mortgage advance, completion, post-completion — making all the entries in the correct ledgers and maintaining running balances throughout. This is where the module becomes genuinely practical: you're not answering isolated questions, you're managing the financial record of an entire transaction the way you would in a real conveyancing file.
The probate transaction
The equivalent worked example for a probate matter. You'll record the financial entries arising from estate administration — collecting in assets, paying debts and liabilities, distributing to beneficiaries — using the same double-entry system. The underlying bookkeeping principles are identical to the conveyancing transaction, but the transaction types differ: you're dealing with estate assets, creditor payments, beneficiary distributions, and tax liabilities rather than deposits, mortgage advances, and completion statements. This is the topic that makes the module genuinely shared: conveyancing students study the probate transaction too, and probate students study the conveyancing transaction, because a CLC-regulated practice may handle both.
VAT — drafting invoices
The principles of Value Added Tax as applied to conveyancing and probate billing. You'll study which items on a client bill are subject to VAT, how to calculate the VAT due, and how to prepare a compliant invoice for a conveyancing or probate transaction. The invoice must include the firm's fees, any disbursements subject to VAT, and the total amount payable — laid out in a way that's clear to the client and compliant with the CLC Accounts Code. This is a practical skill you'll use at the end of every completed matter.
Conveyancing statements and estate accounts
The financial documents that clients receive at the end of a transaction. For conveyancing, you'll prepare a conveyancing statement — a single document setting out the sale proceeds, the purchase costs, all disbursements, fees, taxes, mortgage redemption figures, mortgage advance figures, and the net amount due to or from the client. For probate, you'll prepare estate accounts — showing every asset, liability, payment, and distribution in the estate, with a final balance demonstrating that the estate has been properly administered. Both documents must be in a format that a non-lawyer can understand. In the exam, the conveyancing statement or estate accounts question typically carries the largest single mark allocation — it's where all the bookkeeping, VAT, and regulatory knowledge comes together in one answer.
What will I be able to do after completing Understanding Accounting Procedures?
Short answer
Apply the CLC Accounts Code to practical scenarios, record conveyancing and probate transactions in a double-entry bookkeeping system, prepare invoices with the correct VAT treatment, and produce conveyancing statements and estate accounts that clients can understand. This is the module that completes your Level 4 Diploma — the financial competence that sits alongside the legal competence you've built in the earlier modules.
Apply the CLC Accounts Code to real situations
After completing the module, you'll be able to determine whether a particular receipt or payment is client money or office money — the foundational distinction that governs everything else. You'll know when money may be paid into a client bank account, when it may be withheld, when it may be withdrawn or transferred, and what records must be kept. In practice, Accounts Code compliance is one of the areas the CLC monitors most closely in regulated practices — and getting it wrong has consequences for the firm, not just the individual.
Record transactions using double-entry bookkeeping
You'll be able to record a minimum of ten financial transactions in a paper-based double-entry bookkeeping system, representing a standard residential conveyancing transaction or a probate matter. This includes receipts and payments of both office and client money, transfers between clients, deposits, mortgage advances and redemptions, correcting entries, and dealing with returned cheques. The exam tests this skill directly — you'll be given ledger templates and asked to make the entries.
Prepare a compliant invoice
You'll understand the items that should appear on a client bill, how to calculate and apply VAT to fees and disbursements, and how to lay out the invoice clearly. This is a practical skill that every conveyancing or probate practitioner uses at the end of every completed matter.
Produce conveyancing statements and estate accounts
This is the skill that brings the module together. A conveyancing statement takes a completed sale and purchase and presents the financial picture to the client in a single, comprehensible document. Estate accounts do the same for a probate matter. In both cases, you'll demonstrate that you can take a complex set of financial transactions and present them clearly, accurately, and in a format that meets the CLC's regulatory standards. In the exam, this is typically the highest-weighted section.
What's included in the £555 module price?
Short answer
The full Diploma support package: Knowledge Mapping Assessment, unlimited tutor support, 24/7 student advisor, video lectures, downloadable materials, live recorded webinars, eBook Central access, a dedicated Revision & Mock Exam Module, a tutor-marked mock exam with written feedback, your final exam, and a free first resit.
Personalised diagnostic that maps your existing knowledge so you focus where it matters.
Unlimited tutor support
Named practising solicitor or licensed conveyancer — response within one working day.
24/7 student advisor support
For admin, technical, and scheduling queries any time.
All course materials
Video lectures, downloadable PDFs, interactive modules, and resources.
Dedicated webinar series
Live sessions with your tutor — all recorded and available on the VLE.
eBook Central access
Legal textbook library, included for the duration of your study.
Revision & Mock Exam Module
Practice questions on each examined area — all with model answers, plus a full mock exam . This is a dedicated VLE module that sits alongside the main course materials, designed specifically for exam preparation.
Tutor-marked mock exam
Submit your mock and receive personalised written feedback from the module leader before you sit the real exam. This is the diagnostic — the point where your tutor advises whether you're ready to book.
Final exam
Booked on demand, 6 days a week. Three delivery options: online with remote invigilation, at your workplace (if your employer is a CLC- or SRA-regulated practice), or at one of our 15 UK assessment centres.
First resit included
At no extra cost if you don't pass first time.
Certificate and credits
From Qualifications Scotland on successful completion.
What our students say about Understanding Accounting Procedures
Feedback from Level 4 Diploma students, 2025–2026.
How is the Understanding Accounting Procedures module assessed?
Short answer
One 2-hour supervised exam (plus 15 minutes reading time). The exam is booked on demand — no fixed sittings — and scheduled within 14 days of your application, 6 days a week. Three delivery options: online with remote invigilation, at your workplace, or at one of our 15 UK assessment centres. Two attempts are permitted (first sit plus one free resit). 92% of students pass first time (Mar 2025 – Mar 2026).
This is the only Level 4 module assessed by exam rather than take-home assignment. The exam is open-book in one important respect: you're permitted to bring a copy of the CLC Accounts Code and Guidance into the exam room and refer to it throughout. You may also use a silent, non-programmable calculator. No other notes are allowed.
The exam carries 100 marks in total. It covers all three learning outcomes: applying the CLC Accounts Code to practical scenarios, recording conveyancing transactions in a double-entry bookkeeping system, and preparing invoices and conveyancing statements. The pass mark is 50%.
The format is practical rather than essay-based. You'll work through scenario-based questions, make bookkeeping entries on standard ledger templates, and prepare financial documents from given information. The exam tests whether you can do the work, not whether you can write about it.
Preparation support is more structured than for the assignment-assessed modules — because it needs to be. The Revision & Mock Exam Module on the VLE contains practice questions on each examined area and a full mock exam with model answers, so you can practise under exam-like conditions before the real thing. The tutor-marked mock adds a personal element: you submit it, the module leader marks it and provides written feedback, and that feedback tells you whether you're ready to book the exam or whether specific areas need more work.
Booking the exam. When you feel ready, you apply through the Assessment Information section of the module on the VLE and choose your delivery option: online (remote invigilation via webcam), at your workplace (if it's a CLC- or SRA-regulated practice), or at one of our 15 designated UK assessment centres (Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Guildford, Halifax, Hendon, Ipswich, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Watford). Access Law arranges the exam within 14 days. Six days a week of availability means the date is rarely the constraint — your own readiness usually is.
Online exam requirements. If you choose to sit online, you'll need a webcam, a microphone, and a stable broadband connection (recommended 5 Mbps download / 2 Mbps upload minimum).
How long does the Understanding Accounting Procedures module take to complete?
Short answer
It depends on what you already know — and whether you've dealt with client accounts and double-entry bookkeeping before. The module carries 38 guided learning hours and 80 hours total qualification time — less than the 12-credit modules (which carry 60 GLH and 120 TQT), because the content is narrower and more focused. A typical student studying alongside full-time work takes 2–3 months. An experienced accounts handler or bookkeeper who completes the Knowledge Mapping Assessment can finish in as little as 2–4 weeks.
If you're new to bookkeeping
Most students studying Accounting Procedures for the first time complete the module in 2–3 months alongside full-time work. The module is shorter than the 12-credit modules (38 guided learning hours versus 60), but the exam format means you need to internalise the material rather than work through it with your notes open — which changes the study approach. You'll work through the video lectures and course manual, practise with the Revision & Mock Exam Module, submit your tutor-marked mock, and then book the exam when your tutor confirms you're ready.
There are no fixed terms, no cohort start dates, and no scheduled sessions you need to attend at a set time. You study at your own pace and book the exam when you're prepared.
If you already handle client accounts
If you work in a conveyancing or probate firm and already deal with client money, you're familiar with much of what this module teaches — the distinction between client and office money, the rules for banking client funds, the process of recording transactions. The KMA identifies that existing competence and focuses your study on the areas where formal knowledge is needed: the specific provisions of the CLC Accounts Code (you may comply with them daily without knowing the code structure), the precise bookkeeping entries for less common scenarios (designated deposit accounts, correcting entries, interest payments), and the exam technique required to produce conveyancing statements and estate accounts under timed conditions.
For experienced accounts handlers, the effective study time can shrink to 2–4 weeks — focused primarily on exam technique and the Revision & Mock Exam Module rather than learning the underlying concepts from scratch.
Learn how the Knowledge Mapping Assessment worksHow does Understanding Accounting Procedures fit into the full Diploma?
Short answer
Understanding Accounting Procedures is the fifth and final module in both the Level 4 Diploma in Conveyancing Law and Practice (£2,310) and the Level 4 Diploma in Probate Law and Practice (£2,310). It's a shared module — completing it counts toward either Diploma, and you won't need to re-sit it if you later add the second specialism.
Understanding Accounting Procedures is almost always the last module students complete. It's designed that way: the conveyancing and probate transaction scenarios in the exam draw on the legal knowledge from the earlier modules, and the bookkeeping entries make more sense when you already understand the underlying transactions they record. You don't need to have completed the other four modules before studying Accounting Procedures — there's no formal prerequisite — but most students find it works best as the final step.
Four of the five Level 4 modules are shared across both the Conveyancing and Probate Diplomas: English Legal System, Law of Contract, Land Law, and Understanding Accounting Procedures. The only module that differs between the two routes is the fourth: Standard Conveyancing Transactions for the Conveyancing Diploma, or Law of Wills, Succession & Grants of Representation for the Probate Diploma.
Module
Assessment
Price
Routes
Understanding Accounting Procedures (this module)
2-hour exam
£555
Conveyancing and Probate
The full Level 4 Diploma price is £2,310 — less than the sum of the individual module prices — and includes the same support package across all five modules. If you start with Understanding Accounting Procedures as a standalone module (£555) and upgrade to the full Diploma within 30 days of passing, you pay the difference (£1,755) and your total spend is identical to enrolling on the Diploma from day one.
Understanding Accounting Procedures also provides the direct foundation for Level 6. The Level 6 Managing Client and Office Accounts module takes the bookkeeping and regulatory principles you study here and applies them to more complex scenarios — multi-party transactions, inter-client transfers, advanced billing structures, and the supervisory responsibilities of an Authorised Person managing client money. The Level 6 Accounts module is also shared across both routes, so passing it once covers both the Conveyancing and Probate Level 6 Diplomas.
Can I upgrade to the full Diploma after passing Understanding Accounting Procedures?
Short answer
Yes — but only if Understanding Accounting Procedures is the first standalone module you've purchased with us. The upgrade path is available once, within 30 days of being notified you've passed your first module. If you've already completed other standalone modules before Accounting Procedures (for example, English Legal System or Land Law), you've chosen the modular route and the upgrade option is no longer available.
In practice, most students don't start with Accounting Procedures — it's almost always studied last, after the other four modules. If you're already at the point of studying Accounting Procedures, you've probably either enrolled on the full Diploma already or completed the other modules individually. If you've been buying modules one at a time and Accounting Procedures is your last, you're on the modular route and the upgrade window has passed. The pricing difference is £360 (£2,670 for all five modules individually versus £2,310 for the Diploma).
If Accounting Procedures genuinely is your first module — perhaps because your employer wants you to demonstrate accounts competence before committing to the full Diploma — the upgrade mechanics are the same as for any other module. Within 30 days of passing, you can transfer onto either the Level 4 Conveyancing Diploma or the Level 4 Probate Diploma. You pay the difference between what you've already paid (£555) and the Diploma price (£2,310) — so £1,755 extra.
Upgrade route
Modular route
When it applies
Accounting Procedures is your first standalone module
You've already completed other standalone modules
Diploma price
£2,310
N/A (buy remaining modules individually)
Less: Land Law already paid
- £555
-
You pay to upgrade
£1,755
Remaining modules at individual prices
Total cost for all 5 modules
£2,310
£2,670 (£360 more)
Not sure which route is right for you? If you're fairly confident you'll want the full Diploma, enrolling on it from the start saves £360 and gives you 2 years of VLE access (versus 12 months per standalone module). If you're genuinely unsure, starting with one module and keeping the upgrade window open is the lower-risk option — and if you're choosing a first module, we'd recommend one of the shared modules (English Legal System, Contract Law, or Land Law) rather than Accounting Procedures, because they keep both the Conveyancing and Probate upgrade paths open and provide the legal foundations the rest of the Diploma builds on.
View Level 4 Diploma in ConveyancingView Level 4 Diploma in ProbateWho is the Understanding Accounting Procedures module for?
Short answer
Anyone completing a CLC qualification in conveyancing or probate. Most students reach this module as the final step of their Level 4 Diploma — but it's also available as a standalone module for employers who want targeted accounts training, for experienced practitioners filling a specific gap, or for candidates with exemptions from the other four Level 4 modules who only need Accounting Procedures to complete their Diploma.
Diploma students completing their final module
This is the most common scenario. You've completed the four academic and practice modules — English Legal System, Contract Law, Land Law, and either Standard Conveyancing Transactions or Law of Wills — and Accounting Procedures is your last step before the Diploma certificate. By this point you understand the transactions the bookkeeping records, which makes the ledger entries and financial statements easier to contextualise. The exam format is different from what you've been doing (timed and supervised rather than open-ended), but the Revision & Mock Exam Module and tutor-marked mock are designed to prepare you for that shift.
Accounts staff and bookkeepers in legal practices
You handle the firm's client and office accounts but don't hold a formal CLC qualification. This module formalises the knowledge you already use daily — the CLC Accounts Code, the client/office money distinction, the double-entry system — and gives you 8 Qualifications Scotland credits and a certificate. The KMA will recognise your existing competence and focus your study on the areas where formal exam technique is needed.
Candidates with prior qualifications who need only Accounting Procedures
Several exemption profiles leave Understanding Accounting Procedures as one of the few (or the only) Level 4 modules still to complete. For example: CILEX CPQ Advanced candidates need only Accounting Procedures at Level 4. Candidates with an incomplete law degree plus relevant units typically need Accounting Procedures plus the route-specific module. If this is you, you can buy the module standalone at £555 — and if it's genuinely your first standalone module, the 30-day upgrade path to the full Diploma is available.
Employers funding targeted training
Some firms enrol individual staff on Accounting Procedures to test the VLE and tutor support before committing to a larger programme, or to formalise the accounts competence of a specific team member. The module carries the same support package as the full Diploma — it's a fair trial of everything we offer.
Do I need any prior qualifications to study Understanding Accounting Procedures?
Short answer
No. There are no formal entry requirements. Qualifications Scotland recommend that learners have a basic knowledge of arithmetic (demonstrated by a qualification at Level 2 or equivalent), but we don't enforce this as a hard entry requirement — and in practice, the arithmetic involved is limited to addition, subtraction, and straightforward percentage calculations (VAT at the prevailing rate). If you can use a calculator and balance a column of figures, you have the numerical skills this module requires.
We recommend studying the other four Level 4 modules before Accounting Procedures, because the conveyancing and probate transaction scenarios in the exam draw directly on the legal knowledge from those modules — but this is a recommendation, not a requirement. You can study the modules in any order.
If you hold prior qualifications (a law degree, CILEX, SQE1, NALP, or others), you may be exempt from Accounting Procedures entirely — see the exemptions section below or use the Exemptions Calculator to check.
The Knowledge Mapping Assessment at the start of the module will tailor your study plan regardless of your background. If you're completely new to bookkeeping, it maps out the full syllabus. If you already handle client accounts and have practical familiarity with the ledger system, it identifies your gaps and focuses your study time there.
Am I exempt from the Understanding Accounting Procedures module?
Short answer
You might be — it depends on what you've already studied or qualified in. Several prior qualifications grant exemption from the entire Level 4 Diploma (Accounting Procedures included), and a few grant exemption from the other Level 4 modules but leave Accounting Procedures as one of the modules still to complete. If you have four or more years of fee-earning experience, you may also qualify for the CLC's Professional Experience Exemption, which bypasses Level 4 altogether. Use our Exemptions Calculator for a personalised assessment in minutes.
You're exempt from Understanding Accounting Procedures if you hold an SQE1 FLK2 pass. FLK2 exempts Land Law, the route-specific module, and Understanding Accounting Procedures at Level 4 — leaving English Legal System and Contract Law still to complete.
You still need Understanding Accounting Procedures if you passed SQE1 FLK1 only (without FLK2). This catches people out — FLK1 exempts English Legal System and Contract Law, but leaves Land Law, the route-specific module, and Accounting Procedures still to complete. An incomplete law degree with relevant units also typically requires Accounting Procedures plus the route-specific module. CILEX CPQ Advanced leaves only Accounting Procedures at Level 4. CILEX CPQ Foundation leaves Accounting Procedures plus the route-specific module.
You're exempt from the entire Level 4 Diploma (Accounting Procedures included) if you hold a complete law degree (LLB, BA in Law, or GDL), both SQE1 FLK1 and FLK2, CILEX Level 6 or CPQ Professional qualifications, a NALP Level 4 Diploma with the relevant elective, or an LPC with the right units passed in the last 6 years.
The dual-qualification overlap rule. If you've already passed the Accounting Procedures module as part of one Level 4 Diploma (Conveyancing or Probate) and you're now adding the other Diploma, you don't need to re-sit it. The CLC permits dual-qualifying candidates to pass only one Accounts module at each level — an exemption is automatically granted for the other.
The Professional Experience Exemption is a separate route for experienced fee-earners with four or more years of continuous conveyancing or probate practice. PEE bypasses the entire Level 4 Diploma. Learn more about PEE on the CLC website.
Check your exemptions nowOther common questions
The full Level 4 Diploma in Conveyancing
Understanding Accounting Procedures is module 5 of 5 · Same five modules also form the L4 Probate route (swap module 4 for Wills, Succession & Grants)
Module 1
English Legal System
Module 2
Law of Contract
Module 3
Land Law
Module 4
Standard Conveyancing Transactions
Module 4
Wills, Succession & Grants of Representation
You are here
Module 5
Understanding Accounting Procedures
21-day assignment
£450
28-day assignment
£555
28-day assignment
£555
28-day assignment
£555
28-day assignment
£555
2-hour exam
£555
Still have questions?
Talk to our team on 0333 052 3844 or email support@alo-email.com. We can help you work out which route is right for you, check your exemptions, or walk you through the enrolment process.
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