Frequently asked questions on DITT

• Existing tax professionals (including those who work for HMRC)
• Those wanting to return to tax after a career break
• Those working in the tax software industry or tax professionals looking to develop their career in this direction.

No, but you must have a basic knowledge of the principles of taxation. If you don’t have this you can take the online, on demand, Level 2 Foundation qualifications in VAT, Personal and Business Taxation offered by the ATT. If you are interested in technology, but have no tax knowledge, we strongly recommend you take at least two of these courses before starting the Diploma. 

Find out more here:
Online Courses - ATT Foundation Qualifications | The Association of Taxation Technicians

Candidates can undertake the Diploma from anywhere in the world, and the first eight modules are fairly generic. However, the last three modules are much more UK-focused.

The Diploma is set at UK Level 4. (The CTA qualification is UK Level 7.)

Level 4 means you will be expected to recall facts, demonstrate comprehension, and apply your knowledge to a certain extent.

You can complete the Diploma in 60 – 90 hours, completion time will vary by pre-existing knowledge level.  You choose the pace and study at a time that suits you.

There are ten modules to complete in total. Nine are compulsory modules.

Upon registering, you will select the route you will be taking for the remaining module.

Route 1 module: Deep Dive into Tax Technology Management

OR

Route 2 module: Essential technology tools for data handling

There is no assessment for Module 1, the introductory module.

We recommend this route if you are a tax professional who predominantly manages tax technology projects and would like to know more on systems and processes in tax technology.

Review the learning outcomes

We recommend this route if you are a tax professional who would like to understand more technical details on dealing with data, such as data engineering and data analytics.

Review the learning outcomes

There are no exemptions from any module of the Diploma.

Yes, you will be sent this with the rest of the material (at no extra cost), but you won’t be assessed on this module.  

You will first register with the CIOT via the Candidate Registration page.

Once you have registered, and received confirmation, you can purchase access to the online course from Tolley.

You can find the DITT candidate fees here.

The assessments are included in the fee for the course material; there is no extra cost, even if you have to retake any of them (up to the maximum number of times permitted).

Unlike other educational courses that we provide, we’re unable to offer employer invoicing for registration on the DITT qualification. However, you can invoice your employer directly for the course materials when you register with Tolley, which is the greater cost of the qualification.

You can complete the Diploma in 60 – 90 hours of study. Completion time will vary by pre-existing knowledge, but in case of unforeseen events, your registration allows two years for you to complete it. For example, if you pass some modules but then have to take a study break before continuing.  If you have not completed the Diploma within two years of your registration starting then any module passes you do have will expire and you cannot re-register.

Yes. You can take each module assessment a maximum of four times and no more. If you do not pass an assessment on a fourth attempt you cannot proceed with the Diploma and will not be permitted to re-register.

Every year. The first update will be in April 2024.

Make sure you've completed the assessment for any module you've begun by Wednesday 9 April to avoid having to restart the module with the new material. Any module assessments you've already passed will remain valid following the syllabus update.

We advise that you avoid accessing Tolley Academy on Friday 12 April as learning materials will be in the process of updating. The 2024-2025 DITT syllabus content will be available to you on Tolley Academy on Saturday 13 April 2024.

The material will be updated early each year. If you are part-way through a module when the material is updated, then you will need to start the module again as it may have changed.

All the tuition is online and on demand. There is no in person tuition and no need to book any assessments for fixed sessions. You study for each module in sequence and then take the assessment when you are ready.

No. You must study the modules in sequence and pass each module assessment before you progress to the next. You must pass nine modules in total to complete the Diploma.

You will receive access to the course material from Tolley after you have registered with CIOT. It is provided in electronic copy only.

After you have studied each module you choose when to take the assessment in the Tolley online assessment centre. The assessment will comprise 20 objective test questions (in the following formats: multiple choice, multiple response, pick from a list and true or false). You will have an hour to answer them. After an hour the assessment will automatically end.

Each assessment is open-book, so you may refer to your tuition material during the assessments.

Yes, you can view an extract from a sample course material and webinar here.

You must answer 15 questions correctly to pass (out of 20).

Yes, before taking each assessment you can take a 20 question practice assessment. There will also be example questions throughout the learning for each module.

You will get your result via an on-screen message as soon as you finish the assessment. You will get the mark and the percentage in addition to a Pass/Fail result.

If you have not successfully passed all of the required module assessments within two years then any passes you have achieved will expire.

You will have access to the material for the life of your Diploma registration which is two years. It will depend how early in the two-year registration period you complete the Diploma as to how long you will be able to access the material before your account expires after two years after which you will lose access.

Reasonable adjustments will be permitted. You will have to complete an application and provide medical evidence. When your application has been approved by CIOT we will liaise with Tolley to ensure that your account reflects this. For example, when you take an assessment the extra time will be automatically applied. Study materials will be written and formatted in such a way as to ensure compatibility with assistive technology such as screen readers.

Yes. If you achieve an aggregate of 90% across all of your module assessments you will be awarded a Distinction which will be reflected on your Certificate. It is not possible to receive Distinctions for individual modules.

No.

Yes. Once you pass all the required modules you will automatically be sent an email to pay for and claim your Certificate.

No.

Yes, studying for the Diploma will count towards annual CPD. 

Email us at [email protected] and a member of the team will assist you.