Sơ lược về kỳ thi CPA của Mỹ Phần này dành cho các bạn muốn tìm hiểu về kỳ thi US CPA. Có gì thắc mắc thì hồi âm cho Melvin nhé
The global presence of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has provided its graduates and members with a qualification that is recognized in many countries around the world. Although different national accounting bodies have promulgated different rules and criteria for the recognition of foreign qualifications, ACCA members can gain recognition in most countries by passing a select number of examination papers set by the local professional accountancy body. The United States of America is an exception to this 'rule' and the accounting qualification from the United Kingdom is not officially recognized and members seeking to practice in the United States must sit for the local CPA exams.
The structure of the accounting profession in the US reflects the country's underlying political philosophy in that considerable control is retained at state level. The states exercise a high degree of control and authority in determining not only the rules regarding the eligibility of candidates to sit for the examination but also the rules for eligibility of professionals to perform accounting services in each state. Consequently, there are divergent rules from state to state regarding:
1. Educational requirements to be eligible to take CPA examination.
2. The number of credits earned at undergraduate level in various subjects.
3. Foreign Education Evaluation Services, which can evaluate your credentials.
4. Dates for submission of Application for exams
5. Examination Fee
6. Criteria for awarding referrals in the exams and the length of time referrals can be
retained.
7. Announcement of results and the means of communicating the results to candidates.
8. Experience requirement for practicing as public accountant
These rules are determined by the State Board of Accountancy for the respective states and the detailed information are available on either
www.nasba.org or the website of the individual State Board of Accountancy. The website of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) provides valuable information on the 27 member states which has participated in this effort to provide comprehensive information to prospective students at one place.
The following is a step-by-step approach for taking CPA exams:
* Step 1 - Determine the State where you want to take the exams
* Step 2 - Get your foreign credentials evaluated through the evaluation service recommended by the respective state.
* Step 3 - Submit the application to the respective State Board of Accountancy with all required information
* Step 4 - Start preparation for exams and if you consider necessary join some CPA review course.
The First Step towards getting the CPA qualification in the USA is to determine the state which best suits your needs. You might want to consider several factors, including the following, to determine which state you should take exams from:
* The state where you want to live and practice
* The educational requirements necessary to be eligible for taking CPA exams in that state
* The work experience requirements of that state.
All applications are processed through the respective State Board of Accountancy, which has the final authority to make decisions regarding your application and determine your eligibility.
The Second Step is the evaluation of foreign credentials. This is the most important aspect, as this evaluation will determine the prospective candidate's eligibility to sit for uniform CPA examination. As mentioned earlier, every state has its own list of evaluators and the candidate should choose the evaluator from the list provided by the respective State. I got my credentials
evaluated by World Education Service (WES) and they awarded me 9 U.S. Semester Credits for every subject passed in ACCA exams resulting in a total of 126 Semester Credits based on ACCA studies. The evaluating agencies usually give more credit for full qualifications compared to part qualifications. Every state has distinctive requirements regarding the composition of courses in undergraduate studies. A course-by-course evaluation report is the best way to establish whether the applicant is qualified to take CPA exams from the respective state. I chose Virginia Board of Accountancy on the basis of its credit requirements, which was among the least demanding. However, the referral and passing criteria of the states should also be considered prior to making a final choice. Normally the states with lenient entry requirements have the more stringent passing criteria in terms of awarding referrals.
A majority of the states do not stipulate residency condition, which means that the candidate is not required to be living physically in the state where he wants to take the exams. However, different proctoring conditions of the states may require you to appear for the exams only in the state where you have applied or registered.
Candidates who do not meet the education requirements of the state where they reside or intend to reside may want to take and pass the exams from some other state and subsequently transfer the CPA credits to their state of residence. This subsequent transfer of CPA credits allows the candidate to meet the transferee state’s education requirements after passing CPA exams and this can be done without much hassle.
The Third Step involves submitting the completed application package to the respective State Board of Accountancy. Again, the States have different requirements as to which documents they want the candidates to submit along with the application. Normally, the states require the following documents to be submitted:
* Completed and notarized application
* Fee for the exams
* Official transcripts from each institution attended
* Acknowledgement postcard
Once the application has been submitted, the State Board of Accountancy will send you the details regarding the exam site about 2 to 3 weeks prior to the exams.
The Fourth Step is the preparation for the exams. ACCA members should not find it difficult to pass the exams as most of the topics covered in the CPA exams in the US are covered by the ACCA exams. There are differences between the US accounting and auditing standards and those in the UK and elsewhere. In addition, there are also differences in Business Law and, most importantly, Taxation and Governmental Accounting and Auditing rules. Some candidates prefer joining a review
course to brush up their skills and understand various exams techniques unique to CPA exams. I joined a CPA review course offered by Becker Conviser
www.beckerconviser.com and found it to be extremely helpful in preparing for the exams. There are several other CPA course providers and you will start getting information about them once you have registered with any State Board of Accountancy.
The best principle for success is any exam is to understand the structure of the exam and work hard with dedication. Given the amount of dedication it takes to pass the ACCA exams, I am confident that my fellow ACCA graduates will have no difficulty
meeting the challenges of passing the CPA exams.
The following is a list of useful links which might be helpful during the course of studies for the CPA exams and for furthering your career in USA:
*
www.aicpa.org *
www.sec.gov *
www.fasb.org *
www.gasb.org *
www.clearhq.org *
www.farb.org In addition to this, the web site of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (
www.aicpa.org) provides links to numerous websites, which are helpful in gathering necessary information regarding accounting profession.
