Introduction
US Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is one of the world’s most advanced accounting designations, if not the best. Given the dominance of the US economy and its companies around the world, there is a plethora of opportunities for US CPAs across the globe. Naturally, it is one of the most sought-after crown jewels in the world of accountancy profession.
Gateway of Dreams
USA accounts for around 27% of Fortune Top 500 global companies with all the top 10 companies based out of US. As much as a bank like Citigroup needs engineers, tech giants like Google and Amazon also need accountants to maintain and manage their financial records.
Larger the company, higher the level of scrutiny and greater the accounting and reporting skills it demands. With increasing regulations, reporting requirements, and complex products being introduced at a much faster pace every year, there has never been a more growing need for skilled accountants than now. These companies are not just known for the revenue or profits they make, but are equally acclaimed for their employee well-being. They provide their employees with the best-in-class infrastructure to work from – in the form of state-of-art corporate offices, mental well-being benefits and of course, lucrative pay-checks. And guess what, this standard is set in all the offices across the world.
With growing globalisation and accrued cost benefits, many multinational corporations (MNCs) including Wall Street Giants like JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and heavyweights like Walmart, Apple, Google etc., have all set up their accounting & technical base in India. Opportunities are thus in abundance for candidates who have knowledge of foreign accounting standards and principles like CPA. And last but not least – Big 4s. Given their global presence and service contracts at group level, need for skilled accountants are always on the the rise. Based on demand and skill-level, it is much easier for you to opt for global mobility and live your dream of being a global citizen.
Scope of CPA course
In order to pursue our dream as discussed above, we must now ensure that we fully understand the CPA course, its curriculum, and exam dates. CPA as a course requires you to clear just 4 papers!
CPA tests your skills on the below four sections to judge your overall capabilities:
- Auditing & Attestation (AUD) with 50% MCQ and 50% case studies
- Business Environment & Concepts (BEC) with 50% MCQ, 35% case studies and 15% memo
- Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR) with 50% MCQ and 50% case studies
- Regulation (REG) with 50% MCQ and 50% case studies
Students can appear for these four sections in any order of their choice. To be successful, a student must pass in all these four sections within a time frame of 18 months.
Most importantly, exams are conducted throughout the year on a rolling basis across four testing windows. This provides students with ample opportunities to prepare and appear for exams according to their schedules and time needs.
Eligibility Criteria
At a high-level, below is the criteria for being eligible for CPA examination and CPA License.
| CPA Examination | CPA License |
| 120 CPE credits | 150 CPE credits |
Generally, each year of college accords 30 credits. So, a usual 3-year graduation course will gather 90 credits for you.
Below are few examples of various combinations that may help you gather required CPE credits:
- B.Com + 1 year Diploma – 120 credits
- B.Com + CA Inter/ ICWAI Inter / CS Executive – 120 credits
- B.Com + M.Com (2 year) – 150 credits
- B.Com + MBA – 150 credits
- B.Com + CA/ ICWA / CS – 150 credits
Also, please note that any graduate like BBA/BA/BCA/B.Tech are also eligible to obtain a CPA qualification, similar to any B.Com candidate.
Career Opportunities
In terms of the actual career options, below are some of the exciting ones one can get into post CPA qualification:
- Assurance Services
- Foreign Accounting
- Business and Management Consulting
- Internal and External Auditing
- Consulting Services
- Tax and Financial Planning
- Advisory services like tax, transaction (M&A) etc.
- Forensic
