U.S. CPA Exam to Be Administered Outside the U.S. for the First Time

AICPA, NASBA and Prometric Reach Historic Agreement

Published October 17, 2010

NEW YORK, NASHVILLE and BALTIMORE (Oct. 17) - The Uniform CPA Examination will be offered outside the 55 U.S. jurisdictions for the first time in its history in 2011. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of State Boards of Accountancy and Prometric – the three organizations that jointly offer the CPA Examination in the United States – reached an agreement to administer the exam in international locations.

The CPA Examination next year will be offered in Japan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates.

The international exam will be the same as the one offered in the U.S., using the same computerized format and administered in English. As in the U.S., the purpose of taking the examination will be to qualify for licensure as a CPA through U.S. state boards of accountancy.

“Candidates for licensure as U.S. CPAs reside all over the world, but at present, they must travel to the U.S. to take the CPA Exam,” said Barry Melancon, AICPA president and CEO. “International administrations are being offered as a service to them and to other international candidates who wish to seek CPA licensure – the mark of highly-qualified professionals in accounting.”

The Uniform CPA Examination is one of the “Three Es – Education, Examination, and Experience” that are required for licensure as a CPA in the U.S. The CPA Examination consists of four sections: Auditing and Attestation; Financial Accounting and Reporting; Regulation; and Business Environment and Concepts. The combined testing time for the four sections is 14 hours.

"NASBA and its member boards are pleased to play a significant role in advancing the Uniform CPA Examination delivery in international locations,” said NASBA President and CEO David Costello. “We are proud of our licensing examination, developed by the AICPA with significant input and assistance by NASBA and state boards, and its well-earned reputation for overall quality and preeminence as a high stakes examination. Since a growing number of CPA candidates reside in other countries, the time has come to manage the overall process of international candidates in a more effective manner.”

The CPA Examination employs a combination of question formats. It includes the traditional multiple-choice questions and essays, as well as the highly innovative simulations – questions that replicate workplace situations and require the application of knowledge and skills to arrive at solutions.

“This new effort expands on the already successful partnership of the AICPA, NASBA, and Prometric,” said Michael Brannick, president and CEO of Prometric. “The Uniform CPA Examination is already administered routinely to foreign nationals who take the test in the U.S., U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Making the examination available in additional locations around the world will enhance accessibility for individuals in the accounting profession who desire a world class accounting credential and are excited about obtaining it.”

In its nearly 100-year history, the Uniform CPA Examination has undergone many changes. Until the end of 2003, it was a paper-and-pencil examination administered twice each year. In April 2004, the computer-based CPA Examination was launched and the paper-and-pencil examination was discontinued. The computer-based CPA Examination achieved its millionth administration in 2009.

Today, the Uniform CPA Examination is a state-of-the-art licensure examination – technologically advanced, psychometrically sound and poised for an additional round of innovations and improvements to be implemented in 2011. For additional information on the Uniform CPA Exam, please visit www.aicpa.org/cpa-exam.

About Prometric

Prometric, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETS, is the recognized global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services. Its comprehensive suite of services, including test development, test delivery and data management capabilities, allows clients to develop and launch global testing programs as well as accurately measure program results and data. Prometric reliably delivers and administers more than seven million tests a year on behalf of 450 clients in the academic, professional, healthcare, government, corporate and information technology markets. It delivers tests flexibly via the Web or by utilizing a robust network of more than 10,000 test centers in 163 countries. For more information, please visit www.prometric.com.

About NASBA

Celebrating 102 years of service, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) serves as a forum for the nation’s state boards of accountancy, which administer the Uniform CPA Examination, license more than 600,000 certified public accountants and regulate the practice of public accountancy in the United States. NASBA’s mission is to enhance the effectiveness of state boards of accountancy in meeting their regulatory responsibilities. The Association promotes the exchange of information among the accountancy boards, serving the needs of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions.

NASBA is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., with a satellite office in New York, N.Y. and a Computer Testing Center in Guam. To learn more about NASBA, visit www.nasba.org.

About the AICPA

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (www.aicpa.org) is the national, professional association of CPAs, with more than 360,000 CPA members worldwide in business and industry, public practice, government, education, student affiliates, and international associates. It sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination.

The AICPA maintains offices in New York, N.Y., Washington, D.C., Durham, N.C., Ewing, N.J., and Lewisville, TX.

Media representatives are invited to visit the AICPA Online Media Center at www.aicpa.org/press.