U.S. CPA Exam to Be Administered Outside the U.S. for the First Time
In October of 2010, the AICPA announced that 2011 would mark a turning point in the administration of the CPA exam. The AICPA, NASBA, and Prometric have decided to offer the CPA in Japan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier this week the AICPA announced some more details on the international administration of the CPA exam.
Participating State Boards:
The CPA Examination application process is basically the same for U.S. and international candidates. In order to qualify to take the CPA Examination outside the U.S., candidates will have to establish their eligibility through a State Board participating in the International CPA Examination Administration program.
Click here to view the list of participating state boards.
Registration Process:
Before applying to sit internationally, you should review the eligibility requirements of the state you wish to apply through. Once you select the U.S. jurisdiction to which you want to apply, contact the Board of Accountancy (or its designee) in that jurisdiction to obtain application materials, submit completed applications and required fees as instructed, and (once deemed qualified) schedule the examination.”
After receiving the Notice to Schedule, you may then register to take the examination in an international location through the NASBA website. However, you must wait at least 24 hours before scheduling your appointment after the registration process is complete for each examination section. Initially, the examination will only be offered internationally during a one-month testing window per calendar year quarter.
Fees:
Regardless of which Board of Accountancy has declared you eligible for the examination, in addition to paying any domestic testing fees, you must pay additional fees for each examination section you plan to take internationally. Those fees per examination section are:
AUD: $292.85
BEC: $314.90
FAR: $292.85
REG: $314.90
For More Information:
Further details about international administration of the examination can also be found in the AICPA’s FAQ.
For candidate convenience, NASBA has recently extended call center hours and created an international number. The hours of operation and contact phone numbers are as follows:
– Domestic candidates may call 1-800-CPA-EXAM.
Days and hours of operation: Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., Eastern Time, and Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern Time (UTC -5).
– Call 1-855-CPA-GUAM or 671-300-7441 for international candidates.
Days and hours of operation: Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Japan Standard Time (UTC + 9).
Please continue checking the CPA Candidate Forum for more details.