The Complete Guide To CPA Career Path

The Certified Public Accountant course makes you the Chartered Accountant of the US. This means you can pursue Chartered Accountancy anywhere in the US after completing your degree. What most students who usually wish to pursue US CPA get stuck on is the eligibility criteria for US CPA.

And once you’ve cracked the eligibility requirements, the US CPA job opportunities you’ll get and the city you’d be working in, come to you as a bigger question mark. To simplify your journey as a US CPA student and then as a US CPA professional, here’s a complete guide that will help you figure out your CPA career path.

Steps for CPA Career

1. Check your eligibility 

To become a qualified US CPA, the organisations like AICPA, NASBA, and the jurisdictions of America have a criterion for three essential categories. They are –

• Education
• Exam 
• Experience

To qualify for the Certified Public Accountant career path you need to fulfil a basic requirement of 120 credit score in the field of commerce. This quantifies to 30 credit hours each academic year. This is the stage where most Indian students often get stuck. Since the US has a 4-year bachelor’s program (4 x 30 = 120 hours) and India has a 3-year bachelor’s program (3 x 30 = 90 hours) Indian students often fall under the eligibility criteria.

If you happen to be a B.Com student already pursuing MBA or a CA degree you would easily qualify for US CPA. The best option would be to pursue US CPA with your M.Com degree or post your M.Com degree. Since most of the subjects in M.Com are similar to that of US CPA it would easier to clear both degrees simultaneously.

2. US CPA Evaluation

There is a basic charge that you need to pay for your professional evaluation. This could range anywhere from $100 to $400. The cost also varies on the evaluation required, the cost of a general diploma evaluation is way lesser than that of a course-by-course evaluation.

Some jurisdictions also provide pre-evaluation as a service that helps you identify which courses you are currently lacking in order to appear for your examination.

3. US CPA Registration

Once you get evaluated by reputed agencies like WES and NASBA and you have your evaluation report with you, all you have to do is get registered for the US CPA Exam. You can simplify your eligibility and registration process by applying for the course through Zell Education. Or you could register yourself by filling out answers to a few questions.

These questions could range from details on your accounting designation to your accounting education. Once you’ve answered all the questions, you will receive a ‘Notice to Schedule’. After you’ve received your NTS, you can go to the Prometric Website and schedule your exam.

4. Prepare and appear for four examinations

US CPA examinations are no easy feat to clear, they require practice, patience and regular training. If you are planning to prepare for these exams alone, you might have to create practice questions, study plans and mock tests all by yourself. But while training with a coaching institute like Zell Education, you get to attend interactive lectures, learn through relevant case studies, and study with a custom study plan. Some coaching institutes like Zell Education also help with providing placement services.

5. Appear for the Ethics exam 

After completing your four US CPA papers, you need to clear the ethics paper, post which you can apply for the US CPA licence. The exams are held all year long (except the weekends) in Prometric centres. The exams are currently held in New Delhi, Bangalore, Calcutta, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Trivandrum.

Different countries have their own CPA course, however, with the US CPA qualification you can choose to work in Europe, North America and Asian countries. Since there are several US-based MNCs situated in several parts of India, the scope for US CPA professionals is also on the rise.

Chartered Public Accountants don’t just fit into any one industry, they get CPA job opportunities to work for any industry that interests them. Be it healthcare or law, fashion or food, every business today requires a CPA to keep track of the constant transactions, audit the financial statements, help with taxation and litigation, and offer sound guidance on financial planning.

These tasks can be carried out for any industry or any firm that requires these services. This means they get a wide range of CPA job opportunities from different industries out of which they can choose where their preferences lie.

If you are interested in getting into this exciting and equally dynamic field, then pursuing a US CPA degree is the direction to take. To know more about the Certified Public Accountant course click on the WhatsApp icon at the side of this blog and get in touch with our experts directly.

FAQs

1. What is the best career path for a CPA?
After completing US CPA, becoming a Financial Advisor, Public Accountant or getting into forensic services are some of the best US CPA career paths to choose from.

2. Is CPA a good career?
Yes, the demand for US CPAs is at an all-time high. Depending on the company or government service they work for, the average salary of US CPAs ranges from around $60,000 to $85,000 PA.

3. What can one do after CPA?
After CPA you can also pursue CFA to explore opportunities in global banks and investment firms.

4. Are CPAs paid well?
Yes US CPAs get paid quite well in all the cities of the USA, their average salary ranges from around $60,000 to $85,000 PA.

Partham Barot is an ACCA-certified professional. showcasing his expertise in finance and accountancy. he’s revolutionising education by focusing on practical, real-world skills. Partham’s achievements underscore his commitment to elevating educational standards and empowering the next generation of professionals.