If you’d like to join them so you can earn the most esteemed accounting certification around, start by investigating the best CPA review courses on the market and related CPA review discounts. The CPA’s long history began in 1896, yet thousands of candidates still sit for the exam every year. The CPA certification is the most regulated because the CPA is the only qualification that includes the statutory right to sign audit reports and issue audit opinions.Ĭlearly, the CPA is the accounting certification of choice, but if you need any more reason to respect it, you should know that it is one of the oldest accounting certifications. Most Regulated and One of the Oldest Accounting Certifications But that’s not the only reason the CPA is so popular and prestigious. Such strict requirements reinforce the perspective that earning the CPA certification is a particularly impressive feat that places CPAs in an elite group. The education requirement, in particular, is the highest among all accounting and finance certifications. Some state boards also make candidates pass a CPA ethics exam (the fourth “E”).Īs you can see, the AICPA asks a lot of CPA candidates.
Surprisingly, this facet of the CPA certification doesn’t detract from its popularity but rather adds to its prestige. In fact, the CPA Exam covers so much material that it actually consists of 4 different sections and hundreds of questions.įor this reason, the CPA Exam is one of the most challenging accounting certification exams. The CPA Exam covers accounting topics such as financial accounting, management accounting, corporate finance, strategic planning, audit, general business, and U.S.
One of the requirements for earning the CPA is passing the CPA Exam, and the exam content is very broad. The CPA certification is probably the most widely recognized accounting certification because it is the most general. Consequently, you’re going to hear the CPA certification referenced the most in accounting circles. The primary question for the process of choosing an accounting certification should be: Which certification is the most useful?įor most accountants, the answer to that question is the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA): Accounting Certification of Choice: