Work experience is fundamental to the training of a CPA. The purpose of practical training is to ensure that before admission to membership of the Institute, newly qualified students have gained adequate experience and training in accounting and related areas.
In order to assess the competence of its prospective member, the Institute has designed its examinations to test, not only the academic knowledge of the students, but also their ability to deal competently with practical situations. For this reason, it is in the interests of students that the period of practical training should be as fruitful and as wide as possible.
As a general guide, work experience of CPA students should encompass elements which meet the following purposes:
- Reinforce technical education by providing the opportunity to apply the theory previously learnt.
- Develop technical working skills which can be applied to a variety of future situations and which include the competence to make use of relevant information technology.
- Exercise and develop the personal skills and attributes of judgement, initiative, objectivity, commercial sense, administrative ability, the motivation and supervision of others and the all important skill of communications; in sum, the ability to operate effectively in a business environment. Full experience in these areas are dependent on depth of experience.
Practical Experience Requirements
Work experience forms a crucial part of a CPA's qualification process. All students are required to obtain not less than 3 years of practical experience in accounting and/or auditing and at least two of the following technical categories:
- Taxation
- Insolvency
- Financial Management
- Information Technology
The practical experience requirement may be attained via one of the following routes:
| Route 1 | A combined total of not less than 50 weeks' experience in accounting and auditing and not less than 10 weeks' experience in one or more of the other technical categories. |
| Route 2 | A combined total of not less than 20 weeks' experience in accounting and auditing and not less than 40 weeks' experience in one other technical category. |
| Route 3 | A combined total of not less than 20 weeks' experience in accounting and not less than 20 weeks' experience in each of two other technical categories. |
