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Vancouver +1(604) 628-5783
March 4, 2021
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the world’s largest member association representing Certified Public Accountants (CPA), and a proud partner of Ashton Testing Services. We want to celebrate our partnership with this incredible association by sharing the history of the AICPA, their mission, and what our partnership means for ATS test takers.
The history of the AICPA goes as far back as 1887 when the organization was founded as the American Association of Public Accountants (AAPA). The organization has undergone several name changes since its inception, including the Institute of Public Accountants in 1916 and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1917. It was not until 1957 that the AICPA received its current name.
The founding of the organization in 1887 established accountancy as a profession distinguished by rigorous educational requirements, high professional standards, a strict code of professional ethics, a licencing status and a commitment to serving the public interest. The AICPA and its members represent a broad range of accounting practice areas including business and industry, public practice, government, education and consulting.
These founding principles have resonated with accountants and caused the membership of the organization to grow rapidly since its establishment. In 1916 the organization had 1,150 members in the USA, and today there are more than 429,000 members across the world.
In 2017, AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) partnered to create the Association of International CPAs to unite and strengthen the accounting profession globally. Both organizations still exist independent of the Association of International CPAs.
The AICPA aims to advance the CPA profession in the USA through advocacy, certification and licencing, communications, recruitment and education, and standards and performances. The organization advocates for CPAs before the government, legislative bodies, public interest groups and other professional organizations to protect and promote the interests of the profession and they also promote public awareness of the profession to instill confidence in the integrity, objectivity, competence and professionalism of CPAs.
AICPA maintains the integrity and recognition of the CPA profession by supporting the development of academic programs and establishing high standards for CPA certification. These standards apply not only to the requirements for earning the CPA designation but the requirements for remaining an AICPA member. The organization was founded on a strict code of professional ethics and the principle of serving public interest and those two factors remain at the core of the AICPA’s mission today.
ATS and AICPA are partnered together to ensure the examination process for earning the CPA designation meets the AICPA standard. ATS seeks to help individuals realize their professional, academic, and personal goals, and that is why we are proud to be offering the CPA exam through our state-of-the-art Prometric centre in Vancouver, which is built to fulfill the specific needs of the CPA exam. ATS is the only testing centre in BC that delivers this exam
The CPA exam has four sections. The sections include:
1. Auditing and Attestations (AUD)
2. Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)
3. Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
4. Regulations (REG)
Test-takers will encounter a variety of different question types that are all designed to test their accounting knowledge in these four areas. The question types include multiple-choice, task-based simulations, and written communication tasks.
If you want to become a member of the renowned AICPA, you will need to challenge the test to become a CPA. You can book your exam appointment now with ATS and ensure the best testing environment for your exam.