NEW YORK (Aug. 8, 2011) – The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), and Prometric today announced the successful launch of the U.S, CPA Examination in international locations – the first time in history it has been administered outside of the United States and its territories.
On August 1, the first candidates took the exam in Japan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. Throughout the remainder of the month, 1,165 candidates will sit for 2,065 examination sections. Future month-long testing windows will take place in November, February, May, and every third month thereafter.
The U.S. CPA exam is offered internationally as a service to foreign nationals in response to escalating international demand for U.S. CPA licensure. In 2010, more than 10,000 international candidates traveled to the U.S. to take the U.S. CPA exam, a 22 percent increase from 2009. Nearly one-third of international candidates came from Japan.
The international exam, offered in English, is the same as the U.S. exam administered by the AICPA, NASBA, and Prometric in the United States. Licensure requirements for international candidates are the same as for U.S. CPA candidates. Along with passing the Uniform CPA Examination, international candidates must meet educational and experience requirements as mandated by U.S. state boards of accountancy.
In the United States, state boards have the governmental legal authority to award the U.S. CPA license. Applications may be made through certain U.S. state boards of accountancy offering eligibility for international candidates. A list of participating state boards and information about fees is posted on the NASBA website at www.nasba.org.
Testing in the new international locations is open to citizens and long-term residents of the countries in which the exam is being administered. In the Middle East, citizens of Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia may take the exam in one of the Middle East locations. U.S. citizens living abroad are eligible to test at any location.
An international testing FAQ sheet is available at the AICPA Uniform CPA Examination website – www.aicpa.org/cpa-exam.
