INTRODUCTION

NAMEPOSITION

EMPLOYER

MISSION OF THE ORDER

PERCEPTION vs REALITY

A WINNING DESIGNATION

WHERE DO CPAs WORK?

HOW MUCH DO CPAs EARN?

PATH

QUESTIONS

AGENDA

THE PRIMARY MISSION OF THE CPA ORDER IS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC:

THIS MEANS THAT THE ORDER MUST ENSURE THAT ITS 36,000 MEMBERS ACROSS QUEBEC ARE COMPETENT. HOW DOES IT DO THIS?

BY DEVELOPING A RIGOROUS EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR FUTURE CPAs;

BY REQUIRING ITS MEMBERS TO DEVELOP THEIR COMPETENCIES THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS;

BY INSPECTING THE WORK OF CERTAIN MEMBERS WHO OFFER SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC;

BY ENSURING THAT ALL MEMBERS COMPLY WITH RULES OF ETHICS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR FIELD.

MISSION OF THE ORDER

WHAT PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS DO YOU HAVE ABOUT THE CPA PROFESSION?

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A “BOOKKEEPER” AND A “CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANT”?

WHAT TYPE OF PERSONALITY IS NEEDED TO BE A CPA?

DO YOU NEED TO BE GOOD IN MATH?

PERCEPTION vs REALITY

A PRESTIGIOUS DESIGNATION SOUGHT AFTER BY EMPLOYERS

JOB OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD

JOB SECURITY

A CAREER TAILORED TO YOUR INTERESTS

A WINNING DESIGNATION

SOME EXAMPLES

CAROLINE MAILLOUX, CPA AUDITOR, CGAAUDITOR – MALLETTE (AND OWNER OF A MICROBREWERY!) DOLBEAU-MISTASSINI

MARTIN DESCHÊNES, CPA, CMAVICE-PRESIDENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION, MONDOU (PREVIOUSLY FOR BCBG)MONTREAL

NICOLAS BLAIS, CPA, CAPROFESSOR – UQTR(PREVIOUSLY AT QUÉBÉCOMM AND SPECTRA)TROIS-RIVIÈRES

FINANCIAL ANALYST AND CONTROLLER

EXTERNAL AUDITOR

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT

TAX SPECIALIST

FORENSIC ACCOUNTANT

INTERNAL AUDITOR

CONSULTANT

FINANCIER

PROFESSOR

SPECIALIST IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ONE DESIGNATIONMANY AREAS OF EXPERTISE

WHERE DO CPAS WORK?

HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK A CPA EARNS ON AVERAGE, REGARDLESS OF AGE OR WORKPLACE?

COMPENSATION

A CPA EARNS ON AVERAGE… $141,000 PER YEAR

AVERAGE SALARY BY AGE

$143,000 $171,000 $192,000 $191,000$97,000

COMPENSATION

Under 35 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 and over

CPA PATH

TWO WAYS TO COMPLETE THIS PROGRAM

1. GRADUATE PATH

GRADUATE PROGRAM OF 24 to 30 CREDITS

OFFERED FULL TIME (AND SOMETIMES PART TIME) BY MOST UNIVERSITIES

2. PROFESSIONAL PATH

MODULAR PROGRAM OFFERED BY CPA CANADA

TWO YEARS PART TIME (PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE UNDERTAKEN IN PARALLEL)

ON-LINE LEARNING, SELF-STUDY, LECTURES AND TEAMWORK

EACH MODULE WILL BE OFFERED TWICE A YEAR AND CONCLUDE WITH A COMPULSORY EVALUATION

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (PEP)

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (PEP)

COMMON FINAL EXAMINATION

LASTS 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS

DAY 1 – 4 HOURS: INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT OF INTEGRATIVE CASE (EVALUATES ENABLING COMPETENCIES)

DAY 2 – 5 HOURS: LONG CASE WITH ROLE (EVALUATES DEPTH)

DAY 3 – 4 HOURS: 3 TO 5 SHORT CASE STUDIES (EVALUATES BREADTH AND DEPTH)

1st CFE – SEPTEMBER 2015 (OFFERED TWICE A YEAR THEREAFTER)

3 ATTEMPTS POSSIBLE

COMMON FINAL EXAMINATION

24 MONTHS, 2 PATHS POSSIBLE:

PRE-APPROVED PATH MODEL EMPLOYER HAS HAD PATH APPROVED PRIOR TO THE CANDIDATE’S ARRIVAL, AND

THE CANDIDATE SUBMITS A PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE REPORT.

EXPERIENCE VERIFICATION MODEL ONCE EMPLOYED, THE CANDIDATE REQUESTS AUTHORIZATION FOR EXPERIENCE

VERIFICATION TRAINING, AND THE ORDER DETERMINES WHETHER THE POSITION IS ELIGIBLE.

BOTH PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE MODELS CAN BE IN INDUSTRY, PUBLIC PRACTICE, THE PUBLIC SECTOR, ETC.

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

SCHOLARSHIPS

EACH YEAR, THE CPA FOUNDATION OFFERS 50 CEGEP SCHOLARSHIPS OF $500. SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY FEBRUARY 13, 2015!

100%PLACEMENTRATE.

JOB SECURITY

CLOSE TO 100% PLACEMENT RATE:

BECOMING A CPA MEANS YOU WILL BE SURE TO FIND A JOB THAT MATCHES YOUR AMBITIONS, EVEN BEFORE YOU FINISH YOUR STUDIES!

99.735706%EMPLOYMENT TO BE EXTREMELY EXACT.

cpaquebec.ca

AND MORE

“LIKE” OUR “BECOME A CPA” FACEBOOK PAGE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PROFESSION, ASK QUESTIONS AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR CONTESTS!

ARE YOU UP FOR VIGOROUS AND FLEXIBLE TRAINING?

ARE YOU READY TO ACQUIRE THE COMPETENCIES NEEDED

TO ENJOY A FIRST-RATE CAREER HERE OR ABROAD?

DO YOU WANT TO BE CREDIBLE ON THE JOB MARKET?

DO YOU WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A PLACEMENT RATE

OF CLOSE TO 100%?

TO SUMMARIZE