Occupational Career Path

Chartered Accountants, Public Accountants

The Canadian Chartered Accountant (CA) designation is internationally recognized for high professional standards in the accounting field. You must be a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in order to use the title Chartered Accountant or to use the CA designation in Ontario. The Institute is authorized under the Public Accounting Act, 2004 to licence members (Chartered Accountants) who have fulfilled the specific public accounting competencies and other requirements established by the Act and the Standards adopted under the Act. Membership in the Institute and fulfillment of the prescribed requirements for licensing eligibility are required to obtain a licence to practice public accounting and to do most types of audit work in Ontario. Chartered Accountants also hold positions in business, commerce, industry, government, and education.

It is important to understand that accounting in Ontario covers a wide variety of work. For some types of work, strict regulation and special qualifications are required. Designations such as Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified General Accountant (CGA) are separate from Chartered Accountant (CA) and have different professional bodies, qualification requirements, and areas of practice. For information on these accounting bodies contact them directly.

This document outlines the qualification process leading to the CA designation in Ontario. For information on acquiring the CA designation in other provinces contact the appropriate institute(s).

Before You Immigrate to Canada

Please contact the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario for an assessment of your qualifications before you arrive in Ontario. Your education and training can be assessed before you immigrate and you will be told what additional requirements you will need to complete in Ontario. This assessment will help you to make better career decisions.

Assessment Information

Once you decide that you are interested in getting the CA designation, you must send documents of your qualifications and work experience to the Institute for an assessment. After the assessment, the Institute will advise you on what requirements you would need to meet in order to obtain the CA designation. You will be eligible to register in one of three general categories, depending on which accounting body you are associated with, either through current or previous membership. Your category of registration determines what requirements you will need to fulfill to get the CA designation.

Your category of registration depends on whether the accounting body in which you are a current or previous member has been assessed as “recognized” or “non-recognized” by the Canadian Chartered Accountants’ International Qualifications Appraisal Board (IQAB). IQAB’s findings are based on a review of the qualification program of the accounting body.

1. Members of Recognized Accounting Bodies

In order to be in this category, the accounting body you are associated with either through current or previous membership must be listed as “recognized”, and you must have passed the final examination of that accounting body. If you meet these requirements, you will be exempted from the education and examination requirements for the CA qualification program in Ontario. You will only be required to take the CA Reciprocity Examination (CARE).

To obtain membership in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, you must have a total of three years of accounting experience assessed by the Institute as being equivalent to experience acquired of an entry-level Chartered Accountant in Ontario. The Institute will assess your previously obtained accounting experience and determine whether you have acquired the depth and breadth of competencies and the levels of proficiency for the competencies that are required of an entry-level Chartered Accountant in Ontario. The competency requirements for CA qualification are grouped into six competency areas:

The specific competencies that have been identified within each of the six competency areas are described in detail in the Institute’s CA Practical Experience Requirements 2009 .

Qualifying practical experience is defined in terms of both the duration of the practical experience (i.e. the number of years) and the breadth and depth of competency development during the period(s) of practical experience.  The minimum term of accounting experience that an applicant must have completed is three years. To meet the depth of competency development requirement, you must demonstrate all of the specific competencies within one or the other of:

To meet the breadth of competency development requirement, you must demonstrate at least one-half (50 per cent) of the specific competencies in at least two of the five other competencies.

The Recognized Accounting Bodies are:

The Institutes of Chartered Accountants of: 

Ordre des experts comptables et des comptables agréés, France

The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants having completed the Qualifying Program (Professional Program and Final Professional Examination) after December 2001

The Institute des Reviseurs d’Enterprises de Belgique

The Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Publicos (members must be admitted after December 1997)

The Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants

The Netherlands Institute of Register Accountants

Any State Boards of Accountancyin the United States of America which have adopted the 150 hour education requirement for the CPA designation or for the CPA designation and licensure and which exempt Ontario CAs from the requirement to pass the uniform CPA examination.

2. Members of Non-Recognized Accounting Bodies

The International Qualifications Appraisal Board (IQAB) has determined that programs offered by non-recognized accounting bodies are not substantially equivalent to the qualification program offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.

However, all members of the non-recognized accounting bodies are granted exemption from

• 48 credit hours (16 courses) of the 51credit hours (17 courses) of prescribed university degree-credit courses (exemption from the three credit-hour, one course, requirement in Canadian business law is not automatically granted to such applicants); and
• the  5 day Staff Training Program.

The Institute’s Applications Committee may, following assessment of your previous education, professional qualifications and accounting experience, grant

• additional exemption from any of the other education or examination requirements of the Institute, except for the Uniform Evaluation (UFE); and/or
• exemption from or reduction of the practical experience requirements of the Institute.

Such additional exemptions may include one or more of the following:

• some or all of the practical experience requirements;
• the three credit-hour requirement in Canadian business law;

• the Core-Knowledge Examination (CKE);
• the School of Accountancy.

However, exemptions granted would not include exemption from the Uniform Evaluation (UFE), the Institute’s final examination for qualification for admission to membership.

The determination made by the Applications Committee is whether you have acquired through your previous education, professional qualification(s) and accounting experience, the depth and breadth of competencies that are required of an entry-level Chartered Accountant in Ontario. The competency requirements for CA qualification are grouped into six competency areas:

• Performance Measurement and Reporting
• Assurance
• Taxation
• Governance, Strategy and Risk Management
• Management Decision-Making
• Finance

The specific competencies that have been identified within each of the six competency areas are described in detail in the Institute’s CA Practical Experience Requirements 2009 .

Qualifying practical experience is defined in terms of both the duration of the practical experience (i.e. the number of years) and the breadth and depth of competency development during the period(s) of practical experience.  The minimum term of accounting experience that you must have completed is three years. To meet the depth of competency development requirement, an applicant must demonstrate all of the specific competencies within one or the other of:

• Performance Measurement and Reporting, or
• Assurance.

To meet the breadth of competency development requirement, an applicant must demonstrate at least one-half (50 per cent) of the specific competencies in at least two of the five other competencies.

The Non-Recognized Accounting Bodies are:

The Institutes of Chartered Accountants of:

• India                                 
• Pakistan                                                      
• Sri Lanka                 
• Zimbabwe      

The Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants

The Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (United Kingdom, ACCA)

US state boards of accountancy that have not adopted the 150 hour education requirement or who require Canadian CAs to write the Uniform CPA Examination as a condition of membership.

3. Members of Non-Assessed Accounting Bodies

Accounting bodies not listed under the Recognized Accounting Bodies and Non-Recognized Accounting Bodies, above, have not been assessed by the IQAB. If your accounting body is not mentioned in either of these, you come under the category of Members of Non-Assessed Accounting Bodies. If you belong to a non-assessed accounting body, you are not automatically eligible for exemptions from any education or examination requirement of the CA program. You may, however, ask for an individual assessment of your qualifications and those of your accounting body to determine if the Institute will grant you any education or examination exemptions in Ontario. If exemptions are not granted, you will be required to complete all the requirements of the Ontario program to qualify for membership in the Institute. (For the details on these requirements, refer to the Institute’s admission process). All individuals associated with non-assessed accounting bodies would register as students, regardless of any exemptions granted.

4. Not a Member of Any Accounting Body

If you are not a member of any accounting body but have a university degree in accounting, business or commerce, the Institute will assess the courses you completed as part of your degree program to decide if you can get exemptions from some of the education requirements. Your degree must be equivalent to a four year degree, comprised of 120 credit hours.

Application Process

Step 1 — Evaluation of Qualifications by the Institute

To determine your category of registration and the requirements that you need to get your CA designation, you must provide the Institute with the necessary documentation for an assessment. The Institute conducts its own assessment which includes assessment of your university courses and the qualification program for members of non-assesed accounting bodies. Your education and training will be compared with Canadian education and training. This can be done before or after you arrive in Canada. If your documents are not in English, translated copies certified by a notary public are required. The assessment by the Institute may take four to six weeks.

The Institute needs your documents before it can judge what requirements you will need to complete in Ontario. It is important that you include all documents that are necessary. If you do not do so, you may end up taking long and costly courses or spending time on work experience that would not otherwise be required. The following are documents you should submit:

• official transcripts for courses completed at a university as part of a degree program;
• a letter of good standing from your accounting body;
• if you are no longer a member, a letter from your former accounting body stating that at the time your membership ended you were a member in good standing; and
• forms completed by previous employers to verify any previous accounting experience.

Based on the evaluation of your documents, you will be eligible to register either as a membership candidate or as a student.

Step 2 — Register with the Institute

You may register as a membership candidate (see A below) if you are associated with a recognized accounting body, either through current or previous membership. This can be done before you arrive in Canada. If your association is with a non-recognized or non-assessed accounting body, or if you have not been associated with an accounting body of any kind, you may register as a student (see B below). This can only be done after you arrive in Ontario.

A.      Membership Candidate

You may register with the Institute if you wrote all parts of the uniform CPA examination or of the normal qualifying examination(s) of the recognized accounting body while not a resident, and not having been a resident, of Canada for a period of three continuous years immediately prior to writing the examinations. You must also complete the following Institute requirements for members of designated accounting bodies:

• the CA Reciprocity Examination (CARE); and
• three years of accounting experience, if you have not been exempted from it.

CA Reciprocity Examination (CARE)

If you are a current or former member of a designated accounting body you will need to pass the CA Reciprocity Examination. This examination tests your knowledge of Canadian accounting and auditing standards, rules of professional conduct, Canadian federal taxation, and Canadian business law. It is held once a year in October, at several locations across Canada.

B.  Student
To register as a student, you must first be a resident of Ontario. You also must be employed or have accepted an offer of employment in an office in Ontario approved by the Institute for training CA students.

General Education Requirement

The general educational requirement for registration as a student is a four year university degree comprising 120 credit hours in any area of study. The degree may include or may be supplemented by 51 credit-hours of required university courses. If you were or are a member of a non-recognized accounting body, you are exempted from this requirement. Members of non-recognized accounting bodies must complete one course in Canadian business law acceptable to the Institute before beginning the School of Accountancy program. Information about university courses can be obtained through the Institute.

Professional Program

The Professional Program is an integral part of the education for Ontario CA students. It begins with approximately 6 months of preparatory, independent-study readings and assignments. For additional help, optional lectures and workshops are offered during the winter months.

There are two examinations in the program. The first is a four-hour, multiple choice examination to test your core knowledge. This examination is written in January and May of each year. The second examination consists of case study questions covering several competency areas. This exam is written after you attend a three week, full-time course in June. You must be successful in the first examination in order to attend the full-time course and write the second examination.

The National Uniform Evaluation

The national Uniform Evaluation (UFE) is internationally recognized as a pre-eminent professional examination. It is a four-part exam and each part is four hours long. It covers the competencies needed as an entry-level public accountant. You are eligible to write the UFE only after you successfully complete (or are exempted from) the professional program. The UFE is held once per year, in September, at several locations across Ontario.

Once you pass the UFE and complete the five-day staff training program and practical experience requirements of the CA program, you are eligible to apply for membership as a Chartered Accountant and to apply for a licence to practise public accountancy.

Prescribed Experience Requirements

Students must complete three years of practical experience in an approved training office.  During the period of practical experience, students must develop and demonstrate three kinds of competencies:

• Pervasive qualities and skills, comprising Ethical Behaviour and Professionalism, Personal Attributes and Professional Skills.
  
• Specific competencies, comprising the specific competency areas of the CA profession grouped into six competency areas: 
• Performance Measurement and Reporting
• Assurance
• Taxation
• Governance, Strategy and Risk Management
• Management Decision-Making
• Finance

The specific competencies that have been identified within each of the six competency areas are described in detail in the Institute’s CA Practical Experience Requirements 2009 .

• Specific workplace skills, comprising professional skills which are developed and assessed primarily within the context of the workplace.

Qualifying practical experience is defined in terms of both the duration of the practical experience (i.e. the number of years) and the breadth and depth of competency development during the period(s) of practical experience.  The minimum term of accounting experience that an applicant must have completed is three years. To meet the depth of competency development requirement, you must demonstrate all of the specific competencies within one or the other of:

• Performance Measurement and Reporting, or
• Assurance.

To meet the breadth of competency development requirement, you must demonstrate at least one-half (50 per cent) of the specific competencies in at least two of the five other competencies.

Students who seek to be licensed as public accountants in Ontario following admission to membership in the Institute also must obtain, in addition to the specific depth of competency attainment in assurance and the breadth of competency attainment in two other competency areas:

• At least 1,250 chargeable hours in assurance services assignments, of which 625 chargeable hours must specifically be on audit engagements;
• An additional minimum of 100 chargeable hours in taxation services; and
• In total over the term of practical experience, a minimum of 2,500 chargeable hours of practical experience in the development of competencies in a range of the six specific competency areas.

Membership in the Institute

When you have completed all the requirements for your registration category, you will be eligible to apply for membership in the Institute. This membership allows you to use the CA designation or the title Chartered Accountant.

Language Proficiency Test

There is no language proficiency test for registration or membership in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. There is also no language training offered by the Institute. If you require English as a Second Language training (ESL), you may contact an immigrant settlement agency or educational board for further information.

Requirements to be Met for a Public Accounting Licence

Admission to membership in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario and the granting of the right to use the designation Chartered Accountant and the initials, CA, in Ontario does not automatically qualify a member to be licensed as a public accountant. If you seek to be licensed as public accountant in Ontario, you must fulfill the specific requirements set out below:

Step 1 -- Admission to membership and completion of prescribed public accounting experience

If you wish to be licensed as a public accountant, you must: 

(a) be a member of the Institute in good standing at the time of applying for the public accounting licence;

(b) have successfully completed at least two years of experience in public accounting acceptable to the Institute and acquired in a public accounting practice under the supervision of a professional accountant who was, at the time the experience was acquired, a licensee certified or otherwise authorized to practise public accounting in the jurisdiction in which the experience was completed, or in an approved training office in Ontario and have obtained while in such practice at least

• 1,250 chargeable hours in assurance services, of which 625 chargeable hours shall be in audit engagements; and
• 100 chargeable hours in taxation services;

(c) have participated in a recognized capacity in public accounting services and obtained a minimum of 2,500 hours consisting of:

• a minimum of 1,250 eligible hours in public accounting services within the immediate past five years (the chargeable hours in assurance required in (b) may be counted towards the fulfillment of this requirement if completed within the immediate past five years); and
• up to 1,250 eligible hours in designated services within the immediate past five years

Step 2 -- Completion of mandatory professional development in public accounting

You must also within the immediate three years of the date of applying for the public accounting licence, have completed the Institute’s mandatory professional development requirement in learning activities directly related to the practice of public accounting (a minimum of 20 hours annually of which at least 10 hours must be verifiable, and a minimum of 120 hours in the last three-year period, of which at least 60 hours must be verifiable).

Step 3 -- Practice inspection requirement

You must have been an employee, partner or sole proprietor of an existing public accounting practice that within the immediate past five years of the date of applying for the public accounting licence has been the subject of a practice inspection resulting in a determination that the practice has maintained an appropriate level of professional standards. Alternatively, if you are an employee, partner or sole proprietor of a newly established or soon-to-be established firm or practising office that accordingly has not been the subject of a practice inspection, you may be eligible to be granted a licence if you have successfully completed all of the other prescribed requirements for licensing as set out in Step 1 and Step 2 above. The licence may be granted on the condition that the firm or practising office is the subject of a practice inspection not later than 12 months following the date of issuance of the licence and the inspection results in a determination that the practice has maintained an appropriate level of professional standards.

Step 4 -- Ethical and independence requirements

Independence policies and procedures must be an integral part of the practice environment in which the public accounting experience has been acquired. If a member has breached or is under investigation for failure to comply with the rules of professional conduct of the Institute, the Public Accounting Licensing Board when considering the eligibility of the member for licensing must be satisfied that there are no circumstances which would preclude the granting of a licence to the member.