Becoming a CPA
Auditing and Other Assurance Services
Candidates must go through every step required by the Certified Public Accountants Act (CPA Act). Please refer to the following chart that illustrates the process required to become a CPA.
Examination
The first and most challenging step is to pass the CPA examination. The administration and the requirements of the CPA examination are provided by the CPA Act. The examination is conducted by the Certified Public Accountants and Auditing Oversight Board, an advisory body to the Financial Services Agency. The examination is held annually, only in Japanese. It consists of a multiple-choice test and an essay. Successful candidates of the multiple-choice test are entitled to sit the essay part of the test.
Multiple-choice test
- Financial accounting and reporting
- Managerial accounting
- Auditing
- Business law
Essay
- Financial accounting and managerial accounting
- Auditing
- Business law
- Tax law
- One of: (a) business administration, (b) economics, (c) the Civil Code or (d) statistics.
Certain exemptions are granted to candidates who satisfy the requirements specified by the CPA Act.
Practical Experience
A candidate is required to have practical audit experience at an accounting firm, or working experience in industry a minimum of two years for both. Audit experience can be obtained as an assistant of an audit firm. When candidate works for business entities (not accounting firms), the work experience needs to be similar to audit experience gained in audit firms. Candidates may obtain practical experience either before taking the CPA examination or after passing the CPA examination.
Proffessional Accountancy Education Program
Successful candidates of the CPA examination are required to complete the three-year long professional accountancy education program provided by JICPA. The curriculum is established by taking into consideration the requirements set out in the International Education Statements issued by the International Accounting Education Standards Board of the IFAC.
Final Assessment
Those who completed the professional accountancy education program are qualified to take the final assessment, which is conducted annually by JICPA.
- Accounting
- Auditing
- Taxation
- Business administration, including the theory of information technology
- Rules, regulations and ethics related to CPA's service
Registration with JICPA
Those who passed the final assessment are eligible to register with JICPA. This registration is mandated by the CPA Act, and is necessary for CPAs to represent themselves as such to the public.
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