The International Qualification Examination (IQEX) is an examination sat by certain non-U.S. qualified accountants seeking the

Certified Public Accountant Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the title of qualified accountants in numerous countries in the English-speaking world. It is generally equivalent to the title of chartered accountant in other English-speaking countries. In the United Sta ...

designation in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The examination is set by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and administered by the

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) is an association dedicated to serving the 56 state boards of accountancy. These are the boards that regulate the accountancy profession in the United States of America. There is one ...

(NASBA).

Eligibility

In principle the following members of the following overseas bodies are eligible via Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs

*

CPA Australia CPA Australia ("Certified Practising Accountant") is a professional accounting body in Australia founded in 1886. As of 31 December 2020, it has 168,736 members working in 150 countries and regions around the world. CPA Australia currently has 1 ...

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) represents 131,673 members in Australia, New Zealand and overseas. CA ANZ focuses on the education and lifelong learning of members, and engage in advocacy and thought leadership in areas o ...

* CPA Canada (CPAC) * Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) * Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) *Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Publicos (IMCP) * Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) *

South African Institute of Chartered Accountants The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), South Africa’s pre-eminent accountancy body, is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading accounting institutes. The institute provides a wide range of support services to m ...

Those who have acquired their overseas membership through mutual recognition or reciprocity are not eligible. For example, an Australian or Irish Chartered Accountant who originally qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales would not be eligible. Those from recognized overseas bodies who are not eligible to sit for IQEX may apply to a U.S. State Board of Accountancy to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam under normal rules. The ''Colorado State Board of Accountancy'', ''Delaware State Board of Accountancy'' and ''Illinois State Board of Accountancy'' are popular choices for overseas qualified accountants. Details on IQEX eligibility, IQEX training programs and CPA licensure are available a

Administration

The administration of the IQEX exam is similar to that for the Uniform CPA Exam, with a few key differences: * Application is made directly to NASBA, not to a state board of accountancy * The exam can be sat at

Prometric Prometric, also known as Prometric Testing, is a U.S.-based company in the test administration industry. Its corporate headquarters is located in Canton (Baltimore, Maryland) in the United States. Prometric operates a test center network composed ...

test centers outside the

(although

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

is the only other country in which the exam is normally offered) * Instead of being available all year round, IQEX is only offered for three weeks in October or November each year. * Results are sent directly to the candidate by NASBA (normally in February, following the exam in November) The fee to sit IQEX is USD845 as a first time candidate, and USD795 as a re-examination candidate. Australian CPAs required to sit the AUD section of the Uniform CPA Exam must pay USD1,030 as a first time candidate, and USD795 for re-examination. Should AUD be applied for on its own the fee is USD185.

Licensure or certification as a CPA

After successfully passing IQEX, candidates must still meet the requirements of one of the 55 State Boards of Accountancy in order to be licensed or certified as a CPA. Although state boards are not involved in the IQEX examination itself, they still reserve the right to decide on CPA licensure and certification. * Most successful IQEX candidates (who do not need a license from a particular state) apply for a ''CPA certificate'' from the ''Illinois State Board of Accountancy.'' This is the most straightforward option, as Illinois does not require any further educational, ethics or work experience requirements for certification. * Some state boards do not accept IQEX, or only accept it under certain conditions. Some may not accept Australian Chartered Accountants, for example, or may only accept Canadian Chartered Accountants from certain Canadian provinces. * American Institute of Certified Public Accountants *

Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination (CPA Exam) is the examination administered to people who wish to become U.S. Certified Public Accountants. The CPA Exam is used by the regulatory bodies of all fifty states plus the District ...

Examinations Accounting in the United States