Frequently asked questions

To obtain the CPA designation in Quebec, the Order must evaluate your degrees and training. To do so, you must open a file on our website.

The first condition that must be met to begin the process of acquiring the CPA designation is to have an undergraduate degree with a minimum of 90 credits or the equivalent. If you studied in another country, a comparative evaluation by the MIFI or WES will allow us to verify whether this requirement has been met and analyze your file to determine whether you are ready to begin the CPA Professional Education Program.

Yes! Before you create a file, it is important to take some time to find out what your profile is on our website so that you can choose the right type of application process. The required steps and documents vary depending on your profile. If you choose the wrong type of application process, your profile may take longer to process. Answer a few simple questions to determine your profile >

Here is the process, from opening a file on our website to obtaining recognition of training as equivalent.

• After applicants have opened a file, submitted documents and paid the fees, we will verify whether the documents they have submitted meet our requirements. If necessary, we will contact applicants by email or directly through their online file.  
• Once a file is considered complete and compliant, analysts start to review it. When the list of prerequisite courses has been established, it will be submitted for second-level approval and then forwarded to the Qualification committee. This committee generally meets once a month.  
• Once the list is approved, it will be emailed to applicants, who must submit this list to their university and then begin to take the courses on it.
• When applicants have passed all required courses (with a grade point average of 2.8/4.3), they are ready to apply to the CPA Professional Education program and register as candidates for the practice of the profession.
• Their equivalence file is then closed.  

It takes 60 business days, starting from the date when the file is considered complete and compliant (all documents have been submitted in the file and meet our requirements, and the processing fees have been paid). This period does not begin on the date when the file is opened online.

• 2 pieces of identification
• degrees
• transcripts
• list of prerequisite courses
• comparative evaluation of studies completed outside Quebec
• a curriculum vitae
• proof of membership in an accounting organization

Complete file: All requested documents have been submitted in the file, including payment(s) depending on the type of application. Compliant file: All submitted documents meet our requirements and the analysts are able to make a decision.  

Examples of compliant documents: piece of identification that has not expired and has a clear, sharply focused, non-blurry photo, a document in PDF format (including the pieces of identification, translated documents and all official versions of documents).

Two types of comparative evaluations are accepted by the Order:  

1. The evaluation provided by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI). This evaluation explains the degrees earned abroad and indicates which education level has been attained. The evaluation situates the studies within the context of Quebec's education system. As explained by the MIFI on its website, “The comparative evaluation is an expert opinion. It is issued for information purposes only.” The comparative evaluation is not a degree or the equivalent of a degree.  
2. The evaluation provided by World Education Services (WES). This evaluation determines the education level that would have been attained in Canada’s education system. Only an official course-by-course evaluation of foreign degree programs is accepted by the Order, and not the abbreviated version. Please note that the WES version intended for obtaining immigration status is not accepted. Furthermore, studies that are not included in the comparative evaluation will not be taken into consideration when the application is reviewed by the Order.

That depends on your profile.

For the Training Equivalence profile, you must provide the official version of the comparative evaluation of your studies.

For the other profiles, the comparative evaluation is not necessary. In other words, you can open a file if you meet the eligibility requirements.

Yes, an application must be submitted so that the Order can evaluate the courses required to obtain the equivalent of the recognized program. The MIFI or WES evaluation is issued for information purposes only and evaluates studies on the basis of the Quebec or Canadian education system, while the Order evaluates them on the basis of the recognized bachelor's degree programs.

Once all the necessary documents have been submitted, analysts will review the degrees that have been earned and the transcripts, identify the courses that match the sought-after competencies, and determine the courses that applicants will be required to take. Once the list has been drawn up based on the review criteria, it is submitted for approval. The approver checks the analysis and makes sure that the exemptions are justified, verifies whether other exemptions may be granted or if the required courses are justified. After this initial approval, the Qualification committee, which is composed of several CPAs, approves the list. The approval is given on a general and not an individual basis.

When a list is drawn up, the analysts look at several factors:

• the university degrees;
• the number of credits earned for the completed courses;
• the nature and content of the courses;
• the academic background; professional experience;
• the contemporaneity of the studies (the time elapsed between when applicants passed these courses and when their file is reviewed) and their experience;
• changes in Canadian standards or technical concepts related to the profession during this time.

When a degree concerned by an application for equivalence was obtained more than 5 years before the application is submitted, an update is necessary. The analysts will therefore consider whether, for certain competencies, the 5-year period has expired and an update is necessary. This explains why applicants are required to take certain courses even if they have already taken them.

A list of prerequisite courses is valid for a period of 2 years. After the 2-year period, a new analysis is necessary to ensure that the equivalence standards are still met (mainly the contemporaneity of the courses).

The list must be emailed to your university. You may then begin to take the courses on the list.

For all questions regarding your residency status in Canada and Quebec, you must contact the Ministère de l'Immigration. This government department will be able to explain what restrictions apply to your status.  

No. It is not necessary to have a work permit to start the process with the Order. However, we recommend that anyone who wishes to study or work in Quebec refer to the competent authorities to ensure that they comply with the laws and regulations in force.

Knowledge of English is not required to practice in Quebec, although fluency in English can be an asset in the labour market.

Although accounting terminology is gradually becoming standardized around the world, some terms may be different in Quebec. The biggest difference is in public accounting, which refers to the expertise required to perform public accounting (audits). You will find all the details in the Useful resources section.