JohnJ

Not sure if it's widely known but it appears CPA AUstralia have just signed an MRA with CPA Ireland.

See http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/cps/r...6_ENA_HTML.htm

I'm not sure what additional CPA Ireland exams an ACCA member would need to take to achieve CPA Ireland membership, but hopefully if at least one exam is required this would not constitute an MRA with ACCA and therefore a newly admitted CPA Ireland member would still be eligible for CPA Australia membership under their MRA.

Ironic really, considering that CPA Ireland is regarded as much inferior to ACCA as a qualification in Ireland!

Adeelkhan

Hi,

I am not sure but i think that if some gain exemption into 2nd Accountancy body are not eligible to claim membership of 3rd accountancy body.

If any senior can comment on my information. If this is correct then in the case of Bachelors, Masters or may be alot other, how they are treated.

I am still unsure but i red it some where.

Adeelkhan

Hi,
see here:
http://www.icaew.com/index.cfm/route...ation_criteria

as regards being FCCA since 5 years, the ICAEW clearly mentioned:
Membership must have been gained through the normal examination and training route. We do not accept membership obtained through reciprocity agreements, full credit/exemption schemes or similar schemes with another accountancy body.

Please take special note of exemption scheme or similar schemes words.

Now if any one over there having same case as mentioned above can tell the truth otherwise we have to contact the ICAEW/ACCA about it because it's shocking for CAT,degree holders, master degree holders and all others gaining first exemption into ACCA.

But, the CPA (AUS) page only mention about MRA not about the exemption but i think it convey the same message that one have to complete the entire course that is the each and every papers have been passed.

Interesting, any senior member can criticise me ?

JohnJ

Hi Adeelkhan,
As I understand, if you are admitted to membership of another body under an MRA, with your original body, you are therefore ineligible to benefit from MRAs between the body you have just joined and other accountancy bodies
However, As I understand it, and I'm open to correction from JAJ and others on this, if you were part ACCA qualified, in Ireland or the UK, this avenue might be of use for those planning on an Australian qualification- it seems that CPA will give exemptions for ACCA passes subject for subject, and I think that a person who completed, say, the final three papers of CPA Ireland, to gain membership, would not be treated as having used the MRA route, and would be eligible for the MRA with CPA.
You could still complete the ACCA qualification afterwards which is, I feel, much more recognised in Ireland than CPA.
In the wider context, it now leaves ACCA members as the only professionals in Ireland and the UK without a fast track route to a local qualification down under- Cas in both countries, CIMAs, Irish CPAs, CIPFA members are all sorted- come on ACCA stop competing and get this sorted.

JAJ

Irish CPAs eligible for membership comprise the following:


CPA Ireland members will be eligible to apply for CPA Australia membership provided they:

1. are a member of good standing and not under any investigation for professional conduct infringements
2. hold a university degree approved by CPA Ireland or the relevant provincial body and who has successfully completed:
1. the CPA Ireland examinations
2. the CPA Ireland supervised training program
3. are a member of CPA Ireland and do not a hold a degree, but have successfully completed the CPA Ireland Examinations and have at least 10 years' work experience, at least five years of which has been at a senior level
4. not a member of CPA Ireland by virtue of any other MRA


It seems that nationally based institutes are better able to negotiate recognition with other national institutes (although ACCA is technically a "national" institute is has been trying for some time to transform itself into something else).

Adeelkhan

Hi John J,

I may doubt about it because according to CPA (AUS) requirements it seems that one have to gain CPA (Irish) membership by completing each and every paper of CPA (Irish), that is not through exemption.

Now it also raises question for those who have gained CPA (Irish) membership through exemption, that is after having a degree.

Only CPA (Irish) and CPA (AUS) can confirm it.

Did you email them about it ?

JAJ

If it's so important to you, can't you email them?

CPA-Australia Program is also done after a university degree.

JAJ

You may wish to share your views with the leadership of ACCA. The question that should be asked is whether ACCA's global strategy since the late 1990s has led to being a more respected and recognised qualification - or less.

Put differently, if you were starting your training again, would you still do ACCA? Or Irish CA (if you are Irish). Or even Irish CPA? Irish CPAs are also now recognised in Canada:
http://www.cga-canada.org/en-ca/Medi...009-06-03.aspx

And if you're Irish CPA and really want to become ACCA or even English/Scottish CA, it may in some cases be possible under the European mutual recognition rules. http://www.icaew.com/index.cfm/route...ssional_bodies

JohnJ

Interesting points raised, JAJ, when I started studying 11 ACCA years ago. CA was almost exclusively associated with public practice, though this has changed, Irish CPA then and now generally derided and Acca was the usual choice for those working in industry, unless they had a yen for CIMA.
The issue of migrating to Oz was nowhere on the radar when I did ACCA, and I was strongly urged in that direction by my then line manager, an Irish CA.
It looks like I'll wind up doing Australian CPA, as difficult to make much progress down the Aus Ca road while still overseas. I must say though, I object to having to pay CPA Australia $125 for an academic assessment to figure out how many papers I have left to complete. My alternative to this is to complete CIMA which involves four papers, the last of which is a case study type paper. However, while this would get me Cpa membership via the Mra, it wouldn't help me get up to speed with australian tax, and, perhaps australian employers would regard cpa membership thru cpa syllabus as demonstrating more of a long term commitment to a career down under than via the CIMA Mra.
I note the cpa website strongly recommends taking only one paper per semester while working full time. This is worrying me as it suggests a 3 year timeframe to complete. Anyone who's be down this road have a view on whether 2 segments per semester is achievable...with hard work (!)...would have had all first time passes when completing Acca, average grades 60-70%

JAJ

Times change ...


As far as I am aware, most people take less than 3 years to complete the CPA Program. As you have to do more study anyway, it's probably better to focus it on Australia. The other advantages of doing CPA directly as opposed to doing it via the CIMA route include:

- you don't then have to maintain CIMA membership for the rest of your career (you have to do this to keep mutual recognition CPA membership); and

- you will be eligible for at least some of the mutual recognition agreements that CPA has negotiated with other institutes (not all of them, as for example, some agreements require you to have an Australian degree and/or complete the Mentor Program); and

- it will probably be easier to get a practicing certificate in Australia

Bermudashorts

I would not have chosen ACCA when I started training 17 yeas ago. But I had no choice, big recession in UK in 1992 and this is what my employer stipulated. I think it was the least prestigious qualification even then.

Beyond the first few years it has never held me back though and I have met many successful people with an ACCA qualification.

The trouble is that ACCA allows people to spend years and years pursuing it, without solid work experience to compliment it and is too easy to obtain. Hence some people are wary of it as a qualification. Indeed if I were recruiting a newly qualified I would be biased towards an ICAEW. Although after a few years I am more interested in what they have done than what body they studied with.

I am not planning to try and register with any of the Australian institutes because I don't think I will need to.

JAJ

You never will know what doors remain closed to you as a result.

From an employer's point of view a local qualification, a. is something they understand, and b. shows you are serious about Australia.

Bermudashorts

A tad negative considering you do not know my background and what I plan to do isn't it?

I am not planning to work in tax, practice or small companies. I am planning to join a multinational or possibly a large national corporation. I have had so far had a 100% response rate from my CV which I sent in to test the water a couple of weeks before I got PR and nobody mentioned local experience.

Accounting standards are not fundamentally different and it is easy for a professional to switch from one to another. In my last two jobs I have worked in IFRS, UK GAAP, US GAAP, Swiss GAAP and Canadian GAAP and handled the regulatory reporting of those countries with no problem whatsoever and without requiring a local qualification.

I think I will be fine, but I am touched by your concern.

sasa110

On the brighter side, you can at least take the CPAA exams from within your country (i'm assuming you live in the UK). I live in India and shall have to travel to Thailand/Dubai for taking them!

I really think its possible to do the 6 segments/papers in 4 attempts or 2 years, based on what others have been telling me, and on my own perception. i was randomly going through the syllabus content and some of the exam standard questions of cpaa - they seemed quite manageable. (disclaimer - i've recently been battle hardened by acca. awaiting results of last 2 papers. dunno how different they would seem to people who're out of studies for a long time)

I also suspect cpaa marks leniently, because i know a lot of people who have been taking the exams, and each time they claimed they'd definitely fail.. they ended up passing!