CPA is a qualification that can be bought easily by money meaning to say that as long as the students pay the annual subscription + exam fees, the qualification is theirs.
On the other hand, most CPA grads are incompetent & struggle in the work place & don't even know the basic stuff.
I agree that the individuals' performance is more important than the paper qualification but bear in mind all the top performers are either ACCA, ICAEW, ICAA or MICPA.

This post has been edited by Def: Sep 29 2010, 10:59 AM

Well guys, fyi I m a CPA (Aus) member since 2008 & I don't hold any grudge against my own prof body, CPA & I also don't have any favouriticism for other bodies like ACCA, ICAEW, MICPA, ICAA etc. At the moment I am happily employed as a Senior in the Assurance div at one of the Big 4.

I passed my CPA program 'blind folded' & without raising a single sweat. I obtained 4 distinctions & 2 credits with minimal study. You can bring as many study materials as you want into the exam hall. Passing CPA is as easy as passing the PMR exam. Is it what we call a professional exam?? I don't think so. If CPA is regarded as a prof exam, then PMR should also be given the prof exam status.

Guys, wake up....I am just telling the truth but unfortunately most of you all refuse to accept the truth & let yourself to live in the state of denial.

As member of CPA, I have to be stern & stand firm in regards to the entire Program so that some drastic measures can be taken to rectify the whole situation. The quality of the CPA qualification is diving faster than before like waterfall.

If you had attended the CPA's AGM in Aust, don't be surprised if you find that most CPA members located in Aust are of the same view as me. I attended the AGM once in Aust in 2008. All members voiced their unhappiness concerning 4 main issues:
1. the low quality of the CPA exam;
2. CPA has become more commercialised & too profit oriented;
3. Most employers whether big or small prefer to hire ICAA grad & ignore CPA
4. CPA grads loose out completely in terms of technical skill.

Unfortunately all of these issues fell into deaf ears & nothing has been done.
Some members were so outspoken during the AGM & said "even a primary school kid or a blind person can pass the CPA easily".

However CPAs in M'sia are still blinded by the actual situation....time to wake up, pal.

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Added on September 30, 2010, 1:33 pmyes you can as long as you're a MIA member plus holding an audit license. You can sign the audit report but your credibility is a big question mark as a CPA.


This post has been edited by Def: Sep 30 2010, 01:33 PM

?
Can you provide us the link (Fortune 50 MNC) so that we can verify your comment?
If you feel that ACCA is like a diploma, then the rest like ICAEW, ICA Scotland, ICA Ireland or even CIMA is also like a diploma. Then CPA (Aus) is like a primary school education.

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Added on October 8, 2010, 7:37 amAgree !!

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Added on October 8, 2010, 7:46 amEvery CPAs in Australia has the same opinion as White Knight. I agree with you, CPA is valueless in Australia and it's so common until the non accounting graduates can become CPA easily. CPA is a qualification that can be bought easily by money. This is the concept of Commercialization.

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Added on October 8, 2010, 8:09 amYou must be damn intelligent since you completed the ACCA in 2 1/2 years. And you say it's easy? Then you shld also be able to complete ICAEW, MICPA or even the top Chartered body in the world, ICA Scotland in within the same time frame. Have you done so? Try out MICPA. Fyi, the syllabus & difficulty level of ACCA, ICAEW, MICPA or ICA Scotland are the same. Look at their past exam papers, you will know. Also fyi, now most of the Big 4 in UK require the candidates to sit for ACCA or ICA Scotland instead of ICAEW. However some of them are a bit flexible, candidates can sit either ICAEW, ICA Scot or ACCA.

I am a CPA (Aus) member, to back up your above comment, then I must say that CPA is damn freaking freaking freaking freaking easy. Even primary school kids can score high distinction in all the 6 segments in 1 sitting easily!!!
or I can say that even an illiterate person can score high distinction in CPA exam too.
I have done this CPA exam and I know very well about it from top to toe. Many CPA grad regret that they didn't do the ICAA.

This post has been edited by Def: Oct 8 2010, 08:09 AM

Dear all CPA stalwarts, below is a comment that I accidentally found in the google. Spend some time to read it.


CA is more recognised in Britain

Yes, but Australian CA is a different accounting body to the English/Welsh/Scottish CA.

Australian CPA is COMPLETELY NOT related to the US CPA.

It's easier to go to CPA once you have CA than vice versa

In Australia, I've yet to find anyone who did Aust CA then went on to do Aust CPA. No one in their right mind would do this. On the other hand, I've seen many who did the Aust CPA then went on to do Aust CA, because Aust CA is better regarded in larger companies.

CA is highly regarded here and UK.

Australian CA is highly regarded anywhere in the world, thanks to big 4. All big 4 firms in Australia is CA oriented and it makes Aust CA passport to anywhere in the world, really.

Australian CPA is NOT equivalent to the US CPA. They just happen to share same acronyms. In the US, the big 4 firms employ US CPA (or AICPA).

I've yet to see a CPA working for large companies. Large companies have different technical issues and would result in different jobs.

I've seen many jobs that are open to CAs exclusively. You may say that's like 'shoving your own head up your bum hole', but that's how it is. Whenever I hire people, the recruitment agency would ask whether I just want to get CA only. There is a strong perception out there in the market for a CA.

Then again, big 4 are known for paying peanuts... However, when they do leave big 4, that's when the premium will start to kick in. I've seen many instances where people suffer shocking pays at big 4, then move out of big 4 to make a rather substantial payrise.

However, to get the job in the first place, I think it's better to get the designation that is well respected in the industry, that's CA and not CPA.

This post has been edited by Def: Oct 12 2010, 03:15 PM

Below is another comment I found in google:

CA:
Reputation: Prestigious
Region: Well recognised in western countries, (Europe, Canada, US, etc)
Course: very structured, 6 compulsory units, EXTREMLY DIFFICULT (if you thought some uni subjects are hard, they are nothing to what you will be doing in CA), weekly lectures, tutorial, as well as group assignments and exam.
Duration: 1 subject per semester, 3 semesters per year, therefore you can complete it in 2 years if you enrol every semester.
Bottomline: This is the one to go for if you’re willing to go the extra yard to stand out from the crowd, but expect many late nights of studying.

CPA:
Reputation: More “basic”, everyone’s got one these days…
Region: Well recognised in asia and south east asia.
Course: 4 compulsory subjects, 3 electives (course contents recently changes, before there are only 3 core subjects), no classes, no assignments, just 1 exam per subject (mostly multiple choice)
Duration: up to 3 subjects per semester, 2 semester per year, you can complete in 1 year if you like (but there’s a 3 year work experience requirement before you qualify for the license)
Bottomline: Easy to complete, experienced jobs usually require "CA” only and not "CPA".

Also, I think a CA can convert to CPA without doing anything where as a CPA will not be able to convert to CA (need to take the course from scratch), but I forgot where I saw it…

This post has been edited by Def: Oct 14 2010, 09:20 AM

The MCQs in the CPA exam is easy & answers are directly from books.

MCQs in CFA is very difficult & you have to dig deep underground for the answers.

You can take any prof exams that suits your career aspiration but don't make the same mistake that most aust grads made. That is to take the easy way out by taking the CPA Aus exam that takes you nowhere in your career.