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International CPA Exam: CPA Exam International Options, Locations, and Steps

cpa exam international

If you are a U.S. citizen or a citizen of another country who lives outside the U.S., and you’d like to earn the American Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification, you are a CPA Exam international candidate. As an international candidate, you can definitely qualify to sit for the USA CPA Exam. But can you take the CPA Exam outside of the U.S.? Thankfully, the answer to that question is yes, you can. Therefore, I’ll tell you how you can take the international CPA Exam. I’ll also tell you where by listing each CPA Exam international location.

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CPA Exam International Administration: 3 Options

Basically, candidates living outside of the U.S. have 3 different ways to become a U.S. CPA.

cpa exam locations

Furthermore, I’ll explain these options in detail and reveal the CPA Exam locations for each so you can determine which is best for you.

1. IQEX for CPA Exam International Candidates

Normally, CPA candidates must pass the CPA Exam. The CPA Exam has 4 sections and 16 hours of total testing time.

However, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) has mutual reciprocal agreements (MRAs) with certain non-U.S. professional associations. And in essence, certified or chartered accountants living outside the U.S. with membership in these associations can more easily obtain the U.S. CPA.  Basically, they just need to pass the International Qualification Examination (IQEX). In short, the IQEX is one exam that you have 4 hours to take.

Furthermore, you must be a member of the following associations to be eligible to take the IQEX instead of the CPA Exam:

  • CPA Australia
  • Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
  • CPA Canada
  • Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Chartered Accountants Ireland
  • Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Publicos
  • Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
  • South African Institute of Chartered Accountants

In addition, qualified candidates can take the IQEX at CPA testing centers around the world. Prometric operates each CPA Exam site.

Moreover, CPA international students who take the IQEX still need to apply to an American CPA jurisdiction to receive the CPA license. Likewise, candidates must meet the CPA education requirements, the CPA experience requirements, and/or the CPA ethics exam requirement as well. So, if you believe you may qualify for this CPA Exam alternative, learn more about the IQEX so you can get started.

2. CPA Exam International

Not long ago, you could only sit for the Certified Public Accountant Examination in the United States. Then, in the 2011 CPA Exam format, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Prometric launched a number of new international CPA Exam testing centers around the world. Currently, international candidates can sit for the CPA Exam in these countries:

2022 Updates to International CPA Exam Locations

In June 2022, the AICPA, NASBA, and Prometric jointly announced policy changes for international candidates taking the CPA Exam.

In the past, candidates were restricted in where they could take the CPA Exam based on their residency or citizenship. For example, in many cases, you could only take the exam in your own country or perhaps another country in your region. For example, if you lived in Japan, you couldn’t take the CPA Exam in Brazil.

But now, those rules have changed. Unless you are applying for the CPA license in a handful of jurisdictions that don’t participate in the international administration of the exam (Alabama, Idaho, North Carolina, and the Virgin Islands), international candidates can take the CPA Exam at any international testing location. (And to clarify, international testing locations are considered to be those outside the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.)

So now, using our example from above, a CPA candidate from Japan could theoretically go to Brazil to take the exam. This example might be a little extreme, but it still shows you how much more flexibility international candidates now have!

CPA Exam Centers in the Middle East

Citizens, permanent residents, and long-term residents pursuing the CPA in Middle East countries no longer have to travel to the U.S. to take the exam. Instead, they can stay in their own region as long as a Prometric testing center is open. Therefore, here’s a complete list of CPA sites in the Middle East:

  • Bahrain
  • Egypt
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE

Moreover, you can sit for the exam in one of these Middle East countries if you’re a citizen or long-term resident of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, the UAE, Yemen, or the U.S.

India CPA Locations

To start, please note that the CPA India testing locations are new. However, these new CPA Exam centers give CPA international candidates more options when they are ready to sit for their exams. According to NASBA, the exam is currently offered at Prometric sites in 8 Indian cities:

  • Ahmedabad
  • Bangalore
  • Calcutta
  • Chennai
  • Hyderabad
  • Mumbai
  • New Delhi
  • Trivandrum

CPA Testing Centers in Brazil

The testing centers in Brazil are popular with CPA candidates living in or near South America. Therefore, if you’re from the following countries, you could take the CPA Exam in Brazil for convenience. (Remember, though, depending on your jurisdiction, you might be able to take it in any country with a testing center.)

Argentina Cayman Islands El Salvador Jamaica St. Lucia
Antigua/Barbuda Chile French Guiana Mexico St. Vincent/Grenadines
Bahamas Colombia Guatemala Nicaragua Suriname
Barbados Costa Rica Grenada Panama Trinidad & Tobago
Belize Domenica Guyana Paraguay Uruguay
Bolivia Dominican Republic Haiti Peru United States
Brazil Ecuador Honduras St. Kitts/Nevis Venezuela

CPA Exam Testing Centers in Asia

Several CPA Exam testing centers are open in Asia, including Japan, Nepal, and the Republic of Korea. In fact, the Japanese sites were some of the earlier international exam sites to open outside of the United States.

To learn more about registering for the CPA Exam in Asia, check out this post about Prometric test centers.

CPA Exam Centres in Europe

Recently, the AICPA and Prometric expanded the administration of the CPA Exam once again, this time to testing sites in Europe. Specifically, the countries with testing centers in some of their cities include:

  • England: Bristol, London, Manchester
  • Germany: Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich
  • Republic of Ireland: Cork, Dublin
  • Scotland: Edinburgh

CPA Exam International Testing Facts

The AICPA and Prometric allow for the international administration of the CPA Exam because many international candidates desire U.S. CPA licensure. Furthermore, international CPA Exam testing centers provide convenience to professional accountants abroad, especially those employed by public accounting firms operating in these regions.

What’s more, the AICPA used the following criteria to select these countries:

  1. The volume of demand as demonstrated by candidates from those countries taking the exam in the United States.
  2. The ability to deliver the exam without legal obstacles.
  3. The potential security threat to the CPA Exam (in terms of physical security and intellectual property).
  4. The existence of established Prometric testing centers.

Similarities Between the Domestic CPA Exam and the International CPA Exam

  • Exam Language (English)
  • Exam Sites (also operated by Prometric)
  • Notice to Schedule (required to test, no extensions granted)
  • Refund Policy (no refunds granted for any reason)
  • Exam Content
  • Exam Format
    • 4 sections (AUD, BEC, FAR, and REG)
    • 16 hours of total testing time (4 hours for each exam)
    • 3 different question types (multiple-choice, task-based simulations, and written communications)
  • Continuous Testing Windows
    • AICPA exam windows are a thing of the past. AICPA exams used to have the following testing windows:
      • January 1 – March 10
      • April 1 – June 10
      • July 1 – September 10
      • October 1 – December 10
    • However, the CPA Exam centers now use continuous testing in most locations as of July 1, 2020. That means that you no longer have to wait for one of these windows to sit for your exam.
    • There are a few exceptions. After all, South Carolina currently does not have continuous testing. As a result, NASBA has an updated continuous testing map for you to check.
  • Education and Experience Licensure Requirements
    • 1-2 years of professional accounting experience
    • 150 credit hours of higher education

Differences Between the Domestic CPA Exam and the CPA Exam International

  • Time Limit for Licensure (*IMPORTANT*):
    • International candidates: must obtain the CPA license within 3 years of passing the CPA Exam.
    • Domestic candidates: receive no limit on the time in which they can obtain the CPA license in most states.
  • State Board Availability:
    • All but a handful of the 55 jurisdictions don’t participate in the international CPA Exam administration program, including:
      • Alabama
      • Idaho
      • North Carolina
      • Virgin Islands
  • Exam Fees:
    • The exam fees for the international CPA Exam are more expensive than those for the CPA Exam in the USA.
    • International CPA Exam fee: $390 extra for each exam section.
    • Domestic CPA Exam fee: $238.15 for each exam section (but fees can vary by jurisdiction).

If you are eligible to take the international CPA Exam, you must visit NASBA’s website and click “Apply Now.” Then, you should learn more about the international CPA Exam application process.

3. U.S. CPA Exam

If you don’t qualify for the IQEX or the international CPA Exam, you must take the U.S. CPA Exam by traveling to the United States CPA locations. Before 2011, this was the only way for international candidates to take the CPA Exam. Therefore, it’s the tried and true method that many candidates still use today.

However, if you completed your higher education in the U.S., your application process is the same as that of domestic CPA candidates. And therefore, you can apply to any of the state boards.

On the other hand, candidates who graduated and worked outside the U.S. must take a few extra steps to meet the CPA education and experience requirements. Consequently, you can learn more about the process of applying for the CPA Exam for international students to discover exactly what you’ll have to do.

Alternatively, Guam is one of the 55 jurisdictions. So, if you live close to Guam, you can pay some extra fees per section to take the exam there. For example, I took the exam in Guam and spent a couple of days vacationing there afterward.

CPA Review for International CPA Candidates

cpa prep for international cpa examIn sum, no matter where you take the CPA Exam, you’ll have a better chance of passing the exam if you use a CPA review. All of the best CPA review courses available offer self-study online courses perfect for CPA international candidates. Plus, your studies should center on CPA review materials that meet your learning style. Furthermore, I have many great CPA review discounts that you can use to save big on these courses.

For even more help with the international CPA Exam, you can sign up for my free international e-course. Plus, this course will help you see if earning the CPA is a possibility for you. And if so, how to do it.

About the Author Stephanie Ng

I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley), and I also passed all 4 sections of the CPA Exam on my first try. Additionally, I have led webinars, such as for the Institute of Management Accountants, authored featured articles on websites like Going Concern and AccountingWeb, and I'm also the CFO for the charity New Sight. Finally, I have created other accounting certification websites to help mentor non-CPA candidates. I have already mentored thousands of CPA, CMA, CIA, EA, and CFA candidates, and I can help you too!

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