Accountant hopefuls shed pencils for the keyboard

NEW YORK – Candidates training to become accountants in the United States will now have to submit their exams in a computerised format designed to improve overall standards of the accounting industry.

Previously, potential Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) used paper and pencil to take exams before practising. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the governing body for CPAs, is launching the computerised testing this month.The new format will allocate 30 per cent of overall marks to test a CPA candidate’s skills of researching and interpreting various accounting guidelines, something that was not possible before.Examinees will be given random cases and use the AICPA’s huge internal databases to explain what accounting rules are applicable to interpret various situations.AICPA executives said the new examination format will more effectively judge a new accountant’s grasp of complex accounting skills.”It is designed to test a CPA’s skills to tackle the real world.(Until now), it had almost become a memorisation effort,” said Arleen Thomas, vice president, professional standards and services, at the AICPA.AICPA is launching the examination format as a tie up with Thomson Prometric, which runs the computerised Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT).The CPA tests will be launched in 300 centres in the U.S.and candidates can sit for the exam on any working day.Results of the exam will be available in four weeks, as opposed to 12 weeks it took for the written exam.- Nampa-ReutersThe American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the governing body for CPAs, is launching the computerised testing this month.The new format will allocate 30 per cent of overall marks to test a CPA candidate’s skills of researching and interpreting various accounting guidelines, something that was not possible before.Examinees will be given random cases and use the AICPA’s huge internal databases to explain what accounting rules are applicable to interpret various situations.AICPA executives said the new examination format will more effectively judge a new accountant’s grasp of complex accounting skills.”It is designed to test a CPA’s skills to tackle the real world.(Until now), it had almost become a memorisation effort,” said Arleen Thomas, vice president, professional standards and services, at the AICPA.AICPA is launching the examination format as a tie up with Thomson Prometric, which runs the computerised Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT).The CPA tests will be launched in 300 centres in the U.S.and candidates can sit for the exam on any working day.Results of the exam will be available in four weeks, as opposed to 12 weeks it took for the written exam.- Nampa-Reuters