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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

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CPA (Certified Public Accountant) is a designation given by AICPA to the individuals who have passed the Uniform CPA exam, met the required and relevant experience. The CPA designation enforces high professional standards in the field of accounting.

The CPA Exams are administered by AICPA, the world's largest accounting body. AICPA offers membership to all the aspirants successfully clearing all 4 CPA exams. CPA license, however, is issued by the 55 state boards of accountancy of the US that are part of NASBA. Each state board has different eligibility criteria that the aspirant needs to meet to take the US CPA exams.

  • Master's Degree in any of the streams of Commerce, Accounting or Finance
  • An aspirant needs 120 credits to take the US CPA exams and 150 credits to get his CPA license
  • It's considered that one year of University education in India is equal to 30 credits of US education
  • In some cases, first division graduates of a three-year degree from NAAC-A accredited universities of India are qualified to take the US CPA exams too.

There are indeed many job opportunities in India for US CPA qualified professionals. Obviously, there are the big 4s like Deloitte, EY, etc where CPAs have an opportunity. Apart from the big 4s there are many more international companies like PwC India hiring CPAs even right now. According to Naukri.com there are around 26,426 job openings for a CPA in India as of now and this number keeps increasing, changing every day.

There are four sections in the CPA exam:

  • Regulation (REG)
  • Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
  • Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
  • Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)

You need a score of 75 or higher to pass the CPA exam. Specifically, you must earn a 75 or higher on each of the four tests that make up the CPA exam.

There is no negative marking in the US CPA exam.

There are four sections in the CPA exam. The total duration of the exam is 16 hours (4 hours for each section).

Simandhar Education has corporate tie-ups with Invesco, EY, Citrin Cooperman, etc.

CPA has 4 papers compared to the CA exam which has 3 levels and 18 papers on a whole. Moreover, CPA takes less than a year to complete. The CA, on the other hand, takes close to 5 years to complete.

No, ACCA doesn't give credit for CPA. NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) and the state board of accountancy govern CPA's eligibility rules.

Mr. Sripal Jain (CA, CPA) is the Co-Founder and Lead Instructor at Simandhar Education.

CA and US CPA are both professional qualifications. However, the qualities, structures, and durations differ completely; also please note there are no exemptions in any of the subjects as ICAI currently don't have MOU with AICPA, so you will need to write four sections in order to pass the CPA exam.

CPA exam fee is $1000 and International testing fee is $1500. Additionally, $225 for evaluation making the overall CPA exam cost INR 2, 00,000 without training fee.

There are many US firms all over the globe, and a lot of accountancy related assignments are being outsourced to India. There are many US companies now in India, so the job scope is good. Companies like Deloitte, EY, Amazon, Synchrony, Invesco and so many more frequently hire in India.

ACCA is a UK program, it is a good course, but the scope for jobs in UK companies is limited worldwide.

We select the state for you based on your educational background and make sure you get maximum credits as required. US CPA is a uniform exam and the paper will be the same no matter which state you apply from.

CPA US is a 4- paper exam- Online 50% MCQ, 50% SIMS (Case Law based questions)

  • FAR - Financial accounting and reporting-
  • AUD - Audit
  • BEC - Business environment
  • REG - Regulation or US taxation

Exam format: MCQs, simulations, and written communications.
The student will have access to Authoritative literature when he is answering Simulations part in all the 4 papers. Authoritative literature comprises of GAAP, IRS, GAAS where a student can use it to answer, but it requires a lot of practice to locate the exact answer as it is too vast to search.

Yes, a graduation degree from IGNOU is considered valid for the CPA exam. IGNOU Graduation can give you 60 or 90 credits depending on the MOU, if the MOU is for 1 year- then 60 credits, if you're writing B. Com for 3 years – 90 credits.

A qualifications are both related to finance, there are significant differences between the two. A CFA's expertise is focused on the investment industry. Consequently, CFAs work as portfolio managers, investment advisors, and research analysts.
A CPA, on the other hand, is a specialist in accounting and taxes. You can find CPAs working in public accounting and also in the finance departments of small and large businesses.

B.Com gives you a total of 90 credits and to qualify for the CPA exam you need 120 credits but there are certain states which allow you to sit for CPA exam even with 90 credits provided you sign an undertaking that you will meet the balance credits within 18 months of appearing for the first paper. Yes, you can do CPA but you need to sign an undertaking and we will help you with a bridge course to meet the balance credits. Additionally, B. Com with NAAC A- First division is also an eligibility criterion.

A CPA's knowledge is more broad-based. An individual who holds the CPA license would have proper expertise in a wide-variety of finance-related areas. A CFA is a more specialized course and is targeted at those who want to work in the investment management profession. Compare and know the details of both CPA vs CFA designations.

To be eligible to appear for the US CPA exam one must have 120 credits, each graduation is converted into 30 years of credits thereby adding 90 credits for 3 years, if your NAAC A, the first division you will get 30 additional credits. To apply for the license, one must have 150 credits. Although certain other requirements vary by jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction has specific requirements about education, experience, and residency. Refer to your jurisdiction's application materials for additional information.


The continuous testing window is applied now; they will need to apply for NTS again and write the exam.

The exam has 324 multiple-choice questions, 20 simulation questions, and 3 written communication (essay) questions.

Both US residents and foreign nationals who meet the requirements of a particular state board can take the CPA exam.

Testing for CPA Exam candidates at test centres in India will begin on January 1, 2021. Also, the candidates may begin to use the scheduler on November 2, 2020.

Indian candidates may schedule to take the "US CPA Exam" in the Prometric locations given below:

  • Hyderabad
  • Ahmedabad
  • Mumbai
  • Delhi
  • Bangalore
  • Chennai
  • Kolkata
  • Trivandrum

The Certified Public Accountants are in demand across many industries. They can command high salaries because of their expertise in financing. Also, many companies retain the CPA's accounting talent by paying good salaries along with hikes and bonuses.

The average salary for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in India is ₹701,387.

The CPA exam requirements vary by state jurisdiction. Every state board of accountancy has a different set of requirements, but most states have a core set of qualifications for a candidate to be eligible for the CPA exam.

Below are the requirements to obtain CPA license.

  • In general, many states ask for 150 credit hours in some specific courses from a university or an accredited institute under NASBA.
  • The candidate should pass the Ethics exam.
  • Must have 2,000 hours of work experience in taxation, auditing, accounting and management consultancy.
  • Age limit: 18+ years.

Yes, Candidates who passed CA (Inter) exam are also eligible to do CPA.

Simandhar Education follows Becker (a global education provider headquartered in the US) study material for CPA.

Simandhar Education provides you with access to Live Interactive classes from anywhere in the world and provides the facility to access recorded videos for students who seek to revisit the material taught.

The reasons behind "How Simandhar Education different from other Institutes" are:

  • The Becker product and live classes are very effective.
  • CPA course at Simandhar is inexpensive.
  • It has good placement assistance.
  • It is associated with all Big 4s & multinationals, and alumni of Simandhar have placed in MNCs.
  • Simandhar has a wide network of world-class trainers, teachers and industry-experts across domains, especially CPA, CMA, EA, CIA, IFRS & HRCI.

2020 CPA Exam Pass Rates

Section First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter
AUD 47.97% 65.29% 56.89%
BEC 61.76% 76.92% 69.89%
FAR 46.37% 62.86% 55.67%
REG 55.42% 74.97% 66.12%
  • Simandhar Education provides you with access to Live Interactive classes from anywhere in the world.
  • Provides the facility to access recorded videos for students who seek to revisit the material taught.
  • Supports its students by placing them in Top F & A companies, Big 4 etc.
  • All the teachers at Simandhar are CPA qualified and rank holder Chartered Accountants (CAs) from India.
  • Personal grooming sessions for interviews.
  • Attention on individual candidates.
  • It provides placement opportunities.

275+ hours of video lessons per section by Top CPA.

No, US CMA doesn't give credit for CPA.

Yes, Simandhar Education provides evaluation and licensing assistance for CPA. The CPA aspirant must have 2,000 hours of work experience in taxation, auditing, accounting and management consultancy (need not be under a CPA supervisor, Mr.Sripal Jain (CA,CPA) can verify for you).

US CPA license is used mainly when one wants to be self-employed and practice as a Certified Public Accountant living in the US.

A CPA's knowledge is more broad-based. An individual who holds the CPA license would have expertise in a wide variety of finance-related areas. A CFA is a more specialized course and is targeted at those who want to work in the investment management profession. Compare the details of CPA vs CFA designations.

Certified Public Accountants work in a wide range of professions. You can find them in banking, financial services, government jobs, and education. However, most CPAs are employed in public accounting or corporate accounting.

No, the exam is NOT in an open book format. You are not allowed any resources in the testing center while taking the exam.

The Notice to Schedule (NTS) is your notification that you may begin scheduling your examination with Prometric. It is a Hall ticket. NTS is issued in 2-4 weeks of exam application at the CPA Central.

Certified Public Accountants provide a range of services across different types of organizations.

  • Public accounting firms: CPAs are involved in the preparation, review, and auditing of their clients' financial statements. Their expert knowledge in the fields of accounting, taxes, and related areas helps them to fulfil this role.
  • Large corporations: Big companies need the services of CPAs. In these organizations, CPAs work in accounting, internal auditing, and tax accounting. They play a crucial role in preparing the corporation's financial statements and ensuring that these adhere to the required regulatory norms.
  • Small businesses: CPAs can play an important role in small companies as well. They provide financial advice and can help with the firm's accounting records. Many small businesses use CPAs to assist them with their taxes and to represent them before the IRS.
  • You can also find CPAs working in government organizations and the educational sector. If you choose to work in public accounting, you could join one of the "Big 4" accounting firms – Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, or KPMG. These firms, as well as their smaller counterparts, provide accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting services. Many CPAs also opt to work in corporations and government entities. Their job could involve managerial or tax accounting, internal auditing, or financial analysis.

To be eligible to appear for the US CPA exam one must have 120 credits, each graduation is converted into 30 years of credits thereby adding 90 credits for 3 years, if your NAAC A, the first division you will get 30 additional credits. To apply for the license, one must have 150 credits. Although certain other requirements vary by jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction has specific requirements about education, experience, and residency. Refer to your jurisdiction's application materials for any additional information.

Your NTS will be valid for a specific amount of time. This time varies by jurisdiction. For most of the states, it is valid for 6 months whereas for a few it has 9 months validity. You must sit for the examination before your NTS expires. If you do not sit for the examination within the established time frame, your NTS will be expired and you will need to submit a new application to receive a new NTS. The expiration date will be mentioned on the NTS.

You need a score of 75 or higher to pass the CPA exam. Specifically, you must earn a 75 or higher on each of the four tests that make up the CPA exam.

If you are appearing for exams in any country other than the US you will have to take the license within 3 years of passing the CPA exam or your credits will lapse. If you appear for the exam in the US you have to apply for a license within 10 years.

Yes, you can hold a multiple state license provided you meet the CPE (Continuous Professional Education) as per the state rule.

To decide when to take the CPA exam, follow these steps:

  • Submit your application and all required fees to your state board of accountancy. When the state board approves your application, it contacts the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).
  • NASBA reviews the state board information, including the tests you are allowed to take. NASBA sends you a Notice to Schedule (NTS).
  • Use your NTS to contact Prometric and set up a date and time to take your test. The CPA exam provides testing windows, which are basically periods of when the candidates can take tests.

According to the AICPA, 2021 CPA Exam scores will be released on the following CPA Exam score release dates:

If you take your exam on/before: Your target score release date is:
23rd January, 2021 9th February, 2021
15th February, 2021 23rd February, 2021
23rd February, 2021 18th March, 2021
31st March, 2021 9th April, 2021
23rd April, 2021 11th May, 2021
16th May, 2021 25th May, 2021
8th June, 2021 16th June, 2021
30th June, 2021 13th June, 2021

Once you have found the estimated date your scores will be released, you will need to login to the NASBA website to access your scores. NASBA releases your scores to your state board of accountancy, but be aware that not all boards use the online score retrieval service, so check with your state board for support on where to find your CPA scores.

For most candidates, Prometric sends Exam data files to the AICPA within 24 hours after you complete testing.

Your target release dates are based on two factors:

  • When you sat for your CPA section
  • When the AICPA receives your test data from the Prometric Center

Most of the changes have been delayed due to the pandemic. Here there are minor changes made to the exam for January 2021, there isn’t a major change.

Regulation (REG)

Removal of the CARES Act changes which were made in October 2020

Exam Topic: Individual and Corporate Taxation.

Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR)
  • ASU 2018-14—Compensation—Retirement Benefits—Defined Benefit Plans—General (Subtopic 715-20): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans.
  • ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes.

Auditing and Business Environment & Concepts Increased emphasis on the following:

  • Understanding automated business processes and the risks involved
  • The importance of having a digital and data-driven mindset as well as the use of data analytics.
  • System and Organization Controls (SOC) reports on controls over financial reporting at a service organization.
  • Other specific changes would be outlined in the January 2021 CPA Exam Blueprints
  • Topics Expected to be Expanded on the CPA Exam
  • Here are the topics which are highly expected to be expanded more in the CPA Exam in India.
  • Digital and Data-Driven Mindset and Other Technological Impacts

Business processes and internal controls

Use of SOC 1 reports
  • IT system infrastructure
  • Data flows
  • Effect of general and application controls on the completeness and reliability of data
  • Use of automated tools and data analytics in the audit
  • Skepticism and judgment in analyzing data BEC (Business Environment and Concepts)
  • Business processes and internal controls
Understanding the importance of SOC 1 reports for outsourced IT functions
  • Use of data and business intelligence
  • Data governance
  • Data management
  • Data relationships
  • Working with data (extraction, transformation, and loading)

Topics Expected to be Removed from the Exam:

There are certain topics that are also expected to be removed from the uniform US CPA Exam which are:

  • IFRS (FAR)
  • Estate Tax (REG)

Changes in Content and Skill Weighting:

AUD
  • Content Area II, Risk Assessment and Planning, increasing by 5%
  • Content Area IV, Reporting, decreasing by 5%
  • Skills Weighting shifting to higher level by 5% (ie, from Remembering & Understanding to Analysis)
  • Content Area I, Corporate Governance, increasing by 3%
  • Content Area II, Economics, decreasing by 2%
  • Content Area III, Financial Management, decreasing by 1%
  • No change in Skills Weighting

There are no particular weighting changes for FAR and REG


AICPA & NASBA administered the CPA exam in India at eight Prometric test centers.

  • Hyderabad
  • Ahmedabad
  • Mumbai
  • Delhi
  • Bangalore
  • Chennai
  • Kolkata
  • Trivandrum

Testing for CPA Exam candidates at test centers in India will begin January 1, 2021. Also, the candidates may begin to use the scheduler on November 2, 2020.

To take a test in India, you must be or become an eligible CPA exam candidate with citizenship or a long-term resident of the following countries:

  • India
  • Bhutan
  • Bangladesh
  • Myanmar
  • Maldives
  • Nepal
  • Sri Lanka
  • United States

AICPA had given an official statement regarding this stating that CPA exams will be held in India in December 2020. However, due to continuous havoc by COVID-19 even this decision was very unclear.

In times like these CPA exams being held in India is something that the candidates are really concerned about. Now the AICPA and NASBA have come to a proper conclusion finally and gave great news for all CPA aspirants that the CPA exam will be held in India continuously every month from January, 2021.

If you have already paid for the international administration process for another test region and wish to move to India, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:

  • Name
  • Jurisdiction
  • Jurisdiction ID
  • Examination section
  • Exam Section ID
  • Current international test country
  • New international test country

US CPA Exam in India Every Month from 2021

NASBA AICPA and Prometric announced good news for all the CPA aspirants: Testing for CPA Exam candidates at test centers in India will begin January 1, 2021. Also, the candidates may begin to use the scheduler on November 2, 2020.

US CPA aspirants can take the CPA course and exam sections after fulfilling all the required CPA eligibility criteria without restrictions, other than waiting to receive scores from prior attempts of the same section or when there is a major change to the exam. Continuous Testing will replace the existing limited CPA Exam Testing Window model, which only permits candidates to test in India during designated time frames.

CPA cost / CPA Exam fees in India

Approximate Fee Structure for the US CPA Certification is given in the table below. Application Fee costs around $ 140.00. International testing fees of USD 1500 ( $375 per section) will be paid by aspirant apart from below fees.

SECTIONS FEES
Auditing and Attestation (AUD) $ 187.00
Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) $ 140.78
Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) $ 175.44
Regulation (REG) $ 152.33

Previously students/CPA aspirants had to bear additional expenses for traveling and accommodation since they had to appear for the CPA exams in the US only. But, now that is not the case, as per the latest update by NASBA & AICPA – CPA exam is now going to be held in India itself, which is indeed an amazing news for all the CPA candidates as they can save on a lot of expenses this way.

CPA license is awarded by all of the 55 state boards of accountancy (typically the entire process of evaluation, eligibility of CPA and state board selection will be outsourced to Simandhar and you just need to STUDY). For international candidates, need to earn the CPA license within 3 years of clearing the CPA exams (else, CPA exam credits lapse!). Need to fulfill the 4E criteria:

  • Exams - Pass the 4 CPA exams in 10-12 months timeframe
  • Education - 150 credits [ Simandhar has a bridge course to help you in getting desired credit
  • Experience - 1 year [need not be under a CPA supervisor; Our Lead Instructor Sripal Jain, CPA and Licensed US CPA holder can verify for you
  • Ethics - Online on-demand exam and open book.

Simandhar vs Other institutes

Particulars Simandhar CPA Training Others
CPA Training Live online training by Sripal Jain and other subject matter experts of Simandhar apart from Becker faculties No Live training, only Recorded and outdated videos
Content Only Institute in India to provide Becker product and Live classes, Almost 90% students prepare through Becker product Local content and outdated
Number of hours More number of Hours on Live classes and very suitable training for Non accounting students too as its more concept oriented Very less hours of Teaching and no conceptual clarity
Clarity on Evaluation and state board selection 100% Support on evaluation, licensing , board selection No Idea on CPA eligibility or licensing
Mentoring One to One mentoring and success plan by India's number one CPA Instructor- Sripal Jain No direct access to faculties
Placement Placement support through kikifin ( Simandhar Placement arm ) and sometimes even to Non students too No Support
Corporate tie-ups Strong Corporate tie ups with big 4s, also enjoy exclusive training partner in Few Big 4s No Corporate session nor tie ups
Toastmasters Club To groom the students and make them much more confident. To also build their skills. No clubs
Personality development group Developments groups to help and guide all the students regularly be it personal or professional No such groups for guidance
Stock Market Group We have students be a part of the stock market group to create financial literacy amongst them. No such knowledge improving groups

CPA tie-ups of Simandhar

Simandhar Education has Corporate Tie-ups with Invesco, EY, Citrin Cooperman, Invesco, Eisner Amper, Initor Global, American Insurance group (AIG) Deloitte, BDO etc.

Make your global accounting career with US CPA
(Certified Public Accountant) in India

CPA acronym stands for ‘Certified Public Accountant’. CPA is the one of the highest accounting credentials in the world administered by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants). CPA is considered gold standard in the fields of accounting and finance. Spread across just 4 exams, CPA’s curriculum uses some of the most advanced testing techniques to test aspirants all over the world if they’re worthy of the designation CPA. Lakhs of aspirants take US CPA exams every year to grow themselves professionally into Public Accountants, Financial Analysts, Controllers and many other roles.

CPA designation offers great value, it gives you

    • Career Opportunities
    • International Recognition
    • Global Qualification
    • Extensive Knowledge about Accounting, Auditing, Finance, Tax, Business Economics and International Accounting Standards (US GAAP + IFRS)
    • Elite Network of CPAs
    • Authority to practice Public Accountancy all over the world (In India as well)

US CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

A Certified Public Accountant is a professional who has earned the CPA license from any of the 55 state accountancy boards of USA all of which are part of NASBA (National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy). Each state board has the authority to grant CPA license. One must meet all the requirements of the state board including Education, Experience and Examinations.

Due to the wide spread awareness and acceptance of CPA credential, it’s understood that a CPA possesses the required knowledge of all accounting areas as analysing financial statements, financial planning, tax preparation, internal auditing, income tax and other specializations of accounting. In a nutshell, a CPA is someone who has mastered all the elements of the accounting profession. This is also one of the many reasons, professional organizations seek CPAs for complex accounting and finance jobs.

CPA For Diverse Accounting Career Options

A licensed Certified Public Accountant is fit to hold any kind of financial and accounting position in the organization. CPA’s maintain high standards of accounting and financial knowledge and ethics, they’re usually absorbed into roles such as auditors, consultants, advisors, tax accountants etc. A CPA has many options to move into any role in the profession of accounting.

USPs of CPA

Single Level Exam

CPA is a single level (no varying levels of toughness) , 4 parts course. The 4 exam parts could be scheduled at aspirant’s leisure anytime. Once the aspirant receives scores of his/her first exam, the aspirant is required to complete the rest exams in under 18 months.

CPA is in India now

  • Besides US, CPA exams are held at a few specific exam locations all over the world. Previously, US CPA aspirants from India visited UAE and USA to take their CPA exams. Considering the ever-growing demand of CPA in India and the rest of the world, AICPA and NASBA have started to administer exams in India since June 2020. CPA Exams can be taken from over 8 locations in India. The following 8 Indian cities have testing centers

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

CPA Exams Eligibility

  • The CPA Exams are administered by AICPA, the world’s largest accounting body. AICPA offers membership to all the aspirants successfully clearing all 4 CPA exams. CPA license, however is issued by the 55 state boards of accountancy of US that are part of NASBA. Each state board has different eligibility criteria, that needs to be met by the aspirant to take the US CPA exams.

    General Rules of Thumb :

    • Master’s Degree in any of the streams of Commerce, Accounting or Finance
    • An aspirant needs 120 credits to take the US CPA exams and 150 credits to get his CPA license
    • It’s considered that one year of University education in India is equal to 30 credits of US education
    • In some cases, first division graduates of a three-year degree from NAAC-A accredited universities of India are qualified to take the US CPA exams too.

    Simandhar Education provides free eligibility check that you could use to check if you’re eligible to take the prestigious US CPA certification.

    Know your eligibility

Career Opportunities After CPA

  • 1

    Consulting Services

  • 2

    Assurance Services

  • 3

    Financial Planning

  • 4

    International Accounting

  • 5

    Information Technology Services

  • 6

    Forensic Accounting

  • 7

    Litigation Services

  • 8

    Non-Profit Organizations

  • 9

    Taxation Services

  • 10

    Business Valuation And Many more

With diverse industry relations and corporate tie-ups, Simandhar Education provides placement assistance to all its CPA learners.

US CPA for CA’s (Chartered Accountants) in India

A few state boards of US have an MoU with the ICAI which allows the chartered accountants to take the US CPA exam without pursuing any additional degree in accounting, commerce or other streams, which are usually required for non-CA’s. India CA and US CPA are similar in a few ways, as they both deal with professional accountancy. However, there are a few distinct differences between the two.

Some differences between CA and CPA:

Point of Difference Indian CA US CPA
Eligibility of Candidate ICAI decides 55 State Boards (Rules vary)
Exams Administered by ICAI AICPA
Licensed by ICAI 55 State Boards (Rules vary)
Duration 4-5 Years 18 Months Maximum
Levels of Toughness 3 Single level
Total No. of Exams 20 4
Exam Pattern Descriptive Objective
Overall Passing percentage 10-15% 50-60%
Recognition Well Recognized Well Recognized

US CPA for CS’s (Company Secretaries) in India

Like the CA’s, a few state boards of US have an MoU with the ICSI which allows the company secretaries (CS) to take the US CPA exam. However, it varies with the state board of accountancy.

  • The Demand of their Profession -

    • Company secretaries are required to earn CPA to chair a few high-profile roles for the organizations they work in.

  • Similarity In CS and CPA Curriculum -

    • Part of CPA's curriculum is similar to CS's curriculum, which makes it easier for CS's to pursue additional professional qualification.

  • Additional Professional Credential -

    • Besides CS, they pursue CPA, a global credential to make their mark in the international arena as it opens new career avenues.

Being a member of ICSI earns a few perks while pursuing CPA. Depending on the state board of accountancy, CS's earn 60 semester credits to pursue CPA in India.

US CPA for CMA’s in India

CMA is a popular professional credential in India. Thousands of CMA's pursue CPA for various reasons.

Career shift from Cost Accounting to Other accounting:

While CPA focuses on all parts of accounting, CMA focuses on Cost Accounting. CMAs in India pursue CPA to broaden their spectrum of knowledge and explore new career opportunities in India as well as worldwide.

Additional Professional Credential:

Besides CMA, they pursue CPA, a global credential to have the best of both worlds, global and Indian

Being a member of ICWAI has perks while pursuing CPA. Depending on the state board of accountancy, CMA's earn 60 semester credits to pursue CPA in India.

CPA Curriculum

Curriculum of US CPA is widely recognized for its breadth and depth of concepts. The test also ensures that a candidate is thorough with the concepts required for an accounting professional to work in real life complex scenarios. The curriculum of CPA is spread across 4 subjects. These subjects also classify CPA into four exams that was discussed earlier on this page. They are:

  • BEC- Business Environment Concepts
  • AUD- Auditing and Attestation
  • FAR- Financial Accounting and Reporting
  • REG- Regulations
    Syllabus
  • Conceptual Framework, Standard Setting and presentation of Financial Statements (17-23%)
  • Financial Statement Accounts: Recognition, Measurement, Valuation, Calculation, Presentation and Disclosures (27-33%)
  • Specific Transactions, Events and Disclosures: Recognition, Measurement, Valuation, Calculation, Presentation, and Disclosures (27% - 33%)
  • Governmental Accounting and Reporting (8% - 12%)
  • Not-for-Profit (Nongovernmental) Accounting and Reporting (8%-12%)
    • Duration
  • 4 hour Exam
    • Question Pattern
  • 66 multiple choice questions (50% Weightage) & 9 short task-based simulations (50% Weightage)
    Syllabus
  • Engagement Acceptance & understanding the environment (12-16%)
  • Understanding the entity and its environment (16-20%)
  • Performing Audit procedures & evaluating evidence (16-20%)
  • Evaluating Audit findings, communications & reporting (16-20%)
  • Accounting & review services engagement (12-16%)
  • Professional responsibilities (16-20%)
    • Duration
  • 4 hour Exam
    • Question Pattern
  • 72 multiple choice questions (50% Weightage) & 9 short task-based simulations (50% Weightage)
    Syllabus
  • Ethics, Professional, and Legal Responsibilities (15% -19%)
  • Business Law (17% - 21%)
  • ederal Tax Process, Procedures, Accounting, and Planning (11% - 15%)
  • Evaluating Audit findings, communications & reporting (16-20%)
  • Federal Taxation of Property Transactions (12% - 16%)
  • Federal Taxation of Individuals (13% - 19%)
  • Federal Taxation of Entities (18% - 24%)
    • Duration
  • 4 hour Exam
    • Question Pattern
  • 76 multiple choice questions (50% Weightage) & 9 short task-based simulations (50% Weightage)
    Syllabus
  • Corporate Governance (16% - 20%)
  • Economic Concepts and Analysis (16% - 20%)
  • Financial Management (19% - 23%)
  • Information Systems and Communications (15% - 19%)
  • Strategic Planning (10% - 14%)
  • Operations Management (12% - 16%)
    • Duration
  • 4 hour Exam
    • Question Pattern
  • 62 multiple choice questions(50% Weightage) & 5 short task-based simulations (35% Weightage),Written communication( 15% Weightage)
Download Prospectus Register For More Details

CPA Exam Pattern and Passing Score

CPA's test pattern consists of mostly objective and partly descriptive questions. Grading of the CPA test is done on a scaled score. On the scaled score of 0-99 in each part, an aspirant needs to score a minimum of 75 to qualify the test. This applies for all the four parts of CPA. Depending on the part, the overall passing percentage of CPA worldwide ranges from 50-60%. Given our emphasis on higher education in India, this percentage is considerably higher in India. Passing percentage of CPA among Simandhar's CPA aspirants is higher than 90%, the highest in India.

How exactly is the CPA exam scored and graded?

A candidate needs a 75 or more score to pass the CPA exam and become a Certified Public Accountant. According to AICPA, the CPA exam is scored on a scale of 0-99. Candidates usually get confused if those 75 scores are supposed to be 75 percent or points. It is necessary to understand that the candidate needs to achieve 75 points to clear the exam successfully.

Multiple-Choice Question Scoring:

The MCQ testlets use what’s called a multi-stage testing approach. This means that as the candidate keeps performing through each section, the level of difficulty of the next changes accordingly. If you perform really well in the first set of questions, the next set will be difficult ones. Difficult MCQs are weighted more than easy MCQs. Thus, one correctly answered difficult MCQ would improve your score more than several correctly answered easy MCQs.

Task-Based Simulation scoring:

These consist of problems that you need to solve based on situations and concepts. They are matching or fill in the blank kind of questions

Written Communication Scoring:

This tests your ability to perform communication tasks like demonstration and creative writing. Mostly the BEC section of the CPA exam has written communication and in this you have to type out the answer in a blank word document.

CPA Course Duration

An aspirant is required to qualify all the four parts of CPA in under 18 months from the date of results of first test. CPA being a flexible course, the aspirant is constantly in control of his CPA preparation. The aspirant has all the control over the duration of CPA. Simandhar's aspirants usually qualify all the four parts in under a year, without any pressure and earn their CPA license.

CPA Prometric Locations/Centres in India

  • Regarding the US CPA exams fees, if candidates are testing at any international test center, he/she must pay an exam administration fee before planning with Prometric. To do this, log in to your NASBA CPA Candidate Account Portal and select “International Administration”. The international administration process for the India region is now available.

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

CPA Fees in India

    • Auditing and Attestation (AUD): $250
    • Business Environment and Concepts (BEC): $250
    • Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR): $250
    • Regulation (REG): $250

    International Testing Fee- $1500

    Application Fee- $225

    Overall, the cost of pursuing CPA in India would amount to INR 2,20,000 approximately.

Content Partners

becker

Becker

Simandhar Education is the official partner of Becker Education International Ltd, global leader in CPA exam review. Since it’s inception, Becker has helped lakhs of CPA aspirants become CPAs. Taught by world’s renowned CPA instructors, Becker’s CPA review is the perfect partner to help aspirants clear their exams.

Becker coupled with Simandhar LMS make the best combination for your CPA preparation. Becker, world's renowned CPA review and Simandhar LMS, India's renowned CPA review ensure that you get all-round attention and course material required for you to qualify all the four parts of CPA with flying colors. Our clients are enroute to win the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award for their excellent performance in their CPA tests. Simandhar Education is the only partner of AICPA in India, world's largest accounting body responsible for conducting CPA tests all over the world. We want you to focus on CPA test and only CPA tests, we take care of you and guide you through CPA evaluation, CPA Exam prep and CPA license. Also, we provide our clients with career opportunities in Big 4 and Fortune 500 companies after CPA. Download Prospectus

Simandhar

Simandhar LMS

Simandhar Education has its own CPA exam review, taught by India’s best CPA instructors like Sripal Jain (CA, CGMA, US CPA), Surinder Kaur (CPA), Srikanth Tadikonda (CMA, CPA), Dhanashree Kshirsagar (CA, CPA), Heena Vithlani (CA,CPA,IFRS with ACCA), Karan Nathvani (CA,MBA-IIM Indore, CISA, CCSK) Amit Kumar Gupta (ACA,ACS,CMA) Sudha Murthy (CA) and Suraj Lakhotia (CA, CIMA). Simandhar has helped hundreds of CPA aspirants clear their CPA exams in India.

Why Simandhar LMS + Becker?

Simandhar CPA LMS coupled with Becker CPA review makes sure that you get all the nourishment required to tackle your CPA exams. The combination ensures that you leave no stone unturned. Along with the regular classes, Simandhar extends support to aspirants through revision classes that have been a hit for a long time among the Indian CPA fraternity.

CPA license

The NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) and the state board of accountancy governs the eligibility rules of CPA. The CPA exam requirements vary by state jurisdiction. Every state board of accountancy has a different set of requirements, but most states have a core set of qualifications for a candidate to be eligible for the CPA exam.


Let’s go through the CPA license requirements.
  • In general, many states ask for 150 credit hours in some specific courses from a university or an accredited institute under NASBA.
  • The candidate should pass the Ethics exam.
  • Must have 2,000 hours of work experience in taxation, auditing, accounting and management consultancy (need not be under a CPA supervisor, Mr.Sripal Jain (CA,CPA) can verify for you).
  • Age limit: 18+ years.

Besides the above requirements, the candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in Commerce/Accounting/Business with any of the below qualifications:
  • Member of the “Institute of Costs & Works Accountants in India.”
  • Member of the “Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.”
  • Member of the “Company Secretaries in India.”
  • MBA.
  • Master of Commerce.

US CPA vs ACCA vs US CMA

Key Point US CPA ACCA US CMA
Levels of toughness 1 2 1
No. of exams 4 14 2
Paper Pattern Objective Objective + Descriptive Objective
Syllabus Auditing, Public Accounting, Taxation, Financial Reporting Auditing, Accounting, Taxation Management Accounting, Financial Management
Recognition Global Recognition Global Recognition, focused in UK and EU Global Recognition
Exemptions for graduates No exemptions (Level playing field) Yes No exemptions
Work experience required for license Varies 3 Years 2 Years
Hiring organizations location India & Global EU, UK, Middle East India & Global
License validity Global (Can practice in India too) Few Countries (Cannot be practiced In India) Global (Can practice in India too)

How Simandhar helps you to be US CPA ready

  • 1

    Comprehensive Study Material

    Becker CPA review along with Simandhar CPA gives you everything that is required for a CPA aspirant to clear all the four exams. Mock tests, revision tests, quizzes, counselling sessions, and personal mentoring by licensed CPAs make sure that you do not miss out the details of anything

  • 2

    End to End Evaluation Assistance

    Applying for CPA is a task in itself. But don’t you worry, we have you covered. Our expert crew will guide you through each step of the process, making your life easier and let you focus on studies and studies alone.

  • 3

    Last Minute Revision

    While Becker and Simandhar both offer the comfort of re-watching all the online classes at your leisure, Simandhar organizes live revision classes to make sure that you have everything served in a nutshell. We do this to make sure that you do not rush in the eleventh hour, which is often the case with CPA aspirants. They’ve been hit among the Indian CPA fraternity.

  • 4

    AI Mocks

    Becker’s Artificial Intelligence Adapt2U learning system takes you through your strengths and weaknesses and helps in devising the exam strategy in a better way.

  • 5

    Live Interactive Classes

    While Simandhar provides the comfort of attending online classes, live classes give us the opportunity to interact with our clients and solve their problems ourselves. Our interactive classes are equally spaced and span anywhere between 1-3 hours depending on the schedule. We make sure you’re not overburdened with the classes and syllabus.

  • 6

    Customer First Approach

    Customer centricity is Simandhar’s core tenet, everything we do is to delight you and make the CPA journey smoother for you. From scheduling classes as per your request to supporting you through the nuts and bolts of paperwork required for CPA, we take care of it all.

Course Training

    • Comprehensive material
    • Training by CPAs
    • Revision
    • Tests and Quizzes
    • Collaborative study forums
    • Short notes when required
    • Flexible Schedules

Professional Training

    • Placement Assistance with Top Accounting Firms
    • Corporate Grooming Sessions
    • Leadership sessions by CXO’s of various organizations
    • Stock Market Investment Suggestions and Training
    • Personality Development Program

CPA Ready

We support our clients by giving end to end evaluation assistance and placing them in Big 4 and top F&A organizations.

Career Opportunities After CPA in India

CPA offers wide career opportunities and opens new career avenues for finance and accounting professionals.

  • CPAs are Super Accountants, those who have mastered their craft of Accounting, auditing, taxation and other areas of Accounting
  • International Credibility: CPAs enjoy internationally recognition for their expertise and high standards.
  • Mandatory for High-Profile Roles: The CPA designation is mandatory for many high-profile roles such as Vice President, President, Head, CXO’s etc.
  • Better pay scale: Average salary of a beginner CPA in India is about INR 7,00,000 per annum.

Simandhar Education has various corporate tie-ups and elite industry relations that we leverage to place our clients in the top accounting firms round the year.

Our Alumni Videos

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Our Placement Partners

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Simandhar CPA Highlights

Live Interactive Classes

Simandhar Education provides you with access to Live Interactive classes from anywhere in the world


Recorded Videos

Simandhar Education provides the facility to access recorded videos for students who seek to revisit the material taught.

Placement Assistance Program

Supports its students by placing them in Top F & A companies, Big 4 etc

Exam Registration Assistance

Simandhar Education provides support to its students in handling the criticalities of Exam Registrations




Comprehensive Study Material

The CPA experts meticulously prepare the study material that provides by Becker with paperback and digital textbook which help the students to prepare well for all the four sections (AUD, BEC, FAR, & REG) of the CPA exam.

Becker Test Bank

Simandhar engages the CPA aspirants using unlimited mock exams, sample problems and MCQs with Becker training & experiential learning methodology.




Our Alumni Speak

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Simandhar Education is the best institution for aspiring CPA’s. I am confident that I have selected the right people to pursue my CPA Career. Sripal Sir and Vishal Sir have guided me throughout the process...from the registration to the exam. They have always been there, just a call away. In the very first conversation with Sripal Sir, I was convinced that Simandhar Education was the right institution. My journey has been extremely smooth because of Sripal and Vishal Sir’s guidance. I would highly recommend Simandhar Education to aspiring CPA’s
Suhani Puliani
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Sripal Jain (CA, CPA) is very knowledgeable and has a great understanding of the complex and complicated licensing requirements for various states and was able to clearly articulate and explain the best options.
Sravan Komaravolu, CPA
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I would like to thank personally to Sripal sir, Dhanu madam and Suraj for their motivation and positive vibes. As all you aware I started CPA journey from 2015 and struggled twice with lack of information how to crack this exam. With all support from Simandhar team for your support and motivational words makes me to stick on continue with CPA. Now it makes me to stand perfect. Once again thanks to Sripal sir and Dhanu madam.
Gupta Ponasanapalli
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Simandhar Education is a great platform for aspiring CPAs and CMAs to ensure guaranteed success in the CPA exam. The team is very hardworking and dedicated. Becker and their guidance have contributed in my CPA success story.
Deepti Pendharkar
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Simandhar education is truly one of the best institutes for CPA coaching currently. Only institute to have face to face classes for CPA in India. Being partnered with Beckers CPA Review , they have well structured/organised product coupled with live classes which helped me clear all 4 modules of CPA exam in one go/first attempt.
Ahsan Khan
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It feels good to say that I am a Certified Public Accountant. It’s an even better feeling to know that I completed it in less than 6 months. A lot of the credit goes to the software provided by Becker from which I studied all the 4 sections. The material was designed in a way to aid students get the conceptual clarity required for the exam. The tools for practice were quite useful in learning how to apply the theoretical knowledge.
Siri Vandana Surapaneni
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Finally the CPA journey is over! 4 sections and a long 8 months. it was all worth it. can’t thank God enough. Thank you mom and dad for the love and faith. Huge thanks to Sripal Jain and Vishal Jain (Simandhar education) for their guidance and support all throughout.
Dhwani Renukuntla

Upcoming Batches

January
CPA USA New Online Batch
Try our 7 days free trial on US CPA Coaching
Simandhar Education is commencing CPA USA New batches on January 2021. The session will be facilitated by our Faculty. Enroll now and unlock your career opportunities!
Click to Enroll (current)

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