CPA Exam now offered in Europe

Beginning in October, CPA candidates in Europe no longer had to undertake intercontinental travel to sit for the CPA Exam.

Nine Prometric test center locations in Europe began offering the CPA Exam on Oct. 1. The exam is now offered in:

• England (Bristol, London, and Manchester).
• Scotland (Edinburgh).
• Republic of Ireland (Cork and Dublin).
• Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich).

“The U.S. license has global value, and there’s a large presence of multinational companies and major firms in this part of the world,” said Michael Decker, vice president—Examinations for the AICPA.

Some European nationals may also take the exam, but Decker expects the majority of candidates at those locations to be U.S. expatriates. Candidates can take the exam at the European locations if they are deemed eligible by a U.S. board of accountancy and are a resident of the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, the United States, or any of the other European Union nations.

Approximately 300 candidates per year are initially expected to take the exam in each European country where it’s offered, and the success of the exam in other countries shows there is potential for many more candidates in the future. For example, since the exam was launched in Japan in 2011, more than 14,000 candidates have taken the exam there. The exam already was offered internationally in Bahrain, Brazil, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. The exam is given exclusively in English using tools, eligibility requirements, and a format that are identical to the exam offered in the United States. Exams in Europe can be scheduled through the Prometric website. The International Qualification Examination (IQEX) also will be offered to eligible candidates at the new European locations.