NorthStar Academy
15 Years Anniversary
CPA top award recognition, prestigious CPA award ceremony, leadership in CPA profession
👤 NorthStar Academy📅 28 Aug, 24⏱ 9 min read

A Symbol of Achievement and Leadership

In 2024, receiving the Prestigious CPA Top Award highlights significant career advancement and is a mark of exceptional achievement and leadership in the accounting field. Winning the Prestigious CPA Top Award in 2024 demonstrates outstanding contributions and represents a major step forward in one's professional advancement and leadership. The Prestigious CPA Top Award in 2024 symbolizes career advancement and excellence, celebrating those who have shown remarkable leadership in the accounting profession. The Prestigious CPA Top Award, given in 2024, signifies a major accomplishment and leadership in accounting, recognizing individuals who have advanced significantly in their careers.

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Introduction

One of the most preferred and sought-after qualifications in financial accounting is the US Certified Public Accountant or US CPA certification. Offered & administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (in short, AICPA), the US CPA fulfills the dream of many who wish to pursue a successful career in the field of accounting. Thousands of students take the CPA exam in India, many of them score fairly better than others, and some may score exceptionally in all of the four papers of the US CPA exam. AICPA selects and awards such individuals with the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award for their outstanding achievement in the US CPA exam. Elijah Watt Sells was one of the first CPAs in history, and the award presented in his name has a highly esteemed status in public accounting.

If you're wondering why the Elijah Watt Sells Award is considered a highly prestigious CPA award, read ahead to learn all about the Elijah Watt Sells Award and how you can achieve it too through the US CPA exam.

What is the Elijah Watt Sells Award?

The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established by the AICPA in the year 1923 in memory of Elijah Watt Sells, one of the first CPAs in the US, who actively participated in establishing the AICPA body. The Elijah Watt Sells Award is a prestigious honor in the accounting profession and recognizes outstanding performance in the US CPA exam. To obtain this award, certain criteria must be met by examinees in the US CPA exam. Let's take a look at them.

Eligibility of the Elijah Watt Sells Award

The AICPA has set two prerequisites for CPA candidates to be eligible for the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award. These eligibility criteria are:

  • Candidates have passed all four papers of the CPA exam on their first attempt.
  • They have obtained a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four CPA exam sections. 

In 2022, out of the thousands of CPA aspirants taking the CPA exam worldwide, only 50 candidates were felicitated by the Elijah Watt Sells Award. Wondering how you should begin your CPA preparation? Here's a list of the things you should know about the CPA exam in India.

US CPA Exam in India

The US CPA exam is one of the most sought-after certifications in accounting. Even the demand for US CPAs has seen steady growth in the past few years, and more of the biggest accounting firms and multinational corporations are hiring certified CPAs. As such, it makes the US CPA certification quite desirable to those who wish to pursue a career in the field of accounting. Read ahead to learn how you can also earn CPA credentials.

First, knowing what the CPA syllabus is and the exam pattern of the CPA exam, along with the eligibility criteria to take the CPA USA exam, is the first step towards your preparation.

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US CPA Eligibility

The AICPA has set certain eligibility criteria to sit for the US CPA exam. Check the CPA USA eligibility criteria for Indian students below:

  • Master's degree in any discipline from a reputed University/institution
  • 120 credits for taking the CPA exam
  • 150 (120+30) credits to obtain the CPA License from a state

US CPA Exam Syllabus

The US CPA exam syllabus is divided into four sections based on the exam pattern of the US CPA exam. The CPA syllabus is set to assess the holistic accounting skills needed to be a CPA. The four divisions of the CPA exam are as follows:

  • AUD Auditing and Attestation
  • FAR Financial Accounting and Reporting
  • REG Regulation

  • BEC Business Environment Concepts


US CPA Exam Pattern

The US CPA exam is conducted in four parts four times a year. Candidates can avail of any of the following four testing windows to complete the CPA exam:

  • January- March
  • April- June
  • July- September
  • October- December

Each exam part of the US CPA receives grading on a scale of 0-99, and candidates are required to obtain a minimum of 75 in each part of the US CPA exam and 75% overall to clear the exam. But to be eligible for the Elijah Watt Sells Award, candidates must obtain 95.50 on average in the US CPA exam.

Here are some points to remember concerning the US CPA exam:

  • The US CPA exam questions are in three modules multiple choice questions (MCQs), task-based simulations, and written communication tasks (only in the BEC paper).
  • Each paper in the US CPA exam is allotted 4 hours.
  • Candidates must finish all the papers within 18 months of exam registration.
  • Candidates can take the exams in any order. They can take any one exam during one exam window.

How to Get the Elijah Watt Sells Award -

Obtaining the highly prestigious award for CPA, the Elijah Watt Sells Award, is not a cakewalk. Rather, s of award recipients present a picture of a balanced mix of hard work and smart work. The stakes are high when it comes to clearing the CPA USA exam on the first attempt with high marks. Therefore, having the right strategy and guidance will definitely be beneficial in planning your CPA USA certification exam preparation journey.

According to most of the past awardees of the Elijah Watt Sells Award, the key to good scores in the CPA USA exam is to practice simulation exams according to the CPA exam pattern and also to practice enough MCQs. The key to mastering MCQs is to clearly understand the fundamental concepts of every topic in the US CPA exam syllabus. Following the rote learning path will not lead you anywhere other than simply mugging up statements and their answers, of which you don't even understand the concepts. It may help you reach the 75% mark in the exam but not enough to support you through the path to the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award. 

Then how would you have a clear understanding of the concepts? It is where relevant study materials come to play. Finding the best type of study material that suits your preparation style is key to starting your preparation. Enrolling in a good US CPA certification course makes it easy for you to get access to relevant study materials along with a lot more resources such as loads of MCQs and mock tests to practice, guidance from mentors, and additional assistance to clear all your doubts that come up when you're studying. That way, you can leverage all that you have to pave your way towards obtaining the Elijah Watt Sells Award by getting more than 95.50 in the US CPA certification exam!

Now that you have a detailed idea of the Elijah Watt Sells Award, the prestigious honor in the accounting profession, and how to get it, prepare for the CPA USA exam with the right and most preferred US CPA course in India.

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Conclusion

The Elijah Watt Sells Award is undoubtedly the most prestigious honor that sets one CPA candidate apart from the rest due to the level of competence and knowledge shown in the US CPA exam. To ensure your selection in the list of eligible candidates, you must prepare well and be aware of your shortcomings and strengths, and manage them accordingly. With guidance from a top CPA training institute, like NorthStar Academy (NSA), you can ensure well-rounded CPA preparation. 

Enroll in the well-organized and comprehensive US CPA course at NSA, where you can avail numerous benefits like access to live and recorded classes, relevant study material, doubt-clearing sessions, mock tests, placement assistance as well as guidance from the top CPA expert, M. Irfat Sir. 

Find your seat in the CPA course today & start your journey to become one of the proud recipients of the revered Elijah Watt Sells Award! To know more contact our counselors @ +91 8147470707.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Elijah Watt Sells Award?

The Elijah Watt Sells Award is a highly prestigious award for CPA candidates who have scored more than 95.50 aggregate in the CPA USA exam on their first attempt. It is highly coveted and hard to obtain due to the level of difficulty of the eligibility criteria. However, every year many students make it through the 95.50 mark and become proud recipients of the Elijah Watt Sells Award.

What are the benefits of receiving the Elijah Watt Sells Award?

The Elijah Watt Sells Award is a highly prestigious award for CPA in accounting and gives awardees instant global recognition and acknowledgment and makes them highly desirable and employable in front of the top CPA employers of the world. 

Can candidates apply for the Elijah Watt Sells Award, or is it automatically granted?

The AICPA recognizes the candidates who have performed exceptionally well in the US CPA exam during their exam review procedure. After shortlisting the eligible candidates based on the fixed criteria, they are conferred the Elijah Watt Sells Award.

Is the Elijah Watt Sells Award considered a prestigious honor in the accounting profession?

The Elijah Watt Sells Award is the single most prestigious award for candidates involved in the accounting profession as CPAs. It is reserved for those who clear the US CPA exam on their first attempt with a 95.50 aggregate in the exam. 

Is the Elijah Watt Sells Award only available to candidates in the United States?

The Elijah Watt Sells Award recognizes CPA candidates taking the US CPA exam from all over the world. Any candidate from any country taking the US CPA exam is eligible for the Elijah Watt Sells Award.