The Roadmap to Success: A Guide for Indian Students Pursuing US CPA

In the field of accounting, the Certified Public Accountant degree (US CPA) is one of the most demanding and highly regarded professional certification programs available. CPA USA enables anyone in the accounting industry to have a successful career. It demonstrates accounting and financial management knowledge and is a globally recognized professional qualification. The US CPA is a goal for many Indian students who want to advance their professional opportunities and achieve a reputation worldwide. This blog post attempts to give Indian students an in-depth guide on how to pursue the CPA USA Course in India with suggestions to help in their CPA exam preparation.

Key Takeaways

• CPA Roadmap to Success

• Understanding the US CPA Program

• Steps to Start Pursuing the CPA Course

Understanding the US CPA Program

The US CPA, or Certified Public Accountant, credential is one of the most esteemed degrees in accounting and finance. It demonstrates the expert knowledge and abilities needed to succeed in accounting and finance. The US CPA certification is highly regarded all around the globe and opens up a wide variety of professional prospects, including lucrative jobs in leading organizations, accounting firms, and financial institutions.

Steps to Start Pursuing the CPA Course

• Understand the CPA Eligibility in India
   

Organizations like the NASBA & AICPA and US jurisdictions have specific requirements for three key areas to acknowledge the applicants as a US CPA. These are:

• Education
• Clearing the Exam 
• Acquiring Work Experience

You must obtain at least 120 credit points in commerce to be eligible for the Certified Public Accountant professional path. The US counts every year of college in India as 30 credits. The majority of Indian students frequently get stuck at this point. Indian students do not meet the qualifying requirements since the US's bachelor's program is four years long (4 years x 30 credits per year = 120 credits), while India's program is three years long (3 years x 30 credits = 90 credits).

In order to get a total credit score of 120, candidates must additionally hold a postgraduate degree, a master's degree, or be a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) or the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). You could easily become a US CPA if you are a student of B.Com who is also pursuing an MBA, M.Com, or a CA.  

• Evaluate For US CPA
   

The first step is making arrangements for the transcript from the respective university. The transcript must be sent to the US for evaluation when it arrives. For your expert evaluation, you must pay a minimum charge. It might cost anything from $100 to $400. The price also varies depending on the type of review requested; a common diploma evaluation is far less expensive than a course evaluation. You may also find out which courses you must study to take your test in some jurisdictions through a service called pre-evaluation.

• US CPA Registration

You only need to register for the US CPA Exam once you've been evaluated and have your assessment report on hand. You could register by responding to a couple of questions on a form. These questions might be about anything, including your history in accounting as well as information about your accounting title. Once a candidate has paid the exam cost, the NASBA will issue a Notice to Schedule (NTS), allowing the applicant to schedule a time to take the exam with the testing facility. Your NTS will arrive within three and six weeks after the payment. You may schedule your exam on the Prometric website once you have received your NTS.

• US CPA Exam Preparation
   

Passing the US CPA exams requires practice, perseverance, and consistent preparation. You may need to design your own practice questions, study schedules, and mock examinations if you intend to study independently. However, when you start your prep with a facility like Northstar Academy (NSA), you have the opportunity to take part in interactive lectures, cover every corner of the US CPA course syllabus study from relevant real-life examples, and go through a personalized study schedule for highly effective US CPA Exam Preparation. 

• Take the Ethics Exam
   

You must pass the ethics exam after passing the four US CPA exam sections, and then you are eligible to apply for a license to practice accounting in the US. Prometric testing locations provide the examinations all year round. New Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, and Chennai are the present locations where US CPA exams in India are being administered. Candidates must earn 150 credits to be eligible for the CPA license. A total of 2,000 hours of work experience in taxation, auditing, accounting, and management consulting are required.

CPA Exam Structure & Content

The CPA exam has four sections:

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

The examination will be given online. Within a time frame of 18 months, all four papers must be finished. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), Task-Based Simulations, and one Written Component constitute the exam's format.

Preparation and Costs for CPA Courses in India

It is the stage of US CPA exam preparation that requires the most attention. Understand the exam's format and CPA course syllabus completely to perform at your best. To pass the US CPA exam, you must have a minimum score of 75 on a scale of 0 to 99. Remember that you have 18 months to complete all four CPA exam components. The day you complete the first part of the exam marks the start of the 18-month timeframe. Please refer to the AICPA's blueprints to gain a complete understanding of the US CPA Syllabus and exam structure of each section. You may also sign up for a review course and use well-known US CPA study resources.

The cost of the CPA course in India ranges from Rs. 2 Lakhs to Rs. 3 Lakhs at the moment. You may enroll in NorthStar Academy courses, which feature affordable course costs and include everything from guidance, instructional materials, and evaluation expenses in their structure. You may also benefit from the combined discounts on their courses.

Scope of US CPA in India

The US CPA provides worldwide exposure rather than focused US work options, and the future of CPA USA careers is very bright. After earning their CPA USA licenses, Indian students will be qualified to apply for a variety of positions in the accounting and financial sectors. Chartered Public Accountants are able to find CPA career opportunities in any industry that appeals to them; thus, they are not limited to working in a single sector. Every company nowadays needs a CPA to manage their financial planning, regardless of the industry, whether it be healthcare, law, fashion, or food. One can choose to start a business or do freelance work, etc.     

Indian-based firms such as KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, EY, and others have a large number of US clients that want US CPA candidates for auditing, taxes, and other duties. After receiving their CPA certification in India, candidates can apply for the following positions:

• Financial Controller
• Finance Manager
• Internal Audit Director
• Finance Director
• Tax Manager
• Chief Accountant
• Chief Executive Officer
• Chief Financial Officer
• Chief Audit Executive

US CPA Salary in India

This professional degree has a lot of future potential because it is globally recognized and available in India. After finishing the course, students are eligible for high-paying CPA career salaries in numerous areas around the world. This can help your career progress and allow you to work in the location and atmosphere of your choice. Candidates who complete the CPA course gain global exposure. A licensed CPA in India makes an annual salary of around Rs 2.1 lakhs, with salaries ranging from 1.0 Lakh to 3.3 Lakhs.

Conclusion

We hope that we provided you with all of the information you need to become a US CPA from India. The US CPA course is becoming more and more popular with every coming year. With the increase in demand for US CPA applicants, Indian states are offering additional arrangements for the advantage of potential US CPAs. The earlier you begin, the faster you will be able to advance in your career as a professional Certified Public Accountant. Going through the complete US CPA procedure may be arduous. To receive all-inclusive assistance in your CPA exam preparation, you need to register in a renowned training facility, such as NorthStar Academy (NSA). Taking NSA's CPA USA certification course will benefit you in every way, including the invaluable guidance of skilled mentors like M. Irfat Sir.

Contact us right away to get in touch with our counselors to resolve your queries and start your US CPA career.