New CPA Professional Program Education and Experience Update Webinar for Employers

Main ideas and lessons conveyed

• Purpose of the webinar

  • Employers were briefed on new CPA Professional Program education and experience policies being released in the Western region.
  • The session frames the policies as a major milestone enabled by cross-provincial/provincial regulator collaboration and ongoing work (with some details still evolving).

• Why policies are released now (even with some evolving areas)

  • To support planning and readiness for:
    • Learners/applicants (more time to understand the model and prepare, including for the new knowledge assessment)
    • Employers (workforce planning, scheduling, and mentorship/experience planning aligned to program changes)

• Big structural change in the future model (education + experience integration)

  • Increased integration across: admission → education → examinations → experience → membership.
  • Designed to avoid the current flexibility that can allow learners to complete components out of sequence, which may undermine:
    • best-interest learning
    • alignment with workplace needs
  • The Western region also consolidates education and experience content into a more unified set of documents.

• Key drivers behind the new program

  • Alignment to the profession’s updated Competency Map CM 2.0.
  • Redesign reflects modern workforce expectations shaped by:
    • technology
    • globalization
    • sustainability
    • social responsibility
  • Increased use of future-focused competencies and new learning formats suited to busy/mature learners.

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What’s included in today’s policy release (high-level framework)

• Admission policy
  • Entry and eligibility requirements into the CPA Professional Program.
• Program administration policies
  • Compliance requirements such as time limits and annual renewal.
• Module and examination policies
  • Directions for module structure and examination progression (noting governance and some components may refine into early fall).
• Experience policies
  • Consolidated with education policies for a holistic learner journey.
  • Experience requirements and process changes, including reporting earlier.
• Academic integrity and conduct policies
  • Included as part of today’s release.

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Education policy: learner journey and major rules (structured)

1) Admission/entry requirements

Admission requires:

• A degree (same baseline as the current program)
• Advanced experience pathway / experience requirements (language used: “advanced experience pathway”)
• Minimum GPA requirement
• Knowledge recency requirements

Applicants with 45 credit hours in accounting and business:

• Enter directly into the first module (foundational development module) or
• May be placed into an advanced module depending on credentials

Applicants without those credits:

• Must validate accounting/business knowledge by writing and passing the Knowledge Assessment prior to entry

Terminology updates:

• Transcript assessment is renamed to Academic review (same functional purpose for entry eligibility)
• Knowledge assessment is included within the overall process

2) Status transitions

• Applicant stage
  • After documents are submitted and academic review occurs
• Onboarding + Active learner stage
  • After admission approval, learners access onboarding and begin the first module
• Learner regulations
  • Learners are regulated by the provincial body at the start of the program, not yet members

3) Onboarding and program supports

Learners will access:

• Guides/handbooks and onboarding resources
• LMS access
• Module diagnostics for self-assessment

Time limits begin when learners become active in the first module.

4) Program time limit (major employer-facing impact)

• Learners have 7 years to complete:
  • education, experience, and examination
• The 7-year limit starts when the learner begins their first module

5) Sequencing rule: experience before the final module

• Experience must be completed before entering the final module:
  • CPA Professional Readiness module
• Rationale:
  • strengthens alignment between workplace competency evidence and final integration in the last module

6) Admission-to-module process streamlining

The new program collapses multiple operational steps:

• Profile creation + academic review become a single combined process
• Admission application + first module registration happen together

Intended outcome:

• learners start the first module with minimal gap to avoid time-limit pressure and “sitting” in the program

7) Knowledge Assessment policy (as described)

• Valid for five years after passing
• Applicants receive three attempts
• If not passed within attempts:
  • a one-year break is required (per the described policy)

8) Registration jurisdiction rule

• Learners register based on the province they live in, not where they work (changed from the current approach)

9) GPA calculation methodology change

• GPA calculation moves to the last 60 credit method
• (instead of the “14 prerequisites” style approach mentioned for the current program)

10) Module design and assessment style in Western region

• Module assessment is embedded into LMS learning activities, including:
  • multiple-choice questions
  • simulations
  • learning and reflective activities
• Positioned as reducing reliance on solely large in-person exams (compared to the current model)

Module attempts:

• Learners must pass each module
• Three attempts to pass a module
• Three attempts to pass the associated exam

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Experience policy: requirements and process (structured)

Core purpose (CM 2.0 linkage)

Experience is integral because it develops:

• professional competencies
• values, ethics, and attitudes
• readiness for diverse/ambiguous workplace conditions

Experience reporting shifts to begin earlier, supported by structured planning.

1) Minimum qualifying experience duration (full-time equivalent)

• Total minimum: 24 months full-time qualifying experience (excluding leave)
• Composition:
  • up to 8 months foundational experience (FTE)
  • at least 16 months professional experience (FTE)

2) Foundational experience requirements

• Must be in one or more CPA training areas
• Can be entry-level, but must include:
  • decision-making and judgment
• Not clerical in nature

3) Professional experience requirements

• Must be in one or more CPA training areas building on foundational experience
• Must involve:
  • greater complexity
  • more advanced decision-making

4) Mentorship requirement (strong employer integration)

• All candidates must be mentored during professional experience by a CPA mentor
• The mentor must work in a more senior position
• Mentor and candidate must work for the same entity
  • (not necessarily the same unit or location)

5) Experience plan requirement (earlier and central)

Before starting professional experience, candidates prepare an experience plan:

• First approved by the mentor
• Then approved by the provincial body

Purpose:

• ensure learners are on the right path early
• reduce “surprises” at the end

6) Pre-reviewed experience plans (PPR / preapproved concepts)

• Existing preapproved programs are intended to be retained and adapted
• Key points:
  • All learners must have an experience plan
  • organizations may work with the profession for a pre-reviewed position
  • pre-reviewed positions allow organizations to market roles similarly to current PPR practice
  • organizations must have a senior leader accountable to the PTB for learners completing experience under the pre-reviewed plan
  • new pre-reviewed positions are evaluated similarly to current PPRs (e.g., job description review, meetings with relevant staff)

Chargeable hours (public accounting roles):

• described as unchanged

Employer/candidate limits:

• expected to remain unchanged (with possible provincial differences)

7) Experience documentation system changes (portal)

• PERT is not used to capture experience in the new program
• Western region collaboration will create a new experience portal to:
  • allow learners to document experience plans
  • submit experience completion reports
  • have submissions evaluated

Planned approvals:

• dual sign-off (mentor + senior leader declaration)
• intended to address concerns about mentor-only sign-off

8) Reporting focus shift: from end to beginning

• Experience plan reporting becomes highly important early
• Intended effect:
  • better-timed support
  • more streamlined completion reporting later

9) Completion and withdrawal rule

• All components (education, exams, and experience) must be completed within the overall 7-year time limit
• If not completed in time:
  • learner is withdrawn from the program
• Final step:
  • apply for membership with the provincial/territorial body after all requirements

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How “professional final exam / readiness exam” is changing (from Q&A)

• There is a three-part professional final exam (described as CP-level rigor; not exactly equivalent to “CI,” but positioned similarly in expectations).
• Exams are offered at the end of corresponding modules:
  • Part 1 after CPA Core
  • Part 2 after CPA Leadership
  • Part 3 after CPA Professional Readiness
• Potential flexibility for learners from accredited programs:
  • Parts 1 and 2 may be taken as a single two-day sitting
  • Part 3 is taken later, after experience and the readiness module
• Exam format:
  • case-based assessments (similar approach to current CFE/CFI-style described)

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Module pacing and study/exam timing (from Q&A)

Estimated module durations (may be finalized later)

• Foundational development module: ~16 weeks
• CPA Core module:
  • 8 weeks for CPA Core common version
  • 14 weeks for CPA Core + Lenture (includes first 8 common weeks + additional 6 Lenture-specific weeks)
• CPA Leadership module: ~10 weeks
• CPA Professional Readiness: ~3 weeks total
  • first week described as in-person learning activities
  • plus two weeks of learning activities

Exam timing window

• About 1.5 weeks between module end and exam sitting
• Practice exam opportunities are available during that window

Employer time off

• Not required, but employers may offer it as part of benefits.

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Module pass structure (from Q&A)

• “Passing” is based on completion/performance in learning activities, such as:
  • simulations
  • multiple-choice questions
  • practice cases
• It is not solely one exam; it is based on completion of those learning activities.

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Transition / operational planning guidance (next steps stated)

Timeline emphasis

Over the coming months, the focus shifts to:

• implementation
• operational readiness
• learner/employer communications
• updating web pages and system resources

Employer role:

• employers are encouraged to provide feedback directly to provinces
• collaborate during transitions through the summer

Employer action recommendations mentioned

Employers are encouraged to:

• manage rosters
• encourage candidates to complete the current program where possible
• participate in transition discussions
• review current program operations and identify operationally changed elements ahead of outreach

New question intake email

A centralized email for program questions was provided:

• CPA program at CPAWSB.ca (as read aloud)

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Q&A highlights included in subtitles (selection)

• Prerequisite course mixing
  • Mixing and matching from different institutions is allowed, including CPA preparatory courses.
• Start current program vs wait for new program (2027)
  • Depends on remaining prerequisites and where learners are in progress.
  • Last intake for current program described as May 2027 (per speaker wording).
  • Multiple transition options exist; learners can complete prerequisites and still be recognized in the new program.
• Prior experience recognition
  • Prior experience (e.g., co-op) can be claimed toward foundational experience:
    • “captured in that 8 months of foundational experience.”
• PER(PER hours)/PERT availability through Dec 31, 2026
  • PERT remains available so learners can complete the current program (not “turned off” immediately at Dec 31).
• Experience plan timing before portal launch
  • Pre-review evaluation/transition work expected over summer.
• Experience-plan approval method before portal
  • Review and approval processes are described as part of the transition summer period and later portal instructions for learners.
• Licensure/Lenture route questions
  • Advice to consult provincial/territorial body rules for specific Lenture/public practice requirements.
• Lenture route selection flexibility
  • Career path changes are possible; may add time depending on what competencies/experience are required at the time.

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Speakers / sources featured (identified)

• Sarah (host/moderator; name stated at start)
• Stella Johnson (director of admission services; primary presenter for education/policies overview)
• Jenny Buyers (presenter for experience policies; also answers Q&A)
• Denise (mentioned as someone to correct/confirm recording policy; also referred to in Q&A as an addressee)
• Laura (mentioned as answering exam-study and professional readiness/other technical questions; appears multiple times as a Q&A respondent)