International Designate Experience Review

This information is for CPA PEP candidates and prospective candidates who hold an accounting designation recognized by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

If you do not hold an IFAC-recognized designation and have questions about reporting international experience, contact your provincial practical experience team to discuss your options.

We strongly encourage you to complete your experience review as early as possible. Understanding how much experience may be recognized can help you plan your path to meeting CPA practical experience requirements.

Which Review Is Right for Me?

IFAC Designates may be eligible for either:

  • Full Review (up to 30 months of experience recognition), or
  • Partial Review (12 months of experience recognition)

Full Review

A full review may result in recognition of:

  • Up to 30 months of practical experience
  • Technical competencies
  • Core competencies
  • Enabling competencies
  • Required breadth and depth

To qualify for a full review, you must:

  • Hold an IFAC-recognized accounting designation.
  • Have received a CPAWSB transcript assessment showing CPA PEP eligibility.
  • Have at least one relevant international position that ended within the last 7 years.
  • Submit the International Designate Experience Recognition (IDER) Form.
  • Have your former employer(s) submit the International Practical Experience Verification (IPEV) Form directly to CPAWSB.
  • Submit the Enabling Competencies Form.

Note: If your experience does not meet the seven-year requirement, you may still qualify for a partial review.

Full reviews are completed by the Practical Experience Review Committee (PERC).

Results are generally available within four months after all required documents have been received.

1. International Practical Experience Verification (IPEV) Form

You must submit this form to your previous employers. The IPEV form:

  • Confirms your work experience.
  • Must be completed by your former employer(s).
  • Must be emailed directly to CPAWSB by the employer.

For a full review:

  • One IPEV form is required for each employer listed on the IDER form.
  • At least one IPEV must relate to employment that ended within the last seven years.

You must list all employers that will be submitting this document on your International Designate Experience Recognition (IDER) Form. There's no limit to how many IPEV forms can be submitted, but they must be received before the review can begin.

Employers should send completed forms to [email protected].

2. International Designate Experience Recognition (IDER) Form

The IDER form:

  • Provides consent for your file to be reviewed by PERC.
  • Identifies the employers who will support your review.

3. Enabling Competencies Form (Required)

This form requires detailed responses about your professional experience and enabling competencies. Please submit this form as soon as possible.

Partial Review

A partial review may result in recognition of 12 months toward the 30-month practical experience requirement.

To qualify for a partial review, you must:

  • Hold an IFAC-recognized accounting designation.
  • Be enrolled in CPA PEP through CPAWSB.
  • Have at least one relevant international position that lasted 12 months or longer.
  • Submit a current résumé showing at least 12 months of international experience.
  • Submit the International Designate Experience Recognition (IDER) Form.

Note: Experience that ended more than seven years ago may still qualify for a 12-month duration award through a partial review.

International Designate Experience Recognition (IDER) Form

The IDER form:

  • Provides consent for your file to be reviewed by PERC.
  • Identifies the employers who will support your review.

This is the only form required for a partial review.

Other Required Documents

To proceed with a review, submit:

  • Letter of Good Standing from your accounting body
  • Current résumé outlining your international experience
  • International Designate Experience Recognition (IDER) Form
  • International Practical Experience Verification (IPEV) Form(s)
  • Enabling Competencies Form

All documents should be submitted to [email protected].

What Happens Next?

Once all required forms and documents have been received:

  1. Your file will be reviewed by the Practical Experience Review Committee (PERC).
  2. The committee will assess how your experience aligns with CPA practical experience requirements.
  3. Your provincial CPA body will make a final decision.
  4. You will receive notification of the decision by email.

Practical Experience and PERT Questions

British Columbia & Yukon
Saskatchewan
Northwest Territories & Nunavut
Alberta
Manitoba

For questions about the International Designate Experience reviews, please email us at [email protected]. Need help completing the forms? See the FAQs below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Reporting Experience

Focus on the competency areas where you can best demonstrate your skills and experience.

To meet CPA practical experience requirements, you must achieve:

  • A minimum of eight sub-competencies
  • Required core, depth, and breadth requirements

You do not need to complete all 20 available sub-competencies. Focus on the areas most relevant to your experience and where you can provide strong examples.

To demonstrate proficiency at the level expected of a Canadian CPA, your experience must meet the following requirements:

Core

  • In Financial Reporting and/or Management Accounting
  • At least three competencies at Level 1 or higher

Depth

  • Within one competency area
  • All competencies at Level 1 or higher, with at least two at Level 2

Breadth

  • At least eight competencies at Level 1 or higher
  • At least four competencies at Level 2

Provide two or three specific examples that demonstrate:

  • The complexity of your work
  • Your level of responsibility and autonomy
  • The skills and knowledge you applied

Where applicable, explain how you worked with accounting standards, frameworks, or professional guidance.

Use the Guiding Questions PDF.

This document is a reporting aid that explains what experience qualifies under each technical competency and what evidence is needed to demonstrate proficiency in PERT submissions.

Your résumé is reviewed alongside your Practical Experience Verification forms.

Be sure to clearly describe:

  • Your role and responsibilities
  • Key tasks and projects
  • The level of proficiency demonstrated in your work

The more complete and accurate your information is, the easier it is for reviewers to assess your experience.

Your IPEV form should be verified by someone who:

  • Directly supervised your work, or
  • Was responsible for evaluating your job performance

If your former supervisor is unavailable, verification may be completed by:

  • A senior manager
  • An executive or officer
  • A partner or director
  • Another individual who had management or oversight responsibility for your work

Yes. You must create a PERT profile even if you plan to apply for an International Designate Experience Review.

Continue to complete any required practical experience activities as instructed while your review is being processed.

Administration (Form sign-off, etc..) FAQ

The third-party verifier of your IPEV form must be someone you reported to directly or who was directly responsible for supervising your duties or evaluating your job performance.

If the person to whom you directly reported is no longer available to provide the verification, it can be completed by the current appropriate senior manager, executive, officer, partner, or director of the place of employment; or a person who is in a management, executive or oversight role over your former supervisor.

For a full review, you must provide an IPEV from at least one international employer with an employment end date within the last seven (7) years. Additionally, you can request IPEVs from any relevant employer who is willing to report on your experience. You must list all employers that will be submitting this document on your International Designate Experience Recognition Form.

You can request IPEVs from as many former employers as you like. All IPEVs must be submitted together before your full review. 

Yes, you are required to create a PERT profile, even if you will be submitting for international experience review.