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Academic Bridging
Your academic bridging assessment will determine whether you are eligible for challenge examinations and advanced standing within CPA PEP.
You must meet one of the following requirements:
If you have:
- A recognized post-secondary degree; and
- At least three years of relevant experience;
you may:
- Challenge Core 1.
- Challenge Core 2.
- Challenge the two elective modules.
- Proceed directly to Capstone 1 and Capstone 2.
- Write the Common Final Examination (CFE).
Relevant Experience Requirement
To qualify for challenge exams, you must demonstrate development of at least two CPA competency sub-areas at Level 1 proficiency, as defined by the CPA Practical Experience Requirements (PER).
If you do not hold a recognized degree but have:
- At least eight years of relevant experience;
you may:
- Challenge Core 1.
- Challenge Core 2.
- Challenge the two elective modules.
- Complete Capstone 1 and Capstone 2.
- Write the Common Final Examination (CFE).
Relevant Experience Requirement
To qualify, you must demonstrate development of at least four CPA competency sub-areas at Level 1 proficiency, as defined by CPA Practical Experience Requirements (PER).
Experience Bridging
In addition to academic bridging, CPA candidates must complete practical experience requirements.
To obtain the CPA designation, candidates generally require 30 months of relevant practical experience.
Experience Bridging Assessment
Experience bridging is assessed separately from academic bridging. After receiving your academic assessment results, you will receive:
- Experience bridging forms
- Instructions for submitting practical experience information
You may submit a CPA PEP admission application and begin CPA PEP while your experience bridging assessment is still underway.
The Practical Experience Review Committee (PERC) will determine whether any of your prior experience can be recognized toward CPA practical experience requirements.
- Visit My CPA Portal.
- Use a desktop or a laptop with Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
- Select Create a My CPA Profile.
- Enter your legal name.
- Select your residency status:
- Canadian Citizen
- Permanent Resident
- Temporary Resident
- Foreign National
- Enter all post-secondary education and designation information, including your CPA Accredited Program, even if you do not plan to submit documents for every credential listed in your profile.
- Activate your account through the email instructions provided shortly after profile creation.
Important
Only use the UPLOAD A DOCUMENT feature for legal name verification documents required during CPA PEP admission. Do not upload other documents through your profile, as we only accept official documents directly from issuing institutions.
Having trouble navigating the document checklist? See instructions in PDF or a video.
Need Help?
Contact the Admission Advising team about creating your My CPA profile at [email protected] or 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6001#.
Before You Begin
Temporary residents who require a study permit should review study permit requirements before purchasing a transcript assessment.
Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs/TALs) may be required.
Once you have verified the above, submit a Transcript Assessment Request
- Log in to My CPA Portal.
- Select PROGRAM ADMISSION.
- Select TRANSCRIPT ASSESSMENT.
- Choose ADD A TRANSCRIPT ASSESSMENT REQUEST button.
- Review the document checklist.
- Review your transcript assessment order.
- Click on MAKE PAYMENT button.
Important
The transcript assessment fee is non-refundable and is subject to change.
Request your assessment before arranging document delivery to CPAWSB. Our team will let you know what documents are required based on the information you provide.
Need Help?
If you have questions about requesting a transcript assessment, submitting documents, or understanding application requirements, contact the Admission Advising team at [email protected] or 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6001#.
A) Letter of Good Standing
Arrange for the accounting body to submit a Letter of Good Standing directly to CPAWSB. The letter must confirm:
- Active membership status.
- Any disciplinary actions.
- The expiry date of the letter.
- That membership was earned through your accounting body's qualification process and not through recognition agreements.
If your accounting body does not issue letters that indicate your membership date, please provide this explanation in writing to [email protected].
B) Applicants Applying With a Degree
Submit:
- Official Canadian post-secondary transcripts, or
- An official third-party credential evaluation of international credentials from an ACESC-recognized credential evaluation service.
A basic credential assessment is sufficient.
C) Additional Document(s)
- Detailed résumé outlining employment and education history.
Transcript/Document Submission Methods
1. Electronic
Digital submissions must be sent directly to [email protected]. Other electronic mediums we accept are post-secondary institution-issued digital transcripts such as MyCreds.
2. Physical copy
Do not send documents to provincial CPA offices, as it can delay your assessment. Send sealed transcripts directly from the issuing institution to:
CPA Western School of Business
201, 1074 – 103A Street SW
Edmonton, Alberta T6W 2P6
Each time we receive a document, we will email you to confirm receipt and let you know if any required documents are still outstanding.
Note: Documents not in English must be translated by a certified translator.
Transcript assessment Timeline
- Transcript assessment begins after all documents are received.
- Typical processing: 10 business days
- Assessment validity: 1 year
- Missing documents after 6 months may result in a partial assessment
Do you have questions about our retention policy? See Personal Information Retention for more.
Need Help?
If you have questions about submitting documents or understanding application requirements, contact the Admission Advising team at [email protected] or 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6001#.
When your assessment is complete, you will receive:
- An Academic Bridging Results email outlining your eligibility under the IFAC pathway.
- CPA PEP modules you will be required to take and which CPA PEP challenge exams, if any
- Information regarding any experience bridging requirements.
- Instructions for your next steps.
You will also receive notification when your transcript assessment results are available in My CPA Portal.
Access Your Results
Access results through My CPA Portal → Program Admission → Transcript Assessment
Your assessment should indicate a status of PEP Eligible if you qualify under the IFAC pathway.
Need Help?
Contact the Admission Services team about your transcript assessment at [email protected] or 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6004#.
CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP)
Apply if your assessment status is:
- PEP Eligible
- PEP Conditional Core 1
Registration category on your CPA PEP application is International Designate.
Application processing time is five business days. For the application process, see Apply to CPA PEP.
Need Help?
Contact the Admission Services team about your CPA PEP application and changing employer details on your account at [email protected] or 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6004#.
Frequently Asked Questions
Relevant experience is assessed within one or more of the following CPA technical competency areas:
- Financial Reporting
- Strategy and Governance
- Management Accounting
- Audit and Assurance
- Finance
- Taxation
A third-party assessment confirms the Canadian equivalency of your international education credentials.
A CPAWSB Transcript Assessment is still required because it evaluates your academic history against CPA admission requirements and determines:
- CPA prerequisite exemptions, if applicable
- Transfer credits that may be recognized
- Your eligibility for admission to the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP)
In short: The third-party assessment confirms your degree equivalency, while the CPAWSB Transcript Assessment determines how your education applies to CPA admission requirements and prerequisite credits.
A third-party assessment from an Alliance of Credential Evaluations Services of Canada (ACESC) member is required to help CPAWSB determine your:
- Degree equivalency in Canada
- Eligibility toward the 120-credit-hour requirement
- Recognition of international education credentials
Preferred provider: World Education Services (WES)
Preferred assessment type: Course-by-Course ICAP Assessment
If you already have a third-party assessment completed for other purposes, you may request the institution to either mail it to our office or email it to [email protected].
In addition to requesting and paying for a CPAWSB transcript assessment, applicants with an international designation (IFAC Member) must have a third-party basic assessment of their non-Canadian education credentials. It must be from one of the assessment services registered with the Alliance of Credential Evaluations Services of Canada (ACESC). The assessment is used to verify the Canadian equivalency of your international education credentials.
A WES ICAP is not required. Only a basic assessment of your non-Canadian education credentials is required. It must be from one of the assessment services registered with the Alliance of Credential Evaluations Services of Canada (ACESC) . The assessment is used to verify the Canadian equivalency of your international education credentials.
As an applicant who is a current member in good standing with an International Designation from an accounting body that is a member of IFAC, you must apply for a transcript assessment and submit the following documents:
- A letter of good standing
- A third-party basic assessment
- A detailed chronological resume
When your assessment is complete, you will receive two emails.
The first email explains your Academic Bridging Results:
- Your admission standing
- Which CPA PEP modules you are required to complete
- Which CPA PEP challenge exams, if any, you are eligible to attempt
- Information about Experience Bridging
- Helpful resources and next steps
Your second email should confirm that your assessment results are available in My CPA Portal.
- Log in to My CPA Portal.
- Select PROGRAM ADMISSION.
- Select TRANSCRIPT ASSESSMENT.
Your detailed assessment results will be available there.
If you believe your education was assessed incorrectly or that you should have received credit, contact the Transcript Assessment team. They will review your situation and advise whether a re-assessment, additional documentation, or a challenge exam is needed.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6003#
The course syllabus should provide detailed information on the course textbook used, weekly schedule of course topics, course learning objectives, course evaluation criteria and the textbook chapters used in the course. The course syllabus should match when the course was taken (for example, if you took the course in 2015, provide the 2015 syllabus).
A course syllabus should include the following information:
- Post-secondary institution letterhead, symbol, logo, etc.
- Course overview, learning outcomes or objectives
- Course(s) details (course name/number, course hours, semester/term, year, lecture times, instructor details)
- The year of the syllabus must be indicated and must match the year the course(s) were completed (as indicated on your transcript)
- Course assessments (assignments, quizzes, exams, projects, case studies, etc.)
- Grading scale used by the post-secondary institution
- Course textbooks and other materials
- Description of the topics covered in the course
- Course prerequisite(s)/anti-requisite(s)/academic prerequisite(s) (if any)
Other considerations:
- Course descriptions in the context of an email cannot be accepted as sufficiently verifiable documentation
- Course syllabus must be in the original form as provided by the post-secondary institution
- Course syllabus should be submitted in PDF format
- Course syllabus in a language other than English require a translation to be submitted directly by a certified translator
If you have questions regarding any of the points above or about submitting the syllabus, please contact the Transcript Assessment team by emailing [email protected] or calling 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6003#.
Due to privacy policies, CPAWSB cannot return documents received from third-party credential evaluation services or other organizations on your behalf. If you need additional copies of those documents, please contact the organization that issued them.
However, we may be able to return original transcripts that were submitted directly to us. If you would like to request the return of eligible documents, please ensure your My CPA Profile information is up to date and contact [email protected].
Please include the following information in your request:
CPA number
Current mailing address
Name of the document requested
Telephone number