I completed my Degree outside Canada

Applicants with an international (non-Canadian) degree must have their academic credentials evaluated to confirm Canadian degree equivalency and CPA admission eligibility.

To be considered for admission:

Admission Process

How to Create Your Profile

  1. Visit My CPA Portal.
    • Use a desktop or a laptop with Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. 
  2. Select Create a My CPA Profile.
  3. Enter your legal name.
  4. Select your residency status:
    • Canadian Citizen
    • Permanent Resident
    • Temporary Resident
    • Foreign National
  5. Enter all post-secondary education and designation information.
  6. 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

  1. Log in to My CPA Portal.
  2. Select PROGRAM ADMISSION.
  3. Select TRANSCRIPT ASSESSMENT.
  4. Choose ADD A TRANSCRIPT ASSESSMENT REQUEST button.
  5. Review the document checklist.
  6. Review your transcript assessment order.
  7. 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#.

Choose one of the following for the required credential evaluation:

  • Option 1 (Recommended)
    WES ICAP (ACESC member) evaluation benefits:
    • WES electronically forwards evaluations directly to CPAWSB
    • Official transcripts are included
    • Translation service is included
    • You do not need to submit a separate transcript
  • Option 2
    Other ACESC Member Assessment service:
    • Provide a basic assessment which is acceptable to CPAWSB
    • Translation service may not be included
    • You or your education institution may need to submit official transcripts directly to CPAWSB

Transcript/Document Submission Methods

1. Electronic

Digital submissions must be sent directly to [email protected]. Other electronic mediums we accept are 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#.

Access results through My CPA Portal → Program Admission → Transcript Assessment

Possible Outcomes

  1. PEP Eligible
    You meet all admission requirements and may apply directly to CPA PEP. Proceed to Step 5.
  2. PEP Conditional Core 1
    You may begin CPA PEP as a conditional candidate and complete remaining requirements according to the assessor comments in your transcript assessment, or see the Starting as a PEP Conditional Core 1 webpage. You may proceed to Step 5.
  3. PEP Ineligible
    Additional requirements remain outstanding. Check your transcript assessment to identify the outstanding courses.
    Options include:

Have questions about your assessment results?

Contact the Transcript Assessment team at [email protected] or 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6003#.

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 University Degree. 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#.

CPA Preparatory Courses

Apply if your status is:

  • PEP Ineligible

Registration category on your CPA preparatory course application is New Student. For the application process, see Apply to CPA Preparatory Courses.

Need Help? 
Contact the Student Experience team about your CPA preparatory course application, course planning and scheduling at [email protected] or 1.866.420.2350 ext. 6008#.

Frequently Asked Questions

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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].

You can request a transcript assessment without a study permit; however, if you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, your admission application will not be approved without proof of a valid study permit. For more information, see the Residency, Study Permits, and Language Benchmark information.

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. 

You need to meet the 120-credit hour requirement to enter the CPA Professional Education Program. Master’s or post-graduate degrees are usually only equivalent to 60 credit hours. Therefore, you do need to have your undergraduate degree transcripts submitted to ensure you meet the 120-credit hour requirement. Another reason for having your undergraduate post-secondary transcripts submitted is for possible credit towards the 14 prerequisite courses required for entry into CPA PEP.

If you cannot obtain official transcripts and are unable to request a WES ICAP assessment, CPAWSB may accept an official credential evaluation from a recognized ACESC member organization that is based on unofficial transcripts.

Important: In this situation, the assessment can be used for degree recognition only. No academic prerequisite exemptions or transfer credits will be granted.

Please note that not all third-party evaluation providers accept unofficial transcripts.

Contact the Transcript Assessment team before proceeding if you are unable to obtain official documents:

Yes. If you received transfer credit from one institution for courses completed at another institution, you must arrange for official transcripts from both institutions to be submitted.

CPAWSB must review the original course grades, credit hours, and course information to determine whether any CPA prerequisite exemptions can be granted.

Make sure both institutions appear as Required (Req'd) in your Document Checklist.

If an institution is missing from your checklist, contact the Transcript Assessment team:

Request official transcripts from every Canadian post-secondary institution (PSI) you attended and have them sent directly to CPAWSB. Also ensure that each post-secondary institution is listed on your document checklist. Include all accounting and non-accounting education.

You will receive an email notification when your Transcript Assessment results are available. 

To view your assessment results:

  1. Log in to My CPA Portal 
  2. Click on PROGRAM ADMISSION 
  3. Then click on TRANSCRIPT ASSESSMENT

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#

A course syllabus is an official document issued by a post-secondary institution that provides detailed information about a course. It is sometimes requested during a re-assessment to determine whether a course meets CPA prerequisite requirements.

The syllabus must correspond to the year in which the course was completed.

A complete syllabus should include:

  • Institution name, logo, or letterhead, symbol, etc.
  • Course name and course number
  • Course overview, learning outcomes or objectives
  • Semester, year, course hours, credit hours
  • Instructor information
  • Weekly course topics or schedule
  • Textbooks and course materials
  • Assignments, quizzes, exams, and grading information
  • Course prerequisites or anti-requisites (if applicable)

Submission requirements:

  • Must be the original syllabus issued by the institution
  • Must be submitted as a PDF
  • Email descriptions or informal course outlines are not accepted
  • Documents not in English must be translated by a certified translator

Questions about syllabus requirements?

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

Questions?

If you still have more questions, check out some of the commonly asked questions by other applicants on creating a My CPA portal, general enrollment process, transcript assessment process, and understanding your assessment results.

Frequently Asked Questions