August Set for International Administration of U.S. Uniform CPA Examination in Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain and the UAE

Registration through U.S. State Boards to Begin in May

NEW YORK, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, and Prometric announced the international administration of the Uniform CPA Examination will be offered during the month of August in Japan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. CPA exam is being offered internationally for the first time as a service to foreign nationals in response to rapidly escalating international demand for U.S. CPA licensure. In 2010, more than 10,000 international candidates traveled to the U.S. to take the U.S. CPA exam, a 22 percent increase from 2009. Nearly one-third of international candidates came from Japan.

"We are very pleased to be able to offer this program in Japan and several countries in the Middle East," said Craig Mills, AICPA vice president for examinations and continuing professional education. "We believe the international administrations will provide additional opportunities for individuals who want to become U.S. CPAs. As we gain experience in international administrations, we are looking forward to expanding the program to other countries where there is interest."

The international exam, which will be offered in English, is the same as the U.S. exam administered by the AICPA, NASBA, and Prometric in the United States. Future testing months during which the exam will be administered in Japan and the Middle East will be November 2011 and February, May 2012. Licensure requirements for international candidates are the same as for U.S. CPA candidates. Along with passing the Uniform CPA Examination, international candidates must meet educational and experience requirements as mandated by U.S. state boards of accountancy.

NASBA Executive Vice President & COO Ken L. Bishop said: "It makes excellent sense to extend the benefits of the U.S. state-based CPA examination and licensure processes to an international audience. We're looking forward to implementing international CPA Examination administrations so that we may bring the examination to candidates who would like an opportunity to qualify as U.S. CPAs."

In the United States, state boards have the governmental legal authority to award the U.S. CPA license. Registration for the international exam will begin on May 1, and applications may be made through certain U.S. state boards of accountancy offering eligibility for international candidates. A list of participating state boards and information about fees will be posted on the NASBA website in April at www.nasba.org.

"Ensuring safe, secure delivery of the CPA exam has always been a priority for us," said Bill Murtagh, senior vice president of client services and sales at Prometric. "Carrying our commitment to security to other key locations around the world will simply be an extension of the diligence we provide in the U.S. to support the integrity of this high-stakes exam."

Testing in the new international locations will be open to citizens and long-term residents of the countries in which the exam is being administered. In the Middle East, citizens of Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia may take the exam in one of the Middle East locations. U.S. citizens living abroad are eligible to test at any location.

"The exam, regardless of where it's administered, provides opportunities for personal growth and contributes to economic prosperity," Mills said. "We continue to plan for an August administration in the Middle East and are hopeful that the local conditions will allow us to provide this service to the citizens of the region."

Initially the exam will be offered internationally during a one month testing window per calendar-year quarter. An international testing FAQ sheet is available at the AICPA Uniform CPA Examination website – www.aicpa.org/cpa-exam.

About Prometric

Prometric, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETS, is the recognized global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services. Its comprehensive suite of services, including test development, test delivery and data management capabilities, allows clients to develop and launch global testing programs as well as accurately measure program results and data. Prometric reliably delivers and administers more than seven million tests a year on behalf of 450 clients in the academic, professional, healthcare, government, corporate and information technology markets. It delivers tests flexibly via the Web or by utilizing a robust network of more than 10,000 test centers in 163 countries. For more information, please visit www.prometric.com.

About NASBA

Celebrating 103 years of service, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) serves as a forum for the nation's state boards of accountancy, which administer the Uniform CPA Examination, license more than 650,000 certified public accountants and regulate the practice of public accountancy in the United States. NASBA's mission is to enhance the effectiveness of state boards of accountancy in meeting their regulatory responsibilities. The Association promotes the exchange of information among the accountancy boards, serving the needs of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions.

NASBA is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., with a satellite office in New York, N.Y. and a Computer Testing Center in Guam. To learn more about NASBA, visit www.nasba.org.

About AICPA

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (www.aicpa.org) is the world's largest association representing the accounting profession, with nearly 370,000 members in 128 countries. AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education, and consulting; membership is also available to accounting students and CPA candidates. The AICPA sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination.

The AICPA maintains offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Durham, N.C., Ewing, N.J. and Lewisville, Texas. Media representatives are invited to visit the AICPA Press Center at www.aicpa.org/press.

SOURCE American Institute of Certified Public Accountants