Practical Experience Competencies
Find a summary of the Practical Experience Competencies here. The purpose of practical experience is for Candidates to develop both their technical and enabling competencies to become a successful CPA.
Candidates will be evaluated based on six technical competencies and five enabling competencies.
Technical competencies fall into six areas:
- Financial Reporting
- Management Accounting
- Strategy and Governance
- Taxation
- Finance
- Audit and Assurance
Enabling competencies fall into five areas:
- Acting Ethically and Demonstrating Professional Values
- Solving Problems and Adding Value
- Communicating
- Managing Self
- Collaborating and Leading
Finding a Mentor
Candidates are required to be mentored by a CPA throughout their term of practical experience. Candidates must meet with their mentor semi-annually and have these meetings documented in PERT.
There are a number of supportive networking resources to help Candidates find a mentor. These resources have been provided by the Career Services team.
Fact Sheet:
Mentorship FAQs for Candidates
CPA Practical Experience Policies
The CPA Harmonized Practical Experience Policies, found here, includes a collection of policy directives for the CPA Practical Experience Requirements (CPA PER). It outlines the profession’s expectations regarding the implementation of policies for qualifying:
- Practical experience
- Mentorship
- Transition rules
- Reporting and review
The governing documents in Alberta dictate the usage of these policies.
All Candidates are required to be in compliance with CPA Alberta's Rules of Professional Conduct.
To become familiar with candidate requirements in Alberta, candidates should review the Introduction to CPA Alberta's Regulatory Requirements.
Candidates in Public Practice FAQs
Practical Experience Requirements
The CPA Practical Experience Requirements can be found here. This provides comprehensive information on the practical experience requirements for certification as a CPA.
Fact Sheet:
Reporting Requirements
Candidates are required to capture all practical experience in the profession's online practical experience reporting tool (PERT). Visit the Practical Experience Reporting Tool page for more information.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
As per the CPA Practical Experience Requirements (CPA PER), Candidates are required to meet with their mentors twice per year and log into PERT to provide required information within 90 days of their registration date. Find an outline of the penalties for non-compliance here. (Please note that penalties are subject to change.)