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Apply for Admission to CPAWSB

Post-Designation Education (PDE)

The CPAWSB currently offers the following PDE to active CPA members* in good standing wishing to pursue practicing public accounting:

CPA Reciprocity Exam
CPARE

CPA Reciprocity Exam

Post-Designation Public Accounting Program
PDPA

Post-Designation Public Accounting Program

Post-Designation Public Accounting Taxation Module
PDPA-Tax

Post-Designation Public Accounting Taxation Module

Eligibility

Only qualified PDE applicants can apply for admission with CPAWSB. Qualified PDE applicants must be active and in good standing with their provincial CPA body where they intend to practice public accounting.

Additional eligibility details can be found in the policy documents below:

CPARE - CPA Reciprocity and Examination (CPARE) Program Guide
PDPA/PDPA Tax - CPA Harmonized Education Policies (HEP) Vol. 2

Before You Apply

Click on each step for detailed instructions.

Before applying for admission, please first verify that you are an active CPA member in good standing with your provincial CPA body by searching for yourself in the online CPA member directory.

Review the CPAWSB PDE schedules webpage for important dates and deadlines to ensure there are no conflicts with your schedule.

Please review the following PDE policies applicable to your intended path:

CPA education programs demand strong English skills, typically at a Grade 12 level or Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 8 or higher. Applicants below CLB 8 are encouraged to improve their language skills before applying. Language test equivalency charts are available on the Government of Canada website.

Additional English Language Support can be found on our website.

Admission Process

Click on each step for detailed instructions.

Complete and submit the online CPAWSB PDE admission application form.

Upon submission, copies of your application will automatically be sent to you, CPAWSB, and your provincial CPA body.

Your application and chosen PDE will then be reviewed by your provincial CPA body to assess its suitability for your professional objectives.

During this review, if the provincial CPA body requires more information or has any queries regarding your application, they may reach out to you for clarification.

You will receive an email from CPAWSB confirming your admission is approved along with instructions about next steps and how to register for PDE. For more information, you can also review the PDE FAQ webpage.

Log in to your My CPA Portal account using the email address you provided us on your application. To access your account, please use the ‘Forgot your password?’ link on the main page to trigger a password reset email.

Please note: The My CPA Portal system was originally built exclusively for use by CPA PEP candidates, and you may notice some information in the portal that does not apply to CPA members pursuing PDE. As such, we have had to work around certain candidate-oriented information categories. This includes the “PDPA” or “CPARE” prefix appended to your name—this should not be removed or altered under any circumstance, as it assists in differentiating your profile from PEP candidates.

You can register in PDE only after being admitted to CPAWSB

CPAWSB only accepts applications from individuals governed by the provincial CPA bodies in Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB, YK, NT, and NU). If you wish to register for PDE outside of the Western Region, please contact CPA Ontario, CPA Atlantic, or CPA Quebec directly for information about applying in those regions.

*CPA candidates who have completed the education and evaluation requirements for the CPA PEP, but have not received membership status, may be eligible to register for PDE. Please contact your provincial CPA body to determine eligibility to apply for PDE before CPA membership as a CPA candidate.