Q: What do CGAs do?

A: CGAs work in every sector of the business community. Many are employed in industry and commerce. In major banks, large manufacturing companies, small businesses and service industries, CGAs hold a wide range of responsibilities from controller to CEO, from financial administrator to vice-president of finance, or from accountant to internal auditor.

Almost as many CGAs work in government and public service, ranging from federal government to public utility commissions and from municipalities to school boards. A third group includes CGAs in public practice, serving the public by offering their skills as professional accountants and financial managers.

Q: What is my earning potential as a CGA?

A: Your earning potential as a CGA is unlimited.

CGAs and students in the CGA program are among the top five per cent of income earners in Canada. 95 per cent of CGAs between the ages of 23 and 30 typically earn a median annual salary of $85,000.

Q: Does CGA Ontario have an associate student program?

A: CGA Ontario offers you the advantage of periodic updates regarding the CGA program and Association activities if you register with us as a prospective student.

Visit http://www.nameyourneed.org/register.aspx to register. It’s free of charge, and you’ll automatically enter a draw for a chance to win a $2,500 tuition credit in the CGA Ontario program!

Q: What is unique about the CGA program?

Q: How do I become a CGA?

Meeting the Education Requirement
All students in the CGA program are required to obtain a bachelor’s degree prior to receiving certification as a CGA. The degree may be granted from any approved post-secondary institution and obtained in any field. Non-Canadian degrees must be deemed equivalent to a Canadian degree to be acceptable. The degree requirement is an exit, not an entrance requirement. For students entering the CGA program without a bachelor’s degree, CGA Ontario offers a choice of integrated degree opportunities. Visit our Degree Opportunities page for more info!

Meeting the Examination Requirement
All students must complete the CGA program of professional studies. The CGA program is composed of 19 courses and examination requirements. Course materials and examinations are developed by CGA Canada with the support of more than 100 leading academics and professionals. The program’s course requirements may be satisfied by CGA examination or by transfer credit. Successful completion of courses offered at recognized post-secondary institutions may provide a student with up to 15 transfer credits.

A minimum of four professional applications and competency evaluations (PACE level) courses must be completed through the CGA program. Click here for an image of the CGA program path.

Meeting the Experience Requirement
To qualify for certification as a CGA, all candidates must satisfactorily complete practical work experience and assessments. Specified competencies will generally be met through 36 months of approved work experience, but on assessment may be deemed acceptable after a minimum of 24 months. Experience may be acquired through a wide variety of accounting, finance, auditing and systems functions or positions in any industry. Questions on employment experience are answered in CGA Ontario’s Employment Portfolio Assessment System (EPAS) frequently asked questions brochure.

Q: I have a three-year bachelor’s degree. Is that OK?

A: Yes. Your degree can be a three or four-year degree.

Q: Do I have to have studied business or accounting in college or university?

A: No. To satisfy the degree requirement the degree may be obtained in any field. However, if you majored in accounting or business and your grades are satisfactory, you may be eligible to receive significant transfer credits and advanced standing in the CGA program. Transfer credit policies for all of Ontario’s colleges and universities are available for viewing online.

For specific questions regarding transfer credits, please contact CGA Ontario’s education department at transfercredits@cga-ontario.org.

Q: How do I enrol in the CGA program?

A: You can enrol in the CGA program of professional studies in just a few simple steps!

Complete the application for transfer credits. You must arrange for one official sealed transcript to be forwarded directly from a post-secondary institution. All submission requirements and instructions are detailed on the application. Please allow approximately 15 to 20 business days for processing of the application. An application for enrolment and further instruction will accompany your transfer credit evaluation report.

Q: I am an international student. Can I enrol with CGA Ontario?

A: To enrol with CGA Ontario you must be a permanent resident of Ontario with Canadian citizen or landed immigrant status.

Q: Is there an entrance exam?

A: No. Typically, professional accounting bodies that do not possess a national educational program rely on an all-encompassing comprehensive examination to establish their entrance standards. The national CGA program of professional studies does not require prospective students to write an entrance exam. Simply submit your completed application for transfer credits and you’re well on your way!

Q: What is a challenge exam?

A: A once-only challenge examination may be permitted if a direct transfer credit is not available for a course (for example, a PACE level course). All challenge examinations must be written within the first year of enrolment. Those writing challenge exams will have access to the lesson notes to assist them in their preparation for the examination. Students who are unsuccessful in the course challenge examination are required to complete the full course and submit weekly assignments.

Q: Is there a final exam?

A: The professional applications examinations (PA1 and PA2) are the final examination requirement in the certification process leading to the granting of the CGA designation. PA1: Issues in Professional Practice and PA2: Strategic Financial Management are the capstone professional applications courses. Each four-hour examination is designed to give candidates practice in demonstrating the key competencies required of a newly certified CGA.

Q: Once I enrol, how much time will I need to devote to the program per week?

A: The average student spends 15 to 25 hours a week studying and preparing the weekly assignments. The number of hours spent studying generally increases as the program progresses.

Q: How do I study in the CGA program?

A: CGA’s program of professional studies is designed to offer the opportunity to study part-time while pursuing full-time employment and career advancement. As such, CGA courses are designed for self-study using Internet-based distance education. Students can access study resources, submit course requirements and converse with tutors, academic advisors and fellow students wherever they have access to an Internet connection. Course lectures are also available in many regions as a supplement to the self-study review materials and process.

Take a tour of CGA Ontario’s online learning environment at www.mycgaonline.org.
username: cgaguest
password: cgaguest

Q: What is PACE and why is it so unique?

The PACE level includes the professional courses and certification examinations that represent the final phase of academic preparation prior to certification as a CGA. At this level, students have the opportunity to focus professional preparation in an area that supports their individual career goals and interests. You may choose from one of four different financial management career options or assemble a combination of courses that best suits you. There are a total of 14 different course combinations. The certification level of the CGA program consists of two career option courses and accompanying four-hour examinations, as well as two professional applications courses (PA1 & PA2) and accompanying four-hour capstone examinations.

Specialize in your preferred area:

Corporate and Small to Medium-sized Enterprises
For students interested in managing the resources of corporate entities, emphasis is placed on capital and investment decisions, long-term planning, and competitive analysis.

Information Technology
For students pursuing careers related to the analysis, design, and implementation of computer-based information systems from a financial management ender-user perspective.

Government and Not-for-profit
For students pursuing careers in the public sector, association management, charitable and non-for-profit organization management, health service organizations and education. This stream emphasized public sector accounting, not-for-profit reporting issues, expenditure controls and strategic planning.

Public Practice
Prepares students to succeed in a public practice career, providing accounting, auditing, tax planning and business consulting services to corporate and small to medium sized enterprise clients.

Q: Do you help students in the CGA program find jobs?

A: Yes! CGA Ontario provides a comprehensive online employment referral service for students in the CGA program as well as certified general accountants. Employers from around the province advertise a range of accounting and financial management positions through this service.

Q: How long will it take me to achieve the CGA designation?

A: This depends on many factors, including, but not limited to, your post-secondary education.

A student coming into the CGA program with a university degree may be eligible for transfer credits up to and including the advanced studies level and potentially complete the remainder of the program and the experience requirement in as little as two to three years (click here for an image of the CGA program structure).

A student with a college diploma in accounting may be eligible for transfer credits up to the advanced studies level and could complete the remainder of the program and the experience requirement in 3-5 years (click here for an image of the CGA program structure). If the student opts to obtain a degree through one of CGA Ontario’s integrated degree partnerships, the student may complete the degree in as little as one year of additional part-time, distance education study.

The CGA program of professional studies offers four sessions annually. Students are permitted to take one course per session to a maximum of four courses per year. Typically, students enrol in three courses annually.

Q: How much does the program cost?

A: A good ballpark figure is about $2,500 per year. This includes the basic tuition fee, plus the fees for three courses. Course fees include all course materials, texts, etc. The entire amount is tax deductible. Many employers pay all or part of a student’s fees. In order to calculate the approximate costs as a student in the CGA program of professional studies, visit http://www.nameyourneed.org. (Just select any profile "to know how much it cost" on the top navigation panel).