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To become a CPA in Canada you need an undergraduate degree with the right accounting subjects, the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP), the Common Final Examination and at least 30 months of relevant paid experience. Most people do it part time while they work, and the program itself takes about two years. One thing to know up front: a new CPA program is arriving in 2027, so the exact route depends on when you start.
What does it take to become a CPA in Canada?
Four pieces have to fit together. You get into CPA PEP, you finish its modules, you pass the three-day Common Final Examination, and you log the work experience. Then your provincial or regional CPA body grants the designation. That last bit surprises people. CPA Canada writes the national program, but the province you register in delivers it and awards the title.
So start with the body where you plan to live and work. Each region runs its own admissions desk, and fees, intake dates and paperwork differ. Ask your provincial body for its current fee schedule before you commit. For a rough sense of scale, CPABC’s program page puts the total cost of the program in British Columbia at about $14,500, with roughly 20 hours of study a week. Other provinces will differ.
The steps and how long each one runs
| Step | The requirement |
|---|---|
| Admission | Undergraduate degree plus required subject coverage, or the workforce route for mature students without a degree |
| CPA PEP | Six modules, two of them common core; about two years part time |
| Common Final Examination | Three days, the last hurdle of the program |
| Practical experience | Minimum 30 months of relevant, progressively challenging paid work |
| How recent the experience must be | Gained in positions that ended in the last seven years |
| Leave allowed in the 30 months | Up to 20 weeks |
Is a new CPA program replacing CPA PEP?
Yes. The CPA profession is launching a new CPA Professional Program in 2027. Provincial CPA bodies say the existing pathway stays open for current CPA PEP candidates until December 31, 2028, and the last Common Final Examination is planned for September 2028. CPA Atlantic describes the new program as five sequential modules, and both it and CPABC say the experience requirement drops to a minimum of 24 months in the new program.
What does that mean for you? If you’re thinking about starting soon, ask your provincial body which program you’d enter and what the transition rules are. Don’t plan a three-year schedule around the old numbers without checking. This page describes the current CPA PEP route.
Do you need a degree first?
Usually, yes. CPA PEP asks for an undergraduate or master’s degree and coverage of specific subjects such as financial accounting, management accounting and tax. If your degree was in history or biology, you probably have gaps. Universities sell those prerequisite courses one at a time, and your provincial body will tell you which ones count.
There’s also a workforce route. If you have no degree but a lot of relevant work behind you, some mature students can apply. In British Columbia, for example, mature status needs at least eight years of relevant experience in the CPA technical areas, a set of reference letters, and all 14 prerequisite courses, as CPABC’s mature status page lists. It isn’t automatic and the rules are provincial, so read your own body’s current page before you count on it.
How the 30 months of experience work
This is the part that trips people up, because the experience clock is separate from the classroom. You can earn it alongside CPA PEP. Two routes exist: a pre-approved training position at an employer the profession has already signed off, or the flexible route where you show that your job built the required skills.
Picture Tomasz, a bookkeeper in Winnipeg who’s accepted into the program. He starts his modules in the evenings, and his day job already covers some of the experience. If he took 20 weeks of parental leave inside the 30 months, that time is allowed, but the experience still has to come from positions that ended in the last seven years. CPABC also gives candidates up to six years to finish the program, plus one extra year for any outstanding experience. Plenty of room, but not endless room. Don’t sit on it.
Is any job good enough? No. The work has to be relevant and progressively challenging. Data entry for three years won’t do it. Ask your provincial body which roles count.
What does a CPA earn, and what will the studying cost you?
Salaries move by province and employer, and there’s no single official figure to quote. You can still plan with your own numbers. Use the budget calculator to see how much a monthly study cost fits into your spending, and the hourly to salary calculator to compare a training-position paycheque with the job you have now.
If you borrow for the program, run the payments through the personal loan calculator first. The tax credits calculator covers federal credits only, so check the CRA page on tuition amounts if you plan to claim any.
Mistakes that cost people a year
The first is assuming your degree qualifies without checking. A missing subject can hold up admission until you take the course.
The second is taking a job that never gets you the right kind of experience, then finding out at month 28. Ask before you accept whether the employer’s role is pre-approved or can be verified.
The third is missing the experience window. Life happens, but write the date down on day one.
And the fourth is trusting a blog post, ours included, over your provincial body. Rules and fees change, and the body that grants the designation has the last word.
Where we got these figures
The structure of the program comes from CPA Canada‘s national program, as described on provincial CPA body pages from CPABC and CPA Atlantic that were read in October 2026. The new-program dates, the cost and the mature status rules come from those provincial pages. Provincial bodies apply the national rules with their own details, so check yours before you plan dates. This site isn’t connected to CPA Canada, any provincial body or any government.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a CPA in Canada?
CPA PEP takes about two years part time, and the experience requirement is a minimum of 30 months. Most people run both at the same time.
Can I become a CPA without a degree?
CPA Canada has a workforce route for some mature students without an undergraduate degree. Entry rules apply, so read the current admission page first.
Who actually gives me the CPA designation?
Your provincial or regional CPA body does. CPA Canada sets the national program and the provincial bodies deliver it.
How long do I have to finish the experience?
Seven years from acceptance into CPA PEP, according to CPA Canada. Up to 20 weeks of leave is allowed within the 30 months.
What is the last exam?
The Common Final Examination, a three-day exam that closes the program.
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