Registration and policies
To be eligible for admission to the CPA National Program, you must have completed a recognized undergraduate degree or the prerequisite courses to obtain an equivalence of diploma or an equivalence of training and you must have earned the minimal grade point average of 2.8/4.3.
How to register to the national program
Depending on your situation, several registration possibilities are available.
- Fill out the registration with the Order.
- When your application is accepted, enrol in the modules in your online file and pay the required fees.
In accordance with our administrative procedures, we may ask you to take certain refresher courses when you register with the Order, given the constant evolution of the knowledge required.
- Fill out the registration with the Order before the deadlines specified in the Module and exam calendar. You may be enrolled conditionally upon passing all the prerequisites.
- Send confirmation to the Order that you successfully completed your undergraduate program (or equivalent) as soon as possible to make your registration official.
- When your application is accepted, enrol in the modules in your online file and pay the required fees.
Important! You do not have to register directly with the university partner you have chosen when registering for the PEP. Module registration is done directly with the Order.
Proof of registration
If you need a document proving your registration in the National Program, please contact us at programmenational@cpaquebec.ca.
Financial aid and tax deductions
Do you want to learn more about the financial aid and tax deductions available to students in the National Program? Consult the table below.
No RL-8 slip will be issued, since the Order is not considered an educational institution for purposes of the provincial slip. However, you may claim a tax credit for tuition fees paid to the Order.
Attention! This information is provided for reference purposes only and does not constitute legal tax advice. Taxpayers are responsible for obtaining legal advice applicable to their situation. The opinions of tax authorities take precedence over those of the Order.
Deductible fees (receipt required)1
- File opening
- File review
- Registration with the Order and reinstatement
- File review – Reciprocity agreement
- Annual dues2
- Short online orientation session
- Module fee
- Make-up assignment marking fee
- Module examination fee (including review request)
- Surpass licence
- Common Final Examination fee (including review request)
- Public accountancy examination
Non-deductible fees
- Administrative penalties in case of withdrawal from the program
- Reference books and manuals other than those included on the D2L platform
- Candidate in good standing letter
- Annual dues to the Order after successfully passing the CFE
Important! Participation in the CPA National Program is not eligible for the Government of Quebec's loans and bursaries programs.
1 Your invoices are available in your online file.
2 The annual student dues will no longer be deductible once you have successfully passed the final examination, since you will have completed the CPA Professional Education Program.
Attention! This information is provided for reference purposes only and does not constitute legal tax advice. Taxpayers are responsible for obtaining legal advice applicable to their situation. The opinions of tax authorities take precedence over those of the Order.
In February, the Order issues a T2202A form for some fees paid for the program and the months of part-time studies.
Fees included in the T2202A form for students in the National Program
- Short online orientation session2
- Module fee
- Make-up assignment marking fee
- Module examination fee (including review request)
- Registration with the Order and reinstatement
- Annual dues3
- Fee for the Common Final Examination (CFE) preparation service for Days 2 and 3 (excluding option 3 - access to material)
Deductible fees with receipt4
- File opening
- File review
- File review – Reciprocity agreement
- Surpass licence
- Common Final Examination fee (including review request)
- Public accountancy examination
- Annual dues3
Non-deductible fees
- Administrative penalties in case of withdrawal from the program
- Reference books and manuals other than those included on the D2L platform
- Candidate in good standing letter
- Annual dues to the Order after successfully passing the CFE
1 File number 7009/12877
2 Fee for the short online orientation session is included only if the student continued the course after the session.
3 The annual student dues will no longer be deductible once you have successfully passed the final examination, since you will have completed the CPA Professional Education Program. Furthermore, the annual dues are only included in the T2202A form for students in the National Program. DESS students can include their annual dues as deductible costs.
4 Your invoices are available in your online file. You must include them with your tax return, since these fees are not included in the T2202A form.
Assistance towards success scholarships
This scholarship program is intended for students registered for or who are preparing to register for the Professional Education Program (PEP), either the university graduate program or the National Program delivered by the Order. To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate that they need financial aid to help them cover all the costs involved in continuing the PEP.
See the eligibility requirements and application process >
Distinctive Offer
Candidates enrolled in the National Program have access to the same Distinctive Offer products and services granted to CPA members. Moreover, Desjardins also offers candidates the Student STRATEGIC Line of Credit.
STRATEGIC Line of Credit
- $80,000 credit limit available to meet all your needs (gradual credit limit increase).
- Desjardins prime rate + 0.50%.
- Option to capitalize interest costs throughout the duration of your studies and option to pay interest only on your loan for 6 months following your graduation.
Windmill Microlending
In order to help foreign-trained professionals obtain the CPA title, the Quebec CPA Order has partnered with Windmill Microlending. Windmill Microlending is a Canadian charity offering low interest microloans for skilled newcomers who need financial support to pay for the cost of licensing and credentials.
Government of Quebec – Financial Assistance Program for Skills Recognition Refresher Training (PAFFARC)
Thanks to this program, your employees could receive financial assistance for some of the training costs involved in the process of obtaining their CPA designation and for other related costs.
Important! This information is provided for reference purposes only and does not constitute legal tax advice. Taxpayers are responsible for obtaining legal advice applicable to their situation. The opinions of the tax authorities take precedence over those of the Order.
Order university partners
The National Program is offered in Montreal in collaboration with the following university partners:
- Centre de perfectionnement de l’École des sciences de la gestion de l’UQAM (ESG UQAM)
- HEC Montréal (offered in French only)
At ESG UQAM, 18 university credits will be granted if you decide to pursue graduate studies.
Information sessions are held every semester at the campus of many universities. See the upcoming information sessions >
Cancellation and refund policy
Barring exceptional circumstances, you may cancel your enrolment in a module by completing the appropriate form. In all cases, if you abandon a module but wish to re-enroll in it at a later session you will have to repeat the module, regardless of when it was abandoned.
Do you want to cancel your registration in the CPA Professional Education Program (National Program) or get a refund of some of the fees you paid? See the cancellation and refund policy.
CPA harmonized education policies
The CPA harmonized education policies includes a collection of policy directives for the CPA Professional Education Program (PEP), as well as the rules for admission, administration, modules, module evaluation and the Common Final Examination.