Which is better, ACCA or CICPA?

I searched some information on the internet and made some analysis, hoping to help the upstairs. Personally, I think the two are not in conflict, but should be said to be complementary. To choose which to take, you can choose according to your own needs.

Training objectives

ACCA trains compound senior management talents, not ordinary bookkeepers or auditors.

The goal of CICPA in training certified public accountants is to train professional and technical personnel in accounting and auditing.

admit

ACCA has a high degree of international recognition, and has mutual exemption and recognition agreements with 19 accounting organizations around the world, but they are mainly developing countries. Known as the "international accounting pass". Domestic recognition: it is the highest among all international accounting qualifications at present, far higher than other international accounting qualifications.

The international recognition of CICPA is low, and it only has mutual exemption and recognition agreements with HKICPA and ICAEW. Domestic recognition: very high. The association was founded in 1998. At present, there are nearly150 thousand members and a large number of students in China.

Covering knowledge system

ACCA includes fourteen courses, including financial reporting system, auditing system, financial management system, legal system and tax system. These courses are distributed in three stages, which are gradual and simple, covering all subjects of undergraduate financial teaching and some subjects of postgraduate teaching.

The new examination subject of AICPA is set to "6+ 1" mode (the examination mode is gradually approaching ACCA). Professional stage: economic law, tax law, financial cost management, accounting, auditing, corporate strategy and risk management (new); Advanced stage (added): comprehensive test-intellectual skills, technical and applied skills, personal skills, interpersonal and communication skills, organizational and business management skills, etc.

Required accounting basis

ACCA is a complete knowledge structure that pays equal attention to accounting and management. From scratch, ACCA can rely on self-study and is also suitable for people without basic or accounting background.

Although there is no mention of professional requirements in the enrollment information, in fact, the compilation of the teaching materials of CICPA is based on certain basic accounting knowledge. If you want to take the exam, you need to chew at least a few introductory accounting textbooks. Otherwise, if you get the test paper, you won't understand its content at all.

Examination angle and question type

ACCA takes actual cases as the background, emphasizing the ability to analyze and solve problems, and needs to comprehensively consider financial factors and non-financial factors. Except for the objective questions in the first stage, the questions in the later stage are subjective, and there is no absolute standard answer. Examiners like to see original opinions, unexpected but reasonable logical analysis, and proper connection with real life cases. It pays attention to the macroscopic knowledge system and the expansion of thinking. The examination does not pay attention to rigorous calculation, but pays attention to clear thinking, discussion of viewpoints and grasp of macro-management strategies. Some basic exams are calculated, but generally as long as the thinking and steps are correct, the right or wrong calculation has little effect on the final score (the previous courses are different, mostly calculation, but relatively simple). But the difficulty lies in mastering English and jumping out of the influence of exam-oriented education. Many people in China say that it is difficult to refine their views. In the same situation, some people use it to write 1000 words, while others use it to write.

The AICPA focuses on the technical standards of accounting and auditing, and generally only considers financial factors. The key is to calculate quickly, accurately and accurately. Test questions are divided into subjective questions and objective questions, which often do not require contact with reality and have only standard answers. CICPA exam questions are not difficult, but rather biased and tend to pursue details. Candidates will feel "tricky" and basically useless things will also appear in the CPA exam.

passing rate

The global average pass rate of ACCA is 40%-60% every year, and the pass rate of low-level subjects is higher, and some are even close to 70%.

The annual pass rate of AICPA is about 10%. Faced with so many candidates in China, it is necessary to strictly control the passing rate around this ratio, so there are often some off-topic and strange questions.

language

ACCA's textbooks, exercises and exams are all in English, so there are certain requirements for English ability to take the exam.

The textbooks and exams of AICPA are all in Chinese.

Legal effect (China)

ACCA has no right to sign audit reports in China.

AICPA is the only accounting qualification in China that enjoys the right to sign audit reports.

vocational development

ACCA: all walks of life. Including but not limited to accounting firms, enterprises and financial industries. The employment road is relatively broad. It is easier to knock on the door of foreign companies, and its internationality is especially favored by large state-owned enterprises or private enterprises that need to "go global". The biggest help for personal career development is that after accumulating several years of experience, if you can be a manager, your advantages will be more obvious. At the same time, ACCA qualification is of great help to go abroad and immigrate.