ABA Accredited Business Accountant

Accreditation from ACAT has a positive impact on practitioners in a variety of ways. Whether you want to raise your salary, earn professional recognition or give yourself a competitive advantage, ACAT is ready to assist and support you in achieving your goals.

ABA Accredited Business Accountant® is ACAT’s trademarked designation for Accreditation in Accountancy. The ABA is a prestigious professional accounting credential that demonstrates to clients, potential clients and employers that the credential holder has a thorough knowledge and proficiency in financial accounting, financial reporting, financial statement preparation, taxation, managerial accounting, business law, and ethics for small- to medium-sized businesses.

In some states—DE, IA, MN—achieving the ABA designation meets state regulatory requirements to practice public accountancy. MN requires a 75% passing score on both Practices of the exam. The use of the term “accountant” for non CPAs varies by state. In states where the term “accountant” cannot be used in any form or in states that allow the use the term “accountant” as a stand alone word but with a disclaimer—AL, AK, AR, CA, HI, IN, KY, LA, ND, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN and TX, accredited individuals use Accredited Business Advisor®. The process for attaining the credential and rules for use are the same.

Comprehensive Examination for Accreditation in Accountancy

The Comprehensive Examination for Accreditation in Accountancy is a two part 200 question exam that tests the technical proficiency of candidates in financial accounting, financial reporting, financial statement preparation, taxation, business consulting services, business law and ethics. Emphasis is on a practical approach to public accounting. The exam is divided into two parts: Practice 1 (100 questions and 3 1/2 hours) and Practice 2 (100 questions and 3 1/2 hours), both parts can be taken together or during different testing windows, however if one part is passed you will then have 18 months to pass the other part in order to earn the ABA credential.

Practice 1 consists of 100 multiple choice questions to be completed in 3½ hours. It covers financial accounting and financial statement preparation, presentation and reporting.

Practice 2 consists of 100 multiple choice questions to be completed in 3½ hours. It covers the following topics: taxation, business law, business accounting and ethics.

For a list of specific sub categories, review the exam blueprint

For more information on the ABA credential, review the ABA Candidate Handbook

Upcoming Exam Dates

Registration for the spring testing window will open in February 2012.

General testing dates: June 16th- July 7th
Capstone Course testing dates: May 21st- June 18th

Examination fee

The exam fee for both Practice 1 and Practice 2 of the ABA exam is $285 + a $50 registration fee. The exam fee for 1 part of the exam, either Practice 1 or Practice 2 is $200.

Scheduling your exam date and time

The registration window for Spring 2012 will open in February.

Once your regstration is processed, you will receive a confirmation Authorization-To-Test (ATT) letter with information on setting up your exam date and testing site.


Lasergrade Locations

The ABA comuter based exams are offered at any of the over 700 authorized LaserGrade test centers in North America. Go here to find the one closest to you.

Rescheduling Policy

You must test within the testing window stated on the Authoriation-To-Test (ATT), which you receive after your submitted Registration Form is successfully processed.

Candidates who wish to reschedule an examination within the testing window without forfeiting the examination fee must notify LaserGrade at least three working days prior to the scheduled test date. You will forfeit your examination fee if you do not appear for your scheduled examination or are not admitted due to lack of proper photo/signature identification.

Test Development

The questions on the Accredited Business Accountant exam were developed as the result of a Job Practice Analysis that studied what accountants do, how often they perform each task and how important the task is perceived. The result of this survey was a blueprint or outline for the exam covering the topics to be tested and the number of questions on each topic. This blueprint was given to the Subject Matter Expert Committee, a panel of experts in accounting. They developed and tested test questions for each topic area of the exam. These questions comprise a test bank.

As an exam is developed for each testing period, a program takes questions randomly from the test bank according to the blueprint developed for the test. The SME reviews the questions again to ensure no changes or errors have crept in.

The Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation^® (ACAT)
1010 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1574 888.289.7763 x 1343 info@acatcredentials.org