FAQs

How much does the program cost?

It costs nothing to be a part of the Capstone Program, and the benefits are many. You receive free CDs and DVDs to aid you in teaching the Capstone course. Given their permission, you can see your students’ scores and learn where their weak areas are. ACAT will provide a free sample example to help prepare your students. (None of the questions on the free exam appear on the actual test.)

Are my students ready for an accounting credential rather than a bookkeeping one?

Challenge your students! Most likely they have everything they need to prepare for a professional career, not a clerical one. The different will be the credentials they get. With the ABA Capstone program, ACAT provides all the materials you need as well as support as you work through the program. There are other instructors you can talk to about the Capstone program and get ideas and advise.

What is the Prep Book like?

The ABA Prep Book is sold by the National Society of Accountants and covers the topics presented in the ABA exam. Bulk discounts available.

Can I get a desk copy of the Prep Book?

Get your copy by contacting the Director of Accreditation at info@acatcredentials.org

How much does the exam cost for students?

Exam registration for Capstone Program students is below $50. Retakes are free.

Where will they take the exam?

Students take the exam just like any other registrant: at the side maintained by LaserGrade, ACAT’s testing partner. Some schools have become testing partners with LaserGrade for all sorts of standardized and certification testing.

What is the exam like?

The exam is in two parts. Each Practice has 100 multiple choice questions with one choice being correct.

What does the exam cover?

The examination is based on a Job Practice Analysis that surveyed accountants and tax preparers on what tasks they did and how important to their practice those tasks were. There are five major topic areas: Accounting, Taxation, Ethics, Business Law and Business Accounting. These major topics are divided into subcategories. This is called the exam’s Blueprint.

How are the exam questions written?

The questions on the ABA exam have been written by some of the leading experts in the field of accounting and taxation. Questions are reviewed for internal structure and must be approved before they are placed in a test bank of all approved questions.

Can my institution become a test site?

Yes, Contact ACAT for the application form. Understand that you must offer testing for more exams than just the ABA.

I’d like to talk to someone using the Capstone Program.

Great! Contact the Director of Accreditation at info@acatcredentials.org and you’ll be given the name and numbers of several college instructors to contact.

What is the pass rate for students taking the exam?

ACAT does not maintain separate scoring for students. However, if your students are given preapproved we will provide you a list of their scores and in what areas they did well (or poorly) when taking the examination.

My school is in Iowa (or Minnesota or Delaware), will my students qualify for second tier licensing?

Yes, the ABA exam is recognized in these three states for the purpose of second tier licensing. ACAT must submit the scores to the State Board of Accountancy. (Which it will gladly do).