CMA vs CPA is one of the most frequently asked questions I get for the past 3 years. There are many considerations involved, and it is hard to say which designation is better than the other. It is often a personal choice based on your educational background, previous experience and career aspiration. CPA is the most established designation for accountants. It was originally designed for those who work in public accounting only, but because of the prestige and general recognition of the title, it is more often seen as the qualification that any "good" accountant should get, regardless of whether he/she works in corporate or public accounting. Because of this, I generally suggest readers to try getting the CPA for a broader choice of careers in the future. Having said that, the educational and experience requirements are very strict. If you are not a "conventional" candidate, in other words, if you are a non-accounting major, international students or mature candidate who graduated a long time ago, you may find it difficult to fulfill the 150 credit hour and minimum accounting and business course requirement. The general rule for experience requirement is 1 year of relevant work supervised and verified by a CPA. If you live outside of the US, it is often difficult to arrange. Because of this, the CMA certification has its distinct advantage. The application and registration is much simpler and easier, and the experience requirement is a lot more flexible. CMA qualification is most recognized in companies with substantial cost accounting. This would include companies with manufacturing capabilities or with sizable inventory to manage. If you are interested in pursuing your career in these companies, CMA certification is great choice to enhance your career. For more information and analysis, please refer to my page on CMA vs CPA: http://ipassthecmaexam.com/cpa-vs-cma/

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CMA vs CPA
Which Qualification is Better?

2. I’m the publisher of
IPassTheCMAExam.com
Author of “How to Pass the CPA Exam”
(Wiley, July 2013)
Today’s topic: How to compare CMA
and CPA qualifications

3. CPA CMA
License
Granted by State
Board of Accountancy
With privilege to
perform certain tasks
Certification
Granted by the IMA
Demonstrate
expertise for
corporate accountants

4. What’s Great
About . . .
CPA

5. 1. CPA has Higher
Recognition & Prestige

6. Peers
Business Partners
Subordinate
Supervisor
Clients
Industry
Experts
A CPA is well respected by:

7. 2. CPA has
High Standard

8. Education
• 4-year bachelor
degree
• 150 credit hours
• Minimum
accounting and
business courses
• 1-2 years of
experience
• Supervised by
CPA
Experience

9. 3. CPA is a
Versatile Qualification

10. Financial accounting
Auditing
Corporate governance
US taxation
Business laws & ethics
Management accounting
Strategic planning
Corporate finance
Financial management
Economics
The CPA exam covers a wide variety of topics:

11. Because of this,
the CPA qualification
opens a lot of doors
CPAs have first-mover
advantage in niche areas
in accounting and finance

12. What’s Great
About . . .
CMA

13. 1. CMA Qualification is
Relevant to Most
Accountants

14. Financial analysts
Business analysts
Cost accountants
Popular Jobs
… are jobs highly relevant
to CMA
70-80% accountants work
in the industry

15. 2. CMA is
Cheaper and Faster

16. 2 parts in CMA exam vs 4 parts in CPA exam

17. CPA CMA
• Strict exam
requirements
• Must deal with
NASBA, AICPA
and others
• Bachelor degree
in any discipline
• IMA is the only
contact point
Even the application process is easier:

18. 3. Great for Those Who
Cannot Get Qualified for CPA

19. For many non-US
candidates:
• Education and
experience doesn’t fit
CPA requirements
• CMA is the next best
alternative

20. 4. CMA is Globally
Recognized

21. China
Middle East
CMA offered by IMA is arguably most global
with its popularity in US, China and Middle East
Other management
accounting qualifications
are limited to one country
or region.

22. Plan, Study and Pass
the CMA exam on your first attempt with...
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