FAQ

Table of Contents

FCPA

What is an FCPA?
This stands for Forensic Certified Public Accountant and the use of this designation will tell the public and the business community that the holder has met certain testing and experience guidelines and is not only a CPA, but has been certified as a forensic accountant by the Forensic CPA Society.

Why do I need this certification?
Recognition as a credentialed professional in the Forensic Accounting field will give you instant credibility with new and existing clients. Your testimony in court as an expert witness will carry more weight.

What do I get when I join the Society?
Once you join the Society, you have the right to use the professional credential “FCPA” after your name. For example, John Smith CPA, FCPA. We will also send you a certificate of membership suitable for framing and a laminated wallet size membership card identifying you as an FCPA and a member of the Forensic CPA Society.

Membership

How do I become a member of the Forensic CPA Society?

An individual MUST be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Chartered Accountant (CA) or another country’s CPA equivalent to be eligible take our 5-part certification test.

If a CPA or CA is also one of the following, they are exempt from taking our 5-part certification exam.

CFE, Cr.FA.

If an individual is already a CPA and one of these certifications, he or she can automatically receive their FCPA. Simply print and fill out our application form and mail it in along with your first year’s dues.

If an individual is only a CPA, he or she must take our FCPA certification testing course and pass with a score of 70% or above.

Once an individual has earned their FCPA, he or she must take continuing professional education (CPE) each year to keep their certification active. We offer many interesting CPE courses that will satisfy our CPE requirements as well as those of most state Boards of Accountancy.

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting and have been working in forensic accounting for most of my career. I also have my CFE. Can I become a FCPA?
Membership in the Forensic CPA Society is limited to Certified Public Accountants and Chartered Accountants. There are no exceptions.

Once I become a member, when does my membership expire?
Your annual renewal date will be on the first of the month following the month in which you become a member. For example, if you become a member on June 15, 2005, your renewal date will be July 1, 2006.

How much are the yearly dues?
They are $150.00 per year.

Do I have to take CPE to keep my FCPA license current?
Yes. You must take 20 hours of fraud or forensic accounting related CPE per year. We offer many CPE courses that can also be used to satisfy your state CPE requirements.

COST

Most CPA’s purchase the Study Guide and the 5 corresponding books. Using the Study Guide will save you hours of studying since we are telling you what concepts WE think are important. These 5 books contain a lot of information and we cannot cover every important idea in one test without making it a 1000 question test.

It will take you much longer to prepare for the exams if you don’t use the study guide. You will have to read and review the material carefully and diligently to make sure you know the material adequately to pass the 5 tests.

It comes down to whether you would rather save time or money.

FCPA Study Guide

What does your study guide consist of?
The Certification Test is in five parts and covers five books. There is a question database of about 300-400 questions for each book. 100 questions are pulled at random from the database for each certification test. Each certification test contains 100 multiple choice questions and covers one book.

The study guide contains all of the database questions for each book and gives feedback for each question explaining which answer is correct and the logic behind the answer. The feedback section also explains why the incorrect answers are wrong. The study guide is online and can be accessed with a user name and password we will email to you. The study guide also contains practice tests for each book that you can take as many times as you would like. Each practice test will be 100 questions pulled randomly from the question database. Once you can consistently score 70% or more on these practice tests, you are ready to take the real certification test for that particular section.

Do I have to buy the study guide to take the test?
No. You are not required to buy the study guide. However, all of the questions that will be on the real certification tests are included in the study guide. So, if you use the study guide and score high on the practice tests, you are more or less guaranteed to pass the real certifications tests. However, some individuals simply buy the 5 books, study them well and when they feel that they know the material can then take the certification tests.

Do I need to buy the five textbooks in addition to the study guide?
Purchasing these 5 books is not required. However, all 1300 questions in the study guide are pulled from these books. It is important as a forensic accountant to have a reference library to refer to when working on specific cases. Whether you purchase them from the Forensic CPA Society or another vendor, it is strongly encouraged that you purchase and read these informative and interesting books.

Can I buy the 5 textbooks from Amazon or another bookstore or must I buy them from you?
You may buy the books wherever you would like. We have them listed on our shopping cart at a very reasonable price which is consistently lower than Amazon.

If I fail any of the 5 tests, how do I retake a test?
You may retake any of the 5 tests. The cost to retake one of the tests is $50. You may purchase the tests from our shopping cart.

FCPA EXAM

Once I have completed the study guide, what do I do?
The study guide contains practice tests that will help you determine when you are ready to take the certification test. When you are ready, you must pay the $250.00 testing fee. However, you can also pay for just one test at a time. Each of the 5 tests cost $50 each. You may order the tests on our shopping cart or by telephone. We will then give you a username and password that will allow you to take each of the five certification tests.

How long does the exam take to complete?
This test is in five parts and covers five books. Each test covers one book. The tests are timed and taken online. Each test is 100 questions and you are allowed two minutes per question. Once a test is started it must be completed within the 200-minute time limit. All five tests must be completed within a one year period from the time the first test is taken.

How will I know if I pass the exam?
You will see the score immediately after you complete each test. The results will automatically be emailed to us.

What happens if I only pass some of the 5 parts?
You can “keep” any part that you pass for one year. All parts must be passed within a one year period.

CPE CREDITS

Do I earn CPE credits if I pass the FCPA exam?
Yes. Each of the exams is worth 20 CPE hours.

Do I have to take CPE to keep my FCPA certification current?
Yes. The Forensic CPA Society requires 20 hours of fraud or forensic accounting related CPE per year.

Can I fulfill my CPE requirement through CPE providers other than the Forensic CPA Society?
Yes, you may take your CPE from any qualified provider, although, in order to do so the course must be fraud or forensic accounting related.

How do I report my CPE credits?
Please print out and complete the CPE Reporting Form here on our web site and email it in to us.

Will other organizations (such as AICPA, IIA, CFE) accept CPE credits earned through the Forensic CPA Society?

It is up to each individual organization to determine which courses they will accept for credit, but generally everyone accepts our credits.