How to become a Registered Public Accountant
Persons wishing to be registered as a Public Accountant in Jamaica need to either
- become a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica or
- be entitled to practise accountancy in any country other than Jamaica by virtue of a qualification (whether a degree or diploma or membership of any body or otherwise) that is, after consultation with the Board, approved by the Minister
As regards (1) above persons should have passed any of the qualifying examinations of the Institute. These are as follows:
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (U.K.)
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of any province of Canada
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
The Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
The Master of Science Degree in Accounting of the University of the West Indies
In addition you would need to
(i) Obtain practical experience of not less than three years, by working in a professional firm or being engaged in accounting work in other acceptable organizations in sufficiently responsible positions.
(ii) Be at least 21 years old
(iii) Have been proposed and seconded by two members of the Institute
(iv) Be elected to membership of the Institute.
Other Conditions for Registration
Interested persons who meet either of the requirements at (1) or (2) above and also meet the following requirements, are eligible for registration by the PAB provided that:
a). you are a fit and proper person
b). you have made arrangements for continuity of your practice in the event of death or incapacity
c). you have completed the qualifying experience requirement of sixty (60) months of accountancy and auditing experience in role/roles, which has/have prepared you to provide auditing and accountancy services to the public. At least twenty-four (24) months of this experience needs to be obtained after admission to membership of the qualifying professional accountancy body, identified above while working at a senior level under supervision of a registered public accountant.
d). two registered accounting practitioners with whom you have worked are able to certify that you have accumulated the required number of years of audit accountancy experience at a senior level. Where you have only worked with one registered accounting practitioner the period of 24 months in (c) above will be increased to thirty-six (36) months. The certification involves an evaluation in terms of your competencies in the following areas
Personal
Professional Values, Ethics and Attitudes
Professional
Accounting and
Auditing
e). you have been resident in Jamaica for a minimum of 183 days during the 365 days preceding the submission of your application for registration
f). you have passed auditing as a subject in the qualifying examination i.e. (ACCA, M.Sc in Accounting (UWI), CGA, AICPA examination)
g). you provide details of your entire employment history
h). you submit an application on the prescribed form.
