Chartered Professional Accountants
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Job description
These individuals plan, organize, and administer accounting systems. They are self-employed or work in:
- Companies
- Accounting firms
- The public service
- Teaching
- Non-profits
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
- Design, implement, and administer accounting systems.
- Identify opportunities in the corporate capital market.
- Provide a variety of advice to clients (business start-ups, certifications, forensic accounting, etc.).
- Examine accounting records and prepare financial statements and reports.
- Design and apply calculation methods and internal control procedures.
- Review and analyze financial statements and accounts.
- Prepare tax returns.
- Act as liquidator in cases of bankruptcy.
- Supervise and train trainees or staff.
Advancement and mobility
- Experience leads to management positions.
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Accounting or accounting science
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 86.6%
9.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 88.9%
7.4% of graduates pursue further studies
- HEC Montréal
- Concordia University
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
- Université du Québec en Outaouais
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
- Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
- Université Laval
- McGill University
Business administration
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 84.1%
12.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 92%
3.1% of graduates pursue further studies
- HEC Montréal
- Bishop's University
- Concordia University
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
- Université du Québec en Outaouais
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
- Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
- Université Laval
- McGill University
- TÉLUQ
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec (CPA [Quebec Order of Chartered Professional Accountants]).
- Successful completion of the Common Final Examination (CFE) of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec (CPA).
Sometimes required
- CPAs licensed in public accounting use the title CPA Auditor.
- Accreditation with the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec (Quebec Order of Chartered Professional Accountants) to act as a mediator in any dispute involving financial issues or a commercial transaction.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Mathematics
- Reading comprehension
- Active listening
- Critical thought
- Oral expression
- Written expression
- Judgment and decision-making
- Result evaluation
- System analysis
- Solving complex problems
- Active learning
- Time management
- Coordination
- Service oriented
- Social perception
- Persuasion
- Learning strategies
Abilities
- Oral comprehension
- Written comprehension
- Mathematical reasoning
- Basic numeracy
- Verbal skills
- Deductive reasoning
- Near vision
- Written expression
- Information organization
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Selective attention
- Classification
- Speech clarity
- Speech recognition
- Processing flexibility
- Idea generation
- Originality
Knowledge and attributes
- Critical thinking
- Focussed on results
- Autonomy
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Knowledge of economics and accounting
- Capacity to work in a team
- Knowledge of mathematics
- Rigour
- Sense of initiative
- Knowledge of office work
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work with numbers
- Self-employment
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Appellation d’emploi liée (à traduire)
Financial auditors and accountants (CNP 11100)
Skill type
Business, finance and administration
Last update: January 29, 2026