Guelph CPA student makes National Honour Roll

52 other local students pass challenging professional entry exam

TORONTO, Nov. 28, 2014 /CNW/ - The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario) is proud to announce that Laura Hodgson, a Guelph CPA student, was one of just 16 Ontario students to make the prestigious Honour Roll for top marks on this year's Canada-wide Uniform Evaluation (UFE). Overall, 52 Waterloo-area students passed the test.

The UFE, written in September, is a national three-day evaluation that assesses competencies including essential knowledge, professional judgment, ethics and the ability to communicate. The UFE has been an important component of the CPA qualification program, which includes prescribed education, practical experience and examination requirements. As a result of unification of the accounting profession, the traditional Uniform Evaluation will be replaced by a new, equally challenging, Common Final Evaluation (CFE) which will be offered nation-wide starting in 2015.

Only those who complete this entire CPA program successfully are entitled to use the internationally recognized designation of Chartered Professional Accountant, a profession known for financial expertise, strategic thinking, business insight and leadership.

A Guelph resident who currently works at EY in Kitchener, Laura has an Honours in Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.

On why she chose a career in the accounting profession, Laura said: "When I was first introduced to accounting in my high school courses, I had a fantastic teacher who inspired me a lot and encouraged me to take business in university. I continued to excel in my accounting courses in university, so it seemed like the right career path for me. I knew that the CPA, CA designation would open many doors in the future."

In total, Ontario had a record 1,389 of the country's 3,576 successful UFE writers and Mississauga's Akash Kapoor captured the Canada Gold Medal as the top UFE writer in the country. This is the fifth year in a row that the top Canadian UFE writer has come from Ontario. This is the largest crop of successful Ontario UFE writers in history.

CPA Ontario also admitted 1,976 additional new Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) into membership during two convocation ceremonies that took place on October 25 and November 8, 2014. This marks a milestone for these CPAs, acknowledging years of hard work, dedicated study, steadfast work-life balance and a true commitment to the accounting profession and their careers.

"Congratulations to all of the successful Ontario candidates," said Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, President and CEO of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. "Qualifying to become a CPA is a very challenging process and the resulting career is rich in rewards and opportunities. CPAs play important leadership roles in organizations of all types and sizes, from Bay Street to Main Street. The skills and knowledge that CPAs bring to Ontario's workplaces are crucial to our province's future success."

Interviews with Honour Roll students and/or photographs are available on request.

Media experts - Consider a CPA the next time you're looking for a subject matter expert to answer critical financial or business questions or when you need a panel expert to offer insight in a group discussion or debate.

About the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario
CPA Ontario protects the public interest by ensuring its members meet the highest standards for integrity and expertise. CPA Ontario serves and supports its more than 80,000 members and approximately 20,000 students in their qualification and professional development in a wide range of senior positions in public accounting, business, finance, government, not-for-profits and academe. Certified General Accountants (CGAs), Certified Management Accountants (CMAs) and Chartered Accountants (CAs) are now unified under the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation. Chartered Professional Accountants are valued by organizations of all types and sizes for their financial expertise, strategic thinking, business insight, management skills and leadership. For information on the profession, visit cpaontario.ca. To become a CPA in Ontario, visit gocpaontario.ca.

SOURCE: The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario

Perry Jensen, Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, 416-969-4271 or 1-800-387-0735, ext. 271, [email protected]; Amy Mulhern, Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, 416-322-6520 or 1-800-668-1454 ext. 8311, [email protected]