chair's corner.

• Author: Eddy, Kathy G.
• Position: Brief Article

This month I'd like to take you back in time to when you were considering becoming CPAs and thinking about how you would earn your place in the profession--taking the Uniform CPA Examination. Last month's CPA Letter featured an article about changes being proposed to the examination that would take effect in Nov. 2003, most notably that the exam would be computerized. This transformation of the exam is a very exciting initiative for the profession in terms of both providing an ability to test for today's essential knowledge and skills and enhancing recruitment of future CPAs.

The marketplace continues to challenge the work of new CPAs, and the services CPAs provide are constantly evolving. As I look back over my career, I'm amazed at the increase in professional standards I need to know to perform my job, not to mention the need to be technologically competent and the rate and pace at which I must assess and assimilate new information--all the while fulfilling my obligations to protect the public interest.

It follows that the exam needs to be revised to ensure it continues to meet our public protection mandate by reflecting these changes in entry-level CPA practice. The exam, therefore, must test for higher-order skills and recognize the increasingly integral role of technology in the work of new CPAs. Only through a computerized exam can we test for such abilities, including four skill sets that CPAs have identified as essential: organizational, communication, research and analysis.

But the benefits don't end there. In a society where working at Internet speed is the norm, a computerized exam can be offered to candidates more often and throughout the year. Aspiring CPAs would be able to take the...