[JPRPfutureCPA]

Hi everyone,

I have 5 years living in the US and almost 4 years working in a small manufacturing company. My title is an accountant but I feel like a payables/receivables clerk. We have an outside CPA firm to do taxes and compile the financial statements.

I have an interview for a small CPA firm closer home (17 min away, right now I’m driving 40-45 min each way).

They told me that I’m taking a test that everybody takes.
Anyone had taken a test for a job in a CPA firm? what do they ask? How can I prepare for an interview and test in a CPA firm?
All my accounting knowledge is from school because I’m not using them right now.

I really think this can be a good job experience for me.

Thank You in advance.

[chandler]

I didn't take a test before I got hired, but I do work at a pretty small firm. Do you know what it would be for- tax, audit, both? That might give you some insight for what to expect. That being said, we wouldn't expect someone applying for an entry-level position to have extensive tax knowledge (we do tax & compilations only). However, I think it's generally helpful if you have a decent understanding of overall accounting. They're probably interested in seeing if you're familiar with bigger picture topics as opposed to just single-sided data entry. For example, do you understand the interaction of income with equity? Do you understand the closing process? Do you recognize asset vs. liability vs. equity vs. income & how it impacts the various f/s, etc? Unfortunately, there is certainly no uniform test or interview process with small firms, so there is no guarantee of what to expect. Emphasize your strengths/experience & express your willingness to learn the areas you don't yet have experience in. Oh also, it's always better to show up over-dressed than under-dressed if you're not sure. Good luck with the interview/test!

[turo9992000]

My old firm did a test for entry level accounting positions. The test was very basic, and it was meant to make sure the applicant had a suitable foundation for the work we did. It included, debit vs credit questions, like how do you book depreciation, and it also listed a list of ledger accounts and asked if they were debit or credit normal. It also included compound interest questions, cash vs accrual and a quick excel test as well.

[JPRPfutureCPA]

Thank You Chandler 🙂 I'm going to buy a nice outfit this weekend. Right now I work in jeans and sneakers lol.

[Lani]

I had a quick MCQ test before the interview with my firm, too. It mostly covered basic accounting knowledge: accruals, journal entries, tax computation, and things of that nature. Nothing overly complicated. I had taken FAR a little over a week before, so it was pretty simple.
Good luck! 🙂

[JPRPfutureCPA]

Thank You, everyone. This will be my first interview after 4 years. I'm nervous and not sure what is the decision to make in case of having a job offer. My current job even when it doesn't challenge me. They are very accommodating, I have a 15 months old baby. Anyway, first things first. I will give you guys an update in the test and interview.

[Author]

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