September 4, 2008

Description of AICPA Board of Examiners and Related Committees

Criteria for Appointment to the Board of Examiners and its Committees

The criteria for service are based upon factors such as an individual’s professional experience, knowledge and skills, firm affiliation, locale, past service, and state board of accountancy experience. Membership is limited to CPAs, and to individuals who are not CPAs but who have special expertise required by the BOE. Members of the AICPA’s Board of Directors, NASBA’s Board of Directors, NASBA’s CPA Licensing Examinations Committee (previously Examinations Committee), or the Examination Review Board (ERB) may not be members of the BOE or any of its standing committees during their term of service. Members of the BOE, its committees, subcommittees, or task forces may not have any involvement with CPA Examination review courses.

Diversity: Member selection criteria include desired accounting competencies, state board responsibilities/experience, accounting education, professional responsibilities, and testing and measurement expertise. Among the demographic selection factors are region of the country, race, and gender.

Board of Examiners

Objective: Establish policy for the Examinations Team and supervise, coordinate, plan, and initiate all of the projects, programs, and activities of its subcommittees and task forces. Specific responsibilities are to:

  • Oversee the development and scoring of the Uniform CPA Examination (Examination) and the International Uniform Certified Public Accountant Qualification Examination (IQEX).
  • Represent the Examination to state boards of accountancy and the CPA profession.
  • Ensure that activities and procedures are implemented to keep the Examination consonant with CPA’s entry-level knowledge and skill requirements, maintain the highest standards of quality throughout the examination process, and proactively investigate issues related to the psychometric, content, and scoring processes and procedures.

Membership: 16 members

Major Initiative: Oversee Examination content development and scoring as well as planning for future examination changes; direct the conduct of BOE priority projects.

Qualifications: Individuals with a variety of backgrounds, including expertise in public practice, regulation, education, operation of state board offices, psychometrics, and entry-level practice.

Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 3-4; Meeting Length – 1 ½ days; Conference Calls – 4.

Content Committee

Objective: Prepare future Uniform CPA Examinations that reflect entry-level practice. Also prepare future IQEX.

  • Oversee the development of the individual Examination sections by the Preparation Subcommittees.
  • Ensure appropriate scoring and offer an advisory grading service to boards of accountancy.
  • Provide boards with aids for the Examination to candidates.

Membership: 11 Members

Major Initiative: Revise the Content Specification Outlines (CSOs) based on the 2008 practice analysis results.

Qualifications: Individuals must possess expertise in at least one of the areas covered by the Examination (Most Content Committee members are chairs or members of preparation subcommittees).

Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 3-4; Meeting Length – 1-2 days; Conference Calls – 3-4.

Auditing & Attestation Preparation Subcommittee

Objective: Develop future sections in Auditing according to BOE guidelines and policies.

Membership: 6 members

Major Initiative: Review the preparation of questions, answers, and grading guides for future sections.

Qualifications: Members must be CPAs with technical expertise in the areas covered by the Content Specification Outline for this section, and have experience in training or supervising entry-level CPAs.

Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 4; Meeting Length – 2 days; Preparation time required prior to each meeting – 15 hours; Conference Calls – 4.

Business Environment & Concepts Preparation Subcommittee

Objective: Develop future sections in Business Environment & Concepts according to BOE guidelines and policies.

Membership: 6 Members

Major Initiative: Review the preparation of questions, answers, and grading guides for future sections.

Qualifications: Members must be CPAs with technical expertise in the areas covered by the Content

Specification Outline for this section, and have experience in training or supervising entry-level CPAs.

Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 4; Meeting Length – 2 days; Preparation time required prior to each meeting – 15 hours; Conference Calls – 4.

Financial Accounting & Reporting Preparation Subcommittee

Objective: Develop future sections in Financial Accounting & Reporting according to BOE guidelines and policies.

Major Initiative: Review the preparation of questions, answers, and grading guides for future sections.

Membership: 6 Members

Qualifications: Members must be CPAs with technical expertise in the areas covered by the Content

Specification Outline for this section and have experience in training or supervising entry-level CPAs.

Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 4; Meeting Length – 2 days; Preparation time required prior to each meeting – 15 hours; Conference Calls -4.

Regulation Preparation Subcommittee

Objective: Develop future sections in Regulation according to BOE guidelines and policies.

Membership: 6 Members

Major Initiative: Review the preparation of questions, answers, and grading guides for future sections.

Qualifications: Members must be CPAs with technical expertise in the areas covered by the Content Specification Outline for this section, have experience in training or supervising entry-level CPAs.

3 Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 4; Meeting Length – 2 days; Preparation time required prior to each meeting – 15 hours; Conference Calls – 4.

International Uniform CPA Qualification Examination (IQEX) Subcommittee

International Uniform CPAQualification Examination (IQEX) is used to examine the professional competence, from a United States perspective, of accountants from foreign bodies, determined by the U.S. International Qualifications Appraisal Board to have education, examination, and experience substantially equivalent to United States CPAs. IQEX tests reciprocity applicants on their knowledge of U.S. professional standards, U.S. taxation and business law.

Objective: Recommend policy to the Content Committee, oversee the preparation of IQEX, prepare future IQEX editions, and serve as liaison between the Content Committee and the U.S. International Qualifications Appraisal Board.

Membership: 5 Members

Major Initiative: Review the content and scoring of IQEX.

Qualifications: Members must be CPAs with technical expertise in the areas covered by the Examination and have familiarity with the differences between U.S. and foreign accounting regarding the areas covered by the Examination.

Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 1; Meeting Length – 1 day; Conference Calls – 2-3.

Psychometric Oversight Committee

Objective: Review psychometric procedures, identify areas requiring improvement, conduct and evaluate research and analytical studies.

Membership: 7 Members

Major Initiative: Provide psychometric oversight for the 2008 practice analysis.

Qualifications: Members must have psychometric or test and measurement expertise.

Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 2; Meeting Length – 2 days; Conference Calls – 2-4.

State Board Committee

Objective: Represent state board concerns to the BOE and maintain state board awareness of BOE issues.

Membership: 7 Members

Major Initiative: Serve as an information and education link between the BOE and the regulatory community

Qualifications: Members must have current knowledge of legislative and licensing issues, and must be present or former state board members/chairs or Executive Directors/state board staff.

Annual Time Commitment: Meetings – 2-3; Length 1 ½ days; Conference Calls – 2-4 9.24.08 (1)

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