How Long Does It Take to Complete PERT via EVR? (CPA Canada – Experience Verification Route)
CPA Canada Candidates reporting under EVR (Experience Verification Route) must report a minimum of 30 months of qualifying experience through the Practical Experience Reporting Tool (PERT) in order to obtain the Canadian CPA designation.
However, while 30 months of experience is the minimum, it takes many candidates substantially longer to meet the practical experience requirements. Is it really possible to complete PERT via EVR in only 30 months? How long does it really take?
As someone who has recently gone through the process successfully and obtained the CPA designation through EVR, I’ve shared a handful of thoughts and reasons why it may take over 30 months to complete PERT.
Availability of Relevant Work Experience
Finding employment opportunities that align with the competency requirements outlined by CPA Canada can be challenging. It may take time to secure positions that offer exposure to all the necessary areas of competency, especially for candidates who have limited control over their job responsibilities. Depending on the job market, landing the right job may take months and will quickly make PERT take longer than 30 months.
For this reason, I recommend that new CPA candidates begin their PERT journey by mapping out their CPA competency pathway. Before writing your first Practical Experience Report, map out how you plan to achieve the required core, depth, and breadth, competencies. The last thing a candidate should do is spend time pursuing a proficiency or competency which isn’t needed in order to obtain the designation. If it isn’t needed, it isn’t a value-added activity, and your time would be better spent elsewhere. There are no bonus points for extra competencies, and two Level 1s do not add up to a Level 2.
A template for planning your CPA Canada competencies/PERT journey is provided for free in the Chartered Perspective store. Feel free to check it out from the links here:
2. Developing Competencies and Showing Progression Takes Time
Demonstrating competence in all required areas can be a gradual process. Gaining exposure to different competency areas, developing specific skills, and accumulating the necessary experience to meet all competency requirements may take longer than anticipated. In fact, CPA Canada experience reviewers like to see candidates show progression from Level 0 to Level 2 over time. The implication of this is that even if a candidate switches jobs in order to achieve a missing competency, they will have to once again show progression to achieve a Level 2. There are exceptions to every rule, however, if one wishes to show progression from Level 0, through Level 1, and ultimately Level 2, it will take a minimum of 18 months assuming the candidate reports once every 6 months.
Since the PERT report writing process is so important and causes candidates lots of difficulty, Chartered Perspective is pleased to offer resources (including example reports, templates, and commentary) to assist with the PERT report writing process and help candidates complete the process in as little time as possible, to help you get your designation sooner. Check out the Chartered Perspective Store today:
3. Work and Personal Commitments
Candidates pursuing PERT often need to balance their work responsibilities and personal commitments alongside the requirements of the program. This balancing act can result in a longer completion time, as candidates may need to allocate time and effort to multiple areas of their lives. Submitting a strong PERT report will take several hours of drafting and reviewing, including setting up mentor meetings on top of the actual report writing. Candidates who fall behind on this can end up submitting their reports a month or two later, which may push back their ability to complete PERT within 30 months.
4. Mentorship and Feedback
The availability and commitment of a CPA mentor plays a crucial role in the PERT process. If candidates experience delays in receiving guidance and feedback from their mentors, it can impact the progression and completion of the practical experience program.
My PERT Journey
I personally faced many challenges when going through the EVR and PERT process with CPA Ontario, however, I was able to eventually meet the requirements and obtain the designation in ~40 months of experience and with a handful of job changes along the way. My personal experience with PERT and details on how I obtained my core, breadth, and depth competencies, is described in this blog post: EVR – My Experience.
