CITP Application FAQ
Eligibility
Yes. You must be a regular member in good standing and hold a valid and unrevoked CPA certificate issued by a legally constituted state authority.
No. To qualify for the CITP credential, you must hold a valid and unrevoked CPA permit, license or certificate (whether active or inactive) issued by a state authority and be an active member of the AICPA.
No. You need to be an AICPA member in good standing and meet the unrevoked CPA certificate requirement. CITP credential holders receive complimentary Information Management and Technology Assurance Section membership.
Yes. The CITP is a broad-based credential available to CPAs with a wide range of Information Management skills and experience. It is open to all members in public practice, consulting, industry, government and education. Members may earn points for business experience in a variety of ways – by performing technology or technology-enabled services for clients or within their own firms or organizations, or by teaching technology-related courses at accredited universities.
A CPA/CITP candidate must have a minimum of 75 hours of information management and technology assurance related CPD. All hours must have been obtained within the 5-year period preceding the date of the credential application.
CPAs are responsible for complying with all applicable CPE requirements, rules and regulations of state boards of accountancy, as well as those of membership associations and other professional organizations.
Visit www.aicpa.org/cpe and the FAQ section on the aicpa.org/IMTA website to become familiar with the CPE Standards issued by AICPA and NASBA, learn the CPD requirements for AICPA members, and find out the specific CPD requirements for each state board and society. The following categories of education are eligible:
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Formal programs of learning in self-study or group-study format in topics relevant to the CPA/CITP body of knowledge - Approved Courses at an Accredited University or College
University or college courses taken in topics relevant to the CPA/CITP body of knowledge - Presenting
Instructors receive credit for preparation and presentation of CPE or college credit courses on topics within the CPA/CITP body of knowledge - Authoring
Writers of published articles, books or CPE programs in topics related to the CPA/CITP body of knowledge will be given credit for their research and writing time if this time increases professional competence.
If you answer “yes” to the following four questions, then you’re well on your way…
- Are you a member in good standing at the AICPA?
- Do you hold an unrevoked CPA certificate issued by a state authority?
- Have at least 1,000 business experience hours in the last 5 years (associated with the CITP body of knowledge)?
- Have at least 75 hours of continuing professional development in the last 5 years (associated with the CITP body of knowledge)?
Yes. You may join the Information Management and Technology Assurance Section - the only requirement is AICPA membership in good standing. Non-CPAs working in Public Accounting, Business & Industry or Consulting may join the section as a Non-CPA Associate Member and be sponsored by a current regular member (voting) of the AICPA.
CITP Exam
Yes. To earn the CITP credential, a candidate must pass the CITP Examination. More information about the exam can be found on the AICPA CITP Exam page.
Candidates must pass the 4-hour CITP Examination
- Register online at www.aicpa.org/citpexam during the registration window.
- After receiving notification of successfully passing the exam, apply for the CPA/CITP credential by completing the application found in this application kit
- Have more questions? Call 888.777.7077 (M–F 9am–6pm ET) or submit an email to citp@aicpa.org
For information about the AICPA’s CITP Examination, including registration information, review material and the Content Specification Outline (CSO), go to www.aicpa.org/citpexam.
The CITP credential program is built around content specification outline (CSO) areas of the CITP Body of Knowledge:
- Risk Assessment
- Fraud Considerations
- Internal Control and IT General Controls
- Evaluate, Test and Report
- Information Management and Business Intelligence
The key to passing the examination is a combination of utilizing the body of knowledge referenced in the CSO coupled with applying this body of knowledge by obtaining relevant work experience in information management and technology assurance.
The Complete Guide to the CITP Body of Knowledge is available as a guide and CPE self-study course is designed not only to assist in the candidate's preparation for the CITP examination but also to enhance the user's knowledge base in the marketplace. You may also consult recommended Accounting Information System (AIS) textbooks for additional referenced readings.
General
The Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) is a specialty designation that identifies CPAs with the unique ability to bridge between business and technology while meeting the strict requirements for a CPA license as well as additional training and experience in a body of knowledge that includes IT Assurance and Risk, Business Solutions, Data Analytics and Security and Privacy, and Emerging Trends.
The AICPA developed the credential over 10 years ago to respond to the needs of the marketplace and provide a specialty designation for CPAs with considerable training and experience in the body of knowledge. In the earlier years of the credential, there were multiple entry points to the credential. Beginning in 2012, successful completion of an examination became a requirement together with experience and education requirements.
The Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) is a specialty designation that identifies CPAs with the unique ability to bridge between business and technology while meeting the strict requirements for a CPA license as well as additional training and experience in a body of knowledge that includes IT Assurance and Risk, Business Solutions, Data Analytics and Security and Privacy, and Emerging Trends.The AICPA developed the credential over 10 years ago to respond to the needs of the marketplace and provide a specialty designation for CPAs with considerable training and experience in the body of knowledge. In the earlier years of the credential, there were multiple entry points to the credential. Beginning in 2012, successful completion of an examination became a requirement together with experience and education requirements.
As a CPA that is also a CITP, you can capitalize on profession’s trusted reputation and differentiate yourself from other professionals in the marketplace. The CITP credential denotes an executive-level business professional, someone who understands the business implications of technology and can make informed business planning decisions or recommendations. CITPs also have a wealth of benefits and resources at their disposal, including the CITP Marketing Toolkit, community networking and IMTA section resources. Please review the AICPA overview of CITP benefits.
Review the CITP application kit for more information. You will need to register for the CITP examination which is presently offered during two testing windows each year. Following successful completion of the exam, submit the application to the AICPA. Alternatively, you may fax a copy of the form listing your credit card information to the fax number indicated on the form.
The standard initial pricing for the CPA/CITP credential is $380.
However, if you already hold the ABV, CFF, or PFS credentials, then the cost of the CITP credential is reduced to $210
If you are an IMTA Section member when you purchase your credential, you will receive an additional credit for the pro rata portion of your remaining unused annual IMTA Section membership fee (causing your actual cost for the first year to range between $145 and $380 if this is your only credential, and $0 and $210 if you hold the other AICPA credentials noted).
The CITP is an individual credential and not a firm credential. However, it is permissible under AICPA Ethics Rule 502 for a firm to hold itself out as Certified Information Technology Professionals and to use the CITP credential on its letterhead and in marketing materials if all partners or shareholders of the firm currently have the CITP credential. State accountancy rules may impose other restrictions.
The use of "CITP" on letterheads, business cards, and other marketing materials is governed by the rules of the board of accountancy in the state(s) in which you practice. The AICPA does not currently have a prescribed format for the credential.
Most state accountancy laws are currently silent on whether CPAs can use the specialty credential. In 1994, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the Ibanez case, which held that states cannot prohibit a CPA from using a specialty credential, such as the CITP credential, unless there is factual proof of real or potential harm. If you check with your state board and run into a problem in using the credential, email the AICPA.
