Certification Exam Eligibility Criteria

To register for and take the APA® certification exam, a candidate must meet ONE of the following requirements:

1. Hold a four (4)-year degree with a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours in Accounting and one (1) year of oil and gas industry work experience; OR
2. Have five (5) years of oil and gas industry work experience.

NOTE: If the candidate has an International Degree, evidence of equivalent academic credentials will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Exam Registration

Candidates interested in taking the APA® Exam must submit an application, evidence that they meet the eligibility requirements, and the Examination Fee (refer to Exam Fees below). Should the candidate be determined to be ineligible to take the exam, a refund (less the Administrative Fee) will be given.

Review Course Subscription

Once the application fee is submitted and all eligibility requirements are deemed to have been completed, the candidate will receive access to the APA® Review Course, including summarized study material and sample question bank for each domain/subdomain. Review Course access will be valid for two (2) years from the date of purchase, except as noted below.

The Review Course subscription includes two examination attempts any time during the two-year window.  Registration for either exam must be completed through the COPAS Office.  Passing either of the two examination attempts included with the subscription terminates the subscription at that time.

A separate subscription to the Review Course is required for each exam taker. No account or password sharing is permitted. Successful candidates cannot transfer access to another candidate.  Content cannot be copied and exported from the system. Should the candidate successfully pass the exam upon their first attempt, they will receive one COPAS Energy Education webinar of their choice.

Exam Process

Beginning in January 2024, the exam may be taken any day of the year, subject to exam facility hours and/or proctor availability. The APA® Administrator will contact Meazure Learning (formerly Scantron), the testing vendor, to begin the exam registration process. The candidate will receive instructions directly from Meazure Learning to register with Meazure Learning’s online test scheduling system to select a testing session. Candidates may select from Meazure Learning’s network of test sites, based on seating availability, or complete the exam in a live online-proctored (LOP) setting.  Candidates who choose to take the exam at a test site will select from a listing of available testing centers by geographical location and test date.

Candidates registered for the exam will receive an email notification from Meazure Learning with instructions to download and print out a confirmation notice once an examination date, site, and time have been selected and approved. The confirmation process for the exam registration is an automated process, with email confirmation that registration dates are either approved or unavailable generally received by candidates within minutes of submitting their registration. However, on occasion, this process can take up to 2–3 business days following registration. On the day of the examination, candidates must report to the testing center no later than 15 minutes prior to the registered start time indicated on the email confirmation and, for identity purposes, present the confirmation notice and a current government-issued ID with photo and signature that matches the name on the confirmation notice.

NOTE: Once a candidate’s preferred testing site, date, and time choices are approved, the candidate is subject to the reschedule and cancellation policy.  Walk-in registrations are not permitted at any time.  Special scheduling, rescheduling and cancellation policies apply for  live-online proctored (online) exams.  Please refer to email instructions from Meazure Learning for further details.

Exam Fees

International Exams

The APA® Certification Exam is built around the accounting practices, guidelines, and principles of the United States only. No international accounting practices, procedures, guidelines, or principles are part of this examination. However, the APA® certification exam is offered through Meazure Learning’s international testing sites (outside the US or Canada). All candidates must follow the procedures listed above. If a candidate chooses an international testing site, an international testing surcharge of $150 will be required when registering in Meazure Learning’s network of test sites. This fee will be charged immediately upon selection of an international testing facility.

Register Now

Register now to receive immediate access to the APA® Review Course and two exam attempts in 24 months. Exam windows for 2023 are now closed. Beginning in January 2024, the exam may be taken any day of the year, subject to exam facility hours and/or proctor availability.

Additional discounts are available for multiple subscribers from one company, as follows: 10% for five to nine employees; 20% for 10 to 14 employees; and 30% for 15 or more employees.  Contact the APA® Administrator for further details.

For questions about the exam, please contact the APA® Administrator at APAadministrator@copas.org.