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 First Time Examination Fee to the APA® Administrator at a minimum of forty-five (45) days prior to an exam-testing window. Should the candidate be determined to be ineligible to take the exam, a refund (less the Administrative Fee) will be given prior to the testing window for which application is made.  Following is a list of registration deadlines for upcoming exam windows:

Once the application and all eligibility requirements are deemed to have been completed, the APA® Administrator will contact Scantron, the testing vendor, to begin the exam registration process. The candidate will receive instructions directly from Scantron to register with Scantron’s online test scheduling system to select a testing session. Candidates may select from Scantron’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 Scantron 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 Scantron 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 Scantron’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 Scantron’s network of test sites. This fee will be charged immediately upon selection of an international testing facility.

Register Now

Registration for the July 2023 exam window will open on April 3, 2023.  For questions about the exam, or to take an international exam outside of the U.S. and Canada, please contact the APA® Administrator at APAadministrator@copas.org.