Calvin Grads Fare Well on CPA Exam

May 10, 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY

Calvin College accounting graduates have again fared well on the national exam
required to become a certified public accountant (CPA).

The annual exam is a four-part test that includes sections on: financial
accounting and reporting; auditing; regulation; and business environment and
context.

Calvin's participants in the 2004 CPA exam finished among the top ten colleges
and universities nationally compared to all other undergraduates taking the
test.

On the 2004 exam, Calvin had 80% of its CPA candidates pass at least one part
of the test and 55% of its graduates pass at least two parts. In both these
categories Calvin was first nationally.

Calvin also had 45% of its test-takers pass at least three parts of the exam -
second nationally - and 25% pass all four parts - 10th nationally. Among
first-time test takers in 2004 Calvin was in the top ten in three of the four
categories.

Calvin's graduates were in good company on all four of the lists where such
names as North Carolina, Notre Dame, Michigan and Illinois also appear.

Calvin professor of accounting Julie Voskuil says that while Calvin measures
success by more than just test scores, the results are nonetheless heartening.

"At Calvin," she says, "we believe that accountants and managers must be
educated to produce sound, honest and relevant information as a basis for
decision making and strategic planning. But more than that, our goal is to
equip students to live responsibly, making business decisions that further
God's kingdom. Our ultimate success is how well our students and graduates
carry their faith into all aspects of their lives.

"Yet for the professors who teach accounting, the performance of our graduates
on the CPA exam provides valuable feedback on what we're doing in the
classroom. So, it's affirming to see such solid results (on the 2004 CPA
exam). We are very proud of our graduates."

Voskuil notes too that 2004 was the first time the CPA exam was administered
as a computerized test, and that the test was also changed so that students can
now take the CPA exam during certain two-month windows during the year at
authorized testing sites. Those changes, she says, make it difficult to
compare this recent data with previous years.

For more on the exam see http://www.cpa-exam.org
Also, contact Julie Voskuil at 616-526-6189 or jvoskuil@calvin.edu
 
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Received on Fri Mar 10 12:02:48 2006