Some bookkeepers may be tasked with generating financial reports to present to their managers. The reports might reflect incoming revenue over time, outgoing payments, or some comparison of the two. Bookkeepers might also participate in various stages of a corporate audit, though they must do so under the supervision of licensed accountants. Within the course, you learn skills on how to be a bookkeeper, it goes through the basics of accounting principles, and it also talks about marketing your bookkeeping business. Incorporated in the course are a ton of templates that help you start your business, including letters to send to clients and how to price your bookkeeping business.

In each section, test-takers must answer 37 out of 50 questions correctly to receive a passing grade. Candidates for CPB licensure need to demonstrate a minimum of one year or 2,000 hours of bookkeeping or accounting experience. https://www.bookstime.com/accountants Employers or clients must fill out a form attesting to the candidate’s work. Both the AIPB and the NACPB support the bookkeeping profession, offer membership benefits, and provide professional development opportunities.

Continuing Education Information

It’s important to examine the details for each to determine if the program fits your individual needs. Parts 1 and 2 must be taken at a testing center and parts 3 and 4 are “take-home” exams that you can complete at your own pace and mail to the AIPB for grading. You must earn a grade of 75% for parts 1 and 2 and 70% for parts 3 and 4 to achieve certification. A bookkeeper certification tells employers that you have all the skills and expertise required for advanced bookkeeping. Professionals must complete 24 hours of approved continuing professional education each year. Follow these five best practice tips to improve your bookkeeper certification exam performance.

• After successfully passing the exam and meeting all of the requirements, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.
• The passing score for the CPB exam is 75% (NACPB, n.d.), while the passing score for the CPB exam is 75% for parts one and two, and 70% for parts three and four (AIPB, n.d.).
• So while bookkeepers don’t need to earn certification to be employed, investing the time to earn credentials can help by creating job opportunities and expanding earning potential.
• Certifications have become essential in today’s industry, as they indicate that an individual has the skills and knowledge to maintain financial records accurately.
• We will also use these and other tools to prepare you for the exam, including practice quizzes, exams, and strategies for conducting your preparation leading up to and encompassing the exam day.

A bookkeeper is a professional who is skilled at recording financial transactions in a ledger, often using QuickBooks or other software for accounting. Bookkeepers need to record transactions in their proper place so that accountants can later assess the figures and write financial reports. For smaller businesses they may offer services for all areas, while in a larger company, bookkeepers may specialize in areas such as inventory, accounts receivable or payable, or payroll. The CB is a professional certification in bookkeeping offered by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB).

Advance Your Career With a Bookkeeping Certification

Both CB and CPB candidates must pass a certification exam to become certified. The passing score for the CPB exam is 75% (NACPB, n.d.), while the passing score for the CPB exam is 75% for parts one and two, and 70% for parts three and four (AIPB, n.d.). Both exams have their own unique content and requirements, and the difficulty level will depend on an individual’s level of experience and knowledge of bookkeeping. It is recommended that you review the exam content and requirements of each exam and determine which one aligns best with your skills and experience. The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education is committed to providing equal access to continuing education programs for students living with permanent or temporary disabilities. Learn more about the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education program accommodations.

Your company won’t miss a beat, and the transition will be so seamless that you probably won’t even notice the change. She spent the next nine years honing her systems and building her bookkeeping business to 12 staff members. One of Debbie’s specialties was finding ways to screen new recruits, so she always hired the best possible candidates.

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Familiarity with the best bookkeeping software and obtaining a bookkeeping certification can improve job prospects, earn higher salaries, and gain recognition as an expert in the field. Candidates for these certifications must meet certain educational and experience requirements and pass a rigorous exam. Earning a bookkeeper certification can increase credibility and job prospects, signify a commitment to ethical standards, and demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development. While some specialize in one specific aspect of a business, such as payroll, others take a more comprehensive role, especially in smaller organizations. Bookkeepers must be adept with data entry as they often need to record a large number of transactions using a 10-key pad. Once the data has been accurately recorded, bookkeepers must ensure that it is ready for the trial balance stage, in which the debits and credits are equal.

When you register for the CB exam, consider adding a few of AIPB’s official workbooks to your order form. The six official CB workbooks range from $29 to $49 each for members ($39-$59 for non-members), containing sections on every exam topic. Quizzes certified bookkeeper included throughout the workbooks help ensure information mastery. Bookkeepers can retake CPB and CB certification exam sections as needed. Test-takers redoing the first or second part of the AIPB exam must wait 30 days between attempts.