Certified General Accountants of Ontario awards the CGA designation. It has more than 20,000 accredited members and 8,000 students currently working toward the CGA designation in Ontario.

What kind of work do Certified General Accountants do?

Certified General Accountants (CGAs) are trained in the full range of accounting practices. Some of the work they do includes:

• providing key insights into financial statements and reports
• participating in business acquisitions
• developing tax strategies
• performing financial analysis and forecasts
• implementing accounting systems
• overseeing internal accounting processes

CGAs work as employees in companies or as independent consultants. They work in every sector of the economy as accountants, financial analysts, senior financial officers, directors of finance, controllers, chief financial officers, and presidents of companies.

To find out more about what kind of work CGAs do, visit the CGA website Name Your Need.

CGA Specialization

The CGA qualification process is designed to let you specialize in one of the following areas:

• corporate / small-medium enterprise
• government / not-for-profit
• public practice
• information technology

Requirements to Become a Certified General Accountant

You must be an accredited member of CGA Ontario to use the title Certified General Accountant and the CGA designation in Ontario.

To be accredited as a CGA in Ontario, you must:

• have a bachelor degree from a recognized university
• complete CGA Ontario’s part-time online program of professional studies and examinations
• complete at least 36 months of acceptable practical work experience

Depending on your work experience and accounting affiliation, you may be eligible for advanced standing for some of these requirements. Advanced standing means you are given credit for academic knowledge and work experience that you have gained before registering with CGA Ontario. When you receive advanced standing, you are exempted from specific requirements.

If you don’t already have a bachelor degree from a recognized university, you can still start the CGA program of professional studies. However, you can’t become a CGA until you have earned a bachelor degree.

Information Sessions

Staff members from CGA Ontario hold regular free information sessions in communities across Ontario. If you would like more information about the CGA designation, plan to attend an information session in your community. Review information about upcoming sessions.