AICPA – American Institute Certified Public Accountants

The AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) is the national professional body for Certified Public Accountants in the United States. Founded in 1887, it sets auditing and ethics standards for CPAs in public practice, writes and scores the Uniform CPA Examination with NASBA, and represents more than 428,000 members in 130 countries (as of June 2026). It does not, by itself, issue your CPA licence — your state board does.

That last point trips up most international candidates, including Nigerians weighing the US CPA against ICAN, ACCA and ANAN. In the US, the AICPA, the state boards of accountancy, and NASBA each do a different job. Get those three straight and the rest of the CPA path makes sense.

What the AICPA actually does

The AICPA is a membership organisation, not a government regulator. Its core work falls into a few buckets:

• Standard-setting. It develops the Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS), the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, and standards for private-company audits, attestation, compilations and reviews. (Audits of US public companies follow PCAOB rules, a separate body created after Enron in 2002.)
• The CPA Exam. The AICPA writes and scores the Uniform CPA Examination. NASBA handles candidate records and score release; the state boards decide who sits and who gets licensed.
• Advocacy. It lobbies Congress and federal agencies on tax, audit and accounting policy on behalf of the profession.
• Member support. Continuing professional education (CPE), technical guidance, research, credentials and peer review for CPA firms.

The AICPA was founded in 1887 as the American Association of Public Accountants. It is led by CEO Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA (in post since January 2025), with Lexy Kessler, CPA, CGMA, serving as chair of the board (as of June 2026).

AICPA vs state boards vs NASBA

This is the single most useful thing an overseas candidate can learn. Three bodies, three roles:

So the licence is a state credential. A “Texas CPA” or “California CPA” is licensed by that state’s board, follows that state’s rules, and uses interstate mobility to practise elsewhere. AICPA membership is optional and separate from holding the licence, though most US CPAs join.

The AICPA’s role in CPA licensure

To become a CPA, candidates clear the “three Es”: Education, Examination and Experience. The AICPA owns the middle one.

Since the CPA Evolution overhaul launched in January 2024, the exam has a core-plus-discipline structure. Every candidate passes three core sections and then chooses one of three discipline sections:

• Core (all three required): Auditing and Attestation (AUD), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR), Taxation and Regulation (REG).
• Discipline (pick one): Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR), Information Systems and Controls (ISC), or Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP).

The three core sections test continuously through the year; the discipline sections run in narrower quarterly windows. You can read our fuller breakdown of the CPA exams and how to prepare, and many candidates train with Becker simulated exams.

The 150-hour rule is changing

For decades, most states required 150 semester-hours of education (a bachelor’s degree is about 120) plus one year of experience. The 150-hour rule is now being relaxed to address a US accountant shortage. In 2025 the AICPA and NASBA amended the Uniform Accountancy Act to add a pathway of a bachelor’s degree (120 hours) plus two years of experience plus passing the exam. Ohio and Virginia adopted this alternative pathway effective 1 January 2026, and roughly 40-plus jurisdictions had enacted or proposed similar changes by mid-2026. Always check the specific state board’s current rules before you commit, because adoption dates vary.

AICPA and CIMA: the global Association and the CGMA

In 2017 the AICPA joined with the UK’s Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to form the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, which trades as AICPA & CIMA. Together they represent about 580,000 members, candidates and registrants across 150 countries and territories (as of June 2026).

The two bodies first collaborated in 2012 to create the CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant) designation, which sits on the management-accounting side. When you join the AICPA today, you also become part of the wider Association, opening access to that global network. The CGMA Professional Qualification received a syllabus upgrade examined from the May 2026 case-study sitting onward.

How the US CPA compares to ICAN, ACCA and the CGMA

For a Nigerian or other international reader, the practical question is which letters to chase. A quick orientation:

• US CPA — a state-issued licence focused on US GAAP, US tax and US audit. Strongest value if you work with US-listed companies, US subsidiaries, or in the United States. Exam owned by the AICPA; licence by a state board.
• ICAN / ANAN — Nigeria’s domestic chartered bodies, the standard route to sign Nigerian statutory audits and hold local practising rights.
• ACCA — UK-based, globally portable, built around IFRS; popular across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. See our guide on becoming ACCA-certified in Nigeria.
• CGMA — the AICPA-CIMA management-accounting designation, geared toward business, strategy and finance roles rather than audit sign-off.

None is universally “best”: the right credential depends on where you want to work and whether you need audit-signing rights, US recognition, or IFRS-based portability. Some accountants stack two, for example ICAN plus ACCA, or ACCA plus the US CPA.

Do I need a US accounting degree to sit the CPA?

Not necessarily a US one, but you do need the required accounting and business credit hours your chosen state board specifies, often through an evaluated foreign transcript. Candidates short on credits sometimes top up via accredited online accounting programs. It is also possible to build toward chartered status as a chartered accountant without an accounting degree, depending on the body and pathway.

The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct

The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct is the ethics framework all member CPAs are expected to follow. It is built on a set of principles, including:

1. Responsibilities — exercise sensitive professional and moral judgement in all activities.
2. The public interest — act in a way that serves the public and honours the public trust.
3. Integrity — be honest and candid within the limits of client confidentiality.
4. Objectivity and independence — stay free of conflicts of interest; remain independent when auditing.
5. Due care — follow technical and ethical standards and keep improving competence.
6. Scope and nature of services — apply the principles when deciding what services to provide.

State boards and many regulators tie their own ethics rules back to these principles, which is why they matter even to non-members.

What does a CPA earn in the US?

CPA pay varies widely by experience, location, industry and firm size, so treat any single figure with caution. Broadly, holding the CPA licence tends to lift earning power compared with non-licensed accountants, the gap widens with experience, and metropolitan markets pay more than smaller ones. For a current, reliable number, check live salary data (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Robert Half, the AICPA’s own surveys) rather than an old blog figure, since these shift each year.

Frequently asked questions

Is the AICPA the same as a CPA licence?

No. The AICPA is a professional membership body. Your CPA licence is issued by a US state board of accountancy. You can hold the licence without joining the AICPA, and AICPA membership alone does not make you a licensed CPA.

Who runs the CPA Exam, the AICPA or NASBA?

The AICPA develops and scores the Uniform CPA Examination. NASBA manages candidate records, scheduling and score release, and coordinates the state boards. The state boards decide eligibility and grant the licence.

Can a Nigerian accountant become a US CPA?

Yes. International candidates can sit the exam through a participating state board, usually after a foreign-credential evaluation confirms the required education credits. You then meet that state’s experience and ethics rules to be licensed. Check the specific board’s current requirements before applying.

What is the difference between AICPA and CIMA?

The AICPA is the US CPA body (public accounting and audit). CIMA is the UK management-accounting body. Since 2017 they operate jointly as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and issue the CGMA designation together.

Has the 150-hour rule been abolished?

Not abolished, but eased. As of June 2026, several states accept a 120-hour degree plus two years of experience plus the exam as an alternative to 150 hours. Adoption is rolling out state by state, so verify your target state’s rules.

Is the US CPA better than ACCA or ICAN for a Nigerian?

It depends on your goal. The US CPA suits US-facing roles; ICAN/ANAN cover Nigerian statutory practice; ACCA offers IFRS-based global portability. See our comparison of ICAN vs ACCA vs ANAN to weigh them.

Found this useful? Use the share buttons below, and drop your questions or corrections in the comments so we can keep the page accurate.