QuickBooks Certification: Your Path to Professional Mastery by Hector Garcia

The source describes two primary ways to become certified in QuickBooks: the QuickBooks Certified User certification and the QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor program. While the Certified User credential is a one-time, paid exam suitable for those seeking immediate employment, the ProAdvisor program offers a free, annually renewable certification geared towards accounting professionals who intend to support multiple clients using QuickBooks. The ProAdvisor program also provides valuable resources, including a dedicated portal for managing clients, free access to QuickBooks Online for the firm’s own use, and additional training modules. Both certifications aim to validate proficiency in QuickBooks, with the ProAdvisor program further enhancing professional standing through public directory listings and advanced certifications.

QuickBooks Certifications: User vs. ProAdvisor Programs

There are two official QuickBooks certification types available in the United States: the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU) and the QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor program.

Here’s a breakdown of each:

Intuit QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU)

• Purpose and Audience:
• This certification is designed for individuals who want to learn QuickBooks enough to pass an exam and gain a certificate, but do not intend to upkeep the certification annually.
• It’s suitable for those looking to prove their basic QuickBooks knowledge to secure a job in a small business.
• Organizer and Process:
• Organized by Certiport, you can find detailed information, including exam objectives, on their website.
• The exam can be taken online through a virtual proctoring system or at a physical exam location.
• Exam Details:
• The exam covers six basic sections: administering QuickBooks Online, money-in transactions (like invoices), money-out transactions (like expenses and bills), banking, scanning receipts, and reports.
• It’s generally considered fairly easy, consisting of about 50 questions with a one-hour time limit.
• While not a strict requirement, individuals earning this certification are typically expected to have at least 150 hours of instruction or hands-on experience to pass. It is solely an exam, not a course.
• Cost:
• The exam voucher, which includes a retake, costs $130.
• Practice tests and “learning keys” (video courses) are also available for purchase.
• Renewal:
• This certification does not require annual renewal; you take the exam once and receive the certificate.
• Preparation Resource:
• Alicia Catz Pollock’s book, “QuickBooks Online from setup to tax time,” is specifically designed around the certified user curriculum and can serve as a companion for preparation.

QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor Program

• Purpose and Audience:
• This program is primarily for accounting professionals (those with an accounting degree or working in accounting) who intend to make supporting or working with QuickBooks a career and will renew their certification annually.
• It is specifically designed for individuals who will be serving multiple clients using QuickBooks.
• Cost and Access:
• As of the date of the video, this program is 100% free, with no cost, catch, or credit card required.
• To sign up, you need to create an Intuit account.
• US-Specific Requirement:
• A critical requirement for this program is a US cell phone number for verification via text message or email. Without a US cell phone, you cannot complete the verification process.
• Account Setup:
• You will be asked to provide an “accounting firm name” and zip code. This name is what your clients will see when you invite them to use QuickBooks.
• The QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA) account allows you to manage clients. You can choose to pay for your clients’ QuickBooks Online accounts (and bill them) or offer them a direct discount, with the client paying directly.
• Certification Levels:
• QuickBooks Online Certification (Core): This is the initial certification you must achieve.
• Advanced Certification: After obtaining the core certification, you can unlock the advanced certification. This is highly recommended as advanced certified ProAdvisors are listed first in the ProAdvisor directory, helping them gain clients. This level delves into more complex topics like app integrations and challenging accounting situations.
• Payroll Certification: This is another specialized certification available after the core certification.
• QuickBooks Desktop Certified: While the online certification is free, certifying in QuickBooks Desktop requires an additional annual payment, estimated at $800-$1,000, which often includes a software license.
• Renewal:
• This certification must be renewed or recertified every year.
• The annual recertification typically involves taking a two-hour exam, usually before June 30th.
• Exam Details:
• The core QuickBooks Online certification exam consists of five sections, and it can take approximately two and a half hours to complete if you already have QuickBooks knowledge.
• You are given three attempts to pass the exam. If you fail three times, you must wait 60 or 90 days before you can retake it.
• During the exam, you must agree to a code of conduct, ensuring you do not cheat or share content.
• Training and Resources:
• Training Library: The program offers a comprehensive training library with two main learning options:
• Webinars: Eight scheduled sessions, each lasting one to two hours, totaling 14-16 hours of live training.
• On-Demand (Self-Paced): This includes text-based lessons with screenshots, mini-animations, and knowledge checks, estimated to take 16-18 hours to complete.
• No Mandatory Training: You are not required to complete any training or watch webinars if you already possess strong QuickBooks knowledge as an accounting professional.
• Additional Training: Once certified, you gain access to further training on foundational bookkeeping skills, becoming an advisor, tax preparation (e.g., 1040 tax returns), and printable training materials for teaching clients.
• Key Benefits:
• Free QuickBooks Online Account for Your Firm: You receive a complimentary QuickBooks Online account for your own accounting business, allowing you to manage your firm’s books and invoice clients directly within the ProAdvisor portal.
• ProAdvisor Profile: You can create a public profile to showcase your certifications, business information, and receive client reviews.
• Client Acquisition: Your profile is listed in the “Find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor” directory, which is a key resource for individuals seeking QuickBooks experts by zip code. Advanced certified ProAdvisors are prioritized in search results.
• Official Badges and Certificates: Upon certification, you can download a badge and a certificate of completion, which can be used on business cards, websites, email signatures, and LinkedIn profiles.
• Tier-Based Benefits: As you get certified and add clients, you advance in tiers, gaining access to more benefits, including updated training materials provided annually.

QuickBooks Certifications: User vs. ProAdvisor Programs

QuickBooks offers two official certification types in the United States, each providing distinct benefits depending on your career goals and needs: the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU) and the QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor program.

Intuit QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU)

This certification is ideal for individuals who want to demonstrate a foundational understanding of QuickBooks without the need for annual renewal.

• Proof of Basic Knowledge: It allows you to prove that you know enough about QuickBooks to be effective in a small business setting, which can be beneficial when looking for a job.
• One-Time Certification: Once you pass the exam, you receive a certificate, and it does not require annual upkeep or recertification. This makes it suitable for those who just want to gain the certificate and move on.
• Curriculum-Aligned Preparation: Resources like Alicia Catz Pollock’s book, “QuickBooks Online from setup to tax time,” are specifically designed around the certified user curriculum, providing a structured way to prepare for the exam.

QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor Program

This program is geared towards accounting professionals who intend to make supporting or working with QuickBooks a core part of their career and are committed to annual renewal.

• 100% Free (for Online Certification): As of the video’s date, the QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor program is entirely free, with no cost, catch, or credit card required. (Note: QuickBooks Desktop certification requires an additional annual payment, estimated at $800-$1,000, which includes a software license).
• Career Foundation: It’s designed for accounting professionals who plan to serve multiple clients using QuickBooks and will upkeep their certification annually, making it a foundation for a career in supporting or working with QuickBooks.
• Official ProAdvisor Profile: You can create a public ProAdvisor profile where you can upload your picture, include business information, your website, phone numbers, and showcase your badges. This profile can receive client reviews.
• Client Acquisition:
• Your profile is listed in the “Find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor” directory, a key resource for people searching for QuickBooks experts by zip code.
• Advanced Certified ProAdvisors are listed first in search results, significantly helping them gain clients.
• Official Recognition and Marketing: Upon certification, you receive official badges and a certificate of completion that you can download and use on business cards, websites, email signatures, and LinkedIn profiles. You can also share these directly to LinkedIn.
• Free QuickBooks Online Account for Your Firm: You gain access to a complimentary QuickBooks Online account for your own accounting business, built directly into the ProAdvisor portal. This allows you to manage your firm’s books and invoice clients directly.
• Client Management and Collaboration Tools: The QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA) account enables you to manage clients efficiently. You can choose to pay for your clients’ QuickBooks Online accounts (and bill them) or offer them a direct discount where they pay directly.
• Tier-Based Benefits: As you get certified and add clients, you advance in tiers, unlocking more benefits and access to updated training materials provided annually.
• Comprehensive Training Resources:
• Access to a robust training library with options for scheduled webinars (approximately 14-16 hours) and self-paced on-demand courses (estimated 16-18 hours).
• Additional training beyond certification on foundational bookkeeping skills, becoming an effective advisor, and even basic tax preparation (e.g., 1040 tax returns).
• Downloadable, printable training materials (hundreds of pages) that can be used to teach clients how to use and collaborate with QuickBooks.
• Enhanced Expertise: Achieving the Advanced Certification is highly recommended as it delves into more complex topics like app integrations and challenging accounting situations, making you a more knowledgeable consultant.

QuickBooks Certifications: QBCU vs. ProAdvisor Program

Both the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU) and the QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor program offer different avenues for training and study, tailored to their respective certification goals.

Intuit QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU)

The QBCU certification is an exam-based assessment of your QuickBooks knowledge, not a course itself.

• Exam Objectives: Certiport, the organizer, provides exam objectives in a downloadable PDF, which serves as a “cheat sheet” outlining all the topics covered on the exam. These topics include administering QuickBooks Online, money-in and money-out transactions, banking, scanning receipts, and reports.
• Experience Expectation: While not a strict requirement, an individual earning this certification is generally expected to have at least 150 hours of instruction or hands-on experience to pass the exam. This suggests that prior learning or practical use of QuickBooks is beneficial for success.
• Purchasable Resources:Practice tests are available for purchase.
• “Learning keys,” which are video courses, can also be purchased from Certiport. However, the source does not endorse them, having not used them.
• Recommended Book: Alicia Catz Pollock’s book, “QuickBooks Online from setup to tax time,” is specifically designed around the certified user curriculum and can serve as a companion for preparation.

QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor Program

This program offers comprehensive, often free, training resources designed for accounting professionals, with a focus on annual recertification.

• Training Library: The ProAdvisor portal includes a “Training Library” that offers two primary learning options for the QuickBooks Online certification:
• Webinars: These are scheduled sessions, typically eight sessions in total, each lasting between one to two hours. This can amount to 14 to 16 hours of live webinar training to cover the core certification material.
• On-Demand (Self-Paced Training): This option provides text-based lessons with screenshots, mini-animations, and knowledge checks. It is estimated to take 16 to 18 hours to complete. This format is akin to reading an interactive book off the screen.
• No Mandatory Training: You are not required to complete any training or watch webinars if you already possess strong QuickBooks knowledge, especially if you are an accounting professional. You can go straight to taking the exam.
• Exam Attempts: You have three attempts to pass the certification exam. If you fail three times, you must wait 60 or 90 days before you can retake it, emphasizing the importance of studying beforehand.
• Recertification: An annual recertification exam, typically about two hours long, is required every year, usually before June 30th. This ensures ProAdvisors stay current with QuickBooks updates.
• Additional Training Beyond Certification: Once certified, the program provides access to further valuable training, including:
• Foundational bookkeeping skills and an introduction to bookkeeping.
• Training on how to become an effective advisor and consultant to clients, offering business, accounting, and tax advice.
• Basic tax training, such as how to prepare a 1040 tax return.
• Downloadable, printable training materials (hundreds of pages across five courses) that are specifically designed for accountants to teach their clients how to use QuickBooks and collaborate effectively.
• Other Resources (Not Official Certification Programs): While not official certification programs, various external resources can supplement your learning:
• General QuickBooks books available on platforms like Amazon.
• The speaker’s own video course, designed with “multiple mini lessons in bite-sized pieces” and an accompanying community for questions.
• The speaker’s YouTube channel, which contains “tons of videos mostly about QuickBooks,” including a “QuickBooks Online 2024 tutorial for beginning beginners” playlist with about 10 hours of sequential videos.

QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program: A Comprehensive Guide

The QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor program is primarily designed for accounting professionals who intend to make supporting or working with QuickBooks a core part of their career and are committed to annual renewal. It is geared towards individuals who will be serving multiple small businesses that use QuickBooks.

Here are the details of the ProAdvisor Program:

Cost and Enrollment

• 100% Free for Online Certification: As of the video’s date, the QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor program is entirely free, requiring no cost, catch, or credit card.
• Desktop Certification Cost: To get certified in QuickBooks Desktop, there is an additional annual payment, estimated at $800-$1,000, which includes a software license.
• US Market Focus: The program is 100% focused on the United States Market. To register, you need a US cell phone number for the verification process. While similar programs exist in Canada, the UK, and Australia, this discussion focuses solely on the US version.
• Sign-Up Process: You create an Intuit account through the ProAdvisor website. You will need to provide an accounting firm name (which can be your own name if you’re a sole practitioner) and zip code.

ProAdvisor Account and Client Management

• QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA) Account: Upon signing up, you gain access to a QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA) account. This account is specifically for accounting firms and has “accountant” displayed on the top left, with a gray navigation bar.
• Free QuickBooks Online for Your Firm: A significant benefit is access to a complimentary QuickBooks Online account for your own accounting business, built directly into the ProAdvisor portal. You can use this to manage your firm’s books, invoice clients, and handle your own sales.
• Client Management: The QBOA account allows you to manage your clients efficiently through a “client list.” When adding clients, you have two options for QuickBooks Online subscriptions:
• Accountant Pays: You can choose to pay for your clients’ QuickBooks Online accounts, and then bill them for these services.
• Direct Discount: You can offer your clients a direct discount, where they receive an email and pay for QuickBooks Online directly using their own credit card.
• Collaboration: You can collaborate live with your clients by accessing their QuickBooks files directly from your ProAdvisor portal.

Certification and Recertification

• Certification Hub: The “ProAdvisor” section of the portal contains a “Certification Hub” where you can access the exams.
• Levels of Certification:
• QuickBooks Online Certification (Core): This is the initial certification.
• Advanced Certification: Once you achieve the core certification, you can unlock the Advanced Certification. This is highly recommended as it delves into more complex topics like app integrations and challenging accounting situations, making you a more knowledgeable consultant. Advanced Certified ProAdvisors are listed first in the “Find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor” directory, which significantly helps in gaining clients.
• Payroll Certification: You can also get certified in payroll.
• Exam Attempts: You have three attempts to pass the certification exam. If you fail three times, you must wait 60 or 90 days before you can retake it, emphasizing the importance of studying beforehand.
• Annual Recertification: Unlike the QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU), the ProAdvisor certification requires annual renewal or recertification, typically before June 30th. This ensures ProAdvisors stay current with QuickBooks updates. The recertification exam usually takes about two hours.

Training and Study

• Comprehensive Training Library: The ProAdvisor portal offers a “Training Library” with two main options for QuickBooks Online certification:
• Webinars: Scheduled live sessions, typically eight sessions total, each lasting between one to two hours, amounting to 14 to 16 hours of live training.
• On-Demand (Self-Paced Training): Text-based lessons with screenshots, mini-animations, and knowledge checks, estimated to take 16 to 18 hours to complete. This is like reading an interactive book.
• No Mandatory Training: If you already possess strong QuickBooks knowledge, you are not required to complete any training or watch webinars; you can go straight to taking the exam.
• Additional Training Beyond Certification: Once certified, the program provides access to further valuable training, including:
• Foundational bookkeeping skills and an introduction to bookkeeping.
• Guidance on how to become an effective advisor and consultant to clients, offering business, accounting, and tax advice.
• Basic tax training, such as how to prepare a 1040 tax return.
• Downloadable, printable training materials (hundreds of pages across five courses) specifically designed for accountants to teach their clients how to use QuickBooks and collaborate effectively.

Benefits and Marketing

• Official Recognition and Marketing: Upon certification, you receive official badges and a certificate of completion that you can download and use on business cards, websites, email signatures, and LinkedIn profiles. These can also be shared directly to LinkedIn.
• Official ProAdvisor Profile: You can create a public ProAdvisor profile where you can upload your picture, include business information, your website, phone numbers, and showcase your badges. This profile can also receive client reviews.
• Client Acquisition: Your public profile is listed in the “Find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor” directory, which is a key resource for people searching for QuickBooks experts by zip code. As mentioned, Advanced Certified ProAdvisors are listed first in search results, making it easier to gain clients.
• Tier-Based Benefits: As you get certified and add clients, you advance in tiers, unlocking more benefits and access to updated training materials provided annually.

QuickBooks Certification Geographic Limitations

The QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor program has significant geographic limitations, being primarily focused on a specific market. The QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU) program, while less explicitly detailed regarding geographic limitations, is organized by Certiport, which offers online proctoring or physical exam locations.

Here are the details regarding geographic limitations:

QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor Program

• United States Market Focus: The program is 100% focused on the United States Market. The speaker explicitly states that they do not have information on what the program looks like outside the US.
• US Cell Phone Requirement: To register for the ProAdvisor program, you must have a US cell phone number to go through the required verification process. Without a US cell phone, you cannot complete the sign-up.
• Similar Programs in Other Countries: While the provided information focuses solely on the US version, it is noted that similar, often very similar, ProAdvisor programs exist in Canada, the UK, and Australia. However, details for these specific international programs are not provided.
• Limited Access Outside Specific Countries: If you do not have a US cell phone or do not live in the US, Canada, the UK, or Australia, it is suggested that you likely cannot become a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. The program is explicitly “based and focused on a particular Market”.
• Localized Client Acquisition: The “Find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor” directory, a key benefit for certified ProAdvisors, allows people to search for QuickBooks experts by zip code, implying a localized service for client acquisition within the US market.

Intuit QuickBooks Certified User (QBCU)

• Less Explicit Geographic Restriction: The sources do not detail specific geographic limitations for the QBCU program regarding registration or market focus.
• Exam Delivery: The QBCU exam can be taken either online through a virtual proctoring system or at a physical exam location. The availability of these physical locations or online proctoring services across different countries is not specified, but the primary discussion revolves around the US context.

By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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