Certification Options for ProAdvisors

Certification Benefits

When you sign up to become a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, you're automatically eligible for all the QuickBooks Certification programs, including QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification, QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) Certification, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Certification, and QuickBooks Advanced Certification. These Certifications are included in your ProAdvisor membership at no additional cost.

Upon successful completion of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification you will receive the following valuable benefits:

• Your profile listed on the QuickBooks Find-a-ProAdvisor Website, where there are more than 40,000 monthly visits from potential clients looking for a local expert.
• Ability to distinguish yourself and build credibility by having authorized use of the Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Logo on your website or marketing materials.
• Eligibility for up to 16 CPE credits
• Benefit from Intuit's proactive marketing campaigns to connect QuickBooks users with Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors.
• Eligibility to join the Accountant Speaker’s Bureau.  If selected to be a speaker, you would present topics of interest to accountants and end-users — thus gaining access to potential new clients and elevating your status within these groups. 
• The opportunity to gain additional Certifications, including certification in QuickBooks Point of Sale, QuickBooks Enterprise, and QuickBooks Advanced.

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Course Details

Level of Knowledge and Prerequisites
This online, self-study certification course is designed for accounting professionals or consultants who have a solid understanding of accounting principles, and already have fundamental knowledge of the QuickBooks software. To take the course, you should be comfortable working with QuickBooks lists, forms, registers, and reports. You should be able to set up a company data file, manage accounts receivable and accounts payable, track sales tax, enter inventory, track time, work with payroll items, and reconcile accounts.

Course Format
The certification course consists of three sections:

• Setting up Clients
• Essentials for the Accountant
• Recording Transactions

Each section is divided into six to eight modules, and each module contains a range of five to eleven topical lessons. You should take these sections sequentially, and you do NOT have the option of testing out of any of the sections.

On average, it takes approximately 16 hours to complete the certification course, including course material review, quizzes and exams. Times will vary by individual.

If you are certified in QuickBooks 2006 and 2007, you now have the option of skipping the full certification course and becoming certified in QuickBooks 2008 by successfully taking the certification exams only. Please note that you will not be eligible for CPE credits if you opt not complete the full course including the quizzes and exams.

To become a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, you must complete the online testing after each section and receive a score of 85% or better.

The material in this course is designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to be a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Determine which QuickBooks is the right solution for a client
• Set up appropriate items for a client's business
• Restrict access to areas of QuickBooks
• Exchange data between QuickBooks files and with other software programs
• Modify reports
• Close accounting periods
• Account for customer deposits, NSF checks, and bad debt
• Set up QuickBooks to track sales tax
• Create 1099 Forms
• Adjust inventory in QuickBooks
• Set up and use QuickBooks payroll
• Use the time tracking features in QuickBooks

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Getting Started

You must be a current member of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program to be enrolled in the QuickBooks Certification courses. If you are not a member, you can join here.

How To Begin Your Online QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification Course

Here's how to access your course locker, where you can get started on your QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification:

1. Log into the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Member Site at qbproadvisor.com
2. Click on the "Certification Course Locker" link within the Learn section of the home page.

To Begin Your QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification Course:

1. Click on the link for the QuickBooks Certification Course within your course locker.
2. Once inside the certification course, familiarize yourself by clicking on “Glossary” and “Resources” tabs at the top of the screen. View Example
3. Read the Overview materials to become familiar with how the course works.
4. Proceed to Section 1, Module 1, Lesson 1.
5. You can use the Back and Next buttons to navigate sequentially through the course lessons. View Example
6. Open and close the syllabus by clicking the Syllabus button on the toolbar. When you've attempted a quiz (regardless of the score), a checkmark displays next to the quiz name in the syllabus.
7. Throughout the course, you'll have opportunities to practice what you've learned using a sample company file. We call these exercises "On Your Own" exercises. Clicking the ON YOUR OWN button in a lesson opens a printable page with instructions for the exercise related to the lesson you are currently reviewing. View Example
8. You can exit the course at any time by closing your browser. When you log in again, the course opens to the last lesson you accessed.

The amount of time it takes to complete the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification course will depend upon your level of QuickBooks knowledge. The typical time commitment is around 16 hours.

This online, self-paced course is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can work on them one hour at a time, or focus on them for a couple of days straight … whatever works for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much do QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification courses cost?
2. How do I access the certification courses?
3. How many CPE credits do I receive with the certification courses and how do I know if my state accepts the CPE credits?
4. How long does the certification process take?
5. How can I find the answers to the certification exams?
6. If I’m certified in past years, can I “skip” straight to the QuickBooks 2007 certification exam?
7. I have taken and passed my certification exams, so why do I have to take a survey in order to receive my certificate?
8. As a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, is it mandatory to take the certification courses and exams that are included with my membership?
9. How long do I have to complete the certification courses?
10. How do I download the logo and how am I allowed to use it?

Q: How much do QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification courses cost?
A: The QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification courses are included with your QuickBooks ProAdvisor membership at no additional cost.

In addition to QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification, QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) Certification, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Certification, and QuickBooks Advanced Certification are included with membership. All Certification Courses are free of charge to ProAdvisors.

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Q: How do I access the certification courses?
A: Log in to the Members-Only site at qbproadvisor.com to access your own Course Locker.

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Q: How many CPE credits do I receive with the certification courses and how do I know if my state accepts the CPE credits?
A: QuickBooks Certification: You are eligible to receive up to 16 CPE credits when you successfully complete the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification courses for the first time. If you have earned certification in an earlier version, and take the latest Certification courses, you may be eligible for 2 – 4 CPE credits, depending upon your state requirements.

PLEASE NOTE: Some states do not allow CPE credits when taking the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification courses. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. It is the responsibility of the individual earning the CPE credits to investigate what his/her own state board of accountancy recognizes with respect to any CPE course.

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Q: How long does the certification process take?
A: For the first time through, depending on familiarity with QuickBooks prior to taking the certification courses, many members report it takes about 16 hours. Of course, this differs greatly among ProAdvisors, depending on their level of expertise.

For estimates on completion of the other certification courses, please refer to the individual information pages:

• QuickBooks Point of Sale Certification
• QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Certification
• QuickBooks Advanced Certification

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Q: How can I find the answers to the certification exams?
A: We are now able to provide missed questions and correct answers at the conclusion of the exam.

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Q: If I’m certified in past years, can I “skip” straight to the QuickBooks 2008 certification exam?
A: If you are certified in QuickBooks 2006 and 2007, you may take the QuickBooks 2008 certification exam without completing the course materials and quizzes. Your course locker will automatically identify you as being eligible. Please note that you are not eligible for CPE credits if you don’t complete the course materials and quizzes.

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Q: I have taken and passed my certification exams, so do I have to take a survey in order to receive my certificate?
A: You do not. However, we would appreciate your feedback on your certification experience so we can make any necessary steps to improve the courses in the future.

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Q: As a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, is it mandatory to take the certification courses and exams that are included with my membership?
A: No. It is purely voluntary, however, we highly encourage you to become certified to ensure you are knowledgeable in the software, and can take advantage of the many benefits of being a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.

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Q: How long do I have to complete the certification courses?
A: You can complete the Certification courses at any time during your membership. Once the next version of certification courses is delivered, the past version will be available for at least 90 days, so if you are in the middle of completing certification in an earlier version, we recommend you complete that earlier version as soon as possible to ensure you receive that "logo" in your listing on the Find-a-ProAdvisor Web site.

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Q: How do I download the logo and how am I allowed to use it?
A: Once you successfully complete the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification courses, you are considered a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and can download the logo. Here's how:
Log in to the Members-Only site at qbproadvisor.com

1. Go to your Certification Course Locker, and click on the link for "Download Certified ProAdvisor Logos". The logos will only appear once you have completed the certification course.
2. Choose the type of logo that is right for your needs (depending on the file type and description for use), and download it to your harddrive.

Logo usage requirements are outlined in your QuickBooks ProAdvisor Membership Guide that can be found in your ProAdvisor Resources Binder. Or you can access the Member Guide by clicking on the link for "ProAdvisor Membership Guide" on the home page at qbproadvisor.com under the "Member Publications" section.

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