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The short answer
ICAN membership does not convert into the Canadian CPA designation on its own: you apply to a provincial CPA body or its school, which assesses your degree and membership and decides which parts of the programme you still need. On the CPA Western School of Business fee list for 2026-27, an international or IFAC-member transcript assessment costs $200, each programme module $1,470 to $1,630 and the Common Final Exam $2,070, all plus GST.
How the route works
Canada has one national designation, Chartered Professional Accountant, but you qualify through a provincial or regional CPA body. The education is delivered by schools such as the CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB), and the provincial bodies run the practical experience requirement. A Nigerian chartered accountant therefore starts with the body for the province where they live and work, not with a single national office.
There are, in broad terms, two doors. Members of accounting bodies that have a mutual recognition agreement (MRA or RMA) with the Canadian profession follow a shorter route; CPAWSB's fee list says MRA/RMA applicants do not need a transcript assessment at all. Everyone else is assessed, and the assessment decides where in the programme you start. We could not open an official list of agreement bodies during research, so check your provincial body's current list before assuming ICAN is or is not on it.
The category ICAN members are most likely to fall into
CPAWSB's fee list has a single transcript assessment charge of $200 (plus GST) for applicants with an international degree, mature status, membership of an IFAC member body, or membership of a body with a memorandum of understanding. A Canadian degree is assessed for $150. Ask the school which category your ICAN membership and Nigerian degree place you in, because the answer decides what credit you get.
What the assessment can and cannot give you
The assessment looks at your university degree and your professional study. Its outcome is a list of what you still owe: prerequisite courses, programme modules, the Common Final Exam (CFE) and practical experience. Credit for ICAN papers is not a fixed number we could confirm on an official page, and it varies by applicant, so treat any figure you see on forums as one person's result, not a rule.
- Degree: the new CPA Professional Program asks for a degree or equivalent with at least 120 credit hours and a minimum average of 65% on the most recent 60 credits (CPAWSB admission page, updated 15 May 2026).
- Accounting and business knowledge: either pass the Knowledge Assessment, then start the foundational module within five years, or show 45 credit hours of eligible accounting and business coursework, with at least one course in the five years before you apply.
- Good character: as defined by the provincial CPA body.
- Lawful status: permission to study or work in the province. Temporary residents can write the Knowledge Assessment without a study permit, according to the same page.
Your Nigerian university transcript usually has to come straight from the university. Our guide to getting a Nigerian transcript sent to Canada covers that step.
The programme is changing in 2027
Timing matters this year. CPAWSB's overview page says the current Professional Education Program (CPA PEP) is winding down and that the last CPA PEP registration session is in January 2027. Admission to the new CPA Professional Program, according to its admission page, does not begin until 2027. If you are deciding when to apply, ask the school which programme your assessment will place you in and whether any credit carries across.
Under the existing certification route, CPAWSB's overview says candidates must pass the CFE and complete practical experience, which it describes as 30 months of paid experience, administered by the provincial bodies. Prior Experience Recognition, for experience gained before you enrolled, is listed at $550 where it applies.
What the remaining exams and modules cost
These are CPAWSB's published fees for academic year 2026-2027, before GST. Fees change each year, and Ontario candidates deal with CPA Ontario, which sets its own.
| Item | Fee (CAD, plus GST) |
|---|---|
| Initial registration fee | $500 |
| Transcript assessment, international degree or IFAC/MOU member | $200 |
| Annual candidate dues | $1,180 (or $590 if you register 1 Oct to 31 Mar) |
| Core 1 module | $1,630 |
| Core 2, each elective, Capstone 1, Capstone 2 | $1,470 each |
| Common Final Exam, all three days, first attempt | $2,070 |
| CFE rewrite, Day 1 only / Days 2 and 3 | $970 / $1,580 |
| Module exam rewrite or challenge exam | $585 |
| Prior Experience Recognition | $550 |
CPAWSB estimates the full programme at about $16,500 plus GST, and notes that fees are subject to change.
A worked example
Example only. Chiamaka is an ICAN member who moved to Calgary. Suppose her assessment places her in the international/IFAC category and leaves her with Core 1, Core 2, two electives, Capstone 1, Capstone 2 and the CFE, completed over two programme years.
- Registration $500 + assessment $200 = $700
- Dues for two years: 2 x $1,180 = $2,360
- Core 1 $1,630 + five further modules at $1,470 (Core 2, two electives, two capstones) = $1,630 + $7,350 = $8,980
- CFE first attempt: $2,070
- Total: $700 + $2,360 + $8,980 + $2,070 = $14,110, plus GST
A single CFE Day 1 rewrite would add $970. Her own result could differ: the assessment, not this example, decides what she owes.
What to check first
- Which provincial CPA body covers where you live, and whether ICAN appears on its current agreement list.
- Which transcript assessment category your ICAN membership and degree fall into.
- Whether you will enter the outgoing CPA PEP or the new programme starting in 2027.
- How your Nigerian work experience will be treated for the practical experience requirement.
- Your ICAN standing: keep your membership current while you are assessed, since a letter of good standing is a typical request.
Where Pryme fits
Fees on the Nigerian side, such as university transcript charges or ICAN dues, are paid in naira. A Pryme account can hold NGN alongside USD, GBP and EUR, and Send pays a Nigerian account; if you convert first with Swap, the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Statements for any provincial body can be generated as verifiable documents through VerifyDoc.ai.
Questions people ask
Does ICAN membership make me a CPA in Canada?
No. You apply to a provincial CPA body or its school, which assesses your degree and membership and tells you what you still need to complete, usually including the Common Final Exam.
How much is the CPA transcript assessment for a Nigerian degree?
CPAWSB lists $200 plus GST for an international degree or members of IFAC or MOU bodies (2026-27). A Canadian degree is $150.
How much is the CFE in 2026?
CPAWSB lists $2,070 plus GST for all three days on a first attempt in 2026-27, with rewrites of $970 for Day 1 or $1,580 for Days 2 and 3.
Is the CPA PEP ending?
CPAWSB says CPA PEP is winding down, with the last registration session in January 2027, and that admission to the new CPA Professional Program begins in 2027.
Sources
- CPA Western School of Business: CPA PEP fees, academic year 2026-2027 · accessed Oct 2026
- CPA Western School of Business: CPA PEP overview · accessed Oct 2026
- CPA Western School of Business: CPA Professional Program admission requirements (updated 15 May 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
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