USCPA・CFA Prep
USCPA・CFA Prep
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New to the USCPA? Start Here! How Working Professionals with No Accounting Background Can Aim for Global Finance, PE Funds, Trading Companies, and the Big 4?
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For Everyone Starting with "What Is the USCPA?": The Full Picture of a Credential That Lets Working Professionals with No Accounting Background Aim for the Big 4, Global Finance, and Trading Companies
Hi, I'm TJ, CEO of Alpha Advisors!
"I keep hearing about the USCPA lately, but what kind of credential is it?" "I have no accounting background. Is this even relevant to me?" We are getting more and more questions like these from working professionals in their 20s to 50s, and from university students too.
Let me give you the conclusion first.
• The USCPA (U.S. Certified Public Accountant) is a credential that working professionals with zero accounting knowledge can realistically aim for
• However, simply earning it will not change your salary or your career
• Only those who decide first what they are earning it for achieve a career move into the Big 4, global finance, or trading companies
In my own career, I reviewed the budgets and financial results of more than 800 companies in the corporate accounting department of Sumitomo Corporation, then went on to the University of Chicago MBA and the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs. Along the way, I came to feel firsthand that accounting is the common language of business worldwide. This article is written for people who know nothing about the USCPA, so that you can grasp the full picture in 10 minutes!
What Is the USCPA? A US CPA Credential You Can Sit for in Japan
USCPA stands for U.S. Certified Public Accountant, a CPA credential licensed by each US state. The exam is uniform across the United States, and both the questions and the answers are entirely in English.
It is a US credential, but you do not have to travel to the US. You can sit for it in Japan, at test centers in Tokyo and Osaka. Eligibility to test in Japan depends on your citizenship or long term residency, so check the current NASBA rules before you apply. Because you can take one section at a time while working, a great many candidates are working professionals.
At Alpha too, a wide range of people take on the USCPA, from working professionals in their 20s to 50s to undergraduate and graduate students in Japan and overseas. They are not only people in accounting and finance. It is not unusual to see people from sales, banking, manufacturing, engineering, and other fields that had nothing to do with accounting.
How It Differs from the Japanese CPA and Boki
"How is it different from the Japanese CPA?" is one of the first questions people ask. Here is a rough comparison.
The Japanese CPA exam had a final pass rate of 7.4% in 2025, and the study time needed is said to be 3,000 to 5,000 hours. The typical study time for the USCPA, on the other hand, is 1,000 to 1,500 hours.
Please do not misunderstand: this does not mean the USCPA is easy. The scope is broad, and everything is in English. But because the system lets you build up one section at a time, you can aim to pass while continuing to work. For working professionals, this is its greatest appeal!
The Full Picture of the USCPA Exam: 3 Core Sections and 1 Discipline Section
To pass the USCPA exam, you need to pass a total of 4 sections: 3 core sections and 1 discipline section. The passing score for each section is 75 or higher. The system changed in 2024, and the section called BEC that appears in older articles no longer exists.
The 2025 pass rates by section are as follows.
You choose one discipline section from BAR, ISC, and TCP. Looking only at pass rates, TCP seems to have the advantage, but which one you should choose depends on your current knowledge and the career you are aiming for.
One more thing to know is how long credit for a passed section stays valid. Many states are extending the period from the previous 18 months to 30 months, but the need to complete all sections within the period has not changed. Designing which section to start with, and in what order to take them, has a major effect on whether you pass.
The Road to the Exam: Eligibility and Which State to Apply To
The USCPA is not an exam that anyone can take simply by applying. This is the first point where beginners stumble.
• Eligibility is broadly divided into degree requirements and credit requirements
• Many graduates of Japanese universities are short on accounting credits
• The exam content is the same across the US, but the requirements for eligibility and for licensure differ by state
• The state you apply to and the place where you sit for the exam do not have to match
Alaska, for example, sets a 4 year university degree and 15 accounting credits as its minimum, and is popular among candidates in Japan. Guam, New York, and Washington are also common choices.
However, a popular state and the best state for you are two different things. The answer changes with your highest degree, the credits you already hold, whether you are still enrolled, and whether you want to go as far as licensure in the future. I have seen many people proceed on their own judgment here and lose half a year retaking credits. Checking with a professional at the start is the shortest route.
Typical Study Time and Cost, and How Alpha Thinks About Them
As mentioned, the typical study time is 1,000 to 1,500 hours. At 2 to 3 hours of study a day, picture about a year to a year and a half.
As for cost, one estimate puts the total, including exam fees, credential evaluation, and study costs, at roughly 960,000 yen to 1.39 million yen. Courses at the major prep schools start in the 400,000 yen range at regular tuition.
Here is how Alpha thinks about it.
• A prep school is not essential. With study materials, the right strategy, and a coach who stays with you, you can pass
• If your goal is a job change or career advancement in Japan, passing all sections is enough in many cases to begin with. Whether you need the license depends on your goal
• Alpha's private coaching students can buy Wiley, the globally used USCPA study material, at a discounted price
In other words, before you sign up for a full package because someone told you to, it is important to sort out what you need and what you do not need for your own goal. Sorting this out alone makes a big difference in both time and cost!
The Careers the USCPA Opens Up
These are the main fields where the USCPA is valued.
• Big 4 audit firms (Deloitte Tohmatsu, PwC, KPMG AZSA, EY ShinNihon)
• FAS (financial due diligence for M&A, business valuation, corporate restructuring)
• Accounting, finance, and FP&A at foreign companies
• Consulting firms
• Global finance, investment banks, and funds
• Corporate planning and overseas subsidiary management at trading companies and global companies
For university students as well, it is a weapon that shows objectively that you can handle both accounting and English, in job hunting and at the Boston Career Forum.
Let's also look at typical salaries.
At Big 4 audit firms, salary is set by position and rises sharply at each promotion. FAS is also a world where pay is decided by position and contribution to projects, not by age. The numbers are only a guide, but I think they show how much opportunity there is for people who combine accounting and English.
The USCPA Alone Will Not Raise Your Salary
This is what I most want you to take away.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few people who passed the USCPA and yet saw neither their salary nor their company change. That is because the credential is an entry ticket, not a job offer.
What sets people apart is multiplication.
• USCPA × your work history so far (how you connect experience in sales, banking, manufacturing, IT, and so on to accounting)
• USCPA × English (whether you can really use it in your resume and in English interviews)
• USCPA × an MBA or overseas graduate school (the road to global consulting, global finance, and management)
The order matters too. Do not think about your career after you pass. Decide your career goal first, then use the USCPA. Just putting things in this order changes the state you choose, your discipline section, and the timing for starting your job search.
The 3 Things a Beginner Should Do First
If you are interested in the USCPA, sort out the following 3 things before you buy any study materials.
The answers to these 3 are completely different for each person. Put the other way, once these are settled, all that remains is to run to the finish!
Why Alpha Gets You to a Pass and a Career Move by the Shortest, Lowest Cost, Most Efficient Route
For 18 years, Alpha has sent many people on to global finance, consulting, the Big 4, trading companies, and more. With the USCPA as well, our strength is that we can support passing and the career beyond it as one set.
Alpha USCPA Private Coaching
• One on one online coaching from CPAs and people who have passed the USCPA
• We stay with you from choosing your state and checking your eligibility to building your schedule through to passing
• You can ask questions by chat as soon as something is unclear, and we manage your progress closely, so you are less likely to give up
• You can consult the same advisor about your job change after passing, the Boston Career Forum, and MBA study abroad
Alpha USCPA Intensive Training (USCPA All-in Package)
• Covers the 3 core sections, FAR, AUD, and REG, and all of the discipline sections, BAR, ISC, and TCP
• Even starting from zero accounting knowledge, you learn the patterns for solving questions and aim for 75 or higher in every section
• A monthly subscription that lets you study every section for less than buying each training course separately
Settle your strategy and career in private coaching, and train thoroughly for each section in the intensive training. With the combination of Alpha USCPA Private Coaching × Alpha USCPA Intensive Training, you can master the USCPA completely!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need bookkeeping knowledge?
It is not required. Many people start from zero accounting knowledge and pass. If you have bookkeeping experience, you will get up to speed faster in FAR.
English is not my first language. Will I be all right?
The exam is entirely in English, but reading is at the center of it. Accounting English uses a fixed set of expressions, so you get used to it as you study. Please talk to us individually about how to proceed at your current level of English.
Can I change jobs with a humanities degree and no experience?
Yes. But everything comes down to how you connect your experience so far with the USCPA when you tell your story. Preparation for your resume and interviews decides the outcome.
Up to what age can I take it on?
There is no age limit. At Alpha, people from their 20s to their 50s are taking it on. The positions you aim for and the way you compete change with your age group.
Can I pass while working?
Since you can take one section at a time, passing while working is entirely possible. What matters is building a realistic section order and schedule at the start.
Summary: How You Earn the USCPA and How You Use It Will Change Your Life
The USCPA is a credential that proves two skills shared around the world: accounting and English. You can take it on even from zero accounting knowledge, and it opens the door to the Big 4, FAS, global finance, and trading companies.
However, to pass without detours and turn it reliably into career advancement, your initial strategy is everything. Let's build the shortest route together, fitted to your education, your work history, and your goal!
Pass the USCPA by the Shortest, Lowest Cost, Most Efficient Route! Build Your Career Strategy Beyond the USCPA with a Professional! Private Coaching in Strategy and Study for a Decisive USCPA Pass!
USCPA All-in Package: Complete Mastery of the 4 Sections Plus the Discipline Sections
For consultations, visit the Alpha website: http://www.alpha-academy.com/
Or message us on our official LINE! https://line.me/R/ti/p/@294xywpj#
TJ, CEO of Alpha Advisors
TJ Profile
TJ: Formerly with Sumitomo Corporation, where he worked in the Corporate Accounting Department overseeing budgeting, financial reporting, and performance management for over 800 domestic and overseas group companies, as well as IR (Investor Relations) activities. Selected as the youngest trainee for Sumitomo Corporation of America (New York), where he contributed to the restructuring of a U.S. electric arc furnace steel business invested in by Sumitomo. Later joined the Project Finance Department, where he was engaged in arranging large-scale financings for infrastructure projects in developing countries and financing for Jupiter Telecommunications. Selected as a company-sponsored candidate for overseas MBA programs.
Earned his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Organizational Management. Founder of the University of Chicago Japanese Association. Initiated and executed the school’s first-ever “Japan Trip”, which has since become an annual tradition.
Subsequently joined Goldman Sachs Japan’s Investment Banking Division, where he advised on numerous M&A transactions in the media and consumer sectors, supported capital raising including IPOs, and worked on private equity investments and corporate restructuring assignments.
Selected as one of only six fellows (out of over 200 applicants) for the 4th Entrepreneurial Leadership Program of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), where he received mentorship from leading entrepreneurs including Hideo Sawada, Chairman of H.I.S.
Served as President of the Chicago Booth Alumni Association in Japan (2006–2010). Has guided numerous candidates to admission at top MBA programs (Harvard, Stanford, and other leading schools in the U.S., Europe, and Asia), graduate schools, universities, and boarding schools. Track record of placing students at leading global firms including Mitsubishi Corporation, McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Google, Big 4 consulting/FAS, Dentsu, Toyota, MUFG Bank, Nomura Securities, among others.
Renowned for his rigorous one-on-one coaching for TOEFL, GMAT, IELTS, and GRE, with a reputation for pushing candidates to fully complete their preparation. Highly regarded for his ability to design and achieve career and academic goals with unmatched quality and precision. As a result, he is in high demand as an advisor, with numerous requests to work directly under his guidance.