What are the exemptions available for working professionals in ACCA/CPA/CMA?

By IIC Lakshya

26 Sep 2025

What are the exemptions available for working professionals in ACCA/CPA/CMA?

When looking at the time and effort needed to earn a professional qualification, working professionals have a few options in the field of finance. With prior academic and professional experience, candidates enrolling in globally recognized finance programs like the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), CPA (Certified Public Accountant), and CMA (Certified Management Accountant) may be offered exam exemptions. This makes the balance of full-time work and study much more manageable. Exemptions in professional qualification streams go a long way in helping working professionals earn their qualifications.

For working professionals, ACCA offers the most direct exemptions, CPA acknowledges prior education for eligibility, and CMA USA keeps exams mandatory but simple. The best option will depend on your career goals: an India-focused role (CA/CS), a global accounting profile (ACCA/CPA), or a management-focused position (CMA USA).

Let us look at the exemptions available to working professionals in ACCA, CPA, and CMA.

ACCA Exemptions for Working Professionals

ACCA has one of the most structured and widely accepted exemption policies, doing most policies depending on prior qualifications like CA, CMA, MBA, or accounting degrees.

Key Exemptions classify professional qualifications and experience in relation to accounts, finance, and degrees–exemptions from some Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills exams.
Indian CA (Chartered Accountant)–Up to 9 exemptions (all Applied Knowledge & Applied Skills)
An Indian CMA or CS, depending on the subjects covered, may have a few exemptions.
MBA/Commerce Graduates typically get exemptions from 1-4 papers.

For working professionals, this means they won't have to begin all over again. Consider a CA working in India. He/ She would only need to take the Strategic Professional Level exams, and therefore, save a significant amount of time on the exams.

Exemptions for Working Professionals for CPA

Compared to other countries, the CPA exams in the USA are a bit different. This is because the CPA is governed by the individual state boards in the USA, and unlike the ACCA, it does not have a paper-by-paper exemption approach.

Key Points:

No direct exemptions from exams for Indian professionals.
To sit for a CPA exam, students need to achieve 150 credit hours (which is equivalent to obtaining a Master's in Accounting in the US educational system).
Many students in India who have a CA or an M.Com in Accounting usually obtain these credit hours.

So, while there are no exam exemptions and prep requirements are minimally equal, Indian qualifications certainly assist professionals in streamlining the eligibility requirements.

To sum it up, CPA does not exempt you from exams, but Indian qualifications assist you in achieving eligibility without extra study.

Exemptions for Working Professionals for CMA (USA)

CMA USA is provided by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) and is composed of 2 exam parts, which are quite straightforward and easy to follow.

Key Points:

No exemptions from examination parts - all students must pass both Part 1 and Part 2.
Working professionals like Chartered Accountants, ACCAs, or MBA graduates usually find the overlapping syllabus beneficial, which allows them to prepare at a quicker pace.
A bachelor’s degree with two years of relevant work experience is a prerequisite that most working professionals already possess.
So, even though CMA does not shorten the number of exams, it recognizes the experience professionals have, which expedites the process for those working.

Did you know?

Over 80% of ACCA members in India entered through exemptions, creating one of the most popular paths for working CAs and CMAs to attain a worldwide qualification.

FAQs on ACCA/CPA/CMA Working Professionals Exemptions

Which course offers the most exemptions for Indian professionals?

Interestingly, it’s ACCA. Indian CA-qualified professionals get up to 9 paper exemptions.

Do Indian CAs get exempted from any of the CPA exams?

Unfortunately, no. There are no CPA exam exemptions. A CA credential helps meet eligibility requirements, but you still have to sit for all the exams.

Are there any CMA USA exemptions for an Indian CA or MBA?

Unfortunately, no. CMA USA is considered a 'closed book', which means all candidates must pass both Part 1 and Part 2. However, professionals do tend to find overlapping concepts, which helps in faster preparation.