Want to take your financial consulting practice to the next level, earn client trust, and easily connect with a vast pool of potential customers? Certification as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor brings you these and many more benefits. And the best part is, you can boost your business at no cost with just a few hours of your time. By joining the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program and completing a test, your ProAdvisor certification demonstrates your superior knowledge of the QuickBooks system. You will be prepared to provide both expert business and financial consulting. Certification as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor will improve your efficiency and increase the success of your practice. We’ll discuss these and more benefits in detail later in this article.
QuickBooks makes their certification program easy by providing free training resources, such as self-guided modules, webinars, and even live course options. You do not need to be a bookkeeper or an accountant or have any specific education certificates or degrees. By investing just one or two hours a day, you can become a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor in as little as two weeks.
QuickBooks offers certifications in several areas of specialization:
- QuickBooks Online (Basic and Advanced)
- QuickBooks Desktop (Basic only)
- QuickBooks Point of Sale
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions
(Note that these certifications are only for QuickBooks Payroll Service systems and do not mean the individual is a certified bookkeeper or accountant.)
QuickBooks also offers advanced certifications for those who want to more thoroughly master the company’s systems. Intuit QuickBooks experts lead the advanced training courses, following which you must pass an additional exam. Your advanced certification credential significantly raises your credibility, further increases your facility with the QuickBooks systems, and enables you to improve your clients’ experience and grow your practice.
Here are the three simple steps that will set you up as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and put you on the path to greater success and more clients.
Step 1: Sign Up for QuickBooks Online Accountant Program
Your first step is to sign up for the Online QuickBooks Accountant program and create your profile to become a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor. Signing up and creating your profile is free.
- Go to quickbooks.intuit.com/accountants
- Click on ProAdvisor Program in the top navigation menu
- Click on the button “Sign-up for free” and fill out the required information
This process takes just a few minutes, after which you can proceed directly to the ProAdvisor training and exam.
Step 2: Prepare for the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification Exam
Once you sign up, you can access the ProAdvisor training courses and the exam portal. To begin the training, go to the ProAdvisor link found in a menu on the left of the QB Accountant page and click on the Training tab. Here you will find courses for all of the QuickBooks products to prepare you for the certifications exams. If you are new to QuickBooks, we recommend you start with the Introduction to QuickBooks Online Accountant course.
The QuickBooks Online Accountant Basic course consists of seven learning modules, which can be completed in about six and a half hours. You do not have to complete all the modules in one session. The system saves where you end a session, and you can pick up where you left off later.
If you are comfortable with the basics of QuickBooks Online, you may jump to the advanced certification course. The QuickBooks Online Accountant Advanced course contains ten modules and can be completed in about eight hours
While preparing for the certification exam, you can also earn CPE (Continuing Professional Education) credits, which apply to maintaining your accountancy certification. The QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor Basic certification earns you 8 CPE credits. The Advanced certification earns 13 CPE credits.
The training not only prepares you to pass the certification exam, it builds your professional confidence with the QuickBooks systems and enables you to answer your clients’ questions with confidence.
Step 3: Take the QuickBooks Certification Exam
The QuickBooks Online Accountant ProAdvisor Basic certification exam contains eight sections with a total of 75 questions to test your knowledge of QuickBooks’ functionality and features. You must get 80% or more questions right in each section to pass the examination.
To pass the exam, you will need a basic understanding of general accounting principles as well as knowledge of the QuickBooks Online Accountant system. The training course prepares you in both of these regards. The training course is not mandatory, however. If you already possess the requisite knowledge, you can proceed directly to the test and receive your certification. And you don’t have to have all the material memorized. You can access the QuickBooks system and reference your notes as you take the exam.
The test takes only a couple hours, and like the training courses, it’s free. During the exam, you can review your answers for a particular section before confirming the submission. The test, however, must be completed in a single session. You cannot stop midway through the exam and pick it up again later. If you do not pass the certification exam on the first try, you can repeat the exam until you pass. If you repeat the test, you only have to answer questions in the sections you failed. You don’t have to repeat the entire exam.
QuickBooks Certification Exam Breakdown
Not only do the certification exams vary according to the type of certification you seek, within the same certification the tests change in the number of sections, the questions in each section, and even the content of the questions. Nonetheless, here is a list of topics that you are likely to be tested on for the QuickBooks Online Accountant Basic certification:
- QuickBooks Solutions for Clients
- Client Onboarding
- Special Client Onboarding Tasks
- Managing your Clients and Work
- Supporting your Small Business Clients
- Reporting
- Banking and Tools
- Preparing Clients’ Books
We offer the following tips to ease your stress and help you to pass the test successfully. One obvious tip is to study all the resources provided, watch the webinars, and take notes. Also, download and print the handouts and the PDF files that come with the webinars. Test questions are often drawn from these materials. Keep in mind that it is best to focus one topic at a time.
Your ProAdvisor Profile
After you pass the exam and certify as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, you can list your practice on the Find-a-ProAdvisor platform. This allows you to connect with potential clients, build your client list, and earn their trust. A thousand or more bookkeepers and accountants connect with potential business clients every day through this platform. This comes as no surprise, because the Find-a-ProAdvisor platform is the largest of its kind in the world to connect businesses with accounting professionals. You increase your matches with appropriate businesses by regularly updating your profile with client reviews, your photo, and industry expertise.
The image you portray on this platform represents your professionalism to the businesses who are searching for QuickBooks consultants. Their first impression of you comes from your online profile, and having certifications as well as additional information and reviews allows you to immediately earn their trust. Reach out to your clients with a link to your profile and ask them to leave a review.
Your ProAdvisor Profile climbs in the ranking as you earn more points. This is a powerful feature. The profile rankings are:
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Elite
As you advance in the rankings, you can grow your business and take advantage of more features of this program, as well as discounts, product support, and training opportunities.
The Bottom Line
You may have been considering a QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification but weren’t sure of its value or whether you had the time to study and take the exam. Realize that the time you invest in knowledge and certification pays tremendous dividends. QuickBooks ProAdvisor membership gives you the following benefits:
- Display your ProAdvisor certification badge on your website and emails
- Boost your credibility and increase your profile ranking
- Distinguish yourself as a true expert with QuickBooks software as a QuickBooks Self-Employed
- Use the Find-a-ProAdvisor platform to promote yourself, so clients can find you
- Access unlimited US-based phone support by QuickBooks experts
- Receive free or discounted products and supplies
- Help your clients no matter where they are and increase their trust
Convinced? Simply sign up for your ProAdvisor account on the QuickBooks website. Remember, registration is free, as are all the training courses and the exam. Begin today using the knowledge resources available to you free of charge. Invest in yourself. When you are ready, take the ProAdvisor certification exam to show the world your expertise in QuickBooks.
If you would like to get information about this program or have any questions, please visit the official QuickBooks website or contact the support team available 24/7.