WES Process: Step-by-Step Guide for CPA Evaluation

WES Process: Step-by-Step Guide for CPA Evaluation

Question: How do I start my CPA evaluation process using World Education Services (WES) and California?

Answer: This comprehensive guide outlines the steps to undertake your CPA evaluation through WES, from creating your account to scheduling your exam. Before Starting further kindly ensure that you've received the Eligible State board and Evaluation Agency as WES from Simandhar Evaluations Team, Else we recommend you not to start your evaluations. 

1. Create a WES Account

  • Visit: Go to the WES website to create your account: https://www.wes.org/ (Use "Create WES Account" as the specific link).
  • Download Form: After creating your account, download the Academic Transcript Request Form directly from your WES account.
  • Guide: Refer to the WES Guide (usually attached to relevant articles or available in your Simandhar LMS) for step-by-step assistance with account creation and form completion.

2. Apply for Transcripts from Your University

  • Download Form: Obtain the Transcript Request Form from your respective university. This might be available online or require an offline collection.
  • Transcript Submission Guidelines (Crucial for WES):
    • All documents (transcripts, mark sheets, degree certificates) must be stamped and signed by the issuing university.
    • Transcripts should be provided in a university-sealed envelope, with the university's stamp and signature clearly visible across the envelope flap.
    • Mention your WES Reference Number on all documents and on the envelope.
    • Directly Sent: Transcripts must be sent directly by the university to WES. WES will generally not accept documents sent by the student.
    • Alternative (If Direct University Sending is Not Possible): If your university cannot send documents directly, you may be permitted to courier them yourself, but only from the university’s official postal address, not your personal address. This method requires prior confirmation with WES and your university.

3. Receive the Evaluation Report in 1-2 months

  • Once WES completes its evaluation, a PDF of your evaluation report will be made available in your WES account.
  • Action: It is highly recommended to raise a helpdesk ticket with Simandhar Education to get your evaluation report reviewed by their Evaluation Team. This ensures everything is in order for your CPA application.

4. Create a CBA Account (California Board of Accountancy, if applicable)

  • For candidates targeting the California Board of Accountancy, you will need to create a CBA account and pay a fee.
  • Payment: Pay approximately $100 via bank wire transfer, attach your Remittance form and 100$ Wired Transaction to wires@cba.ca.gov for the approval (Refer the PPT)
  • Approval Time: Allow up to 4 weeks for approval of your CBA account.

5. Select Exam Subjects & Pay Fees

  • Once your evaluation report and relevant state board applications (like CBA) are approved, you can proceed to select the CPA exam papers you wish to take.
  • You will typically receive a payment coupon within 2 days of selection.
  • Exam Fee: Approximately $270 per paper (four papers in total) to be paid in NASBA Okta Portal (CPA Portal).

6. Receive NTS (Notice to Schedule)

  • You will receive your Notice to Schedule (NTS), which is your authorization to sit for the exam, approximately 5min to 24 hrs after payment.
  • Validity: The NTS is typically valid for 9 months.
  • Reapplication Fee: If your NTS expires, the reapplication fee is usually 50% of the first NTS fee (e.g., if the first NTS application fee was $100, reapplication would be $50).

7. Pay International Testing Fees

  • If you plan to take the CPA exam at an international Prometric center (outside the USA and Canada), you must pay an additional International Testing Fee.
  • Login: Access your NASBA Account to make this payment: https://nasba-external.okta.com/
  • Fee: Approximately $460 for per paper.

8. Schedule Your CPA Exam

Support and Guidance:

  • For any doubts or further guidance throughout this process, please raise a Helpdesk Ticket.
  • You can also join the Evaluation Student Connect sessions, typically held at 11 AM or 6 PM IST. Relevant links for these sessions are available in your Simandhar LMS.

    Incase if you still have doubt while applying for the exam, we request you kindly to join the below mentioned student connect session where you can share your screen and our team will be able to guide you step by step navigation. This session happens every day. You can join as per your convenience.   

    Evaluation Support Sessions:  

    Timings:  

    6:00 PM IST (Every day except Sunday)
    Register & Join Zoom Meeting
    Meeting Passcode: 595888 

    We encourage all aspirants to join these sessions for assistance with the following: 
    Transcripts, NIES, WES, FACS, CPA Central, CBA, NTS, NSSO, and Prometric exam scheduling.
    Our team will help resolve your queries on an immediate basis. 

    Please note, we are closing this ticket for now. However, if your query is still unresolved, you can reopen it anytime by simply replying to this message. 



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