Become a Certified Bookkeeper (CB)
Why become a Certified Bookkeeper (CB)?
Becoming certified offers you the opportunity to:
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increase your earning potential
give yourself an edge in the job market
enhance your professional status
put “CB” after your name to show that you
are a certified professional
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational
Outlook Handbook—2002-2003 predicts (p. 391):
“Demand for full-charge bookkeepers is
expected to increase as they are called upon to
do much of the work of accountants. Those
with several years of accounting or bookkeeper
certification will have the best job prospects.”
CBs are to bookkeeping what CPAs are to
accounting—the cream of the profession.
Proven skills and knowledge
The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers
(AIPB) established certification, the Certified
Bookkeeper (CB) credential, as a high professional
standard for bookkeepers.
In becoming certified, you will master the skills
and knowledge required to keep the books for a firm
of up to 100 employees including:
1. Adjusting entries (accruals and deferrals)
2. Correction of accounting errors, which includes
the bank reconciliation
3. Book and tax depreciation
4. Basic payroll
5. Merchandise inventory
You will be provided with five self-teaching
workbooks: one for each subject. Each section of
each workbook ends with a double-quiz. The first
quiz shows you what you mastered, the second
quiz helps you shore up any weak spots. The
national exam is similar to the quiz questions.
As you master each subject, you take that part
of the national exam at any of the 300 Prometric
(formerly Sylvan) test centers nationwide. The
course fee includes the 5 course workbooks and the
3-part national examination at Prometric.
The national certification exam
After completing the master adjusting entries and
error correction workbooks, you take:
Exam 1 at Prometric: 2-hours. Adjusting Entries
(1 hour) and Error Correction (1 hour)
Now you go on to your payroll and
depreciation workbooks, then take:
Exam 2 at Prometric: Payroll (1 hour) and
Depreciation (1 hour)
Lastly you complete the inventory workbook
and take the last part of the national exam:
Exam 3 at Prometric: Inventory (2 hours).
You have now met the highest national
standards for bookkeepers and demonstrate to any
employer or client that you have proven skills and
knowledge that few colleagues can match.
Experience and the Code of Ethics
To become certified requires two years of full-time
experience (3,000 hours) or the part-time equivalent.
You can complete the experience requirement after
passing the national exam. You will receive all
necessary forms.
You are required to sign a Code of Ethics.
Continuing professional education
Once you are certified, you will need to earn 90
Continuing Professional Education Credits (CPECs)
every 3 years, starting from the date that you pass
your last certification exam. You will receive all
details upon your certification.
What Certified Bookkeepers say
“The interviewer said I was the only one who ever aced
the [hiring] test, that an applicant with a BA in accounting had done terribly. It was because of what I learned
becoming certified. I was offered the job on the spot.”
K. Ritts, CB
“Just as most people prefer a CPA to just a tax preparer,
a company that wants its books done right prefers a CB
to a bookkeeper.”
D. Janssen, CB
“It will make a big difference in your future.”
S. Yaeger, CB
“A CPA complained to me about his hiring people who
claimed to be bookkeepers but were not. He said, ‘You’re
certified. I’d like to hire you.’
“I turned down the job because I want to be on my own.
My niche is write-up work for sole proprietors and
partnerships. We are negotiating an arrangement where I
will be an associate, a subcontractor, when the firm needs
write-up work. It’s very gratifying.”
J. Perillo, CB
“My credibility went way up with our president and v.p.
as soon as I became certified. The owners now regularly
seek my input on important decisions on capital
improvements, lease-purchase decisions, timing of new
asset purchases and how to treat expenditures.
“My discussions with our CPA are now on a different
level. We work as peers. Now he asks me why I did
something a certain way. Recently he said, ‘That has
validity; we’ll do it your way.
“Becoming certified helps you with your employer.
But even if it doesn’t, it opens windows of opportunity
and increases your value on the job market.”
A. J. Green, CB
COURSE REGISTR ATION
Name _____________________________________________
Social Security # ____________________________________
Address____________________________________________
City_______________________________________________
State___________________________ Zip________________
Work Phone ________________________________________
Home Phone________________________________________
E-Mail Address______________________________________
WBT - 526-960 - CERTIFIED BOOKKEEPER
Web Based
80 Hours
Registration Fee: $1,595*
*Price includes all materials!
Check
MasterCard
Visa
Discover
Account #_________________________Exp. Date_________
CVC code_________ Signature_________________________
HOW TO REGISTER
BY MAIL: Complete the registration form above, attach your
check or money order and mail to the address listed below.
CERTIFIED
BOOKKEEPER
BY PHONE: Call (217) 351-2235 or (800) 346-8089. Phone
registration hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F.
IN PERSON: To register for classes in person, stop by
Parkland Business Development Center at 1315 N. Mattis Ave.,
Champaign.
For information on financial assistance please visit
www.collegeloanapplication.com
For Student Loan Information, call: The Education
Resources Institute (TERI) at (800) 255-8374, ext. #2 (The
Customer Service Department can take your application
over the phone.)
1315 N. Mattis Avenue
Champaign, IL 61821
Parkland Business Development Center
1315 N. Mattis Avenue
Champaign, IL 61821
http://www.parkland.edu/bdc/
work_certs/gatlin.html
Online Certificate Programs
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