Professional Accountant

Professional Accountant: certification preparation

The Professional Accountant program is designed for specialists who want to organize their knowledge of accounting and finance and confirm their qualification through a professional exam. The course covers all subjects typically included in professional accountant certification and devotes a lot of time to practice.

Why confirm your qualification

Federal Law No. 402-FZ “On Accounting” sets education and work experience requirements for chief accountants of certain organizations, including public joint-stock companies. Professional certification is a voluntary confirmation of qualification: it shows employers that a specialist has command of accounting, taxes, and reporting at a level sufficient to work independently and lead an accounting department.

What the preparation gives you

For accountants

• Career growth: structured knowledge and a confirmed qualification help you compete for the chief accountant role and senior positions in the finance function.
• Recognized competence: certification shows that your knowledge meets professional standards.
• Competitive edge: a confirmed qualification makes a candidate stand out in the job market.
• Up-to-date knowledge: the program reflects changes in legislation and federal accounting standards.

For employers

• Lower risk: a qualified accountant keeps records correctly and helps avoid tax and financial errors.
• Partner confidence: a professional accounting function builds the trust of investors, banks, and counterparties.
• Effective management: the specialist can analyze financial statements and propose cost optimization solutions.

For working with foreign partners

• IFRS knowledge: the program includes reporting under international standards, which matters for companies with foreign ownership and groups that prepare consolidated financial statements.

Program subjects

Preparation covers the key certification subjects:

• financial accounting and reporting, including international standards;
• law (civil, banking, insurance, and pension);
• taxes and taxation;
• management accounting;
• finance and financial management;
• professional ethics;
• exam problem-solving workshop.

Exams are taken at the certifying professional organization, which also issues the qualification certificate. HSE IPAA prepares participants for the exams and issues a certificate of completion.

How the training works

• Evening online classes in Zoom from 19:00 to 21:30 — easy to combine with work.
• Each module is taught by a separate practitioner instructor with experience in that subject.
• Class recordings and handouts are available on the /learn learning platform if you miss a session.
• Each group has a dedicated manager and a group chat for questions and sharing materials.
• The course lasts about 5 months; one module takes roughly 8–9 class days. There are no classes on weekends or public holidays.

Tuition and exam fees

One exam costs 2,800 RUB on average. The total cost of training and exams is about 54,600 RUB, and installment payments are available. The fee includes study materials, problem books, test collections, and instructor consultations.

Further development

After certification preparation, you can continue learning: accountants can take a 120-academic-hour professional development program that helps keep their knowledge up to date. Upcoming group dates are in the /schedule section, and other programs are in the /programs section.