Once satisfied that they meet the ongoing eligibility criteria outlined below, members can apply to join the register by completing a registration form.

The application form requires detailed responses reflecting the applicant's business background, specific skills, relevant experience and preferred areas of interest.

There is no cost to join the register, however, there are four ongoing eligibility criteria:

1. Applicants must be CPA Australia members and be FCPAs (Fellow of CPA Australia):
   
   Attaining FCPA status has been identified as one of the initial requirements for listing on the register, since it reflects the level of experience that CPA Australia believes provides a sound basis for a potential director.
   
   FCPAs must have 15 years experience in a finance, accounting or business field, with five of those years spent in a senior management position. Applications for advancement to Fellow will be considered.
   
   FCPA application form
   
   
2. Applicants must complete an approved directors course:
   
   Members must complete a CPA Australia recognised Directors course (assessed) within 12 months of being listed on the CPA Directors Register.
   
   Recognised courses include:
   
   
   • AICD company directors course
   • Chartered Secretaries of Australia (Graduate Diploma in Company Secretarial Practice or Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance)

   Although we recommend these specific courses, you may attend a similar directors course provided that it is approved by CPA Australia.
   
   An exemption from this requirement is only possible if a member has completed one of the recognised directors courses within the last 10 years or has recent significant board or CEO experience with large public/proprietary companies or similar across other sectors (as defined by corporations law). This experience must be at least five years in duration exposing the member to at least five of the seven important aspects of a directorship listed below, with corporate governance and corporate law mandatory.
   
   

   • Corporate governance
   • Company law
   • Strategic performance measurement and management
   • Trade practices legislation
   • Good employment practice
   • Risk management
   • Environmental and sustainability management issues
   • Better practice in financial risk management
   
   To apply for an exemption, applicants should complete the exemption form and send it with your application form.
   
   CPA Australia reserves the right to accept or reject a previously completed course based on the suitability of the course content and institutional credentials.
   
   
3. Applicants must meet the ongoing CPD requirements of the register:
   
   All Associates, CPAs and FCPAs must complete 120 structured continuing professional development (CPD) hours per triennium to maintain their status.
   
   Members wishing to remain on the register must also ensure that 45 hours (15 hours per year) of their CPD is related to corporate governance and the skills required of a director. This is within the existing overall CPD requirement of 120 structured hours per triennium, not over and above.
   
   The requirement can be fulfilled through completing the relevant CPA Australia courses or those provided by other organisations as long as they are related to the responsibilities of someone on a board. Update courses (such as those offered by AICD) which follow on from a recognised directors course, can also be used to fulfil the CPD requirement as they relate directly to the responsibilities of being a company director.
   
   The following are some relevant CPA Australia courses that can fulfil this requirement:
   
   
   • Better Practice in Governance & Accountability
   • Better Practice in Financial Risk Management
   • Improving Performance Measurement & Reporting
   • Improving Performance Measurement & Reporting in the Not-For-Profit Sector
   • Enhancing the Budgeting Process to Drive Efficiency
   • Improving Internal Reporting by Reporting on a Page in the Public Sector
   • Improving Internal Reporting by Reporting on a Page (Private Sector)
   • Any program in the IFRS product suite
   
   Additional information about CPD and the above listed relevant courses is available by calling 1300 857 705 or from the Training & Events section of the website.
   
   
4. Applicants must not have any adverse disciplinary findings or be under investigation or disciplinary review